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Student Led Conferences Communication Timeline

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Time Saving Strategies for Student Led Conferences

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Time Saving Strategies for Student Led Conferences

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Time Saving Strategies for Student Led Conferences (1)

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Create a One Pager for families! You can highlight where a specific child is in reading/writing/math on the handout and give to families at the end of the conference.

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Questions Families Might Ask of Their Child

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Questions Families Might Ask of Their Child

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Educationworld.com - "Student-Led conferences successful in elementary, middle grades"

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Educationworld.com - "Student-Led conferences successful in elementary, middle grades"

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As student-led conferences grow in popularity, educators are finding ways to improve their flow and productivity. Preparing students and parents for what's involved and practicing before "going live" can help. Included: Descriptions of student-led conferences at different grade levels.
Preparation and practice are keys to successful student-led conferences, several educators said, as the format continues to spread to more schools and to lower grades.

Veterans of student-led conferences, who have refined their programs over the years, say the extra effort to offer them is worth it for both parents and students.

"I can't even begin to tell you what a great experience this is for all," said Mary Lou Bettez, a teacher at Flat River Middle School in Coventry, Rhode Island. "For the most part, students will say (if it is their student-led conference and it usually is) that it is the first time that they are 'heard' and not 'talked at.' Parents have commented that it is the first time that their children really talked to them about their work. The conference now puts the responsibility of the work more on the shoulders of the student, forcing all stakeholders to realize that the adults are present as supporters, not doers."
Part of the curriculum
During student-led conferences, teachers act as facilitators as students review their work and progress with their parents. Often students work from a portfolio filled with assignments they have collected before the conference. Some teachers also provide checklists of items for students to cover during the conference or a rough "script" for them to follow.

Preparing for the conferences helps students take a more active role in their learning throughout the year. "I began student-led conferences to involve the students in their learning and to give them ownership of it," said Sherri Clifford, a second grade teacher at Hagemann Elementary School in St. Louis, Missouri.

Students in Sandra Brand's third grade class in Madison, Connecticut, start the year by completing a self-evaluation, including a list of strengths and areas on which they need to improve. During the student-led conferences, they update their parents and Brand as to where they are in meeting their goals.

At Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Forest, Virginia, all students in kindergarten through fifth grade know they will lead a conference in May. They spend the year collecting material in a portfolio, said principal Bruce Shafferman. The aim of the conference is for students to explain to parents, using examples, how far they have progressed since September.

"Even the kindergarteners can read a book to their parents and show them how their writing has improved," Shafferman said.

Students at the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, a charter school in Wilmington, North Carolina, also collect portfolio material throughout the year. The school uses two student-led conferences in place of report cards, said Teresa Glenn, an eighth grade humanities/reading-writing workshop teacher.

Clifford's second graders compile material including a quarterly spelling profile, which is 50 words from the year's list, and a math profile, with a graph illustrating the skills they expect to master each quarter. They also select their best story every quarter from the class Writer's Workshop; they attach a self-evaluation in which they explain why they are proud of the piece and what they hope to improve upon in the next assignment.

Teachers at Flat River Middle School realized after their first year of conferences that having students reflect on their work throughout the year not only helped them prepare for the conference, it helped them learn more effectively, said Bettez. "During our first experience, we had students preparing portfolios two weeks prior to the conference," she told Education World. "When we integrated reflection more naturally [into daily work], the students' abilities to present their work to parents was much more effective. In addition, after the first conference, parents were also interested in students sharing work in which they needed to improve. So this was added as well."
Preparing students, parents
The more students prepare and the more parents know what to expect, the more successful student-led conferences will be, educators said.

At Bettez's school, teachers participated in training before the school began using student-led conferences.

About a month before the conferences, information about the conferences is sent home to parents, Bettez told Education World. Two weeks before the conference, students prepare written invitations accompanied by more information from teachers regarding the content and process for the conference; such as, allow your child ten minutes of uninterrupted time to present his or her portfolio and then take five minutes to ask your child questions. After that, a teacher joins students and parents for a post conference wrap-up. At that time, parents, teachers, and students review strengths and needs and set goals for the upcoming grading period.

Since switching from the traditional conference format to student-led conferences, attendance at parent conferences has increased from 20 percent to 90 percent, Bettez added.

Glenn, from the Cape Fear Center for Inquiry, which will be holding student-led conferences for the second time this year, said she has added checklists of talking points on the table where the students hold their conferences so that the youngsters have some guidance during their presentations.

"We develop this checklist as a class," Glenn told Education World. "We also develop the order of the conference and role-play conferences. One thing I think worked well was doing a post-conference reflection for the parents. They could reflect on what their child had communicated and how far their child had progressed throughout the year."

While not necessarily a deterrent to holding student-led conferences, Glenn has found that they require a significant time investment.

"Students need lots of rehearsal time to practice the conferences," Bettez said. "I wouldn't say this is a disadvantage, exactly -- but it is something teachers need to be aware of. I role model a conference, then have each kid do his or her conference for a group of peers who play their parents."
Overcoming glitches
Teachers also are finding ways to adjust to some of the challenges they encountered in the first few tries at student-led conferences. One problem that can arise is that children who fail to complete assignments have few items to put in a portfolio. To address that, Bettez asks those students to reflect during their conference on why a piece of work is missing, what prevented that work from being completed, and what plans they have to prevent them from failing to complete other assignments.

She also assigns peer tutors, students who have prepared model portfolios, to help other students complete their portfolios.

In a few cases, parents do not attend the conference. Glenn then sends the student's portfolio home, although she admitted often there is no response. In Bettez's case, if a parent cannot come to the conference, the student presents his or her portfolio to another adult in the school.

Some parents also still want to speak to the teacher privately, in a more traditional conference. Several educators said they tell parents they can arrange to hold another conference with them, or speak with them on the phone.
Student presenters get high marks
While some parents, and even some teachers, are at first wary about students running conferences, practitioners told Education World that in most cases, the experience has left everyone pleased.

"Some parents are scared at first -- they think they won't have a chance to talk with the teacher in private," said Brand of Madison, Connecticut. "But I tell them they can speak with me on the phone if they have other concerns. Then the parents always are amazed [after the conference] that the child knows him or herself so well and is so self-motivated."

"Seeing the children's pride in their accomplishments warmed this teacher's heart," said Clifford of Hagemann Elementary School. "I believe my second grade students were on the way to becoming life-long learners at the age of 8."

Student-led conferences also can supplement, rather than supplant, parent-teacher conferences. "I wouldn't eliminate the others [traditional parent-teacher conferences,]" said Shafferman of Virginia. "There are times when it is good for the teacher to relay information to the parent. We have two parent-teacher conferences and one student-led conference. Each serves a different purpose." The student-led conferences do impress parents, he added. "It's an extremely powerful conference when you can get parents and students together. Parents can really see the differences from the beginning of the year."

Jackie McCarthy, director of communications for the National PTA, said she is not aware of any parent dissatisfaction with student-led conferences, and agreed they can be positive. "Parents hear one thing from the student, another from the teacher," McCarthy told Education World. "This way, the triangle is complete. You have parents, students, and teachers together."

The conference process helps students comprehend the importance and means of taking charge of their own learning. "There is nothing like having a child be the locomotive for his own education," Brand said. They can't move forward unless they really understand how."
Additional resources Student-Led conferences: A growing trend Student-Led conferences hold kids accountable

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Student-Led conferences successful in elementary, middle grades

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As student-led conferences grow in popularity, educators are finding ways to improve their flow and productivity. Preparing students and parents for what's involved and practicing before "going live" can help. Included: Descriptions of student-led conferences at different grade levels.

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Edutopia.org - "Having Students Lead Parent Conferences"

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Edutopia.org - "Having Students Lead Parent Conferences"

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"We started slow with student-led conferences," says eighth-grade teacher Brigid Jennings. "It was almost like a gradual release to full student-led conferences. It's important to remember that not all teachers are at the same level of comfort with giving over this time to the students. We spent a lot of time as a professional community discussing ways student-led conferences could work, and then found whatever format was best for us as teachers and also our students."

As they piloted the change, these teachers saw a big difference in the levels of engagement for both parents and students. The teachers also liked the new model better, saying that it felt less like they were defending the grades they gave students and more like a conversation about the students' learning. The pilot group's success convinced the rest of the teachers at Wildwood to keep building on the idea, and within a few years, it had become a school-wide practice.

Designating a Time

Conferences at Wildwood happen twice a year. Each conference lasts ten minutes, due to the number of families that teachers have to see. While that time seems like much, setting reasonable constraints can help the students feel more comfortable presenting.

"We never get through everything," says eighth-grade teacher Rebecca Braun. "We actually include more work than time allows. This helps the students feel less anxious and also keeps the conversation flowing."

Students know that it's OK if they don't get through everything, and teachers know that the conversation doesn't have to end after ten minutes. Parents are given the option of taking the students' presentation binder or folder home for the night to continue reviewing and discussing the work.

Teachers also work around the time limits by rearranging their schedule to allow for 15-minute conferences, or by making sure that the time blocked off for student-led conferences isn't usurped by other issues.

"If I have serious concerns and need to have a conversation with a parent," says Jennings, "I reach out to those parents and schedule separate times. I still keep their regular scheduled time for student-led conferences because I believe it is important for all students to present their learning to their parents and spend that vital time reflecting as a family."

Preparing the Work

The students prepare some kind of presentation, which differs by grade and is scaffolded to their skill level. For instance, the eighth grade classes prepare binders with their work and reflection sheets, while younger grades may prepare a poster board or packet to show their parents. But all students keep and manage a portfolio of their own work. (For examples and more information on portfolios, see the Resources section at the bottom of the article.) When students complete something that they're proud of or want to keep, they simply file that item in their portfolio. When it is time to start prepping for conferences, students can then go to that portfolio and choose what they want to include in the conference binders or folders to show their parents.

"When we begin to prepare for student-led conferences," says Jennings, "I have a conversation with students around what they feel should be included in their binders. We continue the conversation then through different lenses: What would you like to see as the student? What would your parents like to see? What would your teachers like to see? The student is the primary driver of what goes into the binders."

Some teachers set loose guidelines about what must go into the binder or folder, but the students are given a lot of freedom over what to include.

"We don't get too crazy about guidelines," says Jennings. "Each subject area must be included, and the reflection pieces also must be included. But it's important for the students to have choice in what goes into their binder. It's all about their learning and what's important to them. When students are given ample time to reflect, you would be surprised that they won't just fill their binder with every A+ paper they have. They'll include places where they struggled, places where they improved, and places where they need help. This doesn't always happen easily, but this is where teacher/student reflection and conversation come in."

Preparing Students to Lead

In addition to preparing their binders or folders, students spend the weeks before conferences talking about how to present and lead the conversation with their parents. Helping the students feel secure in talking about their learning makes their limited presentation time go much more smoothly, Wildwood teachers say.

"It's important to make sure the students understand they are in control of the conversation," says Braun. "It's not a 'got ya,' and their very best strengths are the highlight of the conference."

Teachers do this by setting expectations, facilitating student reflection, and going over the necessary elements of a successful conference.

"The teacher should be giving mini-lessons and having conversations about quality work, good conferences/bad conferences, planning, etc.," says fourth-grade teacher Georgia Melidis. "Teachers must build the capacity of their students. After all, students are in school, they are learning skills, and conducting a student-led conference is a skill that must be taught . . . We start prepping about a week before conferencing, and we practice 10-15 minutes per day. I got creative and made the prepping a station in my Daily Five reading centers."

Practice is a large component of their preparation, and students practice their presentations with each other, their teacher, and students from other grade levels. "Typically, what we do is we get with a buddy, and they can read to their friend," Melidis says. "They're giving each other feedback on their paper, so it's really an authentic way to design and conduct a student conference. And the shy ones are able to practice with people and feel prepared and then feel confident."

While preparing for conferences does take some class time, teachers find that it's just as valuable as curricular lessons. "We view the prep work as a critical time for reflection," says Braun. "Students look back on their work for the quarter and write about their areas for growth, their successes, things they'd like to work on. Kids have a tendency to forget about all the wonderful learning they've experienced in a quarter."

For teachers that may have the time flexibility to prepare, "I would say to get creative," suggests Melidis. "They can start two weeks prior to the conferences and practice for the first five minutes of class, or they can tie it into their daily journal, daily goal setting, reflection time, they can make it their exit ticket, etc."

Not only does investing time in conference prep ensure a successfully led conference, it also encourages student and parent attendance. Students are excited to tell their parents what they've learned, and parents are more apt to attend because their kids are excited. "This year, I had every parent and student show up for conferences," Melidis recalls. "Conference time was not taken as seriously before, but now the school is full and lively on conference night. I mean, let's face it -- no parent wants to let his or her own child down."

Resources

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"We started slow with student-led conferences," says eighth-grade teacher Brigid Jennings. "It was almost like a gradual release to full student-led conferences. It's important to remember that not all teachers are at the same level of comfort with giving over this time to the students.

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Example letter from a 2nd grade team.

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Report Card Indicators as Learning Targets (Grade 3)

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Report Card Indicators as Learning Targets (Grade 3)

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Criteria Chart for Student Led Conferences

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Criteria Chart for Student Led Conferences

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Have students watch a video of a Student Led Conference & develop your own criteria chart!

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Student Led Conference Portfolio Criteria

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Student Led Conference Portfolio Criteria

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This portfolio was used throughout the school year in a variety of ways to reflect on work, share with families during student led conferences and as an exit portfolio, sent to the next year's teacher.

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Edutopia.org - "Students as Leaders of Their Learning"

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Edutopia.org - "Students as Leaders of Their Learning"

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Student-led conferences turn the traditional parent-teacher conference on its head by making students the liaisons between school and family, and drivers of their own education.

Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Gabrielle Smith, Dean of School Culture and Community at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School.

Photo credit: Twentyfour Students via flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

At Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School (WHEELS) in NYC, a father, daughter, and teacher sit together at a table. Unlike a traditional parent-teacher conference, the spotlight here is on seventh-grade student Gabriella Perez as she explains the standards-based learning target she is working on and shows evidence of her progress.

"I'm really proud of explaining what context clues are," she shares, and points to a piece of work from her portfolio that supports her self-assessment. Her father, Miguel, identifies this student-led conference -- and his partnership with his daughter and her teacher -- as critical. "It's very important to have these conferences, especially to learn -- to see -- where our student stands as far as academics are concerned," he says, "and it also helps us get involved in the education of our kids."

Student Ownership and Family Engagement

The student-led conference (SLC), which takes place three times per year at WHEELS, engages students and their families in conferences at which students communicate their progress toward both academic learning targets and habits of scholarship (such as persistence or time management). During SLCs, students share portfolios of work and discuss progress with their families. The students facilitate the meeting from start to finish. These conferences provide a consistent hub to bring families into the school environment to learn about their students from their students. They also provide the opportunity for families to contribute to students' achievement, because the conferences position family members as key supporters in their child's schooling. Differing from the traditional parent-teacher conference, the SLC places students solidly at the center of the conversation to talk knowledgably about areas of growth and challenge, and to collaboratively set goals with their teacher and family member(s). The conference recognizes students as agents in their education supported by teachers and family.

How can schools like WHEELS, a K-12 with a high English-language learner population, create powerful and consistent family engagement in student-led conferences? One priority is to be very clear about expectations with faculty, with students, and with families. Because teachers and students diligently prepare for SLCs in advance by reflecting on projects verbally and in writing, culling work that represents progress or challenges, and giving and receiving feedback, the investment from students can have a domino effect on family participation. Teachers and students are excited about family engagement because it represents the authentic experience for which they've prepared. Families recognize their value as co-pilots in students' education, realize that the school values them as partners in their child's learning, and come to see themselves as contributors to the overall success of the school as well.

SLC Strategies and Goals

Specifically, to support 100 percent family involvement in SLCs, WHEELS' teachers and leaders intentionally prioritize the following:

Ensure that language is not a barrier.

With a high percentage of ELL students and families, WHEELS identifies volunteer translators among grades 9-12 students for those teachers who don't speak the home language of families.

Use the term "family" intentionally.

As students' parents are not always their primary caretaker, we're sensitive to the likelihood that other family members will attend the SLC.

Identify one teacher (advisor) as point person.

At WHEELS, the Crew leader, like an advisor, works throughout the year to develop friendly relationships with a small group of students and their families. This relational trust supports communication before, during, and after the SLC.

Practice flexibility and persistence with families.

If a student's family has an extenuating circumstance, teachers encourage an extended family member to attend the conference or offer to schedule it for a different time. SLCs have even taken place over the phone. Teachers do not stop calling families until the SLC occurs.

Promote opportunities for families to ask questions about a student's progress.

During the SLC, families have the chance to offer their insight into their child's development, providing the teacher a more holistic understanding of the student to better support him or her.

Provide resources and suggestions.

The SLC is an opportunity for teachers to share how families can support their child's development at home. Families want to support their child outside of school and welcome new ways to engage in their learning.

Instill a sense of shared ownership and pride.

Families are proud to see their children present work and talk about their learning. As Miguel Perez maintains, "I think the SLC boosts the kids' confidence because it shows how they can talk to their parents about their work."

Students Take Charge

Student-led conferences offer a key structure for families' involvement in their child's learning. Through SLCs, the adults who care about these children engage in a process that honors their growth while simultaneously honoring families as partners in students' progress and a school's success. As WHEELS senior Erica Cabrera affirms, "During SLCs, I take charge of my own education and progress. Through SLCs, I have learned that my family members and Crew leader [advisor] can support me along the way if something feels challenging."

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Student-led conferences turn the traditional parent-teacher conference on its head by making students the liaisons between school and family, and drivers of their own education. Editor's note: This post is co-authored by Gabrielle Smith, Dean of School Culture and Community at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School.

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SLC Responsibilities & Protocol (from Scholastic)

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SLC Responsibilities & Protocol (from Scholastic)

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Scholastic SLC Responsibilities & Protocol

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Student Led Conference Reflection Sheet (from Scholastic)

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Student Led Conference Reflection Sheet (from Scholastic)

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Share this with families during Student Led Conferences and talk about where their child is and some questions they can ask at home to support reading!

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Use something like this simple chart to show families things they might try at home to help their student.

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Create a list of books that families can take out from a library or purchase! Try to find texts that reinforce skills & strategies you are working on in the classroom.

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Think of a few skills and strategies you are working on in your classroom and think of some fun ways families can practice at home!

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