Design and Implementation of a Web-Based Portfolio for Aspiring Educational Leaders: A Comprehensive, Evidence-Based Model

Abstract

Following a programmatic model for change, one new educational leadership department describes the process involved to design, develop, and implement a Web-portfolio to integrate, document, and evaluate leadership experiences of aspiring school leaders in a graduate education program. To ensure the successful implementation of the Web-portfolios, the department followed Barrett's model—vision, skills, incentives, resources, and action plan [1]. Each aspect of the model is described as the department migrates from a traditional paper-based portfolio to a Web-portfolio that scaffolds the development process through the use of a template—and at the same time—maintains the creativity of expression that has always been the hallmark of paper-based portfolios. Through the implementation of Web-portfolios, leadership candidates are given the opportunity to use a variety of artifact types including text, graphics, video, audio, photographs, and animations, to serve as evidence of their acquisition of the knowledge, skills and dispositions required of an effective school leader.