Which of the following is a qualitative data source listed for evaluating programs?

• A. Administering standardized tests
• B. Studying products and portfolios of student performance
• C. Recording attendance
• D. Computing average grades

Answer: (B)

Qualitative data sources provide descriptive, non-numeric evidence about learning, focusing on the quality and context of performance. Studying products and portfolios of student performance fits this because it involves examining actual work, projects, and other tangible artifacts to interpret growth, understanding, and the depth of learning. This kind of evidence captures nuances like creativity, process, and mastery that numbers alone can’t show. In contrast, standardized tests produce numeric scores, recording attendance yields counts, and computing average grades results in a numerical summary, all of which are quantitative data sources.