That Was Then and This Is Now: A Longitudinal Study of Teachers' Portfolio Practices

Abstract

This study uses portfolio and teacher change literature as frames for analyzing four teachers' use of classroom portfolios over a three-year period. The teachers taught in a summer literacy program for young students who were considered at-risk for literacy failure. At the time of this investigation, they had taught in this program for three consecutive years. A portfolio approach to assessment was a program mandate. Qualitative research techniques were used in data gathering and analysis. Teacher interviews and the classroom portfolios were the data resources. The content of the portfolios and the interview comments were inspected, and each teacher's first- and third-year portfolios and interview comments were contrasted and compared with those of the other teachers. The layer of comparisons allowed for the emergence of themes that portrayed each teacher's shifts in portfolio use and literacy beliefs over time. Marked shifts were discovered in the portfolio as a document (from many items to carefully selected items); in the teachers' ability to discuss literacy milestones, recognize students' movement on a literacy continuum, and document children's literacy learning; in the students' involvement with the portfolio (from assessment being done “to” students to being done “with” students); and in the teachers' use of the portfolios to drive instruction for individual children. These shifts in portfolio use were paralleled with shifts in the teachers' beliefs and their instruction.