1. STUDENT LED CONFERENCES
Kathleen Pedder
and
Stacy Adame

2. What do you know?
• What has been your experience with
student – led conferences?

3. Agenda
• Welcome
• Introductions
• Review of workshop goals
• Why does ISA do student led
parent conferences?
• Overview of process
• Examine student led
conference artifacts
• Discussion
• Q&A

4. Objectives
At the conclusion of this workshop
you will have ideas on:
• How to conduct student led
conferences?
• How student led conferences
motivate students?
• How to increase parent
participation?

5. Guiding Questions
As we move through today’s
workshop, please keep the
following questions in mind:
• What did the students do?
• What did the teachers do?
• What did the parents do?

6. History of conferences at
ISA
• Why?
• Role of teachers in
implementation

7. Definition of Student - led
Conference
“Student-led conferencing is
simply having students conduct
formal conferences with their
parents or guests to display
their schoolwork as well as
discuss their learning,
educational goals, and
strategies for meeting those
goals.”
Benson and Barnett (2005)

8. Philosophy
Student led conferences reflect
the belief that students should
be actively involved in their
learning and assume
responsibility for the learning
process. Through student led
conferences, students become
more motivated, reflective and
evaluative. They also become
more critical in their approach to
learning.

9. Purpose
“We believe that creating
portfolios without the purpose of
sharing them within any
authentic audience is too much
work with too little reward for
students and teachers.”
Benson and Barnett (2005)

10. The Power of Conferencing
• Encourage students to take
an active role in their
learning
• Motivate students to take
more ownership for their
work
• Allow students to see their
progress over time
• Encourage students to
evaluate their work

11. Power Cont’d
• Enhance students’ oral
communication skills
• Build students’ self-
confidence
• Build relationships
• Encourage students, parents
and teachers to openly
communicate as equal
partners about student
achievement

12. Power Cont’d
• Increase student
participation in conferences
• Move students toward goal
of being life long learners
• Focus discussion on priority
standards and students’
accomplishment
• Showcase student work
• Encourage
students, parents and
teachers to engage in
open, honest, dialogue

15. The Student-led Conference
Experience
• Examine the artifacts set up
around the room
• As you examine them, keep
the guiding questions in mind

16. Think – Pair - Share
• Reflect on the artifacts on
your own
• Share with a partner
• What is one take away from
the artifacts
• Be prepared to share out

17. Student – led Conferences
at ISA
Disclaimer: This is one version out of
many!
• All teachers made a commitment to
assign subject – based projects that were
aligned to the Performance Outcomes
• Students posted work and reflections
onto digital portfolio
• English teacher reviewed portfolios
before the “big day,” and students had
the opportunity to revise his/her portfolio
• Student/parent signed up for specific
timeslots; formal invitation was sent
home

18. Student – led Conferences
2.0
• Evolution
• Where are we now in the
process?

19. Q&A
• What questions still linger?
• What else would you like to
know?
• How will you implement?