If a student's portfolio is going to be used for evaluation purposes, such as college admission, it should contain the best examples of her work. If the portfolio is meant to show how a student progresses, it should contain drafts and revisions along with final copies. Some portfolios are meant as keepsakes and are a compilation of the student's personal favorites. Ask yourself who will be viewing the portfolio, and why these people will be doing so. Your answer will determine what you decide to include.
Samples of a student's work are usually included in a portfolio. The samples can take many forms, such as essays, poems, artwork, student journals, workbook assignments, lab reports, or papers that show how a student solved math problems. Photos of lab experiments or pictures of field trips and projects can also be included, along with a written description of the photos. If the portfolio is intended to show student progress, drafts and revisions should be included, along with the final copy.
Checklists can be included to measure a student's progress in different age-appropriate abilities. For instance, the teacher can check off colors that a student can name while involved in an activity or a game. Other lists can include assessment of social skills or books that the student has read.
Teachers can include their own observations about a student. Observations include a teacher's comments regarding a student's work, or observations the teacher makes about the student's classroom behavior and interactions. Observations should be dated and include a statement explaining the context under which the observation was made. Teachers should receive training in how to make good observations so that they include only objective information and no personal opinions.
Student growth can be assessed through reflection. Teachers ask students to look over their portfolios at different points in the year and make comments about the work. Students can explain why they like or dislike a particular piece of work or whether they would change anything about it. If the student was the one who selected the work, she can reflect on why she chose that sample. The comments a student makes are added to her portfolio. Another type of reflection would be asking a student to describe an activity in which she took part at school and asking her what she learned from it.
Teachers can add statements about why they chose to include specific samples of work. The teacher can also explain what the work sample shows about the student's achievement of curriculum objectives.