HCSD No. 3 schools hold student-led conferences News Youth October 25, 2017October 25, 20170 A column by Steve Quick HCSD No. 3 Superintendent Students led the discussion during the conferences. (Submitted photo) We decided to change things up this year for parent conferences K-12, including both dates and format. In years past, we have done K-8 conferences on different days than Burns High School throughout the year, which may not have been very convenient for parents. Even holding them during the day can be quite a challenge for parents who work at that time. One of our goals this year was to do conferences on the same days district-wide, while making sure at least one of these days had significant evening time to make it more convenient for parents, increasing participation. Choosing the conference days for the fall and spring was a point of considerable debate, as the dates chosen were not the traditional ones. We made some compromises and will adjust as needed for next year. Another major change to conferences this year is that we made them student-led, meaning not only were parents invited, but students were and are expected to lead the discussion in these conferences for multiple reasons. In looking at research, here are a few of the benefits we anticipate from this new format: • Students assume greater control of their academic progress. • Students accept personal responsibility for their academic performance. • Parents, teachers, and students engage in open and honest dialogue. • Parents attend conferences at increased rates. • Students learn the process of self-evaluation. • Students learn how to set and monitor goals. • Students develop organizational and oral communication skills. Please know that if there are parents who still need or want to meet with teachers when they have concerns, they are always welcome to schedule meetings with teachers to discuss concerns any time of the year. With conferences completed last week, it is my hope that they were a success across the board. Two days of conferences will again happen in May when students will not only be able to reflect on the year and their goals, but they’ll also be able to set new goals and plan for the following year. If you have strong feelings one way or another about our conferences this year, please do not hesitate to contact me.