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Project Title: Richer Picture Digital Portfolio System
School / Organization(s): Ponaganset High School, Foster-Glocester (RI) Public Schools
Web site: http://www.ideasconsulting.com
Contacts / Presenters: Mary Keable, Ponaganset HS
David Niguidula – david@ideasconsulting.com
Denise Bilodeau - denise@ideasconsulting.com
What purpose does your assessment tool serve? Digital Portfolios are used at Ponaganset High School to help students track their progress towards graduation. All students in Rhode Island, starting with the class of 2008, need to "demonstrate proficiency" prior to graduating. Instead of a statewide test, however, students need to have a portfolio, an "exhibition" (such as a senior project) and/or complete a Certificate of Initial Mastery.
At Ponaganset, the Digital Portfolio is being used to help students, from grade 9, link their work to the school's graduation expectations, and to help teachers generate their own portfolios.
Please indicate the category that best describes your project:
Technology as an Assessment Tool:
NCLB Statewide Assessments (Preparation, Delivery, Analysis)
Classroom Assessments (tests, quizzes)
Electronic/Digital Portfolios
Computer Scored Essays
Information Management Systems
Tools for Observation of Student Work/Behavior
Special Needs/Alternative Assessments
Other:
Assessing Technology Skills (NETSŸS and NETSŸT):
Digital Transcript
NCLB 8th Grade IT Literacy
High School IT Graduation Requirements
IT Certifications (Cisco, Microsoft, etc.)
21st Century Skills
Other:
How long has this assessment tool been in use within your organization? This is the third year we are using the current version of the digital portfolio. We did have some initial experiments with portfolios during the 1997-98 school year, but we started again during the 2002-03 school year. After that pilot year, we next included the whole 9th grade, and this past year, included the entire 9th and 10th grades.
Who is the audience for this assessment tool? The first audience is the student; the portfolio allows each student to collect work from each class, and link that work to the graduation expectations.
The next audience is the teacher; teachers assess the work using schoolwide rubrics that are part of the system.
Finally, we have involved parents, who are invited to end-of-year reviews, where we discuss the student's progress.
What technology is used?
The electronic portfolios are web-based. The portfolios are hosted by our consultant, Ideas Consulting. Since the program is web-based, it works with any computer (at home or school) that has access to the Internet.
Approximately how many people are currently using this system?
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K-12
Students (current year) |
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K-12 Teachers |
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Teacher education students |
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Teacher education faculty |
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What professional development (for students or assessors) is required to use the tool? We have built the training sessions on digital portfolios into longer, more extensive sessions on assessment. Teachers and students can learn to use the tool itself in a class period or two. However, we will have 1 to 3 days during the summer, or at the beginning of the school year, to discuss our overall strategy for helping students reach the expectations.
We also provide additional professional development throughout the year. We will run sessions such as "Tech Fridays," where teachers can pick up tips about certain aspects of technology (such as effective use of a scanner or digital camera).
To use the tool effectively, what else should the school have in place? Leadership is critical. At Ponaganset, the principal has been directly involved in all aspects of putting the digital portfolio program in place, and ensuring that the faculty understand the connection between this work and the overall need to meet the graduation expectations.
If you haven't already addressed it, how does your tool help students or teachers demonstrate that they are meeting standards? Students go through a process of "collect, select, reflect." First, students collect 2 to 4 pieces of work from each class. Then, as part of the end-of-year review, students select the items that they feel best show their skills in certain areas, and where they have shown the most growth. They also write a reflection describing how these pieces connect to the standards.
What questions would you like participants to address? How can we more effectively provide support as we grow to a whole school?
How can the portfolio be assessed as part of the decisions that need to be made for graduation?