Assessment


 * __PORTFOLIOS AS A MEANS OF ASSESSING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES __**

Assessment is an important element of the learning process that takes place for students. Portfolios, for the purpose of assessment, generally involve collecting samples of student work that demonstrate what they have accomplished (Ysseldyke & Algozzine, 2006). With so much versatility in regards to what they encompass, portfolios can be used with students ranging from kindergarten to year twelve. There are a few key benefits of using portfolios, as a means of assessment, for students with specials needs: There are a variety of ways that portfolios can be used. That is, they can have a key focus where the child only collects work samples/documentation for a specific topic or skill or, they can be used for all subject matter. Electronic portfolios also exist as an effective assessment measure for children with special needs. For example, if a student was learning to tie their shoes or wash their hands independently, video recordings could document these processes, and could then be collated to create an electronic portfolio. When deciding to use portfolios as a method of assessment there a number of things which should be considered. The University of Kansas (2005) provides a useful [|checklist] which can be used by teachers to help them determine the nature of the portfolios they will require their students to create. There are various expected outcomes that could be achieved through using portfolios to assess students with special needs. That is, students, particularly those with significant disabilities, can better be assessed on their abilities and accomplishments through flexible assessment options, such as a portfolio. Another possible outcome is that the use of portfolios, for assessment, could help to reduce the anxiety some students develop as a result of many other forms of assessment. This is because portfolios typically allow learners to develop, generally over a significant period of time, a range of different pieces which will be assessed. Students feeling more comfortable with the very notion of assessment could also be an expected outcome if students are provided with the opportunity to have a say in what is, and is not, included in their portfolio. Another outcome such enhanced communication between parents, teachers and students can also be established through the use of portfolios that regularly go home (Damiani, 2004).
 * There are often specific skills which teachers want to target with students who have special needs, and portfolios can aid in this purpose.
 * There is a need to monitor progress towards goals, in particular with Individual Learning Plans, and portfolios enable teachers to view concrete evidence of student work over a period of time (Carpenter & Ray, 1995, as cited in University of Kansas, 2005).
 * Portfolios, if desired, can allow students to use a range of work samples such as writing samples, drawings, poems, samples of maths work, videos of dance performances or speeches, photos of art pieces etc. Essentially, students can present work in a variety of ways and across a range of subject areas. This can assist teachers in providing an assessment option which caters for the varied learning styles that exist amongst children with special needs.

**References: ** Melissa Yap (u3041657)
 * Damiani, V. (2004). //Portfolio Assessment in the Classroom.//Retrieved from the Indiana University, College of Education website: []
 * University of Kansas. (2005). //Special Connections – Connecting teachers to strategies that help students with special needs successfully access the general education curriculum.// Retrieved from []
 * Ysseldyke, J., & Algozzine, B. (2006). //Effective Assessment for Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Every Teacher.// U.S.A: Corwin Press.

**__TeacherVision__** This one page [] has a whole lot of links to strategies a teacher can use to benefit children with additional needs and help them to make the most of their education. The ideas are very simple and allow a teacher to easily implement small changes that don’t disrupt a class, but benefit the child with additional needs. The ideas range from helping a child with low mathematics ability through to children with disabilities.

TeacherVision (2011). //Types of assessment accommodation//. Retrieved from: []