Portfolio Assessment for Teachers

Saint Anne School
Barrington, IL
Sister Ann Busch, Principal
Donna Konie, Teacher

Slide 2 - School Facts
School type – pre – k  through grade 8
Size – 525 students
Location – Northwest suburbs of Chicago, we are approximately 20 northwest of O’Hare airport
Staff:  30 classroom teachers, many have masters – aides in pre- k through 3, resources teachers in grade 1 – 5
Assessments:  Terra Nova grades 3 – 8, Explore gr. 8

Slide 3 - Educator’s Concerns
•	Lesson plans and assessment

•	Classroom management/discipline

•	Methodology

•	Teacher as a Person 

•	Teacher Evaluation

The first three, Lesson plans, assessment, classroom management, discipline and methodology both groups have the same concerns about.  We want the best…..
In the last two, both teacher and administrator wonder if they have given or received the complete picture of the teacher.  Teacher’s are concerned about being fairly evaluated just as much as administrators are concerned about seeing something that is real – are they getting a true evaluation of their faculty.  Is that check sheet enough to give the total picture of what is happening in the school.  So what should a teacher evaluation be….or not be…..

Slide 4 - Teacher Evaluation
•	Show

•	Chart improvement

•	Content knowledge

•	Professional development

•	Authentic assessment

Teacher evaluations need to show what is really happening not just a one day performance. We all know teachers that put on the special class just for their formal evaluation.  How can a one time evaluation really show the true measure of a teacher?  While most administrators see their faculty more than once there is only one check sheet that ends up in the teacher’s permanent file.  
It is imperative that teachers genuinely reflect and demonstrate teaching effectiveness in concrete ways.  This is true for all teachers from first year teacher to seasoned veteran 
How do teachers show – or even know – how well they are doing?
How do they chart improvement in their own classroom skills as well as their students’ progress?
How can they measure their own content knowledge or the development of professional instincts?
Innovative teachers of everything from writing to math have been asking students to assemble evidence of their work in portfolios as a more authentic way to measure it against standards
Then shouldn’t teachers also present portfolio evidence of our learning and growth?
Why can’t we show in concrete ways how our growth and learning affects students learning?

Slide 5 - Why Portfolios
•	Teaching effectiveness

•	Teaching growth

•	Teaching improvement

•	Teaching expertise

•	Teaching rewards

To gather specific and hard evidence about their teaching effectiveness

to document for themselves how their teaching has evolved over time

To provide the needed structure for self-reflection about areas of their teaching needing improvement

To share their expertise and experience with younger faculty members

To leave a written legacy within the department so that future generations of teachers will have the benefit of their thinking and experience

To provide teaching tips about a specific course for new or part-time faculty

to seek awards or grants relating to teaching

Slide 6 - A portfolio is not….
A portfolio is not:
	merely a file of course projects and assignments

	not is it a scrapbook of memorabilia

Slide 7 - A portfolio is…
A portfolio is:
an organized, goal-driven documentation of your professional growth

achieved competency in the complex act of teaching

Slide 8, 9 - Standards
The faculty at our school are asked to choose one of these standards around which to develop their portfolio – developed by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium.  Each teacher can choose which standard they want to work on

#1KNOWLEDGE OF SUBJECT MATTER:  The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful.

#2 KNOWLDEGE OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING:  The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development

#3 ADAPTING INSTRUCTION FOR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS:  The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to leaning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.

#4 MULTIPLE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES:  The teacher understands and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

# 5  CLASSROOM MOTIVATION AND MANAGEMENT:  The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encouraged positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

#6  COMMUNICATION SKILLS:  The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration and supportive interaction in the classroom.
#7  INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING SKILLS:  The teacher plans instruction based on knowledge of subject matter, students, the community and curriculum goals.
#8  ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING:  The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
#9 PROFESSIONAL COMMITMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY:  The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his or her choices and actions on others and who actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.
#10 PARTNERSHIP:  The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents and agencies in the larger community to support student's learning and well-being.

Slide 10 - Supportive documents
•	Anecdotal records
•	Theme studies
•	Media competencies
•	Teacher developed materials
•	Article summary/critiques
•	Assessments/evaluations
Once a standard has been chosen, it needs to be supported.  These are just a sampling of ways to support  - could also include bulletin board ideas, awards, certificates, computer programs, letters, lesson plans, pictures, etc….  The ways are endless.  There needs a to be at three supporting documents. During the course of developing the portfolio teachers have the opportunity to explore what does and does not work.

Slide 11 - Advantage for teacher
Not a one time thing – it isn’t the picture of one day
Total growth – professional, education, etc….   Picture from start to finish
Real – what is actually going on in life of classroom and life of teacher
Thoughtful, personal evaluation of growth

Slide 12 - Advantage for administration
Not a one time thing –  recorded evaluation not of one good day but of a year
It is a real time evaluation
If you are required to do the traditional checklist – the portfolio is support for the administrators
Gives a entire picture of the teacher

Slide 13 - Summary Points
Portfolio assessment provides more than a snapshot – rather it provides a slideshow of what is happening.  Not just a one day thing – that can be prepared, performed and forgotten but rather an ongoing sense of growth and excellence in teaching

Gives time and place for teacher to reflect on success or lack of on particular goal and how to grow and change

Challenge – loss of comfort zone – can’t keep doing the same thing if you truly reflect and grow.