Connecting Policy and Practice:
A Guide to the
ABLE Portfolio System
August 2013
Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………...i
Introduction……………………………………………………………………..1
Organization of Guide……………………………………………………..2
The Student Experience Model…………………………………………….3
Getting Started………………………………………………………………….4
Portfolio and Policy………………………………………………………..4
Portfolio and Practice……………………………………………………...7
Policy and Practice Connections: Student Forms………………………….9
Policy and Practice Connections: Teacher Forms………………………...39
Checking Progress…………………………………………………………….63
Portfolio and Policy………………………………………………………63
Portfolio and Practice…………………………………………………….65
Policy and Practice Connections: Student Forms………………………...68
Policy and Practice Connections: Teacher Forms………………………...74
Looking Back Before Going Forward……………………………………….106
Portfolio and Policy……………………………………………………..106
Portfolio and Practice……………………………………………….…...107
Policy and Practice Connections: Student Forms……………………….110
Policy and Practice Connections: Teacher Forms……………………….120
References and Resources…………………………………………………...122
www.ohioable.org
The Ohio Board of Regents State ABLE Program does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or disability in employment or the provision of services. i
Acknowledgements
This document is the result of the combined efforts of many people. Adult Basic and Literacy Education (ABLE) teachers and administrators developed and submitted the samples, many of which are being used in ABLE programs. Also, invaluable advice on content and formatting came from the Portfolio Task Force. This document was the original work of the OSU ABLE Evaluation and Design Project and is being maintained by the Professional Development Network.
A final word of thanks goes to the staff at the Ohio Board of Regents (OBR) ABLE Program and the Professional Development Network for their suggestions and support.
Portfolio Task Force and Portfolio Sample ContributorsLynne Alexandar / Nancy Lougheed / Linda Sulpizio
Judie Bergstresser / Jerusha McClendon / London Weathers
Jack Betscher / Melody McGee / Joyce Winters
Judy Franks / Jane Meyer
Janet French / Lathe Moore
Sharon Halter / Gail Morgan
Terry Hamovitch / Lynn Reese
Karen Hibbert / Sheryl Risner
Kent State University
Ohio Literacy Resource Center
Marty Ropog, Director
Kent State University
P.O. Box 5190
Research I – 1100 Summit Street
Kent, Ohio 44242-0001
literacy.kent.edu
p: 800.765.2897 or 330.672.2007
f: 330.672.4841
The Ohio State University
Professional Development Network Center
Traci Lepicki, Program Director
The Ohio State University
Center on Education and
Training for Employment
1900 Kenny Road
Columbus, Ohio 43210
p: 614.292.7033
f: 614.688.3729
From State Leadership
The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act allows the use of federal funds for State Leadership activities. You will be working with these different state leadership projects any time you are involved in professional development or participating on a state level committee or task force. The State Leadership Network consists, in partnership with the State ABLE Program, of:
Ohio Board of Regents http://www.ohiohighered.org
The Board of Regents serves as the governing state agency for higher education in Ohio, including ABLE. The State ABLE Program funds the projects below:
Professional Development Network (PDN) http://ohioable.org
OSU/CETE
CETE at the Ohio State University provides professional development services, College and Career Readiness Standards, Research and Evaluation and special projects.
Ohio Literacy Resource Center (OLRC)
The OLRC at Kent State University offers program support for the ABLELink Data Management System and provides technical assistance, a statewide lending library, statewide HUB for Distance Education and www.OhioAble.org content and learning management system.
ABLE State Director
Jeff Gove
OBR-ABLE Staff
Donna Albanese
Cindy Zengler
Nikia Flectcher
Cheryl Brueggeman
http://ohiohighered.org/able
This document connects OBR’s policies with samples that programs may use. Many of the suggestions in this guide, created by Ohio ABLE practitioners, are currently being used in programs. No program is required to use these samples. The suggestions in this guide may be used “as is,” adapted or not used at all, depending on teacher and student needs.
Highlights of the ABLE Portfolio System
OBR Guidance for Programs
· The portfolio remains a requirement for all students.
· Each program is to develop its own policies and procedures to consistently manage the information associated with the ABLE Portfolio System.
· Each program is to determine the physical nature of the student portfolio (e.g., folder, binder).
· Documents in the administrative file and the student’s portfolio must be kept for one year after the student has exited the program.
· Programs are required to maintain a secure, hard copy of student standardized test scores for one year in an administrative file. Standardized test scores cannot be kept in the student portfolio.
· Programs must retain individual student records in either paper form or through ABLELink for no less than five years.
OBR Guidance for Teachers
· Standards-based education (namely Ohio’s standards and benchmarks) remains the focus of teaching within the ABLE Portfolio System.
· As a teaching tool, the student portfolio is used to select standards and benchmarks, to plan instruction and to monitor and complement the results of instruction.
· The ABLE Portfolio System serves classroom purposes rather than state reporting purposes.
· The student portfolio is to be developed and maintained collaboratively by the teacher and student.
· Teacher and student both participate in selecting work samples and using the samples to evaluate progress relative to the student’s previous performance on goals.
· The current standardized testing process remains unchanged (pre-test and post-test required), and hard copy of student standardized test scores cannot be kept in the student portfolio.
OBR Guidance for Students
· The student portfolio is an ongoing record of the student’s educational process.
· It contains goals, educational plans, assignment sheets and other concrete pieces that can be used to trace the student’s experience throughout his/her learning.
· It contains samples of what the student has completed over time.
· It is a product and a process that helps the student take ownership of the work and be proud of their accomplishments.
iii
Introduction
Context for ABLE Portfolio System
The Student Experience Model (SEM) helps to ensure program success in following
1
Introduction
O-PAS. The ABLE Portfolio System, then, exists at the core of the SEM. A graphic of the SEM is included at the end of this introduction for reference.
ABLE Portfolio System and Standards-Based Education
Focused on student goals and standards and benchmarks, the ABLE Portfolio System supports program implementation of standards-based education. Specifically it contributes to:
Orientation
· A staff person provides a separate orientation that includes all elements as described in the Student Experience Model.
· ILP closely tied to standards and benchmarks is used to establish teaching and learning plans.
· Curriculum materials are chosen based on this information.
Instruction
· Adjustment of instruction is routinely differentiated for individual students based on teacher and student assessment of student progress in meeting the standards and benchmarks.
· Curriculum materials are aligned with standards and benchmarks.
· Written lesson plans are used to address standards and benchmarks and to focus on learning rather than teaching in the student-centered classroom.
· Multiple instructional strategies are routinely used.
Monitoring Student Performance
· Assessments are developed prior to instruction and used as the basis for instructional planning.
· Assessments are used to build a shared understanding with students concerning what they need to know and be able to do before instruction and to evaluate overall student progress.
· Assessments are integrated into instruction and are used as instructional tools and as regular feedback mechanisms.
· Student evaluation and reflection on learning is embedded in the monitoring student progress process.
1
Introduction
Organization of Guide
This guide intends to highlight policy and practices for the portfolio system within the context of the SEM and O-PAS. To do this, it is organized into three sections: 1) Getting Started; 2) Checking Progress; and 3) Looking Back Before Going Forward. The graphic below illustrates how these three sections work together.
Each section of the guide presents the portfolio process and accompanying products. Specifically, each section includes:
· Portfolio and Policy
o O-PAS information related to part of the SEM
o Portfolio Policy—Specific policy to guide portfolio development and implementation
o Key Points for Portfolio Success—Items for students and teachers to consider (taken from the Instructional Process outlined in O-PAS and enhanced by a companion Student Learning Process)
· Portfolio and Practice
o Guidance for implementing the portfolio process
o Program Tips—Suggestions for implementation (This piece includes a completed sample used in the classroom and the accompanying directions.)
· Policy and Practice Connections
o Samples of the portfolio in practice—The samples in this guide represent only a few of the ways programs can use the portfolio system.
2
Introduction
3
Introduction
3
Introduction
3
Getting Started
Portfolio and Policy
During orientation, students get started with the ABLE learning process and, as a part of that, the portfolio system. Orientation can be thought of as the student’s first learning experience in the ABLE program. According to the O-PAS Manual, required orientation activities include:
· Rapport and Support Building
· Program and Student Information Sharing
· Learning Style Assessment
· Diagnostic Testing
· Goal-Setting/ILP
· Student Registration Form Completed
For the portfolio system, orientation truly is a time to get started. Student information is collected, the National Reporting System (NRS) levels and content areas for learning are determined and instruction is planned.
Portfolio Policy
4
Getting Started
Portfolio and Policy continued
Key Points for Portfolio Success
During Orientation and Planning Instruction
The table below takes guidance presented for teachers in the Instructional Process (from the Curriculum and Instruction section of the O-PAS Manual) and combines it with steps for students too. Throughout the student’s ABLE experience, the student and teacher should work collaboratively to ensure success.
Students Should: / Teachers Should:· Participate in formal and informal assessments.
· Create long-term goal(s).
· Select short-term goal.
· Become familiar with program policies, expectations and services.
· Become familiar with standards-based education.
· Develop Individual Learning Plan.
· Choose steps and activities to accomplish goals in alignment with Ohio’s standards and benchmarks, appropriate learning styles and strategies.
· Determine end product to be used for assessment (evidence). / · Work with the student to determine the student’s goals and prior knowledge.
· Take into consideration the student’s background.
· Consider the results of standardized tests, diagnostic assessments, learning style inventories and, when appropriate, learning disabilities screenings to determine the appropriate instructional level for the student.
· Identify the standard(s) that will help the student achieve his/her instructional goals.
· Identify a shared goal or purpose when working with groups of students and, as with individual students, determine the appropriate standards and benchmarks.
· Work with students to select curriculum and activities that align with Ohio’s standards and benchmarks and that are at the appropriate instructional level.
· Select authentic activities as learning opportunities.
· Select learning activities that match students’ learning styles.
· Set up a method for maintaining student portfolios and recording progress.
· Ensure that the learning environment is not only safe but also conducive to learning.
· Produce written lesson plans to guide instruction.
5
Getting Started
Portfolio and Policy continued
Lesson Planning* and the Portfolio
So far the information presented in this section of the guide has mainly focused on preparing the student for the learning process and collecting student information. But, equally important is the teacher’s preparation for the teaching process. As teaching tools, lesson plans are not a required part of the student portfolio; however, they do inform the portfolio process.
Lesson Plan Policy
*Lesson plan samples can be found on pages 43 and 44. In addition, the Ohio Literacy Resource Center maintains an ever-growing bank of lesson plan samples on its Eureka webpage at: http://literacy.kent.edu/eureka/.
6
Getting Started
Portfolio and Practice
In addition to the required activities, most programs infuse some instructional time into their orientation sessions. This might include teaching the student about setting goals, discussing the educational process or asking the student to create a writing sample or complete some other task. Beyond beginning the teaching/learning process, these types of activities add to the program’s overall assessment of the student. Informal assessments and the results from standardized tests help to diagnose the student’s area of need.
Program Tips
To get started with goal-setting, for example, programs may consider using a technique called force field analysis to help students identify and discuss supports and barriers. The following steps describe the procedure for force field analysis. A completed sample of the Planning for Success handout used in this activity is included on the next page.
1. The students discuss the reasons why they want to improve their skills, and they check which skills (speaking, listening, reading, writing or math) they want to improve and complete the “So I can …” statement with their long-term goals.
2. The students discuss positive forces, giving examples, and then they write in their own positive forces. The teacher coaches the students to think about people, resources and issues like transportation.
3. The students discuss negative forces, giving examples, and then they write in their own negative forces.
4. The teacher demonstrates how to give forces a number, 1 – 5, with 1 being a weak force and 5 a strong force. Then the students assign numbers to each of their positive and negative forces.
5. The teacher demonstrates how to draw arrows between the force and the goal with arrow length dependent on the strength of the force, and the students draw arrows for their forces.
6. The students tally their positive force points and their negative force points and compare the two totals. The group discusses planning for success. If the negative forces outbalance the positive forces, a student may need to delay entry until he/she has a better chance of success.
7. The group discusses things students can do to develop additional positive forces. The students list any additional positive forces they could develop under positive supports of their force field analysis but do not assign points or draw the arrows.
8. The group discusses things students can do to reduce or eliminate negative forces. The students star negative forces they think they can reduce or eliminate, and they write under the force how they can reduce or eliminate it.
9. The teacher explains that the force field is always changing. Students need to take time now to identify the forces influencing them and plan ways to develop additional positive forces and reduce or eliminate negative forces. Students need to make sure they are ready for success before entering the program. If they are not ready, they can delay entry, and the program can help them build more positive force fields.