Student Portfolios

Near the middle of last year, our administrative team decided to begin implementing showcase portfolios for our students in grades 4 through 8 during the 2009-2010 school year. The reason for implementing this new project was our belief that students need to become more active participants in the assessment of their own learning. We hoped to begin changing student perception of assessment from something done to them to something done with them.

In September, we introduced this project to our staff. As part of a full-day training on best practices in assessment, we explained the implementation process to our staff members. As with anything new, there was concern regarding how students would complete the project and how much time it would take. Having completed their portfolio for the third trimester, we can now say that the project was a success. The following are just a sample of comments provided by parents on their feedback forms.

" I love that you have the kids put these portfolios together. I think it is exceptionally beneficial for all concerned. It is a great opportunity for the kids to see and celebrate their successes and it focused them on what needs to be improved."

" I believe it is a great idea because it allows children to assess themselves and monitor their own progress."

" It is nice to see what ____ can do and where he still needs work. Great idea for the portfolio."

" We are glad to see _______ reflection on his accomplishments this year particulary pointing out the reading speed increases this year. We spoke to _____ about his writing skills and he agreed this is the area he needs the most practice to improve."

" I really enjoyed reading these. I think it is an excellent way for kids to self-reflect"

Comments like these lead me to believe we are on the right path with our assessment program. We will continue to refine this project based on the feedback we received from staff, students and parents this year. We hope to find additional ways to ensure that our students understand how grades are determined and to involve them as much as possible in all phases of learning and assessment.