ERIC ED437764: Student Portfolio: A System for Documenting the Strengths, Needs, and Abilities of Students Who Are Deaf Blind.

106 Pages·1996·1.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
EC 307 612
ED 437 764
Student Portfolio: A System for Documenting the Strengths,
TITLE
Needs, and Abilities of Students Who Are Deaf Blind.
Kansas State Board of Education, Topeka.
INSTITUTION
Special Education Programs (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
SPONS AGENCY
1996-00-00
PUB DATE
105p.; For more information on students with dual sensory
NOTE
impairments, see ED 393 275, EC 307 610 and EC 307 611.
H025A50015
CONTRACT
Kansas Dual Sensory Impairments Project, Kansas State
AVAILABLE FROM
Department of Education, 120 SE 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66612.
Tel: [phone] (Voice/TTY); Fax: [phone]; e-mail:
e-mail: [email protected].
Reports
Non-Classroom (055)
Descriptive (141)
Guides
PUB TYPE
MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Academic Achievement; Adolescents; *Daily Living Skills;
DESCRIPTORS
*Deaf Blind; Elementary Secondary Education; Evaluation
Methods; Incidence; *Portfolio Assessment; Preschool
Children; Preschool Education; *Student Characteristics;
*Student Evaluation; Transitional Programs
Kansas
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
This guide was developed as part of a 4-year federally
funded project designed to provide services to infants, toddlers, children,
and youth with deaf-blindness in Kansas. The project included a pilot project
on student portfolio development that documents longitudinally student
accomplishments, needed adaptations, modifications, and accommodations,
including transition to the next environment or postsecondary environments.
The manual begins by describing a student portfolio as a collection of work
that demonstrates the abilities, skills, and preferences of a student who is
deaf-blind. Questions that students and team members should use in developing
a portfolio system are presented, along with information on how to develop a
student portfolio. The next three sections of the manual represent the major
categories of a student's portfolio: student demographics, academic
achievements, and life skills. Each section contains a list of suggested
forms or products for describing the student within that particular area.
Completed samples of many forms follow each list. Appendix A contains blank
copies of all sample forms which can be copied and used for developing
student portfolios.
(CR)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
P O R T F O L
I O
S T U D E N T
o
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDU ATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
his document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
1:1 Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
re
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
ABILITIES
STRENGTHS ° DREAMS °
U.A
2
PORTFOLIO
STUDENT
a system for documenting
the strengths, needs, and abilities
of students who are deaf blind
Published by the Kansas State Board of Education
1996
the Board's compliance with Title
The Kansas State Board of
Kansas Services for Children
VI, Title IX, or Section 504 may be
Education is an Equal
and Youth with Dual Sensory
directed to the Title IX
Employment/Educational
Impairments, Project
Coordinator, who can be reached
Opportunity Agency and does not
#H025A50015, is funded by the
at [phone], 120 S.E. Tenth
Discriminate on the basis of sex,
Office of Special Education
Street, Topeka, Kansas 66612-1182,
race, color, national origin,
Programs, U.S. Department of
or to the Assistance Secretary for
disability, or age in admission or
Education. Information obtained
Civil Rights, U. S/ Department of
access to, or treatment or
within this publication does not
Education.
employment in, its programs or
necessarily reflect the views of the
activities. Any questions regarding
U.S. Department of Education.
3
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Dual Sensory Impairments
Kansas; Kathy Sandstrum, Three
The following individuals
Lakes Education Cooperative; and
Project; Michele Luksa, Three
willingly dedicated their
the students of Three Lakes
Lakes Education Cooperative;
talents to the production
Education Cooperative. ts,
Deb Matthews, Three Lakes
of this product. Their thoughtful
Education Cooperative, Julie
consideration is reflected
Mohesky-Darby, educational
throughout this publication.
consultant; Robin Osburn, Three
These dedicated people are
Lakes Education Cooperative;
Michael Carriger, 8th grade
Karen Patterson, University of
teacher; Joan Houghton, Kansas
4
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
SECTION 1
1:
5
2:
STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS
SECTION
33
3:
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS
SECTION
49
4:
SECTION
LIFE SKILLS
71
BLANK FORMS
APPENDIX A:
5
And we who are teachers
can we do better by our eager, young
seekers for the keys to wisdom
than to help them sharpen
the accuracy of their expectations
without extinguishing the divine fire?
Karl Menninger, Hope
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
SECTION 1
INTRODUCTION:
discovering the student as a person
to another. The first question
AStudent Portfolio is
team members must answer is
collection of work that
which of these outcomes they
demonstrates the
wish the portfolio to achieve.
abilities, skills, and preferences
The answer to this question will
of a student who is deaf-blind.
vary from student to student. It
It may contain actual samples of
will also determine the actual
the student's work, videotapes
shape and content of the
demonstrating the student's
portfolio.
abilities, and interviews with
the student, his parents, and
2. How will information be
teachers. Essentially, it is an
selected for the portfolio?
educational resume document-
performance within a three-year
Typically, Student Portfolios
ing the growth of a student who
profile.
contain three basic types of
receives special education sup-
information: 1) information that
port. Although used primarily
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
describes who the student is as
with students who have dual
The development of a
a person (individual
sensory losses, portfolios can
Student Portfolio requires
demographics), 2) information
also be used with students who
thoughtful planning, organiza-
that describes the student as a
have other disabilities.
tion, and documentation. Both
learner (academic achieve-
The primary purpose of a
the student and at least one
ments), and 3) information that
Student Portfolio is to share
member of the student's educa-
describes the skills a student
information about an individual
tional team should participate
has acquired for functioning
who is moving from one setting
in this process. To ensure the
within the community (life
to another; for example, from
development of a useful
skills). Examples of forms and
one grade to another, from high
portfolio, students and team
documents that can be used to
school to college, or from living
members should begin by
describe the student in each of
with parents to living in a
answering the following
these areas are found in
supported or independent
questions:
Sections 2, 3, and 4 of this
environment. As such, a
manual (pages 5-69). Depend-
portfolio can be used as a tool
1. How will the portfolio be
ing upon the intended purpose
within both the education and
used?
of the portfolio, the student and
transition planning process. In
Portfolios are generally used
participating team members
addition, a Student Portfolio can
in one of three ways. They can
jointly select three or four items
serve as another piece of an
be used as a means to 1) sup-
from each area that they believe
individual's overall assessment
plement traditional assessment
will best describe the student
profile. For example, a portfolio
methods, 2) facilitate educa-
within each area.
can be used to represent a
tional planning, and 3) ease
student's present level of
transition from one environment
Page 1
7
Identifying the intended audience is important so pertinent
information about the student can be included and the outcome achieved.
3. Who will use the portfolio?
The answer to this question
depends upon the intended
purpose of the portfolio. For
example, if the intended
purpose is to facilitate the
student's transition to the next
grade in school, the audience
may be the student's upcoming
teacher or educational staff. On
the other hand, if the intended
purpose is to show a potential
employer what the student can
do, the audience may be a local
businessman or community
student's communication
semester) to ensure that they
service provider. Identifying the
books, remnant books, home-
accurately reflect the student's
intended audience is important
work assignments, work
current hopes, abilities, and
so pertinent information about
samples, or experience stories
achievements. A regularly
the student can be included and
need to be collected throughout
scheduled review helps the
the outcome achieved.
the year and shared during
student, her parents, teachers,
quarterly progress reviews or
and employers identify
4. How will students be
traditional parent-teacher
instructional needs, observe
involved in developing the
conferences.
progress toward meeting
portfolio?
instructional goals, and
Students should be actively
5. When should the portfolio
provides a visual picture of
involved in developing their
be developed and how often
what strategies, modifications,
portfolios! They should help
should it be reviewed?
and techniques worked best for
decide exactly which items will
Portfolios can be developed
her. Periodic reviews also help
be included, how their achieve-
at any point in a student's
team members decide if the
ments will be documented (e.g.,
educational career. They are,
right pieces of information are
via videotapes, audio tapes, or
however, especially helpful
included in the portfolio.
written examples), and which
when a student is transitioning
Finally, periodic reviews allow
items should be removed from
from one setting to another
the student's team members to
the portfolio. If students are
(e.g., from junior high to high
evaluate whether the outcome
unable to speak for themselves,
school; from high school to a
identified in the beginning of
their family members should
job). Therefore, they should be
the portfolio's design is being
participate on their behalf. To
reviewed and updated on a
reached through the selected
facilitate parent involvement, a
regular basis (at least once a
media.
8
Page 2
The development of a Student Portfolio requires thoughtful planning,
organization, and documentation.
categories of a student's
descriptions of how the student
6. How will information be
portfolio: Student
best performs, such as his
contained in the portfolio?
Demographics, Academic
learning styles and adaptations
Portfolio information can be
Achievements, and Life Skills.
needed for him to participate in
contained in a number of ways,
Each section contains a list of
an activity.
including a combination of
suggested forms or products for
notebooks, accordion file
describing the student within
folders, artist portfolio cases,
THE REST OF THIS MANUAL
that particular area.* Completed
The next three sections of
and miniature file containers
samples of many forms follow
this manual represent the major
with dividers. Team members
should be aware of the space
required by larger forms of
HOW TO DEVELOP A STUDENT PORTFOLIO
media (e.g., videotapes) so the
Review and answer the developmental issues discussed in this
portfolio does not become too
1.
chapter (pages 1-3).
cumbersome. Each item in the
portfolio must be securely
Select three or four forms/items from each of the following areas:
2.
labeled and dated.
Student Demographics, Academic Achievements, and Life Skills (pages
5-69). Selection of items should be based upon the intended purpose of
the portfolio and student preferences. (Materials describing the
7. How is the information
student's life skills are optional until the student reaches the age of 14.)
organized within the
For each item selected, determine how the achievement or skill will
3.
portfolio?
be documented. For example, will the student's ability to communicate
Portfolios may include
via tactile ASL be demonstrated in a videotape or described in a written
samples of the student's work
document?
for one to three years. These
Plan how to obtain each item or document each skill.
4.
samples can be organized by
Documentation that requires videotaping the student or interviewing
content area (i.e., demographics,
parents and staff involve more planning than simply collecting papers
academic achievements, and life
from the student's teacher. The results, however, may be well worth
skills), IEP goals and objectives,
while.
or calendar months. Each piece
Prior to including any document, consult your school or agency's
5.
of information should be
policy regarding confidentiality. Make sure that no forms or items are
securely labeled and dated.
included that will violate student or parent confidentiality.
Information included in the
Give the completed portfolio to the intended user! Briefly the
6.
portfolio should portray the
explain the document, how to use it, and when you will collect it.
student's strengths, gifts,
Finally, review (and update) the portfolio at least once a semester.
7.
challenges, and future visions
through the selected
illustrations, products, and
projects. For all students,
* Please note that the forms contained in this manual are merely suggestions for how to
portfolios should contain
document a student's abilities, skills, and preferences. Team members should feel free to
adapt these forms, develop new forms, or obtain different ones from their colleagues.
Page 3
9
Students should help decide exactly which items will be included
in their portfolios, how their achievements will be documented, and which items
should be removed from the portfolio.
each list. Finally, Appendix A
Miller, J. (1993). Augmenta-
REFERENCES
contains blank copies of all
tive and alternative commun-
Bloom, L., & Bucen, E.
sample forms. Blank forms may
ication. In M. Snell (Ed.),
(9195).1Using portfolios for
be copied and used for
individual learning and
Instruction of students with severe
developing Student Portfolios.
disabilities. New York:
assessment. Teacher education
MacMillan.
and special education, 8 (1), 1-9.
National Council of
Forest, M., & Lusthaus, E.
Teachers of Mathematics.
(1989). Promoting educational
equality for all students: Circles
(1992). Mathematics assessment.
Reston, VA: Author.
and maps. In S. Stainback, W.
Paulson, F. L., Paulson, P. R.,
Stainback, & M. Forest (Eds.),
& Meyer, C. A. (1992). What
Educating all students in the
makes a portfolio a portfolio?
mainstream of regular education
(pp. 43-57). Baltimore: Paul H.
Educational Leadership, 60-63.
Brookes. Williams, W.; Fox, T.,
Monley, M. K., McDermott, A.,
Herbert, E. A. (1992).
Portfolios invite reflection from
& Fox, W. (1989). Student record:
students and staff, Educational
Manual I of the individual
program design series. Burlington,
Leadership, 49 (8)
58-61.
,
VT: Center for Developmental
Herman, J. L., Aschbacher,
Disabilities.
P. R., & Winters, L (1992). A
practical guide to alternative
assessment. Alexandria, VA:
Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development.
Hill, B. C., & Ruptic, C.
(1994). Practical aspects of
authentic assessment: Putting the
pieces together. Norwood, MA:
Christopher-Gorden Publishers.
Kansas City, Kansas Public
Schools. (1994). Analytic trait
scoring guide for writing
assessment. Kansas City: Author.
Kansas State Board of
Education. (1994). Assessment,
assessment, assessment. Topeka:
Author.
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