Portfolios as Windows and Mirrors The Growth of Reflective Practice: Teachers ’ Portfolios as Windows and Mirrors

Abstract: Identifying accurate measures for evaluating learning outcomes has become an increasingly important issue for teacher education programs. This paper presents the findings of a program level portfolio research study conducted by a team of faculty members in an advanced master’s degree program whose learning outcomes are aligned with the core propositions of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. The two goals of the study were to deepen our collective understanding about a) what program portfolios from an advanced master’s degree program for practicing teachers might reveal about the teachers ’ knowledge growth during the program, and b) how portfolio data might be used to inform program update and change based on the evidence from teachers ’ entries. The article discusses the possibilities of portfolios as a programmatic performance assessment tool and describes how the program used performance data to inform update and change at the course and program level as a result of the study