Portfolio Assessment

As part of each teacher candidate's educational experience, a portfolio is developed that emphasizes Oklahoma's General Competencies for Licensure and Certification as well as the national standards set for each program area. Candidate portfolios provide an opportunity for teacher candidates to critically evaluate what teachers need to know to be successful and to consider different types of learners and school environments. The activities and field experiences, which are described and reflected on in a candidate's portfolio, demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions teacher candidates acquire during their teacher preparation.

A team of trained evaluators assesses each institution's portfolios on a 5- or 7-year rotating basis. The purpose of this assessment is to determine if the philosophy of the teacher education program is being realized in the students' educational experiences and to ensure that institutions are providing candidates with the necessary knowledge-base to be a successful teacher.