Student Led Conferences

All Michigan City Area Schools students in grades K-8 participate in Student-led Conferences (SLCs).

Unlike traditional parent-teacher conferences, these meetings are completely student-led. During the SLC, students present a portfolio to family members and teachers (or Crew leaders), reflecting on their successes, challenges, and growth.

Every student in our district, K-8, leads a conference, and we hope that at least one adult from each family can be present.

Student-led conferences are held each fall and spring. Start times could vary; schools will communicate with parents regarding start times and other important information.

High-school parent conferences are held in a traditional format.

FAQs
Parent Participation & Reflection

FAQs

Student-Led Conferences - Frequently Asked Questions

What are Student-Led Conferences (SLCs)?
A student-led conference is a meeting with a student and their family and teachers, during which the student shares a portfolio of work and discusses progress with family members. All students (K-8) facilitate the meetings from start to finish.

Why did MCAS move to SLCs?
SLCs make the age-old practice of parent-teacher conferences more engaging and informative for parents. They give students an opportunity to explain their own progress as learners. Research has shown that SLCs can transform school culture, improve family collaboration, and boost students’ ownership of their work.

When are conferences held?
Conferences are held in the fall and spring (typically October and March). Schedules may vary! Each school will be communicating with parents about the specific start time and format of the conferences at their buildings.

What if I can’t make it on conference day?
Contact your child’s school or teacher, and they will arrange an alternate time for you to come to the school for the conference. While our goal is to have every conference take place during the specified times, we understand that some parents may have scheduling conflicts.

What is the specific format of the conference?
During SLCs, students will present portfolios of their work. At some schools, students and families may rotate among various stations for presentations about projects or to view displays and interact with teachers.

What subjects with the conference cover?
Student presentations will address learning in all academic areas, including the arts and physical education. Students will also discuss their goals and progress in various areas of character development.

How can I support my child during the SLC?
Please support your child’s growth by asking questions that make students think about their work, such as “What are you most proud of about this piece?” or “How did your work change from the first draft to the final draft”? Criticism will lead a student to be less likely to share information about their successes and challenges.

Will my child’s teachers be involved in the conference?
Yes. All K-8 teachers will be present on conference night. Teachers will guide students in preparing for the conferences and a teacher (either the classroom teacher or the student’s teacher Crew leader) will be present for each student’s conference. If a Crew leader is facilitating your child’s conference, they will take notes and relay them to other subject-area teachers.

Will every child have a conference?
Yes! 100% of our K-8 students will lead a conference.

What if I need to talk to my child’s teacher privately about something?
Parents are always welcome to schedule a separate meeting with a teacher.

Are there SLCs for high school students?
At this time, we have SLCs for grades K-8 only. We will consider expanding this concept to grades 9-12 in the future.

What if I have a question that’s not answered here?
Contact your child’s school or teacher with any additional questions you may have.

Parent Participation & Reflection

Family members attend Student-Led Conferences in an active audience role. They listen and watch as their child presents their portfolios and discusses progress in meeting learning targets for each class and crew.

Parents are encouraged to respond to the presentation or to ask questions!

Here are some questions you might ask your child during and after Student-Led Conferences:

Guiding Questions for Parents

What made you decide to share this piece with me?
How did you feel as you read your guided reading book out loud?
How might I better support you as a reader at home?
What’s the hardest part about the writing process for you? Why do you think so?
What’s your favorite part about the writing process? Why?
How you do feel when you’re asked to explain your math thinking?
How do you feel during math practice time on your own?
What do you think about where you sit?
What makes you most excited about coming to school?
How do you feel about your overall learning so far in [subject/topic]?
How might I better help this team that’s dedicated to your learning? (can ask student and/or teacher)

Source: 23 Guiding Questions to Make Student-Led Conferences More Informative

Reflection: Questions to Ask After Student-Led Conferences:
● What did you do to prepare for your conference? Were you really ready?
● How did you feel before the conference? After?
● How did morning Crew meetings where you used portfolios help to prepare you for conferences?
● What was the biggest challenge for you at your conference?
● What surprised you during your conference?
● What was a proud moment for you during your conference?
● What might you do differently during your conference next time?

Questions about Portfolios:
● How often do you put work in your portfolio? What are important things you can add?
● How is your portfolio organized? Why is it set it up that way?
● How did your portfolio help you during your student-led conference?
● (5th grade) What is the difference between the portfolios you use for student-led conferences and your Passage portfolio?

In This Section

Student Led Conferences

FAQs

Parent Participation & Reflection

Guiding Questions for Parents

Student Led Conferences

Middle School

Kindergarten