Guidelines for Using Portfolios in Assessment and Evaluation

In selecting assessment tools and procedures, school-based speech-language pathologists are frequently faced with the dilemma of meeting stringent district, state, and federal regulations while trying to evaluate the language and communication of learners in ways that are holistic and educationally relevant. The purpose of this article is to provide guidelines for the use of portfolios for conducting various types of speech-language evaluations and assessments in school settings. Emphasis will be placed on the use of portfolios as a tool for functional assessment.