The portfolio organizer: Succeeding with portfolios in your classroom. (Book Reviews).

Rolheiser, C., Bower, B., & Stevahn, L. (2000). The portfolio organizer: Succeeding with portfolios in your classroom. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (157 pp., $24.95 pb, ISBN 0-87120-374-X).

The authors of The Portfolio Organizer: Succeeding With Portfolios in Your Classroom profess to offer a text that "provides educators -- both experienced and inexperienced -- with a flexible framework to guide decision making for effective and efficient use of portfolios in classrooms and schools" (p. viii). Indeed, while educators already experienced in the use of portfolios may find the text a trifle simplistic, the sheer amount of practical examples and suggestions can be utilized by educators at all levels. The authors address the need to strengthen student learning, adequately assess performance, and improve critical thinking and decision-making skills through the use of portfolios.

The book itself is extremely well organized and an easy read. Of the eleven short chapters (ranging from 7 to 21 pages in length), 10 of the chapters are centered around the creation, maintenance, and assessment of student portfolios, while the final chapter relates to the creation of a professional portfolio. Each chapter provides key ideas, an overview of the chapter's content, activities clearly delineated in gray boxes, and numerous replicable examples. Additional replicable examples are available in the extensive appendices.

The target audience for this book is clearly educators interested in using portfolios for students at the K-12 level. Certainly, those persons working with adult learners, or interested in creating a professional portfolio for themselves, could use this text as a guideline in creating an acceptable portfolio, but the vast majority of examples provided deal with students at the K-12 level. The authors do a nice job of giving a wide array of examples for that group, however, including those from elementary to high school, as well as for students with very low skills to those with high skills. For each area addressed, a range of possibilities is provided which allows readers to more easily grasp the many options possible when using a portfolio.

The content of the book is also very well written. It is clear and concise and addresses all aspects needed when using a portfolio -- from determining the purpose, to selecting categories and criteria, to the inclusion of reflection pieces, to organizing the physical portfolio, to sharing the work with parents and peers, to the evaluation of the final product. For each chapter, the authors address the purpose of the chapter itself, as well as proffer a variety of proactive suggestions. They differentiate portfolios as best work versus growth portfolios and continue throughout the book to provide examples for both types.

The activities included in the book are written primarily for teachers and frequently involve more than one teacher. Group discussions and reflections may be very helpful and effective, but if an individual teacher interested in using portfolios in his/her classroom purchased the book, the effectiveness of these activities may be compromised. The reproducible organizing sheets, however, can be used by anyone and are a helpful way to have teachers walk through each of the steps in the decision-making process related to portfolio use. In addition, using these sheets would increase the chances that educators would truly spend the time necessary on each piece suggested by the authors, again optimizing the chances that the portfolio would be successful with students.

Portfolios can be organized in a variety of ways and the authors give multiple examples. One of these examples involves the use of Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences (Gardner, 1983). The authors suggest that educators can encourage students to address each multiple intelligence to show their growth and/or best work in each area. This can be done by curricular area as well. Having a variety of ways in which to organize one's portfolio may allow students to more accurately demonstrate their various areas of strength, which is exceptionally beneficial for those who are gifted.

Another area the authors address is the need for clear expectations and criteria. Two excellent suggestions they provide to educators who are novice in the use of portfolios are to limit the number of criteria initially and to select the criteria themselves. After some experience with this process, they encourage educators to expand the criteria as needed and to allow the students themselves to have input into the process. In addition, the authors suggest that teachers review state and local guidelines in determining their criteria and expectations. Reviewing standards from national groups such as the Council for Exceptional Children and the National Association for Gifted Children would also be a good idea.

The importance of reflection for each piece included in a portfolio is stressed. This is a critical aspect for students who are gifted or high achieving. Being able to reflect on their work at their own individual level will allow teachers to more accurately assess their progress and capabilities. The authors also stress the need for self-evaluation and peer sharing as a tool to increase self-confidence, self-esteem, and social skills. Teachers of the gifted will want to evaluate the use of these strategies based on their own classes and students.

The authors have a wide range of experiences working with portfolio assessment over the past decade. One author is a university professor, one is a teacher, and one is a consultant. Together they have created a book that is very "teacher-friendly." The thrust of the book is for teachers at the K-12 level in working with, and creating, student portfolios; in fact, the final chapter on professional portfolios is rather redundant and could be omitted altogether. In sum, however, the reproducible pages, wide variety of examples, and numerous suggestions enhance a very well-organized text designed to walk anyone through the use of portfolios. Perhaps the authors themselves say it best, "For those who say portfolio assessment is challenging, time-consuming, and complex, we agree; but good teaching and learning are all these things" (p. viii).

Reviewed by Dr. Wendy Murawski, an Assistant Professor in Special Education at the California State University, Northridge, where she works with teacher education preparation.