Assessing and

Evaluating the
Portfolios
Assessing and Evaluating the Portfolios

 According to Paulson, Paulson and Meyer, (1991, p. 63):

“Portfolios offer a way of assessing student learning that is
different from the traditional methods. Portfolio assessment
provides the teacher and students an opportunity to observe
students in a broader context: taking risks, developing creative
solutions, and learning to make judgments about their own
performances.”
Detailed rating criteria may be evolved to evaluate the finished portfolio presented by students. In general,
however, they
should include the following:
• Thoughtfulness (including evidence of students’ monitoring of their own comprehension, metacognitive
reflection, and pro-
ductive habits of mind)
• Grocorrectnesswth and development in relationship to key curriculum expectancies and indicators
• Understanding and application of key processes
• Completeness, correctness, and appropriateness of products and processes presented in the portfolio
• Diversity of entries (e.g., use of multiple formats to demonstrate achievement of designated performance
standards)
In evolving an evaluation criteria, teachers and students must work together and agree
on the criteria to be applied to the portfolio. Such evaluative criteria need to be set and
agreed prior to the development of the portfolio. The criteria themselves will serve as
guide to the students when they actually prepare the portfolio requirement. The criteria
to be used may be formative (i.c., throughout an instructional time period) or
summative (i.e., as part of a culminating project, activity, or related assessment to
determine the extent to which identified curricular expectancies, indicators, and
standards have been achieved). Below is an example of a scoring form for a portfolio
covering the “cover letter”
SAMPLE OF RATING SCALE FOR COVER LETTER
One of the more significant aspects of portfolio assessment is its “collaborative approach” in which students
and teacher work together to identify especially significant or important artifacts and processes to be
captured in the portfolio. In traditional testing, students do not have any influence nor significant inputs as
to what the teacher will ask in the test items. Moreover, students and teachers work collaboratively to
determine grades or scores to be assigned. In this particular dimension, rubrics, rules, and scoring keys can
be designed for a variety of portfolio components. In addition, letter grades might also be assigned, where
appropriate. It is especially recommended that for summative purposes, a panel of interviewers be
designated to evaluate the students’ portfolio based on the agreed set of criteria at the beginning. It is
important that the panel of interviewers understand the decision making process that the student underwent
in selecting the items to be included in the finished portfolio.(Source: Mindful School: Portfolio connection,
Burke, Fogerty, IRI/Skylight Publishing (1994))