Portfolios as an alternative assessment

During the past decade, there has been a shift in paradigms by educational reformers to provide a more authentic means of student assessment in our schools. These assessments need to be multidimensional and provide a more accurate picture of students\u27 abilities. The portfolio is one type of alternative assessment that has proven to do this. This paper discusses the use of portfolios with a group of ninth grade students enrolled in an English course. These portfolios were a systematic collection of the students\u27 work to demonstrate how (1) they have developed and grown academically and (2) how their attitudes and beliefs have become clearer or changed through their academic experiences. Criteria and recommendations for implementing educational portfolios at the high school level are provided