Building Math Portfolios: Showcasing Student Growth over Time

A math portfolio is a collection of work that showcases a student’s understanding and application of mathematical concepts and skills over time. It can include a variety of items, such as class work, problem-solving activities, projects, and reflections on mathematical learning. Math portfolios are often used as a form of assessment in education to demonstrate a student’s mathematical proficiency and growth throughout the school year. 

Beyond the Number: Seeing Student Growth

Often, number grades are the primary way student growth is monitored. If the number increases, it is believed that the student has grown in their knowledge of mathematics. If the number decreases, especially drastically, then they are viewed as struggling to comprehend and apply math skills and concepts. It is understandable why number grades are typically used because they can easily be recorded on progress reports and report cards. However, a major problem with number grades being the only avenue for monitoring student growth is that they are not detailed enough to analyze a student’s true proficiency. When assessments consist of multiple types of math problems, a number grade does not show evidence of how a student is growing in their knowledge of individual skills and concepts. 

This is one reason why the use of math portfolios is so important: they showcase multiple facets of student growth over time. You could think of portfolios as a way to tell the story of a student’s year in math class. The goal of a portfolio is to evaluate student performance, track progress, recognize achievements in order to celebrate them, and identify which mathematical skills and concepts a student needs more clarification or reinforcement to better grasp. 

Building Your Math Portfolio

Portfolios can be built through several mediums, such as a hard copy in a binder or a digital resource. A three-ring binder with plastic page protectors does well because work can be easily added, removed, and rearranged. Binders with plastic covers provide a great opportunity for students to personalize their front cover, back cover, and even the spine of the binder. For digital portfolios, scan the material and compile it in a format such as PDF or on an online platform such as a website. Check out the following for creating digital portfolios: Google Sites, Wix, Weebly, Portfolium Carbonmade, Adobe Portfolio, and WordPress. Group assignments and assessments based on mathematical concepts or skills to show progression and growth in specific areas. A content page is helpful for easily locating information within the portfolio. 

The Benefits of Math Portfolios

• Detailed progress in multiple skill areas can be monitored and analyzed by regularly gathering samples of student work throughout the year.
• Teachers can identify which skills and concepts students have mastered and which need to be reinforced.
• Students can track their growth over time and be proud of their improvements. Studies have shown that students who have built math portfolios discuss their strengths and weaknesses in more specific detail than the ambiguous responses of peers who did not track their learning through math portfolios. The portfolio students also made more specific goals to strengthen deficit areas.
• Opportunities for reflection and self-assessment are provided through portfolios as students review their work. They can reflect on what they consider to be their strengths, struggles, continued questions, etc. As students self-assess their own work, they may be more likely to become motivated to take ownership of their personal learning journey.
• This can increase student motivation to do well in their mathematical studies because they can see their progress and know they will have the opportunity to showcase their work.
• According to one study, stronger student-teacher discussions are probable as portfolios provide examples of student work to evaluate together and track progress. 
• These can be used as a means of formative and summative assessment. Rubrics are a great tool to evaluate student work showcased in their portfolio. A web search for “elementary math portfolio rubrics” will produce multiple formats and suggestions of content that can be adapted to the specific criteria expected from your students.
• Studies have also shown how student portfolios can benefit a teacher’s reflection on the effectiveness of their instructional practices and areas for potential professional development.
• Parent-teacher conferences are a great event to use portfolios to showcase student work, demonstrate progress, indicate strengths and weaknesses, and get parent insight on student growth and goals (i.e., study time and techniques used at home).
• Portfolios can be shared between teachers from one school year to the next to help inform instruction. Digital portfolios are an ideal way to share this information, as hard-copy binders can take up a lot of space. 

Showcasing Student Work & Growth

So what could be included in a math portfolio? Here are some ideas you and your students may want to work together to incorporate:

Documenting Student Learning

• Student work samples: Include a variety of math assignments and assessments that demonstrate the student’s understanding and skills in different math topics and showcase their progress and growth throughout the year.
  • Work completed during lessons
  • Exit tickets
  • Homework
  • Quizzes and tests
  • Projects
  • Standardized assessment data
• Journal reflections completed by students help them and you better understand their thought processes during learning, working, and completing assessments. It can also aid students in recognizing their own learning strengths and needs.
• Student self-assessments of their effort, quality of work, achievements, and struggles
• Authentic assessments: Incorporate examples in which students have demonstrated skills and reasoning to solve real-life math problems and explain their thinking process. This can show how students are able to transfer their math knowledge to different contexts.
• Math projects: Include any math-related projects that students have completed, such as creating graphs, designing geometric shapes, or conducting surveys. If the project doesn’t fit in the portfolio, include pictures and a detailed summary of the project.

Showcasing Growth and Achievement

• Math goals: Include student goals for math learning and growth, as well as any progress made towards achieving those goals.
• Parent communication: Consider a section containing any communication with parents regarding student progress in math, such as progress reports or conference notes. If the child was not in the conference, be mindful of whether the content of the notes would be beneficial or detrimental for them to read, as parents can sometimes be more open about their concerns in an adult-only meeting while being more affirming with their child directly.
• Teacher observations: Gather notes or observations you have conducted as a teacher regarding the student’s math skills, behaviors, and progress. As mentioned above, be mindful of the wording, knowing that the child will see this information.
• At the end of the year, include a cover letter or summary that highlights the key achievements and growth of the student in math throughout the portfolio. This can provide context and make it easier for others to understand the student’s progress throughout that school year.

Empowering Students Through Portfolios

Students of all grades can collaborate with teachers to gather and choose portfolio content. Students could be encouraged to select material that demonstrates when they felt like they did their best, when they used a new strategy, encountered a challenging element, or successfully navigated through a difficult section. Some teachers create small slips of paper to accompany student work in portfolios, providing insight into why the piece was chosen. 

By compiling samples of work, reflections, and goals within a math portfolio, students can take ownership of their learning and demonstrate their understanding of key mathematical concepts. These portfolios provide a comprehensive view of a student’s mathematical journey and can serve as a powerful tool for communication between students, parents, and teachers. Overall, math portfolios are an effective way to celebrate and showcase the growth and accomplishments of young mathematicians!