Assessment: Portfolios

Often when I think of assessment, I forget that it's not designed for the teacher. Ultimately, if I want students to become self-directed learners, I need assessment to be based upon a dialogue between the teacher and the student. I need students to learn how to analyze their own work.

From my experience, the best method for authenticity is a portfolio. Here, the student directs the dialogue and has a chance to reflect on his or her own work.

When students create portfolios in my class, they choose examples and write reflections on the following:

1. A work that was the most challenging

2. A work that demonstrates mastery of a concept and a skill

3. Two works that demonstrate growth from the beginning to the end

4. A work that was most meaningful and led to greater personal development - In other words, what was the most meaningful to the student and most relevant to his or her life?

5. A work that could be used for further development

Afterward, they create a self-assessment based upon both the standards and upon personal reflections. Questions I use for the personal reflections vary from year to year, but include:

• What were your greatest strengths as a student?
• What were your greatest weaknesses as a student?
• In which areas did you improve the most as a student?
• Why is history relevant to life?
• How have your beliefs about your world changed over the course of this semester?