Some key issues to remember when examining, explaining, integrating, and assessing portfolios is that they should be a collection and selection of student work; at the end of the course, students should select work that demonstrates their progress and processes.

In addition to collection and selection of work, portfolios should focus on progress, process, and demonstration of learning.

Students should demonstrate their progress and process through some form of reflection and papers/drafts.

To help guide students, the Kansas City Public School System recommends the following questions:   

1. Does your work show that you are persistent (self-confident, motivated, etc.....)? How?
2. Has your persistence (motivation, self-confidence, etc..) changed since the beginning of the class? How?
3. What topic did you enjoy the most, (least)? Why?
4. What type of assignments do you enjoy the most, (least)? Why?
5. What do you find the most challenging? Why?
6. Do you like working with others on projects? Why or why not?
7. What are the ways you find working with others useful? Not useful?

As a teacher, you should provide feedback on student portfolios and make clear the portfolio objectives, components, and due dates.

In general, when assessing portfolios, you and your students should be able to answer the following questions (from the Kansas City Public School System) when examining the portfolio:

   Analysis of Skills and Processes

1. What makes this your best piece?
2. How did you go about (writing, creating, solving) it?
3. What problems did you encounter? How did you solve them?
4. What makes you most effective piece different from you least effective piece?
5. What goals did you set for yourself? How well did you accomplish them?
6. Why did you select this piece of work?
7. What was particularly important to you during the process of creating this work?
8. If you could work further on this piece, what would you do?
9. What do you want me to look for when I evaluate this work?
10. How does this relate to what you have learned before?
11. What grade would you assign to this work? Why?
12. Of the work we've done recently, I feel the most confident about.......
13. What I still don't understand is.......

  How Skills and Processes Have Changed Over Time

1. How is your work at the end of the class different from your work at the beginning?
2. Has the way you plan work changed over time? If so, how?

  Affective and Other Areas

1. Does your work show that you are persistent (self-confident, motivated, etc.....)? How?
2. Has your persistence (motivation, self-confidence, etc..) changed since the beginning of the class? How?
3. What topic did you enjoy the most, (least)? Why?
4. What type of assignments do you enjoy the most, (least)? Why?
5. What do you find the most challenging? Why?
6. Do you like working with others on projects? Why or why not?
7. What are the ways you find working with others useful? Not useful?

Drawbacks