Thesis (M.S. Ed.)--Bank Street College of Education, New York, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-44) and abstract.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Humanities Education / PhD / Unrestricted

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The project discusses how evolving technologies used to create digital portfolios can demonstrate student achievement in virtually unlimited ways. Evidence of student growth and achievement can be documented digitally. Such evidence can take the form of text, graphics, photos, sound, video data, and can even include database records of standardized or course-end test scores and grades.

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The purpose of this study was to describe how sixth-grade students talk about their writing and their writing portfolios in a natural setting. A qualitative approach was used in the study. Through interviews, classroom observations, and analysis of site artifacts, I studied four female sixth graders’ talk in the context of a writing workshop for eighteen weeks. Assuming the role of limited participant observer, I spent a minimum of six to eight hours each week in the classroom observing and interviewing the informants during the second semester of the 1993-1994 school year. The primary questions I addressed were (a) How do sixth graders talk about their writing? and (b) How does writing fit into the informants’ personal literacy configurations? I codified all data in order to analyze how students talked about their portfolios. Two themes of talk emerged in this analysis: textual responses--responses to content, language, perspective, and mechanics; and affective responses--the role of association, imagination, accomplishment, singularity, effort, fantasy/realism, and entertainment value in their writing. Results revealed that the research participants applied a wide array of criteria-- both textual and nontextual in nature--to their writing and their writing portfolios. These criteria did not increase Significantly in number; however, students’ abilities to articulate the criteria developed. In addition, results indicate the social nature of writing. Five complex, interactive, and recursive factors highly influenced the manner in which students talked about their work: students’ prior writing experiences, shared trust, ownership and responsibility, classroom activities, and the opportunity to reflect. Results also suggest that students have the ability to assess their own writing and, therefore, should participate in self-assessment and in the establishment of a common composition vocabulary. Furthermore, the study reveals that portfolios encourage ownership and responsibility and aid Students in seeing themselves as writers. Finally, portfolios can be powerful reflective tools that may help many students in articulating their thoughts about their writing and in making revisions to their pieces. Students who do not see revision as an essential part of writing, however, may reap few benefits from portfolio assessment. / Ph. D.

A particularistic case study was designed to investigate how portfolio assessment contributed to teachers’ instructional decision-making. Four fifth grade teachers and twenty-four fifth grade students were selected as the participants for this case study. The dual role of teacher as instructional leader and assessor was examined. Data were collected from classroom and team observations, formal and informal interviews, document analysis, audiotapes, and team planning sessions. This study demonstrated the empowerment and autonomy that teachers developed during their experience with portfolio assessment. Teachers increased their authority related to instructional decision-making, initiating self and student change, and empowering students. Analyzing student writing samples and creating benchmarks inductively derived from their own students’ writing samples provided teachers with an active role in determining the instructional focus. Teachers increased their level of decision-making through collaborative idea sharing, brainstorming sessions, and peer encouragement. They transferred these skills to other areas. The change in teachers’ instructional practices was gradual and evolutionary. The decision-making processes that the teachers underwent were context dependent and were directly related to their analysis of student writing portfolios. The monthly portfolio assessment sessions served as the catalyst for change. Teachers developed instructional adaptations and modifications based upon specific areas of student need. This process resulted in changes in the following areas: instruction, assessment, attitude, student expectations, and philosophy. The integration between assessment and instruction resulted in authentically designed experiences for students. Gradually, teachers shifted their cognitive exploration techniques from concrete to abstract techniques. The expectations for decision-making also shifted from teacher ownership to student ownership. A socialization process emerged whereby students assumed more ownership and direction for their own learning. An integrated instructional/assessment system was developed for the students which paralleled the system that was created and used by the teachers. Students inductively derived their own benchmarks based upon their own writing. As a final step toward student empowerment, metacognitive strategies were utilized by having each student evaluate his own progress by providing both quantitative and qualitative documentation along with personal reflections and future writing goals. / Ed. D.