National School Reform Faculty

Student-Led Conferences
Date: September 24 - 28, 2003
Listserv: Coaches

Wednesday, September 24, 2003 5:09 PM
Does anyone have any information on or experience with running student-led conferences? I'm working with a school that would like to explore that.
Thanks
Kim, OR

Wednesday, September 24, 2003 5:23 PM
The Rocky Mountain School of Expeditionary Learning in Denver (k-12) has been doing student-led conferences for about 10 years now. A good person to contact about it is Deb Schukar at dschukar@rmsel.org, or at 303-759-2076. Good luck!
Beth Dorman, Executive Director

Wednesday, September 24, 2003 5:42 PM
Hey Kim,
Merlo Station is all about student-lead conferences. You'll want to talk to Karen Knight. I think that's the last name.
Dianne, OR

Wednesday, September 24, 2003 8:17 PM
Kim,
I have done student-led conferences in two of the three middle schools I have worked in. I don't claim to be an expert, but I might have some ideas for jumping off points and ways to maximize their effect.
Sara, ME

Stephen Spring sspring@CCEBOS.ORG
Wednesday, September 24, 2003 8:43 PM
Here's a couple cool links I've used while coaching a school through the process of implementing Student-led conferences. I also copied some text from a Horace article to show how a school in Michigan uses SLC's as part of their student exhibition process.
http://www.education-world.com/a_admin/admin112.shtml
http://www.rialto.k12.ca.us/frisbie/coyote/interdisciplinary6.html

Requires Students to Demonstrate Mastery Through Exhibition
Northport Public Schools
Northport, Michigan
345 students, grades K - 12

As the village of Northport, Michigan turned 150 years old last year, the 345 students of its single K - 12 school had the perfect opportunity to exhibit their learning to their community, in which the school serves as a civic and cultural center.

The kindergarteners wrote a song to perform at the grand opening, and the taped version of their performance played all summer at the sesquicentennial museum the village set up at the school. Fourth graders created a topical map of the village from sand. At a late-afternoon exhibition and reception sixth graders presented their projects describing current village issues; the seventh-grade class produced a museum exhibit about the history of this diverse and interesting cherry-growing area. High school and middle school students created a gallery of their drawings and paintings depicting the area's historical buildings. Ninth graders made a brochure that guided visitors on a walking tour of barns, and a sesquicentennial play drew the entire community as audience.

Though that birthday year was special, the habit of exhibition was nothing new at Northport; starting from the earliest years of school, students here expect to present their work to outside audiences. Ninth-graders deliver etymological research projects to parents at student-led conferences. Tenth-graders explain to the community how their research in the science and humanities has helped with important problems like water quality. Juniors use their historical understandings to describe to visitors the probable course of future events.

All this "showing what they know" kicks off every April with a senior exhibition night, in which every senior takes 45 minutes to present and defend a year-long independent research project before the community. Among those present will be not only academic mentors, family, and friends, but the community artists, professionals, business people, and others who have served as "technical coaches" in the student's field of inquiry.

In a state whose political discourse is often dominated by standardized test results, Northport has no "accountability" problem. The members of this community know quite well how their students can apply learning and construct meaning, because the school takes all possible steps to have students demonstrate that learning in public.

104 Wing Street
Northport, MI 49670
(231) 386-5153;
(231) 386-9838 fax
Bonnie Piller, Superintendent Donald Hungerford, Principal
Stephen, ME

Thursday, September 25, 2003 6:58 AM
Hi Kim,
We have a protocol for parent meetings that provides for strong student voice--everybody listens to the teacher. The family meeting protocol is a chapter in "At the Heart of Teaching: A guide to reflective practice" by Grace McEntee et all, pub. by Teachers College Press.
Peggy, NH

Thursday, September 25, 2003 7:22 AM
You might want to check out this book: Together is Better by Anne Davis, Caren Cameron, Colleen Politano, Kathleen Gregory. it lays out the steps for preparing teachers, students and parents for 3 way reporting as it was set up in a Canadian Elementary school. It also gives examples of the frames and guides(forms ) that they use. I think it is a great resource, user friendly, easy to read.
Margaret, VT

Thursday, September 25, 2003 7:46 AM
Hello, Kim. There is also a chapter in "At the Heart of Teaching: A guide to reflective practice" published by Teachers College Press that describes a "students at work" demonstration where the kids lead the protocols. The chapter is "The Presentation: Examining Students AT Work"
Jan, RI

Friday, September 26, 2003 10:39 AM
We do student led conferences at our school in tandem with what we call Roundtables. At mid-semester all students have a Roundtable with a committee of people they have chosen to give them feedback. They are required to include their advisor, parents, one peer and one teacher. Beyond that they can invite anyone whose opinion they trust and who know about them in some way. Generally there are 6 to 10 people on a student committee. Often there are community mentors. At a Roundtable the students take stock of what they are learning right now and exhibit their work. They then focus on one or maybe two places where they want feedback. It may be a question they are researching in psychology and feel stuck, it may be a collection of art work that they think meets an art standard and they want verification, it may be a new method of organizing themselves that has some flaws. The Roundtables are about an hour long.

Immediately after the Roundtable, the students lead a conference with their parents and their advisor. They generally focus on their personal learning plan goals, answer their parents questions, make plans for improved learning, discuss their strengths and weaknesses and often make agreements with their parents for particular support. This works VERY well because the parents go into the conference with a very clear picture of what their son or daughter is working on.
Marylyn, ME

Sunday, September 28, 2003 10:46 AM
Kim --
Southridge High School in Beaverton, OR used to do something like what Marylyn is talking about. It was called Accomplishment Presentations.

The point was for students at towards the end of their sophomore year to have a chance to reflect on their work over the prior two years, and to think ahead toward their next two years. They chose examples of their work that: showed excellence, showed effort, showed problem-solving, etc. Each piece of work was accompanied by a written reflection. The students sat with their parents and perhaps their Advisor and went through this portfolio. It was lovely. I wish we still did it. If you want more info, contact me directly and I'll put you in touch w/ who has the paperwork/template.
Amy, OR

Tuesday, September 30, 2003 7:31 AM
I just noticed an article in the October issue of Teacher Magazine regarding student conferences. Article focuses on a middle school in Indianapolis, but mentions Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot's new book and several other sources....Principal Patti Kinney of Talent Middle School in Oregon has written a book on the topic; Hershey Middle School in PA.
Hope this helps.
Peggy, NH