Areas of Impact
Age Group
Middle School
Length
2-3 weeks
Frequency
Yearly
Type
Student-Led Conference Portfolio Checklist
Student-Led Conference portfolios give students the opportunity to honestly share both their accomplishments and areas of growth.
Overview
This checklist helps students organize the contents of their Student-Led Conference portfolios and serves as an overview of the portfolio's purpose.
Context
At Gateway Middle School, advisors usher students through the process of assembling and presenting their portfolios to their families. While reflection on individual work samples takes place in subject area classes, the advisor guides the students in understanding the big picture of their accomplishments and setting goals for growth. Then they participate as an audience member in the student led conferences. Advisors share this checklist with students as they assemble their Student-Led Conference portfolios to keep track of the required artifacts. This process takes 2-3 weeks of daily work, about 30 minutes per day, to compile and practice all components of the portfolio.
Implementation
Since Student-Led Conferences involve coordination across disciplines, this practice needs to be a school-wide focus to be implemented successfully. Students reflect on their work artifacts in their subject area classes. They then reflect on their community contributions, create their family letters, assemble their portfolios, and practice their presentations in their advisory class. Each year they add to the portfolio so that they have three years of work by the time they leave 8th grade. While the goal-setting and reflection sheets look similar across the grade levels, teachers tailor them to address the growth students experience during their time in middle school.
Successful Student-Led Conferences look different across schools. See resource books and articles below for additional ideas and inspiration.
Related Content:
Student-Led Conference Work Selection Checklist
Student-Led Conference Work Reflection
Student-Led Conference Goal-Setting
Student-Led Conference Community Commitments Checklist
Student-Led Conference Community Reflection
Student-Led Conference Family Letter
Student-Led Conference Family Homework
Student-Led Conference Checklist
Family Conferences Goal-Setting
Fostering Student Accountability Through Student-Led Conferences by Patti Kinney
A School-Wide Approach to Student-Led Conferences: A Practitioner's Guide by Patti Kinney, Mary Beth Munroe and Pam Sessions.
See also resources at the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)