The Who, What and Why of Portfolios and Passage Presentations Excerpt from Leaders of Their Own Learning What Do Teachers Do?
What Do Students Do?
What’s the Result?
Define a clear purpose and
organizing structure for
portfolios that is linked to
learning targets and state and
Common Core standards.
Understand that each lesson
and learning activity is
connected to learning targets,
and that their portfolios will
document their progress in
meeting them.
Students meet standards and
have greater engagement
and ownership of learning.
Students can use their
portfolios as a body of
evidence to demonstrate
meeting standards.
Engage students in classroom
discussion about how
and why portfolios will be
created. Examine benchmark
exemplars t o g e t h e r .
Participate in classroom
discussions and understand
how to show evidence of
meeting learning targets in a
portfolio.
Students understand the
purpose of portfolios and
what it means to provide
evidence of learning.
Determine how habits of
scholarship and out-of-school
or elective pursuits will be
documented in the portfolio.
Engage in selecting evidence
of their progress in habits of
scholarship and out-of-school
interests.
Students grow more
committed to character
learning targets because they
are expected to document
evidence of meeting them.
They feel that their interests
and passions are valued at
school.
Prepare students to be
reflective about their work
and learning. Make reflection
an ongoing classroom
practice—set up daily or
weekly reflection times and a
reflection form or template.
Engage in reflection and set
goals for improvement.
Over time, students’
reflections grow deeper
and more self-aware. The
results can be seen in
improved achievement and
engagement.
Create a structure and space
for students to begin building
portfolios and collecting
evidence of their learning.
Take responsibility for the
creation of their portfolios,
taking care to select and
keep good evidence of their
learning.
Over time, portfolios
become anchor points in
the classroom, frequently
referenced and reflected
on. A culture of evidence is
fostered.
Determine how portfolios will
be shared: frequency, format,
and audience. Create a
passage presentation process
as a culminating structure for
sharing portfolios.
Develop ownership of
their portfolios and skill in
presenting them to a variety
of audiences.
Students are more engaged
in the portfolio process
when they have experience
sharing them with meaningful
audiences.
Leaders of Their Own Learning: Transforming Schools through Student-­‐Engaged Assessment. Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. (continued)
What Do Teachers Do?
What Do Students Do?
What’s the Result?
Plan a schedule for passage
presentations well in advance
that includes preparation time
for students, communication
home, and presentations
with debriefs. Define clear
guidelines for panelists’ role in
passages.
Understand how structure and
preparation of the passage
presentation will help make it
productive.
Passage presentations are
focused and productive
and lead to greater
student engagement and
achievement.
Allow ample time to reach
out to passage panelists and
schedule the presentations
at times that work for them.
Use multiple communication
formats (e.g., e-mail, website,
phone, mailings) to remind
panelists of upcoming
presentation times.
Assist teachers in selecting
and inviting panelists.
Participation on passage
presentation panels is a
positive experience for the
panelists.
Develop learning targets for
the passage presentation tied
to Common Core speaking
and listening standards (SL.4,
SL.6), develop criteria for a
successful presentation, and
review roles with students.
Plan at least one class devoted
to modeling a presentation.
Allow students to practice and
give and receive feedback.
Engage in preparation for
the passage presentation
and understand their role in
making it a success.
Students have a clear
understanding of their role
in the presentation and are
confident and well prepared.
Prepare panelists for their
role with oral and written
guidelines.
Interact with panelists with
impeccable courtesy.
Panelists feel valued and
prepared.
Give panelists the opportunity
to provide written or verbal
feedback. If a student
does not pass a passage
presentation, make sure the
follow-up steps are clear and
actionable.
Students listen to feedback
and use it to frame goals or, if
necessary, to make revisions.
Panelists feel encouraged to
contribute and participate—
they understand that students
will be held accountable for
their work. The relationships
among families, communities,
teachers, and students are
strengthened.
Debrief the passage
experience with students
through group discussion
and individual writing. What
aspects of the format worked
well? What did they learn?
What could be improved?
Participate in the passage
presentation debrief and
share ideas for improvement.
Students and teachers share
ownership for effective
passage presentations.
Leaders of Their Own Learning: Transforming Schools through Student-­‐Engaged Assessment. Copyright 2014 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved. 2