Ms. Parkton, a special education teacher, collects artifacts of her primary students' work in reading and writing to monitor their progress and identify growth, strengths, and needs. Which type of evaluation best characterizes this practice?

Ms. Parkton, a special education teacher, collects artifacts of her primary students' work in reading and writing to monitor their progress and identify growth, strengths, and needs. Which type of evaluation best characterizes this practice?

• A. Norm-referenced testing
• B. Summative assessment
• C. Criterion-referenced testing
• D. Portfolio assessment

Answer: (D)

The practice is portfolio assessment. By gathering a variety of students’ work over time—readings, writing samples, drafts, final products, and teacher notes—this approach shows how a child is growing, where strengths lie, and what remains challenging. It captures performance in authentic tasks across contexts and over extended periods, giving a rich picture of progress that can guide instruction and supports in early childhood special education. Norm-referenced testing compares a student to peers and yields percentile or standard scores, focusing on relative ranking rather than growth over time. Summative assessment provides a final measure of what was learned at the end of a period, not ongoing progress. Criterion-referenced testing checks whether a student meets predefined standards on specific items, but it may not reflect the broader, evolving development seen across multiple samples and time points. Portfolio assessment uniquely centers ongoing progress, individualized growth, and instructional planning through collected artifacts.

The practice is portfolio assessment. By gathering a variety of students’ work over time—readings, writing samples, drafts, final products, and teacher notes—this approach shows how a child is growing, where strengths lie, and what remains challenging. It captures performance in authentic tasks across contexts and over extended periods, giving a rich picture of progress that can guide instruction and supports in early childhood special education.

Norm-referenced testing compares a student to peers and yields percentile or standard scores, focusing on relative ranking rather than growth over time. Summative assessment provides a final measure of what was learned at the end of a period, not ongoing progress. Criterion-referenced testing checks whether a student meets predefined standards on specific items, but it may not reflect the broader, evolving development seen across multiple samples and time points. Portfolio assessment uniquely centers ongoing progress, individualized growth, and instructional planning through collected artifacts.