The use of portfolios is a rather recent innovation in teaching the language arts. A characteristic of the portfolio process is that students are led to notice their own progress through the work included in the portfolio. Many educators welcome the portfolio process because they recognize that standardized tests do not tell enough about what students are learning. Portfolios have a definite advantage over testing to assess learner progress since the portfolio process is ongoing and continuous and presents evidence of student progress. Portfolio use might not survive, however, because of weaknesses that include cost, administration difficulties, assessment challenges, and practicality. In many cases, the portfolio does not provide a "score" that is easy for the public to understand. Rubrics have been used to evaluate and score results from a portfolio, but use of a rubric still requires a great deal of interpretation. A major reason why the portfolio may prove to be a fad is the lack of numbers to describe how well students are achieving. (Contains eight references.) (SLD)