Case: Thinking Outside of the (Check) Box: Honoring Creativity Within, and of, Young Children’s Science Learning

Abstract

We live in an era of accountability characterized by an increasing emphasis on value added measures of teacher effectiveness and large-scale testing. Amidst a context of accountability and achievement discourses, Delia and Adrian, two preschool-kindergarten teachers, take on the challenge of using portfolio assessment to support diverse children’s science learning. As they begin to experience success in using this assessment strategy, they are dismayed when a visitor from the state Head Start agency expresses dissatisfaction and uncertainty with the teachers’ use of portfolio assessment.