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Categories of Evidence

There are 3 categories of evidence/artifacts that you can collect:

Authentic Evidence or Documentation includes examples of things that you actually did: lessons you developed and implemented, tests/essays you scored, newsletters you sent home, learning stations you created as well as examples of student work, projects, models, and assessments. The evidence can be the paper documents, photographs of 3-D projects, or photos or videos illustrating cooperative learning, using manipulatives, or of student presentations.

Explanations or Reflections include teacher-developed narratives (oral or written) that provide context and clarification of the artifact-whether it is an event, an activity or a product. Explanations or Reflections can be journal entries related to an incident, notes jotted at the bottom of a lesson plan about modifications for next time, or formal rationales developed for each artifact.

Validation Entries or Observations represent a third party view of an event or product. Formal observations and evaluations come under this category-someone else is providing verification of what you have identified as an artifact. These are usually not used as stand alone artifacts, but help support the developer's case regarding a quality issue and can provide additional information from another point of view.

A well-developed portfolio contains examples from each of the different categories. You might want to make a grid as you select and identify artifacts and make certain that you have representation from each of the categories outlined above. See ACTIVITY 2 to categorize types of evidence/artifacts into the 3 categories.

When your artifacts have been identified, the most important part of the process begins. You must REFLECT upon the artifacts, your purpose for developing and using them and your motivation in selecting them as evidence of a particular standard or goal. Reflections developed for use in the portfolio are known as rationales. Rationales provide context and set the purpose for the artifact and should contain these elements:

• Identification of the artifact components
• A description of the instructional context
• An explanation of the purpose of the artifact in instruction
• A description of student participation and performance in the illustrated event
  

Rationales should be clear and concise while at the same time providing the reader with a clear understanding of why it addresses the identified standard or goal.