Academics · Subject Resources

Every piece dated,
every subject covered.

A portfolio review, whether a homeschool evaluation, a course portfolio or an application showcase, asks for a set number of pieces, certain subjects and a reflection on each. Add pieces as the year goes. The organizer counts them against the requirement, shows which subjects are empty and which reflections are still to write, and checks the work spans enough time to show growth.

Start a portfolioWhat you get
$5one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $5

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Study skills kit, $29 for 30 items.

Portfolios

The worked example is made up: a fifth grader’s homeschool year-end review, a biology course portfolio due soon and a small arts application showcase. Saved on this device only.

Loading the portfolio form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Academics · Subject Resources$5

What you finish with
A record per portfolio: the student’s code, purpose, due date, pieces required and required subjects, and each piece with its subject, date, what it shows and its reflection status, plus five checks. Counts pieces, subjects and reflections; flags too few pieces, empty required subjects, missing reflections, work bunched into a short stretch and a close or past due date.
Who it is for
Students from upper elementary through high school, homeschooling families preparing a year-end review, and teachers who assign portfolios.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved record per portfolio. Prints one portfolio’s contents list, every portfolio in a table or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$5 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Study skills kit ($29) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Subject Resources space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Note the requirements.
  2. Add each piece as it is done.
  3. Write a short reflection.
  4. Fill the empty subjects.
  5. Print the contents list.

Start a portfolio

What makes a piece count

A piece of work becomes portfolio evidenceThe workDated and labeledThe assignmentattachedFeedback kept with itWhat it showsOne skill or standardSaid in a short lineEarly or late in theyearThe reflectionWhat I didWhat I learnedWhat I would changeA piece of work becomes portfolio evidenceThe workDated and labeledThe assignment attachedFeedback kept with itWhat it showsOne skill or standardSaid in a short lineEarly or late in the yearThe reflectionWhat I didWhat I learnedWhat I would change
A reviewer reads all three. The reflection is the part only the student can write.

Growth, not only best work

Portfolio assessment research stresses selection and reflection: choosing pieces with a purpose and saying what each shows. Pairing an early piece with a later one in the same skill is the clearest way to show progress, which is why the organizer flags a portfolio whose pieces all come from a few weeks.

Homeschool reviews

Some states let homeschooling families meet an annual assessment requirement with a portfolio reviewed by a certified teacher or evaluator; others require a test or nothing at all. The rules, including what must be in the portfolio, differ by state. Check your state’s homeschool law before you choose pieces.

Sources

  1. Paulson, F. L., Paulson, P. R., and Meyer, C. A. (1991). What makes a portfolio a portfolio? Educational Leadership, 48(5), 60 to 63.
  2. Arter, J. A., and Spandel, V. (1992). Using portfolios of student work in instruction and assessment. Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice, 11(1), 36 to 44.
  3. Coalition for Responsible Home Education. Homeschool laws by state: assessment and portfolio options (responsiblehomeschooling.org).
  4. Your state department of education: homeschool or home instruction requirements.

The worked example is made up. Portfolio requirements come from your school, program or state; check them before choosing pieces. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.