- Number 8 November 1993 Student Portfolios: Classroom Uses WHAT IS IT Portfolios are collections of student work representing a selection of performance. Portfolios in classrooms today are derived from the visual and performing arts tradition in which they serve to showcase artists' accomplishments and personally favored works. A portfolio may be a folder containing a student's best pieces and ...www.ed.gov/pubs/OR/ConsumerGuides/classuse.html