4 | Assessment in Learning 2

UNIT 5: PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

5.0. Intended Learning Outcomes
a. Determine the purpose and characteristics of portfolio assessment
b. Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of portfolios
c. Design a portfolio assessment based on their field of specialization
5.1. Introduction
The practice of developing portfolio has been widely used in a number of fields
for many years such as in architecture, advertising, art, and photography. This includes
the person’s best work. In the field of education, portfolio has become widely used in the
basic and tertiary level, which is utilized as one of the many procedures for formally
assessing the students. It has become very useful in developing creativity and talents of
the students, allowing them to support the claim that have achieved learning outcomes.
Necessity of using portfolio is emphasized by many researches (Birgin, 2003; De
Fina, 1992; Gussie, 1998; Micklo, 1997; Mumme, 1991; Norman, 1998;). According to
them, portfolio gives more reliable and dynamic data about students for teachers,
parents and also student himself. Also, using this assessment method in primary schools
provides getting clear information about students and fulfilling their weaknesses and
helps teachers planning teaching progress.

5.2. Topics

Please read the following paragraphs.

After spending a two-week workshop in utilizing portfolio assessment as
an alternative tool for assessment, Patrick, together with his co-teachers,
decided to use the said alternative tool with his Grade 8 English class. Patrick
suggests to the class that they will just be selecting one best output from their
workThe
5.2.1. within a week.
Nature and Thus, all of
Purpose simple exercises
Portfolio and other activities are not to be
Assessment
put in the portfolio. The studentsAccording
discuss this
tosuggestion
Arter and and readily
Spandel agreed
(1991), on
portfolio is a
it. purposeful collection of student work that exhibits to the
Every other month, students
student,meet with each
or others, herother to or
efforts critique what was
achievement in one or
included and conduct a student – teacher conference. At the end of the school,
more areas. Paulson, Paulson and Mayer (1991: 60) define
Teacher Patrick collects all portfolios, evaluate
that portfolio and rate them
is a purposeful and return
collection to his works
of student’s
students. Individual grade was givenexhibits
that to each student, includingefforts,
the student’s feedback.progress and
Answer the following questions: achievement in one or more areas. The collection must
include student
1. How did Teacher Patrick conducted participation
his portfolio assessment?in selecting contents, the
2. Did Teacher Patrick conducted criteria for selection,
his portfolio’s the criteria well?
implementation for judging merit and
Why/Why not? evidence of student self-reflection. Grace (1992, p.1), who
3. If you were Teacher Patrickstresses
will youthe learning
do the process, implementation?
same portfolio defines as “portfolio is a
Why/Why not? record of the child's process of learning: what the child
has
This activity is credited for learned
your and how
Participation. shewrite
Please has gone about learning;
your answers on the how
required answer sheet. she thinks, questions, analyzes, synthesizes, produces,
creates; and how she interacts--intellectually, emotionally
and socially-with others”. Collins (1992, p. 452) identify
portfolio as “a container of collected evidence with a
purpose. Evidence is documentations that can be used one

https://www.pinterest.ph/
bjsanders1964/kindergarten-portfolio/
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
2

person or group of persons to infer another person’s knowledge, skill, and/or

disposition”.
Winsor and Ellefson (1995, p.68), who stress the learning process and learning
product, define that “portfolio is a fusion of process and product. It is the process of
reflection, selection, rationalization, and evaluation, together with the product of those
processes”. Simon and Forgette-Giroux (2000, p.36) define as “portfolio is a cumulative
and ongoing collection of entries that are selected and commented on by the student, the
teacher and/or peers, to assess the student’s progress in the development of a
competency”. De Fina (1992, p.13), who emphasizes the characteristic of portfolios, state
that portfolios are systematic, purposeful, and meaningful collections of students’ work
in one or more subject areas. On the other hand, Birgin (2003, p.22) defines portfolio as
“the assessment of some data about students’ skills in one or more areas in a certain time
period, regular collection of his studies and performances according to predetermined
criteria.
Portfolio is a systematic process and purposeful collection of student work to
document the student learning progress, efforts, and achievement towards the
attainment of learning outcomes. It is a systematic process that follows a well-organized
collection of products of student work (Cajigal, et al., 2014, p. 136).
It is a purposeful, organized, collection of evidence that demonstrates a person’s
knowledge, skills, abilities, or disposition. The term portfolio implies that form a larger
set of evidence or artifact, a portable subset of these artifacts is collected and displayed
to another because they tell a specific story (Musial, 2009).
Borich and Kubiszyn (2003) defined portfolio as a planned collection of learner’s
achievements that documents what a student has accomplished and the steps takes to
get there. The collection represents a collaborative effort among teacher and learner, to
decide on portfolio purpose, content, and evaluation criteria.
There are some essential
characteristics to the development of any
type of portfolio used for assessment.
Barton and Collins (1997) state that
portfolios should be multi-sourced,
authentic, forms of dynamic assessment,
explicit of purpose, establish a
correspondence between program
activities and life experiences, based on
student’s ownership, and multi-purposed.
Therefore, portfolios should be on going
so that they show the students’ efforts, https://www.dbp.ph/developmental-banking/social-services-community-
development/dbp-educational-fund-program-defp/
progress, and achievement over a period
of time.
Portfolio assessment advocates a focus on how the ongoing processes of student
inquiry capture the cognitive abilities that underscore successful achievements and
engage students themselves as participants in the instructional design and authentic
assessment of key learning events in subject areas. (Belgrand, 2013, pp. 331–2).

Difference in Assessment Outcomes between Portfolios and standardized

Testing Practices
PORTFOLIO TESTING
Represents the range of reading and Assesses across a limited range of reading
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
3

writing students are engaged in and writing assignments which may not
match what students do
Engages students in assessing their Mechanically scored or scored by teachers
progress and/or accomplishments and who have little input
establishing ongoing learning goals
Measures each student’s achievement Assesses all students on the same
while allowing for individual differences dimension.
between students.
Represents a collaborative approach to Assessment process is not collaborative
assessment
Has a goal of student self-assessment Student assessment is not a goal
Addresses improvement, effort, and Addresses achievement only
achievement
Links assessment and teaching to learning Separates learning, testing, and teaching
(Popham, 2011)
Portfolios contain relevant items from many different sources such as
composition of students in the form of essay, reports, stories; presentations such as
observations, research investigation, and projects; narrative and anecdotal records;
rating scales, rubrics, self-reflection and checklists; visual arts such as photofolio,
drawings, paintings; performances as product, group work; and processes such as show;
your work problems, stages of writing a poem or a song.
As utilized in the classroom setting, portfolios have the same basic purpose and
principle to collect pieces of students’ performance or products that show
accomplishment or improvement overtime. These may be used depending on the
purposes and foci of the assessment to be measured. Thus, teachers should be guided
with the specific purposes in the process of collection.
PURPOSE OF PORTFOLIO:
1. Use as alternative/authentic
assessment.
2. It is closely linked to instruction.
3. It is by nature incorporated fully
into instruction.
4. This promote positive student
involvement.
5. Offer the teachers and student an
in-depth knowledge of the student
as a learner.
6. It introduces students to an
evaluation format with which
they
may need to become familiar as
more schools and districts adopt
portfolio assessment.
7. It gives the teacher opportunities
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
4

to involve parents in their

https://laumingblog.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/2nd-quarter-portfolio-
children’s learning.
day-sy-2020-2021/

TYPES of PORTFOLIO
(a) Personal portfolio: For other students and teachers to form a more holistic
view about students and to celebrate their interests, items may be included from within
and outside school. The portfolio could contain pictures, awards, videos, or other
memorabilia. The personal portfolio serves as a catalyst for self-reflection and sharing.
(b) Working portfolio: The ongoing, systematic collection of student work
samples
and exhibits can be maintained in a working portfolio. This collection of daily, weekly,
monthly, or unit work products forms.
(c) Record-keeping portfolio: This type of portfolio is usually kept by teachers. It
contains necessary assessment samples and records that may be required (e.g., written
exams, proficiency tests). It could also include observational information (e.g., anecdotal
notes, frequency index scales, narrative descriptors, behavior checklists) and progress
reports that supplement traditional report cards.
(d) Group portfolio: Each member of a cooperative learning group contributes
individual items along with group items (e.g., samples, pictures, community project) to
demonstrate the effectiveness of the entire group.
(e) Thematic portfolio: This portfolio would relate to a unit of study with a
particular focus, normally lasting from 2 to 6 weeks. For example, if a portfolio is
constructed related to "Rational Numbers", “Force” unit, this portfolio could reflect
cognitive and affective skills and their views about these units.
(f) Integrated portfolio: To view the whole student, works from all disciplines
showing connections between or among subjects would be included. Selected items,
either
required or optional, could be drawn from several or all subjects. For example, this
portfolio can be prepared in math and science courses.
(g) Showcase portfolio: A limited number of items are selected to exhibit growth
over time and to serve a particular purpose. Usually, only the student's best works are
included. For instance, in Vermont and Kentucky, at the beginning of the 1990 years, this
type of portfolio was implemented for mathematics and writing in grades 4 and 8. In
both
states, portfolios are supposed to contain five to seven examples of the students’ best
work
during the school year and scored are supposed to reflect optimum performance.
Writing
portfolio must contain work in number of pre-specified genres of writing. Mathematics
portfolio based on collections of open-ended students’ responses to extended
mathematics
problems.
(h) Electronic portfolio: Technological advances have made electronic portfolios.
However, if they are simply software databases (storage for pictures, sound, or words)
they are really no different from a hanging file or milk crate. Since current technology
allows for the capture and storage of information in the form of text, graphics, sound,
and
video, students can save writing samples, solutions to mathematics problems, samples of
art work, science projects and multimedia presentations in one coherent document
(Lankes, 1995). Electronic portfolios offer many advantages such as to collect, and store,
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
5

and manage the information electronically according to traditional portfolios. In recent

years, because of the educational opportunities supported with the technological
development, electronic portfolios are used much more. For instance, computer-based
portfolios introduced by Baki and Birgin (2004) and Korkmaz and Kaptan (2005) in their
studies can be shown as examples.
(i) Multiyear portfolio: Students would collect items from a cluster of grade
levels
over 2-, 3-, or 4-year intervals. The multiyear portfolio would be stored at the school. For
example, this portfolio can be used to follow students’ progress periodically during
primary and secondary school and university education.

ELEMENTS OF PORTFOLIO
The contents of portfolio may be
determined by the students who
decide what to include in their
portfolio; the cooperative learning
group, their classmates who can
recommend what to include in the
portfolio; and the teacher, school or
the division who can specify work
samples and components to be
included in the portfolio, it could be
an essay or photographs and other
documents which strengthen the
student’s learning outcomes. The
following are the distinct elements
https://web.facebook.com/308155246036685/posts/1st-quarter-portfolio-day- http://exploringonlineportfolios.weebly.com/showcase-
2020thank-you-teachers-for-preparing-the-display-of-ou/1509697012549163/?
portfolios.html
_rdc=1&_rdr
which are expected and included
from the outputs of the students:
1. Cover Sheet
This creatively includes the nature of the student’s (or group’s) work and could be
in a form of a letter. It also reflects the progress of the learners as it summarizes the
evidence of student’s learning and progress.
2. Table of Contents
This includes the title of each work sample and its page number.
3. Work Samples
Theses are entries which are to be included in the portfolio which can be
categorized as core (samples which are needed to include) and optional (student’s
preference on what to include). The core are the basic elements required for each student
and serves as basis for decision in assessing the student’s work. On the other hand, the
optional entries allow the folder to represent creativity and uniqueness of each student.
In the introduction of the work samples, it is a must ton include the rationale, explaining
what work samples are included, why each one is significant, and how well they all fit
together in a holistic view of the student’s (or group’s work).
4. Dates of all Sample Works to Facilitate Evidence of Growth Overtime
5. Drafts of the written products, or even the seminal attempts in writing the write ups
for
the portfolio and the revised version based on the corrected versions.
6. Self-assessment
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6

This is written by the student or the group members which could be in terms of
self-reflection and analysis or a form of insights. Teacher may include questions which
can facilitate the assessment of the students.
7. Future Goals
This is based on the student’s (or group’s) current achievements, interests, and
progress.
8. Other comments and assessments
This may come from the teacher, cooperative learning groups, and other
interested
parties such as the parents.

5.2.2. The Strengths and Weaknesses of Portfolios

STRENGTHS:
Portfolio can present a wide perspective of learning process for students and
enables a continuous feedback for them (Adams, 1998). Besides this, it enables students
to have a self-assessment for their studies and learning, and to review their progress (De
fina, 1992). Since it provides visual and dynamic proofs about students’ interests, their
skills, strong sides, successes and development in a certain time period, portfolio which
is the systematic collection of the student’s studies helps assessing students as a whole
(Baki & Birgin, 2004). Portfolio is strong devices that help students to gain the important
abilities such as self-assessment, critical thinking and monitoring one’s own learning
(Asturias, 1994; Micklo, 1997). Furthermore, portfolio provide pre-service teacher
assessing their own learning and growth, and help them become self-directed and
reflective practitioners,
and contribute them the individual and professional developments (Birgin, 2007;
Mokhtari et al., 1996). Mullin (1998) stresses that portfolio provides teachers to have new
perspective in education. For instance, portfolio can answer these questions: what kind
of
troubles do students have? Which activities are more effective or ineffective? What
subjects are understood and not understood? How efficient is the teaching process? On
the other hand, portfolio assessment has many advantages comparing with standardized
testing. It is shown in the Table 1 (De Fina, 1992, p. 39).
Portfolio assessment method also has many benefits for teacher, parents and
students. Making use of portfolios affectively largely depends on using their purpose
properly. Many of theoretical and empirical studies in the literature were reported
superiority of portfolio assessment to traditional assessment tools in education (Asturias,
1994; Baki & Birgin, 2004; Barton & Collins, 1997; Birgin, 2003; Birgin, 2006a; De Fina,
1992; Gilman et al., 1995; Ersoy, 2006; Klenowski, 2000; Kuhs, 1994; Mullin, 1998;
Norman, 1998; Sewell et al., 2002). Some of them are presented as follows.
• Portfolio provides multiple ways of assessing students’ learning over time
• It provides for a more realistic evaluation of academic content than pencil-and
paper tests.
• It allows students, parent, teacher and staff to evaluate the students’ strength and
weakness.
• It provides multiple opportunities for observation and assessment
• It provides an opportunity for students to demonstrate his/her strengths as well
as weakness.
• It encourages students to develop some abilities needed to become independent,
self-directed learners
• It also helps parents see themselves as partners in the learning process.
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
7

• It allows students to express themselves in a comfortable way and to assess their

own learning and growth as learners.
• It encourages students to think of creative ways to share what they are learning
• It increases support to students from their parents and enhances communication
among teachers, students and parents.
• It encourages teachers to change their instructional practice and it is a powerful
way to link curriculum and instruction with assessment

In sum, portfolio
assessment provides more
authentic and valid
assessment of students’
achievement and
comprehensive views of
students’ performances in
contexts, and encourages
students to develop
independent and self-
directed learners, and
enhances
https://www.vir.com.vn/why-equip-primary-school-students-with-academic-english- communication among
78759.html teacher, student and parents.
It can provide opportunities for learners to demonstrate his/her weakness and strengths
and for teachers to direct their teaching. It also can encourage students to take
responsibility for their own learning, and
enhance student-teacher communication. In addition, portfolio assessment has a
potential
to demonstrate students’ learning process and leaning product over time. As a result,
portfolio gives detailed information about students’ development in learning process to
teacher, parents and students themselves.

WEAKNESSES:
Although using of portfolios has some advantages and benefits in education, it
has some disadvantages and burdensome. Thus, when it is developed and used, these
disadvantages and burdens should be considered. Beside the disadvantages and
burdensome of portfolios, the precautions which should be taken for overcoming these
disadvantages and burdens of portfolios are explained below. Scoring a portfolio may be
seen as less reliable or fair than multiple choices test scores (Cicmanec & Viecknicki,
1994). When the specific, clear, and measurable criteria for each item are used in
portfolios, the reliability of portfolios can increase. If the purpose and assessment criteria
of portfolio are not clear, the portfolio can be just a miscellaneous collection of works
that can't reflect students’ growth or achievement accurately. Thus, the purpose and
assessment criteria of portfolios should be explained detailed and clearly Another
disadvantage of using portfolio is very time consuming for teachers to score students’
works and to assess students’ performance over time in the crowded classroom (Birgin,
2006b). Therefore, it is suggested to use checklists, rubrics and digital portfolio form to
reduce time for the assessment of it (Birgin, 2006b; De Fina, 1992; Lustig, 1996).
Like any other form of qualitative data, data from portfolio assessments can be
difficult to analyze. To use checklists and observation lists can be facilitate to analyze
process. If it is possible, designing the computer-based portfolio and electronic portfolios
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
8

for students make easier to examine the portfolios and to give feedback to students
(Birgin, 2003; Chen et al., 2000; Lankes, 1995). When comparing students’ performance
and schools by considering the portfolio scores, the questions “whom did the study
belong to?”, “Did the student do this work with someone else or alone?” are sometimes
discussed. This statement may cause anxiety about the validity and reliability of the
portfolio assessment. There are many researches which support this finding (Herman &
Winters, 1994; Geathart & Herman, 1995; Koretz et al., 1994). In this case, students’ scores
in portfolios may not show their real performance. To overcome this problem, students’
performance should be followed by teachers continuously and they should be required
to present their works. Developing portfolio assessment criteria, rubrics, and
determining the works in portfolio can be difficult for teachers at first. Moreover,
organizing and assessing the portfolio and giving feedback to students can be time
consuming (Stecher, 1998).
Therefore, both in-service and pre-
service teachers should be informed
about the portfolio assessment. One
of the problems of using portfolio is
to store, to handle and to control the
portfolios in the crowded classroom.
Also, asking students to bring their
portfolio materials to each class can
be burdensome. To overcome this
problem, electronic portfolios (e-
portfolios) which easily stored,
handled and controlled can be used
https://www.seameo-innotech.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/
(Baki et al., 2004; Chen et al., 2000).
MPPE%20Case%20Studies.pdf
Another problem of portfolio
assessment is parental or community support for such a new and unfamiliar system of
assessment. Most parents is accustomed to their child
receiving a letter grade on a report card at the end of a designated grading period. Such
a
change could be difficult for parents to accept or adjust to without considerable effort to
educate them as to the nature and advantages of the new system (Thomas et al., 2005).
Therefore, parents initially should be made aware of what is going to transpire
with the new assessment method at the beginning of the school year. Also, at least once a
month, parents should be invited in to discuss and view their child's portfolio with the
teacher. Parents should be an essential part of this assessment process, and include as
equal partners and stakeholders.
Consequently, the most important disadvantage of portfolios is that its low
reliability of scores. To overcome this problem, rubrics should be used in the
assessments of the students’ works. Moreover, portfolio assessment place new demands
on teachers such as professional development time to learn portfolio, preparation time to
create new materials and lessons, to produce and refine portfolio pieces. Teachers also
need additional time for reviewing and commenting on students work. Such kinds of
requirements force teachers to develop themselves in their fields. However, researches
show that some teachers see portfolios as a worthwhile burden with tangible results in
instruction and student motivation (Koretz et al., 1994; Stecher, 1998). This fact is very
important in terms of the application of portfolio. To cope with the possible limitations
or disadvantages of portfolios, teachers who tend to use portfolios should be educated
before, assisted and supported in the portfolio application process by experts.
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
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5.2.3. Designing Portfolio Assessment

Step 1: Identify Overall Purpose and Focus
The design and use of portfolio begin with a clear description of your purpose
and focus. The questions, “Why do I want a portfolio?” and “What learning targets and
curriculum goals will it serve?” sharpen the focus of identifying the purpose and focus
of portfolio. With these, you can clearly identify why you want your students to create a
portfolio.
Portfolio may be used to assess understanding but are ideal for assessing product,
skill, and reasoning targets. This is especially true for multi-dimensional skills such as
writing, reading, and problem-solving that are continually improved and demonstrated
through products. With extensive self-reflection, critical thinking is an important target.
Students also develop metacognitive and decision-making skills. As with other
performance assessments, portfolios generally are not very efficient for assessing
knowledge targets (McMillan, 2007).
It is important to distinguish between learning targets for individual work
samples and the content of the portfolio as a whole. The targets that reflect all content
tends to be broader and more general, such as “development as a reader,” “adapts
writing to audience,” “speaks clearly,” and “adapts writing style to different purposes.”
The present K to 12 Curriculum provides learning targets which need to be
achieved in the form of content and performance standards. Thus, the nature of using
portfolio assessment is based from the importance and focus of the learning targets. It
necessitates that portfolio matches with the learning standards and goals.
Step 2: Identify the
Physical Structure
Once the purpose and
targets have been clarified, we
need to think of the physical
structure of the portfolio. Some
practical questions affect the
successful use of portfolio in your
classroom:
 What it will look
like?
 Where will the
students place the
https://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/philippines/volunteer-teaching-
programs
outputs?
 What type of
container is appropriate?
 Do they need file folders? Clear book? Plastic bins?
 How are the materials to be organized – categorically, numerically,
alphabetically, by subject area or in other ways?
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
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 Where can students store the portfolios for easy access?

If students cannot manage and access their materials affectively, they will become
discouraged. You may need your original intentions based on the answer to practical
considerations. Choices of products and work outputs influence students on what to
include in their portfolio.
Step 3: Determine the Appropriate Organization and Sources of Content
The content of portfolio consists of entries (student products and activity records)
which provides assessment information about the content and processes identified in the
dimensions to be assessed. These naturally are artifacts which are derived from the
different learning activities.
Select the organizational entries of portfolio that will allow the students to meet
the purpose of portfolio. If your target is to show performance product, select output-
oriented tasks. If you need to provide feedback to students on the procedures they use in
putting together a report, include a summary of that process as part of the portfolio.
McMillan (2007) pointed out to use work samples that capitalize on the advantages of
portfolios, such as flexibility, individuality, and authenticity.
The categories or type of entries should consider the content and process
dimension it will assess and the minimum and maximum number of entries per
category. Make sure that entries should fully represent the student’s attainment or
growth and learning progress. This allows variation so that students can show
individual work. This often means giving students choices and potentials about what
they want to include in their portfolio entries. It is best also to determine the types of
work samples to be included in the portfolio at the same time that instructional activities
are developed. Products and performance that result from instructional activities often
provide useful work samples in portfolios.
Step 4: Determine Student
Reflection Guidelines
Before implementing your
portfolio assessment plan, establish
guidelines to help students self-reflect
along the way. With this, students will
develop greater ownership of the
process and will have experience in
working collaboratively with you as
https://www.philippinesbasiceducation.us/2013/10/teaching-styles.html
their teacher.
Step 5: Identify and Evaluate Scoring Criteria
After determining the student reflection guidelines, the next step is to establish
the scoring criteria you will use in evaluating student performance. By working on the
student criteria, students will develop greater ownership of the process and will have
and will have experience to working cooperatively and collaboratively with you as a
teacher.
However, as the facilitator of learning, you are responsible to ensure the
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
11

reliability and high quality of scoring criteria. The students should be informed also on
how you will evaluate their portfolios. This can be done by sharing the scoring criteria
with your students so that they can ask questions, give their suggestions and insights.

Step 6: Communicate the Results of Portfolio Evaluation

The final step in implementing portfolio assessment is to conduct a conference
with each student to review its contents, the students’ reflections, and assessment of the
individual output. Give your students guidelines for these conferences so that they can
prepare some questions ahead of time and allow the students to give their views and
insights during the conference. As a result, this serves as an avenue to determine the
strengths and limitations of portfolio for plan of action formulation.

REQUIREMENT:
Design a portfolio assessment based on your field of specialization.
Example: If you are a BEED student then you may choose from the
different types of portfolio appropriate for an
elementary pupil.
Or if you are a BSED student, you may choose from the
different topics in your major field.
REMINDER: YOU MAY SUBMIT THIS REQUIREMENT TOGETHER WITH
YOUR OUTPUTS IN LP4 ON OR BEFORE THE FINAL
EXAMS.

UNIT 6: GRADES AND GRADING SYSTEMS

6.0. Intended Learning Outcomes

a. Discuss the grading system in the K to 12 basic education program
b. Differentiate the various methods of reporting grades
c. Appreciate the importance of planning and implementing parent-teacher
conferences
6.1. Introduction
The K to 12 curriculum has specific assessment requirements and design catering
to the delivery modes of learning (formal education and the alternative learning system).
The K to 12 assessment is learner-centered and carefully considers its learning
environment system. The 21st century skills such as research, analytical/critical, practical
and creative are part of the indicators included in the K to 12 assessment. Both cognitive
and non-cognitive skills which includes values, motivation, attitude, behavior traits, and
interpersonal relations are part of the assessment.

6.2. Topics

Read the situation.

Supposing you are handling a Grade 1 or 7 class, and as part of the
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
12

6.2.1. Grading of Learning Outcomes in K to 12

Based on DepEd Order No. 73, series of 2012 dated September, 5, 2012 entitled
Guidelines on the Assessment and Rating of Learning Outcomes Under the K to 12 Basic
Education Curriculum, states that standards-based assessment and rating system shall
be implemented to support the progressive roll-out starting with Grades 1 and 7 of the K
to 12 Basic Education Curriculum in public and private elementary and secondary
schools nationwide. This order was effective on the School Year 2012-2013 wherein the
guidelines for the assessment and rating of learning outcomes were contained on the
following enclosures:
Enclosure No. 1: General Guidelines for the assessment and Rating
Enclosure No. 2: Prototype Rubrics for the Different Levels of Assessment
Enclosure No. 3: Prototype Formative and Summative Assessment Tools
Enclosure No. 4: Sample Assessment Matrices for Grade 7 Learning Area
Enclosure No. 5: Guidelines for Assessing Learning Outcomes for Grade 1
Enclosure No. 6: Sample Assessment Matrices and Rubrics for Grade 1
Enclosure No. 7: Sample Report Card (Grades 1 and 7)

Here is the General Guidelines for the Assessment and Rating of Learning
Outcomes in the Enclosure No. 1 to DepEd Order No. 73, s. 2012:
A. Philosophy
Assessment shall be used primarily as a quality assurance tool to track student
progress in the attainment of standards, promote self-reflection and personal
accountability for one’s learning, and
provide a basis for the profiling of
student performance.

B. Nature and Purpose of Assessment

Assessment shall be holistic, with
emphasis on the formative or
developmental purpose of quality
assuring student learning. It is also
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
13

standards-based as it seeks to ensure that teachers will teach to the standards and
students will aim to meet or even exceed the standards. The student’s attainment of
standards in terms of content and performance is, therefore, a critical evidence of
learning.

C. Levels of Assessment
The attainment of learning outcomes as defined in the standards shall be the basis
for the quality assurance of learning using formative assessments. They shall also be the
focus of the summative assessments and shall be the basis for grading at the end of
instruction.
The learning outcomes are defined by level: knowledge; process or skill;
understanding; and products and performances. These levels shall be the outcomes
reflected in the class record and shall be given corresponding percentage weights as
follows:

Level of Assessment Percentage Weight

Knowledge 15%

Process or skills 25%

Understanding(s) 30%

Product/Performances 30%

100%
TOTAL
The levels are defined as follows:

1. “Knowledge” refers to the substantive content of the curriculum, the facts and
information that the student acquires.
2. “Process” refers to cognitive operations that the student performs on facts and
information for the purpose of constructing meanings and understandings. This
level is assessed through activities or tests of analytical ability.
3. “Understandings” refer to enduring big ideas, principles and generalizations
inherent to the discipline, which may be assessed using the facets of
understanding. Assessment at this level, should require ability to synthesize,
generalize and judge accordingly.
4. “Products/Performances” refer to real-
life application of understanding as
evidenced by the student’s
performance of authentic tasks. At this
level students are expected to be able
to apply what has been learned in
contrived or real situations.

D. Use of Multiple Measures

The assessment of student performance
does not specify such factors as quizzes,
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
14

participation, projects, periodical tests, and homework, but considers these as tools or
measures for the different levels of assignment. The following are some of the tools for
the different levels of assessment:
1. The assessment at the knowledge level should answer the questions: What do we want
students to know? How do we want them to express or provide evidence of what they
know?
This level may be assessed using traditional measures (ex: paper-and-pencil tests
using multiple choice, true-false, or
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/
1424154/schools-to-scrap-textbook-lending-scheme
matching type of tests) if the intention is to
find out students’ knowledge of specific
facts and information. But if the purpose is to determine if students’ knowledge of
facts and information is of sufficient breadth and depth to develop understanding,
then the constructed response type of assessment will be useful. For the latter, the use
of rubric as a scoring guide will be appropriate.
2. The assessment at the process or skills level should answer the question: What do we
want students to do with what they know? How do we want them to provide
evidence
of what they can do with what they know?
This level may be assessed by asking learners to outline, organize, analyze,
interpret, translate, convert, or express the information in another form or format;
draw analogies; construct graphs, models, flowcharts and mind maps or graphic
organizers; or transform a textual presentation into a diagram. They may also be asked
to draw or paint pictures, or do role plays to represent or express creatively their sense
of the facts and information. Assessment, in this regard, may focus on hoe logically,
analytically, or critically students make sense of or process the information, or use it.
There are skills or processes that are germane to specific subject areas, which the
teacher is in a better position to assess by using the appropriate tool or technology.
Listening to a dialogue to get details, for example, is a skill that the language teacher
may assess by playing a recorded conversation and asking students to process what
they have heard by listing down the details. In TLE or Tech-Voc, students may be
asked to demonstrate the appropriate and safe use of hand tools after being taught the
use of such tools.
3. The next level of assessment focuses on the meanings or understandings that students
themselves make or develop. Assessment at this level should answer the questions:
What do we want students to understand? How do we want them to provide evidence
of their understanding?
The assessment should be able to draw from the students the meaning or
meanings they have made or their own understanding, which may be expressed using
any of the facets of understanding (ex: explain, interpret, apply, give perspective, show
empathy, and self-knowledge) or any other appropriate manifestation of
understanding as applied specific subject areas.
4. The highest level of assessment focuses on the products or performances which
students
are expected to produce through authentic performance tasks. The assessment at this
level should answer the question: What product(s) or performance(s) do we want
students to produce as evidence of their learning or understanding? Or, How do we
want them to provide evidence that they can use or transfer their learning to real-life
situations?
Products or performances should be reflective of what we want students to be
able to do with their learning. They are evidence of what we want students to tell us or
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
15

demonstrate to us about the use in real life that they can make of what they have
learned in our subjects. Being able to make a diorama, for example, is not a product or
performance that we would expect our students to tell us they have learned in Araling
Panlipunan.
The teacher shouldn’t prescribe how students will express or provide evidence of
their learning or understanding. Students should be given the freedom to express their
learning in appropriate ways. For example, doing advocacy for a legitimate cause is a
product or performance that we would expect our students in Araling Panlipunan to
be able to do as a demonstration of their understanding of poverty among agricultural
settlers. But the teacher doesn’t have to prescribe how doing advocacy should be
expressed or demonstrated. A good model for assessment at this level is GRASPS
(McTighe and Wiggins, 2005). An example using GRASPS is provided in the Enclosure
on Prototype Formative and Summative Assessment Tools.

E. Use of Feedback
Results of the assessment across levels should be fed back immediately to the
students, consistent with the principle of assessment as learning. Students need to learn
from the results of the assessment so they know what to improve further, and then they
can plan strategically how they can address any learning deficiency.

F. Levels of Proficiency
The performance of students shall be described in the report card, based on the
following levels of proficiency:
a. Beginning (B) – The student at this level struggles with his/her understanding;
prerequisite and fundamental knowledge and/or skills have
not been acquired or developed adequately to aid
understanding.
b. Developing (D) – The student at this level possesses the minimum knowledge
and skills and core understandings, but needs help throughout the performance of
authentic tasks.
c. Approaching Proficiency (AP) – The student at this level has developed the
fundamental knowledge and skills and core understandings and with little guidance
from the teacher and/or with some assistance from peers, can transfer these
understandings through authentic performance tasks.
d. Proficient (P) – The student at this level has developed the fundamental
knowledge and skills and core understandings, and can transfer them automatically and
flexibly through authentic performance tasks.

The level of proficiency at which the students is performing shall be based on a

numerical value which is arrived at after summing up the results of the student’s
performance on the various levels of assessment. The numerical values are as follows:

Level of Proficiency Equivalent Numerical Value

Beginning 74% and below
Developing 75-79%
Approaching Proficiency 80-84%
Proficient 85-89%
Advanced 90% and above
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
16

The equivalent level of proficiency as abbreviated below shall appear in the report
card: B for Beginning;
D for Developing;
AP for Approaching Proficiency;
P for Proficient; and
A for Advanced
The Final Grade at the end of the four quarters shall be reported as the average of
the four quarterly ratings, expressed in terms of the level of proficiency.

G. Promotion and Retention

Promotion and retention of students shall be by subject. Students whose
proficiency level is Beginning (B) at the end of the quarter or grading period shall be
required to undergo remediation after class hours so that they can immediately catch up
as they move to the next grading period. If by the end of the school year, the students are
still at the Beginning level, then they shall be required to take summer classes.
Enclosures No. 2 to 7 can be downloaded from this link: https://www.cfo-
pso.org.ph/pdf/11thconferencepresentation/day2/do_no73_s_2012_guidelines_of_learni
ng_outcomes_under_K12_BEC.pdf

6.2.2. Purpose of Grading and Methods of Reporting Grades

Major Purposes of Grading and
Reporting
The following are the major purposes
of grading and reporting:
 To communicate the
achievement status of
students to parents and
others
 To provide information
that students to parents
and others
 To provide information that students can use for self-evaluation
https://www.teacherph.com/deped-grading-system/. This is the updated  To select, identify or
DepEd K to 12 as of the moment.
group students for
certain educational paths or programs
 To provide incentives for students to learn
 To evaluate the effectiveness of instructional programs
 To provide evidence of student’s lack of effort or inappropriate
responsibility

Here are possible sources of Grading and Reporting System

Major Exams or Composition Class Observation Attendance

Punctuality of Assignments
Students’ Notebook or Journals
Class Behavior or Attitude
Exhibits of Students’ Work
Work Habits and Neatness
Class Quizzes Oral Presentations
Reports or Projects Progress Made
Laboratory Projects Homework Completion
Students’ Portfolios Homework Quality
Class Participation Effort
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
17

Grading and Reporting Methods

1. Letter Grades
 The most common and best known of all grading methods
 Mostly composed of five-level grading scale
 Letter Grade Descriptors
Despite their apparent simplicity, the true meaning of letter grades is not always
clear. What the teachers would like to communicate with particular letter grade and
what parents interpret that grade to mean, often are not the same (Waltman & Frisbie,
1994). To give more clarity to the meaning of letter grade, most schools include a key or
legend on the reporting from in which each letter grade is paired with an explanatory
word or phrase. Descriptors must be carefully chosen, to avoid additional complications
and misunderstanding.
Advantages:
 A brief description of students’ achievement and level of performance including
students’ potentials can be provided to parents and other interested persons.
 Based on parents’ experience when they were still studying, it is easier for them to
believe and understand what letter grade means

Disadvantages:
 Requires abstraction of a great deal of information into a single symbol (Stiggins,
2001)
 Despite educators’ best effort, letter grades tend to be interpreted by parents in
strictly norm-referenced terms. The cut-offs between grade categories are always
arbitrary and difficult to justify.
 Lacks the richness of other more detailed reporting methods such as standards-
based grading, mastery grading, and narrative.

Different Interpretation of Letter Grades

Grade Criterion-Referenced Norm- Combined Based on
(Standards-Based) Referenced Norm- Improvement
Referenced
and Criterion
Referenced
A  Outstanding or Outstanding: Outstanding: Outstanding:
advanced among the very high level much
 Complete knowledge highest or best of improvement
of all content performance performance on most or all
 Mastery of all targets targets
 Exceeds standards

B  Very good or Very Good: Very Good: Very Good:

proficient performs Better than improvement
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
18

 Complete knowledge above the class average on most or all

of most content average performance targets
 Mastery of all targets
 Meets more standards
C  Acceptable or basic Average: Average: Acceptable:
command of only performs at Some
basic concepts or skills the class improvement
 Mastery of some average on some
targets targets
 Meets some standards
D  Making progress or Poor: Below Making
developing below the class Average or Progress:
 Lacks knowledge of average weak: minimal
most content minimum progress on
 Mastery of only a few performance most targets
targets for passing
 Meets only a few
standards
E  Unsatisfactory: lacks Unsatisfactory: Unsatisfactory: Unsatisfactory:
knowledge of content Far below Lacks no
 No mastery of targets average; sufficient improvements
 Does not meet any among the knowledge to on any targets
standards worst in the pass
class
(McMillan, 2007)
2. Percentage Grades
 Are the ultimate multi-category grading method
 Can range from 0 to 100
 Generally more popular among high school teachers than elementary
Advantages:
 Allows for maximum discriminators in evaluation of students’ achievement and
performance
 Maximizes the variation among students, making it easier to choose students for
honors or representative for special programs
Disadvantages:
 Requires a great deal of abstraction
 Interpretation of meaning of a percentage grade extremely difficult
 The cut-offs are no less arbitrary but a lot more
 Because of a large number of grade categories, it is less reliable and more
subjective.

3. Standards-Based Grading
In an effort to bring greater clarity and specificity to the grading process, many
schools-initiated standards-based grading procedures and reporting forms. Guskey and
Bailey (2001) identify four steps in developing standards-based grading. These steps are:
1. Identify the major learning goals or standards that students will be expected to
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
19

achieve at each grade level or in each course of study.

2. Establish performance indicators for the learning goals.
3. Determine graduated level of quality (benchmarks) for assessing each goal or
Standard.
4. Develop reporting tools that communicate teachers’ judgments of students’
learning progress and culminating achievement in relation to the learning goals
and standards.
Advantages:
 When clear learning goals or standards are established, standards-based grading
offers meaningful information about students’ achievements and performance to
students, parents and to others.
 If information is detailed, it can be useful for diagnostic and prescriptive
purposes.
 Facilitates teaching and learning processes better than any other grading method.
Disadvantages:
 Takes a lot of effort.
 Often too complicated for parents to understand.
 May not communicate the appropriateness of students’ progress.

4. Pass/Fail Grading
Simplest alternative grading
method available to educators reduces
the number of grade categories to just
two: Pass or Fail. In the late 1800s
Pass/Fail grading was originally
introduced in college-level courses in the
college in order for students to give more
importance to learning and less to grades
they attained. By lessening the emphasis
on grades, many educators believed that
students would be encouraged to take http://www.pthvp.org/
more challenging subjects.
Pass/fail was popular in most universities and colleges in 1970s. These
universities and colleges utilized this pass/fail grading to various programs.
Advantages:
 Simplifies the grading process for teachers and students.
 Use of a single minimal cut-off and only two grade categories improve the
reliability of grade assignments.
 Pass/Fail grading has the potential to make learning environments more relaxed
by focusing students’ attention on learning rather than on grade (Goldstein &
Tilker, 1971).
 Pass/Fail grading is what students will face in many real-life situations.
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
20

Disadvantages:
 Students gain very little prescriptive information.
 Students spend less time studying if pass/fail grading is used than when a wider
range of grading system is utilized.
 Students only study to attain minimum passing level and show less effort in
striving for excellence.

6.2.3. Planning and Implementing Parent-teacher Conference

The parent-teacher conference is
the most common way teachers
communicate with parents about
student progress. It is typically a
face-to-face discussion, though
phone conferences and calls can
also be used. Parent -teacher
conferences may be initiated by
either the teacher or the parent,
based on purpose.
There are two types of parent-
teacher conferences, based on two
purposes.
https://clipartstation.com/parent-teacher-conference-clipart/
a. Group Conferences
These are conducted in the beginning of the year to communicate school and class
policies, class content, evaluation procedures, expectations, and procedures for getting in
touch with teachers.
b. Individual Conferences
These are conducted to discuss the individual student’s achievement, progress or
difficulties. It is important to plan the conference to be prepared. It means having all the
information well-organized in advance and knowing what to achieve from the
conference. It will include a list of areas pertaining to student that need to be discussed
with parents. The conference is an ideal time to discuss and point out specific areas of
strength and weakness that is not communicated through the report card. Note that
conference is not a lecture type of gathering or meeting, it is a conversation. Listening is
the primary key to understanding. Listening to parents will help the teacher understand
the student better.
McMillan (2007) shared the following checklist in preparing for parent-teacher
conferences.
Checklist for Conducting Parent-teacher Conferences
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
21

 Plan each conference in advance.

 Conduct the conference in a private, quiet, and comfortable setting.
 Begin with class discussion of positive student performances.
 Establish an informal, professional tone.
 Encourage parent participation in the conference.
 Be frank in reviewing student strengths and weaknesses.
 Review language skills.
 Review learning targets with examples of student performances that show
progress.
 Avoid discussing other students and teachers.
 Avoid bluffing.
 Identify two or three areas to work on in a plan of action.

Indeed, parent-teacher conferences entail hard work to be successful. It is

necessary that preparations of the logistics as well as teachers for their face-to-face
encounter with parents be carried out so as to ensure that the objective of the parent-
teacher conference is met. The table below summarizes some recommendations for
effective parent-teacher conference.
Recommendations for Effective Parent-Teacher Conferences
Before the Conference … During the Conference … After the Conference …
 Encourage parents to  Provide child care,  Provide parents with a
review student work at refreshments, and telephone number and
home, note concerns or transportations if schedule of specific
questions, and bring necessary. times so they may call
those to the conference.  Show multiple samples you with concerns.
 Schedule times that are of student work and  Follow up on any
convenient for both discuss specific questions or concerns
working and non- suggestions for raised during the
working parents. improvement. conference.
 Notify parents well  Actively listen and  Plan a time to meet
ahead of scheduled avoid the use of again if necessary.
conference times. educational jargon.  Encourage parents to
 Provide staff  Communicate discuss the conference
development for new expectations and with their child.
teachers on the purpose describe how parents  Ask parents for written
for conferences, can help. evaluation of the
preparation, and  Develop a system for conference and
scheduling. on-going encourage them to
 Consider alternative communication with make suggestions.
locations, such as each parent that  Debrief with colleagues
church or community recognizes parents as to look for ways to
centers for parents’ partners. improve future
 4 | Assessment in Learning 2
22

convenience.  Provide resources conferences.

 Print conference materials that parents
schedules and materials might use at home to
in multiple languages, strengthen students’
if necessary. skills

REFLECTION PAPER:

Based on all of the discussions above, make your own reflection on

the previous RBEC grading system and the K to 12 Grading system.
Compare and contrast the two grading systems in terms of its
computation.

6.3. References

Cajigal, R.M. & Mantuano, M.L.. “Assessment of Learning” Adriana Publishing Company.,
Inc. 2014.

Curtis, Andy. “Portfolios.” Wiley Online Library, American Cancer Society, 7 Mar. 2017,
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/9781118784235.eelt0326#:~:text=A
%20portfolio%20is%20a%20purposeful,60).

Meador, Derrick. “Building a Portfolio Assessment Can Be a Powerful Tool for Students.”
ThoughtCo, www.thoughtco.com/the-purpose-of-building-a-portfolio-assessment-3194653.

Www.facebook.com/elcomblusdotcom/. (2020, May 17). Assessment of Learning Outcomes in

the K to 12 Program. ELCOMBLUS. https://www.elcomblus.com/assessment-of-learning-
outcomes-in-the-k-to-12-program/.

The Use of Portfolio to Assess Student’s Performance. (n.d.).

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED504219.pdf.

6.4. Acknowledgement
The images, tables, figures and information contained in this module were taken
from the references cited above.