Transition Student Portfolio Model
The NCTN Promising Practice Series presents detailed descriptions
of strategies from the field that are designed to promote the
successful transition of students from ABE to postsecondary education.
Contributed by
Community Learning Center (CLC), Cambridge MA
CLC Bridge Program
Patricia Fina, Instructor, oneleaf@speakeasy.net
A member of the New England ABE-to-College Transition Project
New England Resource Center, World Education, Inc.
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Rationale and Background of the Practice
Why did you institute the practice?
In the early years of the CLC Bridge Program, we graduated just
about every student who was still attending at the end of the
year, regardless of whether they had completed homework assignments
or been serious about applying to college, seeking financial
aid, etc. Many of the graduates from those years did not continue.
We suspected that it was because the college preparedness component
of the program emphasized study skills but did not require the
students to heed college and financial aid deadlines or complete
their applications while we were there to help them through the
process.
Secondly, many of our students over the years have been organizationally
challenged and somewhat overwhelmed by all the handouts. The
portfolio master list focuses the students’ attention on
what the teachers believe is important for graduation from the
transition program.
What information or research did you draw on in choosing
this practice? The portfolio model is a
long-established one. I have long advocated that adult
diplomas be based on portfolios rather than standardized
tests. Like many teachers, I find that having students
prepare projects and assignments for their portfolios
keeps their interest in class better than doing drills
of problems they are likely to find on the final exam.
Also, I feel that portfolios are far more useful to the
students after graduation. They serve as a tangible reminder
of the students’ accomplishments and, if they contain
critical documents like applications, transcripts, test
scores and the like, they can serve as a reference book
about the students’ academic progress.
5 reasons to consider student portfolios
(according to research)
1. To individualized instruction
2. Document progress
3. Promote reflection and revision in writing
4. As a diagnostic tool in math
5. To generate a more positive student attitude (maybe)
Read more and download references…
When and how did the practice begin? How has it evolved?
Early in the history of the Bridge Program, we discovered that
a few of our students could earn exemption from taking a
required study skills course at Cambridge College and other
universities if they showed the work they had done during
Bridge. So, we always advocated that students keep a neat
notebook that they could show to professors when they entered
college.
In 2000, we began requiring that students keep their writing assignments
(including rough drafts) in a separate binder and show them to
us during the one-on-one conference each student has just prior
to graduation. At that time, math, computers, and study skills
were not included.
During the year, when students turned in portfolio items for grading,
I returned it to them in a plastic sheet protector so they would
keep it safe and neat for the rest of the year. Throughout the
year, we held “portfolio check-in” nights so we could
see which students were completing the items on time and which
needed more help. In the final pre-graduation conference with
each student, we conducted the final portfolio check-in to approve
the student for graduation.
Assessment for all written work is guided by the instructor’s
expectations for each project. The expectations are clear and
are actively discussed in class. Most projects require several
drafts before an assignment is completed and put into the portfolio
model. The students do get tests that are graded and those also
go into the portfolio.
We recognized the need for a formal, written set of guidelines
captured in a rubric to
be shared with the students prior to the assignments. We are
developing these rubrics with student input and they will be
used in assessing both written work and oral presentations in
the next academic cycle. We want the students to participate
in the assessment process so both the student and the instructor
will evaluate the project using the same criteria.
Description of the Practice
How do you implement the practice?
In August of 2003, we agreed to move to an all-portfolio format
and developed a master list of required items. We included
it in the student handbook so that students would know from
day one what was required for graduation. We also produced
a large-type version of the list with the items for each
section of the portfolio on a separate page to act as the
table of contents for that section of the final portfolio.
What steps would a program or practitioner need to
follow to replicate it?
All staff members of a program need to decide what items to require,
which will probably be a variation on the list
we use.
What are the staffing and staff skill requirements?
It helps if staff members are highly organized themselves. There
is a lot of tracking of paper involved. (It helps if the
program buys sheet protectors in bulk so that each teacher
can distribute them to students as the students complete
each portfolio item.)
Challenges
What challenges has the program encountered in implementing
this practice?
One student objected to using actual figures in the budget assignment,
so we dropped it.
Evidence of Impact and Effectiveness
What have been the advantages and outcomes of this
practice?
- Students seem to grow in enthusiasm as they see the portfolio
growing.
- The number of students completing the program and applying
to college has improved since we have formalized the portfolio
process.
Do you have actual evidence of its effectiveness?
| Outcome |
Class of 2003 |
Class of 2004 |
|
Percentage of students who had applied to college
by Bridge graduation
|
44%
|
83%
|
|
Percentage who had been accepted to college by Bridge
graduation
|
38%
|
67%
|
|
Total received in privately funded scholarships
|
$5,000 (+$1000 this year)
|
$25,000
|
All-portfolio format begun in August of 2003 for Class of 2004.
NCTN Promising Practice Series
Volume 1 Issue 2
September/October 2004
|
