Fall, 2001, No. 11 National Network of Partnership Schools
Student-Led Conferences Get Students and Parents Talking Academics
Many middle schools across the country face the dilemma of low attendance at parent-teacher conferences. In response, a growing number of middle schools are instituting student-led conferences and are experiencing conference participation rates of up to 95-100 percent.
Student-led conferences enable students to take responsibility for their academic progress, provide an opportunity for student self-evaluation, and promote proactive discussions about academics among students, parents, and teachers. Typically, the student-led process includes three phases: preparation, conference, and evaluation. A team of seventh grade teachers at West Carrollton Middle School in West Carrollton, OH follows this process by organizing 3 student-led conferences per year around student portfolios.
Preparing
Preparing throughout the school year, West Carrollton students collect samples of work from all five core classes and from other classes such as art, computer science, and music. They also include awards and other artifacts in their portfolios. Students and teachers complete reflection sheets for each class to rate their current performance, comment on their progress, and set goals for the next quarter.
To enhance this strategy, the West Carrollton teachers included electronic portfolios. The team received a grant to purchase Portfolio Builder, a set of PowerPoint templates, for students to hone their technological skills as they build their electronic portfolios. (Contact Visions Technology in Education at 1-800-877-0858 for information on this software.)
Conferencing
After developing portfolios, students prepare their oral presentations. Teachers may use a few class sessions for role-playing to strengthen students’ confidence and verbal skills to lead the conference from introductions to closing remarks.
Student-led conferences with parents may take several forms. At some schools, teachers sit in on each student-led conference in its entirety. In other schools, teachers circulate among as many as eight conferences scheduled simultaneously.
The team at West Carrollton Middle School implemented two strategies in an effort to reach its goal of 100% student and parent participation. First, some students choose to lead two of the three conferences at home, thereby allowing flexibility for families who cannot attend a student-led conference at the school. Second, the team paired students who had little demonstrated home support with secretaries, counselors, administrators, and non-team teachers who volunteered to conference with these students. The school increased student participation in conferences to approximately 88% (up from 27.8% in prior years), and continues to work towards its goal of 100% participation.
Evaluating
Evaluation is the third phase of the student-led conference process. West Carrollton analyzed post-conference surveys completed by parents and students. Parents reported that they enjoyed watching their children take leadership in conducting their conference. Parents noted that the conference helped their children self-evaluate their progress and increased their responsibility. One parent commented, “As the parents of a good student, we don’t always request teacher conferences, but I am glad that you put this program in place to show us what we’ve been missing.” Despite students’ initial hesitation to communicate with their parents about their progress, seventy percent of students said they would enjoy participating again in student-led conferences.
Student-led conferences are one way for students to play a major role in building academically focused partnerships between the school and the family. Students feel proud of their role as mediator, and emerge from the conference empowered and focused on future goals.
For more information about student-led conferences and developing your partnership program, contact Natalie Rodriguez Jansorn, Middle and High School Facilitator, at 410-516-8893 or njansorn@csos.jhu.edu. Also, visit the Network’s website, www.partnershipschools.org, and click on Middle and High Schools.
