Portfolio assessment of student achievement at Baccalaureate Colleges II for classroom and institutional accountability decisions

The purpose of this study was to collect information from Baccalaureate College II administrators, to determine whether portfolios were used at each institution and whether portfolios were included in these institutions\u27 overall assessment plans. Specific questions related to the acceptability of planned portfolio assessment for accreditation were also raised. Secondarily, for those institutions where portfolios were used for classroom assessment, student outcome assessment or both, information about the mechanics of construction, management, and evaluation of student portfolios was collected. Three hundred ninety-five administrators from all Baccalaureate Colleges II responded in the first round of the study, with 202 indicating use of student portfolios at their institutions. One hundred six responded to the second round survey, regarding student portfolio assessment practices for classroom and for institutional accountability purposes. These results indicated that student portfolios were being used by approximately 50 percent of the population. Administrators reported a variety of contents and construction, management and evaluation strategies. Administrators also reported an overall positive response from accreditors, administrators, faculty and students. Administrators cited the ability to view learning developmentally/longitudinally and the increased power of portfolios, as compared to single measures of student achievement as the two most important driving forces towards using student portfolios. The labor intensity required of faculty and storage and management were identified as the two biggest drawbacks to using student portfolios. There were very limited effects of mandatory assessment and student assessment portfolios on graduations rates. Finally there was no significant difference in the budgetary allowances for assessment between those institutions which reported using student portfolio assessment information and those which reported non-use of student portfolio assessment information for institutional accountability decisions. Implications for post secondary education and future research were identified