AnOverviewofPortfoliosandExhibitionsatANCS

Grades68

WhyDoesANCSUsePortfolios&Exhibitions?

Portfoliosandexhibitionsofstudentworkhavebeenusedbylotsofschoolsthroughout
theworldforstudentstoshowtheirlearningandskillswithactualpiecesoftheirwork.
AttheAtlantaNeighborhoodCharterSchool(ANCS),theportfolioandexhibition
processreflectstheschoolsbeliefsinthecommonprinciplesoftheCoalitionof
EssentialSchools,specificallyhighlightingthefollowing:

Learningtouseonesmindwell
Lessismoredepthovercoverage
Goalsapplytoallstudents
Personalization
Studentasworker,teacherascoach
Demonstrationofmastery

PortfoliosandexhibitionsallowstudentsatANCStoshowdifferentaspectsoftheir
thinkingandlearningthanwhatmightberevealedbystandardizedtestsalone.
Portfoliosandexhibitionsserveasonepiecealongwithclassroomassignments,
standardizedtestdata,andothersourcesofaholisiticperformanceassessment
systematANCSthatallowsustoseewherestudentsareatwiththeirlearning.
Authenticevidenceofastudentsabilitiesasacriticalthinker,communicator,artist,and
problemsolverareondisplayinaportfolio.Inaddition,thepracticeofpresentingand
defendingonesworkinexhibitionsgiveseachstudentatangiblegoaleachyear,
engagesthewidercommunityinthelearningprocess,andparallelssimilarpracticesin
theprofessionalworldthatstudentswilllikelyencounterinthefuture.Portfoliosand
exhibitionscreateaforumforeachstudenttoshowhis/herbest,mostmeaningful
learningandtodemonstrateproofofreadinessforthenextgradelevel.Inshort,the
portfolioandexhibitionprocessatANCSrepresentswhatismostvaluedatourschool
whenitcomestolearning.

PortfoliosandExhibitionsinthe6thand7thGrades

Studentsinthe6thand7thgradesworkeachyeartowardsproducingatleastonepiece
ofworkineachofthefollowingANCSPerformanceAreastoincludeintheirportfolios
asevidencethattheyhavemetthestandards:

1)Reading(taughtandassessedinHumanities)

2)Writing(taughtandassessedinHumanities)
 3)FormalPresentation(taughtinadvisoryandassessedviaportfolio
exhibition)

4)ArtisticExpression(taughtandassessedinPerformingorVisualArts)

5)Research(taughtandassessedinHumanities)

6)MathematicalandScientificThinking&ProblemSolving(taughtand
assessedinMath/Science/Technology)

7)ChoiceSkillArea:

CommunicatinginAnotherLanguage(taughtandassessedin
Spanish)

PersonalWellness(taughtandassessedinFitforLife)

BeyondtheClassroom[i.e.communityservice,extracurricular
activities,workexperiences](assessedinadvisory)

Apieceofworkisconsideredportfolioeligibleif:

itwasspecificallycreatedtomeetthecriteriaforoneoftheperformanceareas;
and
itprovidesevidenceofmeetingthestandardsfortheperformancearea;and
boththeadvisorandstudenthavedeemedthepieceofworkmeaningfulenough
forinclusionintheportfolio.

Alongwitheachportfoliopiece,studentsmustwriteareflectiondiscussingtheirprocess
forcompletingtheportfoliopiece,successesandchallengestheyencounteredwhile
completingassignment,andhowtheiruseoftheguidingprinciplesimpactedthequality
oftheirwork.

Inthe6thand7thgrades,thegoalisforstudentstoincludeatleastonepieceofeligible
workintotheirportfoliosineachperformanceareaeachyeartodemonstratehis/her
readinessforthenextgradelevel.

Studentsinthe6thand7thgradeswillpubliclypresenttheirportfoliosinameaningful
butlowstakesway.Neartheendofthe6thgradeyear,studentspresenttheir
portfoliostothemembersoftheiradvisory.Familymembersofeachstudentarealso
invitedtothissmallexhibition,andtheyalongwiththestudentsfellowadvisory
membersgivefeedbackonthestudentspresentation.
In7thgrade,theaudiencefortheportfolioexhibitionwidensabit,aseachstudentwith
acompleteportfoliopresentshis/herworktoagroupofinvitedguests,includingthe
studentsadvisorandfamilymembersandsomeofhis/herteachersandclassmates.
Thisaudiencegivesfeedbacktothestudentonhis/herexhibitionpresentation.

The8thGradePortfolio

Onceinthe8thgrade,studentsbegintoassembleaportfoliooftheirworkthatwill
showtheirreadinesstomoveontohighschool.Whiletherequirementsforapieceof
worktobeconsideredportfolioeligibleremainthesameinthe8thgradeasinthelower
grades,theperformancearearequirementsbecomemorechallengingasappropriate
forstudentspreparingtotakeonhighschoollevelwork.

Studentsinthe8thgradeworktowardsproducingatleastonepieceofeligibleworkin
eachofthefollowingANCSPerformanceAreastoincludeintheirportfoliosasevidence
thattheyhavemetthestandards:

1)Reading(taughtandassessedinHumanities)

2)Writing(taughtandassessedinHumanities)

3)FormalPresentation(taughtinadvisoryandassessedviaportfolio
exhibition)

4)ArtisticExpressionorCommunicatinginAnotherLanguage(taughtand
assessedineitherVisualorPerformingArtsorSpanish)

5)Research(taughtandassessedinHumanities)

6)MathematicalandScientificThinking&ProblemSolving(taughtand
assessedinMath/Science/Technology)

7)PersonalWellness(taughtandassessedinFitforLife)

8)BeyondtheClassroom[communityservice,extracurricularactivities,work
experiences](assessedinadvisory)

Alongwitheachportfoliopiece,studentsmustwriteareflectiondiscussingtheirprocess
forcompletingtheportfoliopiece,successesandchallengestheyencounteredwhile
completingassignment,andhowtheiruseoftheguidingprinciplesimpactedthequality
oftheirwork.

The8thGradeExhibition

Inadditiontocompilingevidenceoftheircompetencyintheirportfolios,each8thgrade
studentalsopresentshis/herportfolioduringahigherstakesexhibition.Designedasa
culminatingeventtobringtogethertheskillsandknowledgethestudenthasdeveloped
whileatANCSandtomakeclearthestudentsreadinessforhighschool,theexhibition
isdifferentthanthoseinthe6thand7thgrades.

Inthespringofthe8thgradeyear,eachstudentwillpresenttoacommitteeduringa
portfolioexhibition.Duringtheexhibition,the8thgradestudentmaychoosetohavea
6thor7thgradestudentserveasanassistanttohelpwithanypresentationmaterials,
timingofthepresentation,andgeneralsupport.

Thecommitteetowhicheachstudentpresentsconsistsofthefollowingindividuals:the
studentsadvisor,anotherteacher,andanoutsidecommunitymember(suchasahigh
schoolstudent,parent,professional,etc.).UsinganexhibitionrubricforFormal
Presentationdevelopedbytheschoolsfaculty,thecommitteeprovidesfeedbackonthe
studentsexhibitionanddetermineswhethertheexhibitionmeets(orexceeds)the
standards,isinneedofminorrevisions,orifaredoisnecessary.All8thgradestudents
atANCSmustpasstheir8thgradeportfolioexhibitiontosuccessfullybepromotedto
highschool.

Astudentwhoreceivesameetsorexceedsonhis/her8thGradeExhibitionandhastwo
ormorepiecesofworkinatleast6ofthe8performanceareasinhis/her8thGrade
PortfoliowillberecognizedashavingcompletedtheANCSacademicprogramwith
distinctionatthe8thGradeCelebrationattheendoftheschoolyear.

Thoughtheportfolioandexhibitionstandardsapplytoallstudents,themannerinwhich
studentspresenttheirworkvariesaccordingtoindividualstrengthsandneeds.Aswell,
studentswithspeciallearningneedsanddisabilitiesmayrequireaccommodations
and/ormodificationsoftheprocess.Whenastudentneedssuchaccommodations
and/ormodifications,thestudentsadvisorand/orthespecialeducationcoordinator
willprovidethisperspectivetothecommitteetowhichthestudentpresents.