The Power of Student Led Conferences

Written by Christine Yasik | April 17, 2018 at 4:00 PM

Parent-teacher conferences have been a staple of communication between home and school for many decades, and certainly, there is value in maintaining those important traditional conversations, which often take place without the student being present. This communication is a key to student success. However, the paradigm is shifting, and the age-old process has changed in many schools, as the students are frequently not only attending the conference but actually leading it. Monica Martinez, a senior scholar for the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and co-author of a book that addresses school approaches that facilitate deeper learning, queried, “How many of us, as students, appreciated being talked about in the third person as if we were invisible?”

Student Led Conferences (SLC's) are not new by any standard, but they are gaining momentum and popularity, not because they are a “trend,” but because they encourage and empower students from the elementary level through high school to take responsibility for their learning in a way that might not have happened previously. The format for an SLC can vary widely, from the use of a questionnaire, sharing a portfolio, or highlighting a strength and area of growth in every subject, but the common denominator requires that the student communicates to the parents WHAT s/he is doing in school and WHY.

Students are usually asked to take total charge of the conference, from writing the invitation to their parents to welcoming them to the conference, to leading the discussion, and finally, thanking them for attending. The conference can open lines of communication with the parents, allowing them to see their child’s strengths and areas that present struggles in a new light. An important by-product is that conversations started at the conference frequently continue at home, as parents now have information to generate discussions beyond the usual “How was your day?”

Students are not the only ones asked to adjust to this new form of conferencing. Teachers, who are used to leading the discussion with parents, must now work in advance with the students to help prepare them, often using role-play, modeling, and checklists. Some have noted that they often gain valuable insights into their students because of this. At the SLC, the teacher acts only as a facilitator, allowing the student to take charge of the discussion. Parents need to recognize the efforts that have been put into the meeting and need to make every effort to attend to not disappoint their child. They must also come prepared for a new way of learning about their child.

There are many advantages of an Student Led Conferences:

Students reflect on their learning style, including strengths and weaknesses
Students share progress through examples that might not always be reflected in a letter grade
Students take responsibility for their learning
Students, teachers, and parents engage in fluid conversions about academic progress
Students are accountable for their progress
Students participate in the planning for their future academic progress
Students use written and oral communication skills as they lead the conference

Martinez also noted, “Student led conferences can be a powerful tool for improving students’ engagement with the learning process. In addition to these SLCs, the school must continue to find ways to transfer this sense of ownership to the students, making it clear they have plenty of opportunities to reflect on their work.”

Student led conferences are essential in building strong school-family relationships at Sanford School. Students work with their teachers to prepare a presentation with work samples to share their progress with parents. During the conference, the teacher works with the student and parent to develop a plan identifying goals and areas for growth to ensure students' success academically and socially.

For further reading on the topic of Student Led Conferences, please consider these resources:

Christine Yasik is a retired Sanford School teacher who continues to work in education as a tutor and consultant. She earned her master's degree as a Reading Specialist from Central Connecticut University.

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