TEACH-NOW M6U3A3: Parent Teacher Conference Strategies

Parent Teacher Conferences: Three Scenarios


Scenario I

Jessie is a fifth grade student whose parents have just received her fourth grade PSSA (Pennsylvania System of School Assessment) scores, and her parents are worried about the results. In third grade, Jessie scored in the "Advanced" range for both math and language arts, but Jessie has scored "Basic" in math with the latest round of testing, and "Advanced" again in language arts.

To prepare for this conference, I have obtained Jessie's PSSA scores for the last two years along with graphs that put the scores in context, and collected her math quizzes in the school year so far. (It is early October.) I have also printed out the state standards for fifth grade math, in order to provide the family with a road map for her math success this year.

This meeting will be conducted after school, and I will invite the parents to sit on the same side of the table as I am sitting.

The narrative of my presentation could be as follows:

I understand your concern about Jessie's test scores -- the PSSA is usually a pretty good indicator of how a student is learning, and seeing her move from "Advanced" to "Basic" is a concern for all of us. We'd like to see Jessie succeed in math, and I'm glad we have this indicator that there is an issue before we get deeper into the 5th grade year. 

I reviewed her PSSA scores, and what I noticed is that her ability to decode word problems seems to be the major stopping point. Her calculations are correct when she's asked for arithmetic solutions, but when she has to construct her own arithmetic equation in order to solve a more complicated problem, she is confused as to what to do. Based on this, I gave her a fourth grade test with word problems, and I see that this is a consistent issue.

How do you guys feel about this situation? Do you have any ideas why this is more difficult for Jessie, or things you've seen at home that help explain this? 

The next steps that I would like to take with Jessie are to (a) meet with her after school, in a small group of students with a similar issue, and have a kind of a "story problem club." And (b) I'd like her, at home, to review these types of problems on Khan Academy, and I've linked to her Khan Academy account so I can follow her progress. Also, before this year's PSSA, she and I will do some "warm-ups" to make sure all of the concepts stick with her when she goes in for the testing.



Scenario II

Dillon has not been performing to the level of his capacity, and this meeting is taking place in the context of regular fall parent/teacher conferences.

Dillon is a sixth grade student who generally gets B's and C's, but is capable of higher grades. He "coasted" through elementary school, passing his tests without trying, but he will to better demonstrate his understanding as he advances through middle school.

In this case, I will show Dillon's work recently in science, where the whole class was asked to create Google Slides presentations about mammal fossils. I will redact the names of two of Dillon's classmates, and show his parents what other students have created, as the different is marked.

I will also show his quizzes, and several sections where he decided halfway through the quiz to stop answering in complete sentences.

I will conduct this meeting in the classroom, in a relatively informal setting, sitting on the same side of the table. I will also invite Dillon's math teacher, who will join us and bring a few of his recent homework assignments.

The narrative of my presentation could be as follows:

Dillon is a delightful student in general, and he participates well in class discussion. He shows an excellent understanding of the subjects we are covering, but when it's time for him to demonstrate his understanding, he tends to zone out and do the minimal work required. He doesn't like to explain his work.

In math, Dillon is doing the same thing. He shows a good understanding in class, but seems determined to do the minimal amount possible to pass the test. He really doesn't like to explain his work, but he's going to need to, in order to perform to his capability.

Where do you think this is coming for Dillon? Are there things you've seen at home like this, in which he doesn't take things to fruition? Do you have any ideas how we can help him with this? 

The next steps for Dillon can be to require him to complete tests before he leaves the classroom, and allow him extra time during study hall if necessary. Also, for his parents to require him to complete pre-tests that have more extensive answers written in them. Dillon needs to practice bringing his expression of knowledge to completion, even if it doesn't feel "necessary" to him.

We will plan to meet again in three months to check on Dillon's progress, to be sure he's ready to take on seventh grade. In the meantime, his parents can use Schoology on a weekly basis to review Dillon's work together with him.

Scenario III

Cara is a fourth grader who is new in school, and she has been lashing out at her classmates, sometimes physically.

I will be prepared with a list of the incidents -- only the ones that was witnessed and documented by an adult, as well as transcripts of the conversations I have had with her about the incidents. I will also include her own explanations of how the incidents came to pass.

We will meet in neutral ground, in the empty playground, on the same side of a picnic table, while a substitute teacher manages the class. 

The narrative of my presentation could be as follows:

I'm concerned about Cara's ability to connect with her classmates. I've noticed several times that she gets into a conflict with her classmates, when there doesn't seem to be a precipitating event. She seems pretty upset since she arrived, and she isn't sure how to connect with her classmates in a productive way.

For example, she hit one of her classmates when he was passing her a recorder for music class. Her first impulse was that he was trying to hit her with the recorder when he was calmly passing it to her. She apologized for the incident, but she was pretty sure that he was trying to hurt her first. 

Is there anything she has told you at home about her transition to this new school that could help me make her feel more comfortable here? I would like to help her form positive relationships with her peers, and I would love to know what usually helps her make good connections, socially. 

The next steps for the meeting are for her parents to open up a dialogue with Cara about what has been happening at school and to email me with their thoughts after talking with her. Furthermore, Cara will need to have a behavior plan at school, since she has been physically lashing out. I will work with the vice principal on creating a behavior plan and discussing it with Cara in as gentle a way as possible. Since the aim is to help Cara feel more comfortable at school, the last thing we want is for her to feel "punished" or unwelcome, but the physical lashing out is unacceptable, and a safety issue for her and other students.

Furthermore, Cara's parents will ask her about students at the school that she would like to get to know, and I will work to figure out a few likely kids for her to meet. Once some good potential friends have been identified, Cara's parents will invite them over for playdates, and the school counselor will host weekly, informal lunches with Cara and the other students.

Cara's parents and I will re-connect about her progress in three weeks, once these programs have been instituted.

(All of these scenarios were based on fictional students.)

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