A portfolio is a purposeful collection of students’ individual work that exhibits their efforts, progress, and achievements over time against a set of clearly defined outcomes. In a portfolio defense, the student publicly engages in a prepared, reflective discussion about their learning, including a self-assessment of growth and their next steps.

Preparing Students for Portfolio Defense to Build Agency: At Envision schools, strong relationships, a college going culture, and project-based learning prepare students for their culminating portfolio defense, which builds their agency.

From a series of videos filmed by the Teaching Channel at an Envision School in San Francisco, in 2013. On the transformative core elements of an authentic performance assessment system, and portfolio defense. Highlighting Yvonne Armenta, high school graduate 2013, UC Berkeley graduate 2018.

KQED Teach offers a free 6 hour online course for teachers about leveraging digital portfolios for assessment. "Digital Portfolios are a great way to showcase a student’s abilities, interests, projects and unique voice. Learn how to harness the power of this formative assessment tool by creating your own digital portfolio and exploring examples of youth-designed portfolios." - KQED Teach