VALUES AND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT 5

To what extent is subjectivity an advantage, and how can I know when it becomes a hindrance? In some teaching situations, teachers address this problem by being highly specific about the components of the portfolio. My daughter’s sixth-grade teacher used this approach. For example, draft writing components must include a 1-page outline (100–120 words), two drafts, and a final draft. Furthermore, many teachers simply note the presence or absence of certain items, not paying attention to their quality. This simplifies the procedure and renders grading more uniform and less subjective, but it also has the effect of shifting the portfolio back toward traditional assessment in its inflexibility and reliance on quantity and not quality. Each of these decisions carries complex and usually contradictory moral consequences. At this stage in the book I hope it is not necessary to point out that the preceding discussion is not intended to argue against portfolios. As I mentioned, I continue to use portfolios myself, and I see them as being considerably superior to traditional forms of testing. My point in this section is that even if we choose to use portfolios or other forms of alternative assessment, we still very much need to be aware of the moral consequences of our decision and the moral complexities with which it is fraught. It is only through reflection on these issues that we can move toward what for us is a morally grounded approach to evaluation.