Implementing Student-Led Conferences

The term `student-led conference' is almost self-explanatory. A student-led conference is a conference with parents led by the student. The classroom teacher's role becomes that of a facilitator. In a student-led conference, students lead parents through a discussion of their work which is usually organized in a portfolio collection. Typically, several conferences are conducted simultaneously in a classroom with family groups seated far enough apart to allow privacy. The teacher circulates among family groups, stopping long enough to make pertinent comments and answer questions. Students primarily direct the conversation which is focused on their work and classroom behavior. The real power in this innovation is that student-led conferences require students to take most of the responsibility for reporting what they have learned.

The authors' goal in writing this book is to help readers understand:

· Why it is effective for students to lead a conference

· What an effective model for student-led conferences looks like

· How to prepare and organize for student-led conferences

· How to evaluate the effectiveness of student-led conferences