A year-long ethnographic case study examined two public city high school English teachers' efforts to reform their literature instruction and evaluation practices through the use of portfolios. One case study teacher ("William") has 30 years of teaching experience and was heavily influenced by New Criticism. The other teacher ("Leslie") had been teaching for one-and-a-half years and believed that literature learning involves making connections between the text and personal experience. Five focus students in each class were identified. Classrooms were observed and teachers were interviewed. Throughout the school year, William rarely deviated from "evaluative" readings of students' work. However, Leslie's response framework shifted as she struggled to balance her role as a"gatekeeper" with her role as "coach." Both teachers had difficulty discussing the focus students' literature learning in terms of specific patterns of growth even though students' portfolios were available for them to examine. Findings reveal the vulnerable position of English teachers who are unsure how to evidence success in their teaching and in their students' learning. This is especially true with the current push for greater accountability in public education. (Contains 12 references.) (RS)