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Big Moves

Student-Led Conferences

Learner-Centered Collaborative
Performance AssessmentAligned SystemsCompetency-Based Learning

Overview

A student-led conference is a meeting facilitated by students with their families and teachers. In this meeting, students reflect on their overall learning, progress towards goals, and next steps. Students who participate by leading their own conferences take more ownership of their learning and the communication between school and home becomes more transparent.

You can learn more about this in our course, Design Performance-Based Assessments.

Bright Spots

Student-Led Conference Agendas

Resource: Edutopia

At University Park Campus School middle school students create an agenda for their Student Growth Meetings using this guide. It helps them prepare for what they want to share with their families.

Student Ownership

Students at Aptakisic-Tripp School District 102 deeply reflect on their strengths and their growth to share with their families.

Templates for Student-Led Conferences

The team at Madison Middle School in Vista Unified School District created a template slide deck that students complete and use to host their own conferences.

Kindergarten Station-Based Student-Led Conferences

Kindergarten students at Conway Elementary School, an Expeditionary Learning School, shared their portfolios in a blend of a conference and exhibition event.

RESOURCES:

đź–Ą Student-Led Conferences: Resources for Educators

đź“ş How to: Student-Led Conferences

📖 The Parent’s Role in Student-Led Conferences & Tips for Families

đź“– How to have a successful student-led conference

🧰 Sample Agenda for student-led conferences

🧰 Parent letter & invite for student-led conferences

Questions to Consider:

  • What are some reflection questions you can pose to learners to support them in preparing for their student-led conference?
  • How do you want the student-led conferences to be structured? Do you want learners to share about each class/course/subject, reflect on specific competencies/standards or more generally reflect on questions? 
  • Will the presentation be more formal or more conversational?
  • What are the roles of the adults during the conference? How active will educators be in the conference? How will you support dialog between learners and families? 
  • Are there scaffolds, such as template slides or reflection documents, you can prepare for learners to support them as they get ready for a student-led conference?
  • If you are doing this in middle school or high school, when will learners have time to prepare for student-led conferences? Will it be done in advisory/homeroom or will each course make time for learners to prepare?
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