Pupils show parents how they’re doing

Second, teachers don’t do all of the talking. Instead, the students discuss their coursework, their performances and their short and long-term goals.

Teachers chime in from time to time, but for the most part, it’s the students who are in charge.

Welcome to student-led parent-teacher conferences. According to school Superintendent Tracy Wrend, they give parents a better understanding of their children’s course load, strengths and weaknesses, while helping students understand what is expected from them.

The Morrisville school tried out the conference style last year and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive, Wrend said.

Teachers don’t seem to mind stepping back and letting their students lead the conferences.

“Teachers have found it to be amazingly, overwhelmingly wonderful,” Wrend said.

“We stress that if a more traditional conference is needed, the teacher is always open to doing that at another time, but that this is such authentic learning experience for the students,” said middle school Principal Karen Weeks. “I had one student last Thursday reply to me after I asked him how his conference went: ‘I was really nervous, but I practiced last night and I did really well. I’m really proud of myself.’ His mother was just beaming next to him.”

Most parents who took an anonymous survey last year said they liked the conferences.

“I got a better idea of how seriously she takes her studies and how well she is doing,” wrote one parent.

Students said they preferred the student-led conferences to the old format.

“I think this is a lot better than the old parent-teacher conferences because it was me who was able to share my progress and my parent could ask me questions and get my personal opinion on what I think of my grades,” wrote a student.

Student-led conferences have been around for decades, according to Wrend.

“It’s not a new concept,” Wrend said. “What’s new for us is it’s linked to personalized learning plans and the goal-setting cycle that’s increasingly embedded in the learning experience of students.”

Starting with the class of 2020, all Vermont students must complete an online portfolio to meet new statewide proficiency-based graduation requirements. Student presentations from the conferences will be added to these portfolios.

Beyond helping students meet state requirements, the conferences make students feel valued and respected and help them understand the critical role they play in their own education, Wrend said.

“It certainly helps to give students ownership for their learning and reinforces the responsibility they have as learners,” Wrend said. “Oftentimes it gives parents and teachers insight into what’s important to students, what matters to students, how they learn and how we can support them.”

Allowing students to lead their conferences has been especially helpful for students with parents for whom English is a second language.

“Holding conferences in different languages has allowed parents who might not otherwise have come participate and experience what the student is learning,” Wrend said.

Students have also led videoconferences for parents who couldn’t attend in person because of scheduling conflicts.

This fall the student-led conferences are only being held at Peoples Academy Middle Level, but they could be introduced in Stowe at some point, Wrend said.