I’m an IB Spanish teacher, so of course everyday I model ACTFL’s Guiding Principles for Language Learning! Of course I’m being sarcastic here because we know that teaching and learning, if you’re doing it right, is not flawless.

For those that are not familiar, ACTFL is the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages. ACTFL’s six core principles of effectively language instruction are as follows:

1. Plan with backward design

2. Facilitate 90% target language use in the classroom

3. Use authentic texts

4. Design communicative tasks

5. Teach grammar as a concept in context

6. Provide effective feedback. 

The last guiding principle, providing effective feedback, has taken center stage as I have steadily moved away from traditional grading practices. Regarding feedback, ACTFL states: 

• Formative feedback is designed to assess learners’ progress toward learning targets during the learning process. 

• Summative feedback provides an assessment of student performance at the end of a learning cycle (unit, semester, program). 

• Reflective feedback invites learners to play an active role in self-evaluation of their performance. This self-assessment provides learners the opportunity to make the changes necessary to improve their language performance. 

Transforming assessment practices

In my years of learning how to create a space where students focus on the content of learning Spanish as opposed to on the numerical grade, I have transformed my assessment practices. Student portfolios and student-led conferences are at the heart of this transformation and an effective way for both students and language teachers to utilize effective feedback as described in ACTFL’s Guiding Principles. In order to create a space to move learning forward, here is what I share with students about the learning process in Spanish class: 

1. You have now entered a space where the question, “Is this for a grade?” is null and void! For students who have taken my class in the past, this is their opportunity to share how the learning process works with students who are taking my class for the first time. It oftentimes is met with confusing looks but eventually students learn that in my class: 

   • Learning Experiences: You will receive narrative feedback on formative and summative assessments (e.g. quiz, classwork) instead of a %. The feedback you receive must be recorded on your progress tracker. You will include your progress tracker for the quarter within your portfolio as part of your evidence towards meeting the standards or learning targets for the quarter. You will present your portfolio during the end of quarter student-led conference with Mrs. Higgins. Remember to include feedback from Mrs.Higgins, yourself, or your peers. Here is an excerpt from one of my student’s progress trackers. You will notice that each class day students are required to record the assignments they are working on, the learning target or standards the activities address, as well as a reflection of their learning. I leave time at the end of class for students to write their reflections; however, periodically throughout the class time, they are welcome and encouraged to reflect on their learning. 

   • Evidence Collection: Students will be responsible for keeping examples of the best pieces of evidence they have to show growth on the learning targets or standards. Most students keep hard copies of work, labeled with the standard/learning target on each piece of evidence; however, I do have a few students who have chosen to keep a digital portfolio. As an IB teacher we are trained to foster a learning environment where the process of learning is valued way more than creating a final product of the learning experience so incorporating students' portfolios is a great extension of showing this process.

   • Student-led Conferences: Students must submit a Mid-Quarter Reflection to determine their traditional % grade. Originally, I had students write a descriptive reflection, which for some, worked well. However, over time, I noticed students were not turning in the reflections in a timely manner and the reflections were not high quality, so I eventually created a Google Form, which includes a list of assignments students must check off as having completed or not, and then a brief questionnaire about their learning behaviors and process of learning up until that point in the quarter. At the end of the form they must decide which traditional % grade they should have based on their body of work so far in the quarter. They must use the Descriptive Grading Criteria (Adapted from Arthur Chiaravalli version adapted from Ken O’Connor’s A Repair Kit for Grading: 15 Fixes for Broken Grades) as a guide to determine their grade. 

Key considerations

There are a few things to consider if you are considering implementing student portfolios within your classroom. In my experience, it is important to model the process for students, include exemplars, and if you have students who are familiar with your system already, invite them to share their experiences. I’ve recently started reading Starr Sackstein’s Student-Led Assessment: Promoting Agency and Achievement Through Portfolios and Conferences, and one thing among many I didn’t consider was to model the portfolio process by keeping one’s own professional portfolio, highlighting accomplishments and growth throughout one’s career.

I typically give students two options for developing their portfolios—digital or hard copy—and show examples of each from former or current students. The purpose of portfolios, as I’ve gleaned from Ms. Sackstein’s work, is essentially to document progress and growth. 

Another important consideration in my experience is making sure your system can scale to meet the needs of your setting. My class sizes are varied, but, by and large, class sizes in the public school system can be very large, often with 30+ students in them. You have to consider the time commitment it will take to get through all of your conferences. Due to time constraints, I formally conference with students in person at the end of every quarter. I give them the Google Reflection Form to complete about a week before conferences begin. I create a spreadsheet with a schedule of when students will conference with me and—most important—stick to a timetable and do not deviate from it!

All students will have no more than 3-4 minutes to conference with me during class. I call students to my “office” while students work independently on other work. Call about 3-4 students at a time to sit in your “waiting area” with their portfolios because if you call one student at a time they will undoubtedly move at a snail’s pace and you will never finish conferencing on time! 

Deeper learning and durable skills 

Last but certainly not least is how this all relates to the concept of deeper learning. There is a movement around the nation in many school districts to develop a Portrait of a Graduate. In North Carolina, the Portrait of a Graduate includes seven “durable skills.” The skills that stand out to me the most that students will be able to consistently demonstrate with the implementation of portfolios and student-led conferences are Communication, Personal Responsibility, and a Learner’s Mindset.

Even in my preschool daughter’s classroom, they are developing their communication skills with an activity called “Show and Share.” One week, her teachers taught lessons with activities centered on learning the letter “O.” For the entire week, lesson activities are compiled in her student portfolio, and on the last day of the week these bold young three and four year olds stand up in front of their friends to show and share something that starts with “O.”

Even at this young age, my daughter and friends are developing a learner’s mindset by participating in the learning experiences throughout the week, taking personal responsibility for their learning by collecting evidence into their student portfolios, and demonstrating their learning through a student-led conference in front of peers. I received a photo of my daughter presenting her orange Play-Doh to the class and was able to follow up with her on the presentation. It impressed me that such young learners were confident enough to demonstrate these skills. I imagined if my current students had learned these durable skills at such a young age and were able to bring them with them as they transition into their high-school years!

In addition to just learning content, one of the hardest things for students to develop are the skills of thinking about their thinking and learning about how they learn. As educators, we have to be intentional in developing processes that will not only allow students to grasp the content but also be able to develop the metacognitive mindsets that ensure they will be successful beyond the classroom.

Rhonda Higgins teaches high school IB/MYP Spanish and provides professional development sessions on assessment practices. When not in the classroom, Rhonda enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters (2, 7, and 19 years old), running 5Ks, traveling, and gardening. You can find her on Twitter and Spoutible @rhonhigg.