S TUDENT -L ED C ONFERENCES W ORK S ESSION Mandy Flora, RESA 3 New Teacher Mentor & School Improvement Coordinator resa3tools.com

Today’s Agenda Determine WHY you might have a Student- Led Conference Define WHAT a Student-Led Conference is Look at examples & resources Think through BIG ROCKS of your Student- Led Conference Decide how to communicate plans to school team 2

WHY you might have a Student- Led Conference… 3

Raise your hand if… You’ve experienced student motivation problems this year Are concerned about student behavior and parental investment Have trouble with students taking ownership for their work Parent-Teacher conferences are less than 80% attended 4

My experience… 5

Guyandotte Elementary Priority-Transition <10% attendance for Parent-Teacher Conferences Negative parent experiences 98% Free & Reduced Lunch tinyurl.com/gesslc 6

PHILOSOPHY Student led conferences reflect the belief that students should be actively involved in their learning and assume responsibility for the learning process. Through a student led conference, students become more motivated, reflective and evaluative. They also become more critical in their approach to learning. 7 - Joshua Edson, Principal, Kent Phoenix Academy

Traditional vs. Student-Led Traditional Teacher Driven Short time frame-little time for conversations Focus tends to be on social and emotional rather than academic Fragmented Teacher vs. Parent Opportunities to connect with teacher Student-Led Student Driven Longer time-conversation based High accountability Opportunities for goal setting Samples of work Student-parent-teacher as team Opportunities to connect with whole school 8

Benefits vs. Pitfalls Activity: table discussion about implementing student-led conferences list: chart/report out Likely BenefitsPotential Pitfalls 9

TOP TEN Reasons to Implement SLC 10

TOP 10 Reasons to Implement SLCs 10Opens up communication between school and home 9 Practices real-life skills: communication, organization, leadership, goal-setting 8 Teaches self-evaluation & self- reflection skills 7 Focuses on learning 6 Goal setting process has buy-in for all involved 11

TOP 10 Reasons to Implement SLCs 5Easier scheduling- easily accommodates late arrivals, walk-ins 4 Provides quality time between parent and child 3 Less stress on teacher during conference days 2 Accommodates parents who do not speak English 1 Students are at the center of the conference 12

Initial Decisions Time of year Overall organizational plan – facilitators, drop-ins, set up, demos Structure- how many to hold at a time Scheduling process Parent notification process Preparation of teachers Preparation of students 13

NUTS AND BOLTS Before the conference…. 1.Begin with student goal setting 2.Prepare samples of student work to show evidence of growth and goal progress (data notebooks and portfolio). 3.Notify parents well in advance of the conferences. 4.Provide opportunities for students to practice 14

NUTS AND BOLTS Goal Setting (1)Goal setting Identify strengths and challenges based upon data… WESTEST/SBAC, Benchmarks, Grades, classroom assessment and performance, behavior, attendance, inventories, self assessments, parent assessment, teacher assessment, etc. 15

NUTS AND BOLTS Goal Setting (continued) (1)Goal setting  Set goals with the grade level standards in mind... Reading, Writing, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies  Design a plan of action… student responsibilities, teacher responsibilities, parent responsibilities  Decide on evidence to be included in portfolio, and from data notebook… what shows progress toward achieving the goals 16

NUTS AND BOLTS Student Work Samples (2) Prepare samples of student work to show evidence of growth and goal progress (portfolio).  Include baseline evidence Benchmarks Classroom Assessment Writing Assessments Inventories/Self Assessments  Have students organize their work with a table of contents  Have students to explain and reflect upon their choices(post-its or note cards) I put this in my portfolio because… I feel good about this piece because… If I did this piece again, I would improve it by… 17

NUTS AND BOLTS Notifying Parents (3) Notify parents well in advance of the conference.  Send home a letter explaining the conference format and why it is being used… Why are you having student led conferences? How will the conferences be different? If necessary, when can parents talk to you without the student? When and where will the conference be held?  Develop parent conferencing questions to guide parents through the process….. 18

NUTS AND BOLTS Preparing Students (4 ) Provide opportunities for students to practice….  Model the process Teacher to teacher Teacher to teacher assistant  With students, develop a checklist describing student role  Organize student to student practice sessions 19

Conference Schedule Example 1.Introduction (1 minute) 2.Orientation (2 minutes) 3.Students Achievement Data (5 minutes) 4.Students Goals (3 minutes) 5.Action Plan (5 minutes) 6.Students Work (10 minutes) 7.Debriefing (2 minutes) 20

Conference Organizer Student Example While we look at my work, please notice these things: Subject goal ________ Steps I will take to reach goal 1._____________ 2._____________ 3._____________ How parents can help me reach the goal _____ Plan to monitor progress _______ These are the things I do well ______ These are the things I am working on ______ 21

After the Conference 1.Student thank you letter to parent 2.Student reflection survey 3.Parent questionnaire/evaluation 22

Student Reflection Example Survey: What did you like about the student led conference? How did you feel during the conference? What didn’t you like about the conference? If you could change the conference to make it better, what would you do? 23

Parent Questionnaire Example Survey Which conference (traditional or student-led) gave you a better appreciation of… – What your child was learning? – What your child studied in class? – Your child’s study habits such as finishing assignments and handing work in on time? What could be done to improve student-led conferences? 24

KEYS TO SUCCESS Students and teachers willing to take risks Teachers willing to step aside Focusing in on student achievement- Next Gen Standards and their accomplishment Committing to the process Learning Preparing Practicing 25

CHALLENGES First time jitters Uncertainty of sharing control with students Need to adopt a student-centered philosophy Organizing the logistics of conferences Responding to families who don’t participate 26

The Future-Focused Role Image Unsuccessful Students Had: Very short horizons Believed their lives were in the hands of fate Had no idea where they were going academically or personally Successful Students Had: A vision for their future Goals Believed in their own self- efficacy Saw multiple options in their lives 27

SUMMARY Student benefits: Accountability for their learning Students learn to evaluate their own progress Students gain greater commitment to school work and learning Builds self confidence and self-esteem Encourages student/parent communication Builds communication and critical thinking skills Places responsibility on the student and parent Allows students to become involved Puts students in charge of their learning Time allowed to share and celebrate in learning environment 28

SUMMARY Parent benefits: Increases the amount of information given to a parent Learn more about their child’s learning and skills An opportunity to help their child set positive goals Active participant in their child’s learning First language communication Eliminates standing in line for a conference Allows for more time in their child’s learning environment to see what the child has worked on over a period of time First hand opportunity to see their child in charge of the learning process 29

SUMMARY Teacher benefits: Less stress on teachers, very relaxed atmosphere Less confrontational (more positive) Places responsibility on the student and parent Increased parent participation An opportunity to see students in a leadership role 30

Practical Suggestions: Start small! Choose only 3-4 areas to focus on/showcase as a school, allow flexibility for classroom teachers within school goals Have a dress-rehearsal: enlist support staff, community members, and/or county leaders Keep traditional parent-teacher conference dates Stick to 80% parent-attendance goal, 100% student- conferencing with adult expectation tinyurl.com/gesslc 31

Work Time: Answer the Guiding Questions first Get to work! IDEAS: -design PPT to share with colleagues -decide what each conference must include -put together a sample student portfolio contents -write conference checklist Feel free to use the internet or binder resources to aid in your planning Be prepared to share! 32