WHAT THEY ARE | WHY THEY’RE VALUABLE | HOW THEY’RE STRUCTURED | PORTFOLIOS | PREPARATION | GETTING PARENTS THERE | FOR MORE INFORMATION
		STUDENT-LED PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES A tool for teachers and schools to organize conferences that are led by students and focus on student work Developed by Conway Middle School in Jefferson County, KY

WHAT THEY ARE

Conway Middle School holds student-led conferences for all students twice each school year, once in the fall and once in the spring. Students keep portfolios for each class throughout the year in preparation for the conferences. At the conferences, students talk about their best work and teachers discuss the students' progress in all subject-area classes.

WHY THEY’RE VALUABLE

At Conway Middle School, student-led parent/teacher conferences accomplish four goals:

1. The conferences, which are based on student portfolios, provide reason for students and teachers to collect and monitor student work.

2. Teachers, students, and parents have the opportunity to talk about student work together at the conference.

3. Students show that they are responsible for what they are learning by collecting their work throughout the year in their portfolios and presenting it to their parents at the conference.

4. Many parents who may not otherwise visit the school spend time there with their child and their child's teachers.

HOW THEY’RE STRUCTURED

Students lead the conferences by talking about their best piece of work, while teachers facilitate the student/parent conversation and provide information on the students' overall progress.

There are three sets of materials at the conference: (1) the student's conference folder with best pieces of work and a progress report from each teacher, (2) the student's portfolio with work from throughout the year, and (3) teachers' folders with all the major assignments and rubrics for each class (so parents can see a model folder if a student-kept folder is lacking items).

The conference lasts 20 minutes:

During the first 10 minutes, the student leads the conversation by showing and talking about his or her best piece of work.

During the second 10 minutes, teachers discuss the student's report card, progress reports from each of the student's subject-area teachers, and support services for the subjects in which students are falling behind. Parents have time to ask questions.

THE ROLE OF PORTFOLIOS

Portfolios are key elements to preparing for and conducting the student-led conferences. They provide an incentive for students to keep and organize their work throughout the year and to be accountable for it at the student-led conference.

Students collect work for their portfolios throughout the year, in preparation for the conference. The portfolios contain:

• the student's best work,
• a report from each subject-area teacher, and
• a report prepared by the student about how they think they are doing in each class.

PREPARATION FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Conway provides time for teachers to prepare and conduct the conferences during staff development days. Teachers receive stipends for conferences they conduct in off-hours to accommodate parents.

Students are naturally nervous when talking to their parents about their work and progress in school. Conway takes this seriously and prepares students for the conferences by asking them to consider their most important accomplishment in each class and how that relates to their own goals for improvement.

These efforts pay off. The first time Conway held student-led conferences, 743 out of 750 students and their parents or another adult participated. As the novelty of the new student-led conferences began to fade after the first year, Conway staff have made a concerted effort to make clear clear they expect parents to participate.

GETTING PARENTS THERE

Conway invests significant effort in getting parents to attend the conferences. The school sets up the expectation that parents participate. "It's not an invitation to come but rather an expectation that they participate," says Steve St. Clair, principal at Conway. The staff conveys this expectation in all of the school's communications with parents.

As an incentive for parents to come, Conway hands out report cards at the student-led parent/teacher conferences instead of mailing them or sending them home with students.

Staff try to make the conferences as convenient as possible for parents by letting them choose the time of day and by offering off-site conferences in neighborhoods with large numbers of students. They make special efforts to contact families that don't come to a first round of conferences. For the students whose parents don't come, parent volunteers act as surrogate parents so students can have the experience of conducting a conference and talking about their work.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For more information, contact Steve St. Clair, Principal of Conway Middle School (502-485-8233) or Jeannie Linker in Conway's Youth Services Center (502-485-7105).

Conway has recently published a Guide to Student-Led Conferences for the school's teachers, students, and parents. The Guide is available to those who are interested for the cost of postage. Call Jeannie Linker to request a copy.