Portfolios assessment in the reading writing classroom of

2.3 How Portfolios Support Student Self-assessment.

As we reflected upon the assessment and evaluation proce dures in place in most school settings, we realized that students were not involved. They were rarely even partners in the assess ment and evaluation activities. Essentially it seemed as if assess ment and evaluation were used to police rather than enhance learning.

Along with pursuing our goal of tying assessment to student learning and, therefore, shifting responsibility for assessment and evaluation to the students, we began to see four important prerequisites for using portfolios in self-assessment: student ownership, student-centeredness, a noncompetitive environ ment, and customized portfolios.Students need to be invested in the portfolio process. Stu dents need to have a sense of ownership, which suggests that the portfolios should be viewed as the property of the student, not the teacher. The teacher may use the student portfolio to select illustrative or representative pieces of the student work, and the teacher can maintain his or her own portfolio of the student's work. But if student self-assessment is your goal, it is necessary to establish portfolios that the students consider their own. There are various ways teachers can support a feeling of owner ship:
• Ensure students have a major say as to what is included or excluded;
• Maintain easy physical accessibility of the portfolios for students: ⚫ Ask students' permission for you to share or look over
their portfolio: Engender in classmates a respect for one another's portfolios:
• Make joint decisions on developing portfolios, sharing,and so on;
• Give students the opportunity to make choices about what they write and read. Finally, the concept of student ownership suggests that students should be given some say in the portfolio process, including the nature of the selection process, method of self evaluation, and sharing as well as guidelines for evaluation.
The portfolio and its appearance is secondary to involving the student in self-assessment. Unfortunately, many of us have a tendency to want to take over portfolios; that is, we may become so intent on what the end result looks like that we step in and do it for students. Some of us may not see our domineering ways as we emphasize or impose requirements pertaining to the final product that override students' involvement in the important decision-making steps of putting together, sharing, and evaluat ing their work. As we try to help students assess themselves, we
The portfolio process is more important than the portfolio
product: ⚫The overriding goal is to develop self-assessment systems.
It seems key that teachers strive toward; •Developing portfolios in partnership with students, serv

ing as their consultant, advisor, and guide; •Developing self-assessment systems to aid students in collecting, organizing, selecting, reflecting, and sharing: • Understanding the student's level of competence in order to tailor comments that will broaden and support individual student thinking and growth.