An Effective Student-Led Conference


Michael Miller 9/12/2003	An Effective Student-Led Conference Standard/Benchmark: Effective Communicator: adjusts message to meet audience needs and wants. Self-Directed Learner: sets learning goals, improvement plans, monitors progress, and uses feedback to adjust and improve performance.: Performance Task: You are planning your student-led conference to help your parents (or others interested in you and your learning) understand how well you are doing, your improvement goals, and how they can support you. Use this rubric to evaluate how effectively you were able to help your parent(s) or audience to understand each of the following: * your academic progress; * your work habit improvements; * your improvement goals; * the type of support/assistance you need from them; Lastly, ask your parents to complete a student conference feedback card to help you in planning for your next conference.
Performance Element	Exemplary (4)	Proficient (3)	Improving (2)	Not OK (1)
Parent Understanding of Academic Progress	Using my artifacts, my parents can accurately describe the quality features of my reading, writing, and math artifacts. They point out what I want to improve upon.	My parents remember what I need to improve upon in terms of reading, writing, and math. They can repeat the examples I shared.	My parents remember only parts of what I said. They need some reminders.	My parents need for me to conduct another conference.
Parent Understanding of Work Habits Improvement	Using my data, my parents can accurately describe my work habits (on-time/complete work/class participation). They can state what my action plan is and what behaviors I plan to exhibit if I reach my goals.	My parents remember what I need to improve upon in terms of my work habits (on-time/complete work/class participation). They point out what they expect me to improve upon.	My parents remember only parts of what I said. They need some reminders.	My parents need for me to conduct another conference.
Acceptance of Improvement Goals	My parents are convinced that my improvement goals are right for me now.	My parents are convinced that my improvement goals are right for me, but they need additional information on 1-2 goals.	My parents remember only parts of what I said. They need some reminders, if they are to help me with my improvement goals.	My parents need for me to conduct another conference.
Parent Support/Assistance	We will have a written assistance plan by (___specific date/time) that matches my improvement goals. It includes ways of measuring our results.	We have specific ideas of how my parents will help me. They stated they are willing to help and gave me some examples.	We have a general idea of how my parents will help me, but we need to get into the specifics or I won't make much progress.	My parents need me to provide additional ideas or another conference. If not, an assistance plan will not be set up.
Feedback Card Information	My parents agree with me and the information I provided. They added some ideas which I will consider and/or use to modify improvement goals and action plan.	My parents agree with me and the information I provided.	My parents understood most of what I said, but I need to talk with them again about . . .	My parents need to have another conference. They didn't understand some important ideas . . .

Michael Miller