Student-Led Conferences a Hit Among Red Bank Parents

The concept was a new for the district, yet somehow so simple: just let the students do the talking.

In an effort to involve students, teachers, and parents in a process that has typically excluded the most directly affected, the Red Bank School District incorporated new student-led conferences this past school year, dumping the traditional parent-teacher conference in favor of something more engaging.

According to the parents of the children involved in the pilot program, the new conferences were a success.

A survey conducted by the district reveals that parents of Red Bank Middle School fourth graders – the first class to participate in the new student-led conferences – are overwhelmingly in favor of the initiative.

The district asked parents to answer five questions related to the new conferences with a range of answer options ranging from strongly agree to the obligatory strongly disagree. In every case, parents, by a wide margin, answered affirmatively with approval to questions about the program.

The first and most general question asked parents if the student-led conferences provided greater interaction between parents and their children compared to the traditional parent-teacher conferences they are likely more familiar with. Of the more than 70 parents that answered, 37 strongly agreed with the sentiment and 30 agreed. Just four parents answered “neutral,” the de facto middling answer in the survey.

In all, the survey and its five questions received a total of just nine disagree answers and no strongly disagree answers.

The most divisive question asked parents if the student-led conference was a more effective method of discussing a student’s progress when compared to the traditional parent-teacher conference. Just 17 parents answered strongly agree, but another 36 did agree. In all, 15 people answered in the neutral and four said they disagreed that the student-led conferences were better.

A goal of the new program is active student involvement. By including students in on the parent-teacher conference, educators hope that students can take greater ownership of the education process. Students, now, can develop goals and elaborate on the process by explaining it to their teachers.

With students more invested in the process of education, which includes shaping and reaching goals, they become more accountable. It’s a point of pride for students who realize they have an active voice in their learning.

The following are the questions presented by the district along with answers from parents. The answers, displayed in number, are in the order of Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.

1. The NEW Student-Led Conference provided greater interaction between my child and myself as compared to the Traditional Parent-Teacher Conference. 37, 30, 4, 0, 0.

2. The NEW Student-Led Conference provided me with a solid understanding of my child’s academic performance in terms of strengths, areas in need of attention, and learning goals. 25, 37, 9, 1, 0.

3. The NEW Student-Led Conference was a more effective way of discussing my child’s progress compared to the traditional parent-teacher conference. 17, 36, 15, 4, 0.

4. The NEW Student-Led Conference was a positive experience for me and my son/daughter. 37, 30, 5, 0, 0.

5. The NEW Student-Led Conferences met my expectations. 23, 39, 6, 4, 0.