Administrative Procedure 361.1 PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES Background The relationship between home and school is paramount in the success of students. Alberta Education emphasizes the role of parents/legal guardians as primary educators. As stated in www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/, “…parents play an important role in shaping the way their children view learning.” Alberta Education then continues by stating that parents/legal guardians understand more than anyone else how their child learns and processes information. Parent teacher conferences are just one way of effective communication between home and school. Schools need to ensure that parents/legal guardians are aware that they have access to teachers at any time throughout the school year, not limited to parent teacher conferences. Information sharing can include digital or other forms of communication, such as Brightspace (D2L), student agendas, digital portfolios, blogs, apps, and the sharing of student assignments brought home for parent/legal guardian review. However, the importance of direct communication between home and the teacher must be understood and encouraged by the school. A digital platform (Brightspace) has been mandated for use by teachers in both junior and senior high, in order to communicate assessment with parents/legal guardians and students. It is therefore expected that teachers are consistent in updating this information on an ongoing basis. The use of such tools, however, does not preclude the need for parent teacher conferences, or regular contact between home and school, where further discussion regarding student achievement and progress can occur. Consistent with Alberta Education’s mandate, the reporting process requires teachers to ensure that they effectively communicate to parents/legal guardians about what the child progress in relation to the provincial programs of study. Scheduling of parent teacher conferences throughout the school year also facilitates in-person communication and deeper conversations about student learning between home and school. Procedures 1. Kindergarten to Grade 9 Conferences 1.1 September Parent Teacher Conferences: 1.1.1
Early in the school year, it is important to initiate a meaningful interaction between teachers and parents/legal guardians. Every parent/legal guardian should have the opportunity to meet the classroom teacher, to see the classroom and to have individual time for a conversation about their child. To facilitate this communication, a Parent Teacher Conference is scheduled in September, with one evening and one day of conference times available.
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1.1.2
Often, the evening conference time is the most convenient for parent/legal guardian attendance. It is therefore important for principals to be realistic about the allocation of time for the evening conference, to ensure individual conference times that support the sharing of student information by the parents/legal guardians with the teacher early in the year. As a result, the scheduling of other events during the parent teacher conference evening should be avoided (e.g. opening barbeque, meet the teacher night, curriculum overview night). These other events should occur on a different night, and possibly in coordination with the School Council meeting in September.
1.1.3
To avoid misunderstandings by parents/legal guardians that September conferences are the same as traditional progress report conferences where teachers are prepared to report on student achievement, schools should clearly articulate the purpose of September conferences not only to parents/legal guardians but to staff, by providing guidelines, focused questions and suggestions related to appropriate topics. The conversation could include information about home reading programs, best ways to communicate throughout the year, special events planned for the year, strengths and needs of the student, and areas of concern for parents/legal guardians from previous years. The early timing of the conferences means it is premature for the teacher to have collected data upon which to base a formal assessment. Any deviation from the format of the September conference should be proposed by the principal and approved by the Area Superintendent or Director before any planning with staff or communication with parents/legal guardians occurs.
1.2 Timing of Conferences: 1.2.1
Conferences will be comprised of one evening and one full day, three times per year. The full day conferences are determined at the district level and displayed in the district calendar to ensure consistency among all schools. The evening conference is scheduled at the school’s discretion, and often near the same time as the full day conference, such as the evening prior.
1.2.2
The times of the conferences must be organized in a way that is responsive to parent/legal guardian needs, including intentionally matching the schedule to the time the majority of the parents/legal guardians are available (cognizant of parent/legal guardian work hours, driving distance, typical hours of work such where parents/legal guardians begin work in the late afternoon or early evening, etc.).
1.2.3
Although day time conferences are most convenient for school staff, it is not always possible for parents/legal guardians, especially for those who work. To best accommodate parents/legal guardians, schools must schedule a minimum of 3 hours for evening parent teacher conferences, with the earliest end time being 7:00 pm. For September conferences, this time can also include a brief welcome and introduction in the gym followed by individual conferences and classroom orientations given by the teacher which highlight curriculum and classroom
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routines. 1.2.4
Schools should set length of individual conference times to best accommodate the school community (10 or 15 minutes). Schools that have the majority of parents/legal guardians attending in the evening should consider the shorter time to maximize the number of available time slots for parents/legal guardians to meet with the teacher. Parents/legal guardians with students on a learner support plan (LSP) or with other unique learning needs, are encouraged to discuss with the school the possibility of booking longer times during the conference, or a different day, in order to review the documentation, set goals, and discuss student needs.
1.2.5
The hours for the full day parent conferences must be at a minimum the regular instructional hours for that day of the week on which it is scheduled by the district. Schools cannot dismiss staff at noon or plan PD on this day.
1.2.6
Despite best efforts to accommodate the majority of the parents’/legal guardians’ schedules, the date and time for conferences may not be possible nor convenient for all parents/legal guardians. Therefore, schools must clearly communicate to parents/legal guardians and staff that other arrangements can be made to facilitate a conference at an alternative time. It is important as well that parents/legal guardians be aware that scheduling a meeting is encouraged and possible throughout any time of the year (especially for emergent issues). They do not need to wait for the school wide conference times.
1.2.7
All teachers, even those who do not have a homeroom and may tend to have fewer requests for a formal conferences, are expected to attend the same amount of time during scheduled parent/teacher conference times. This includes diverse learning teachers, counsellors and school administration.
1.2.8
Although kindergarten students may begin slightly later in the school year and have organized parent conferences in early September, it is expected that kindergarten parents/legal guardians are invited to the scheduled September conference as well. This can provide an additional opportunity to discuss how well the student has adapted to kindergarten. The kindergarten teacher should therefore be present and available during the complete parent teacher conference schedule.
2. Senior High Parent Teacher Conferences 2.1 Senior high schools are to host one day and one evening parent teacher conference session per semester. The full day conference session is scheduled within the district calendar and is consistent across the district. The evening conference can be scheduled to meet the needs of the school community. For example, some high schools may choose to hold the evening conference in alignment with the end of the quarters. These evening conferences held at times that differ from the full day conference should be discussed between principal and area superintendent or director. The evening parent teacher conferences should be held no later than November and April.
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2.2 The procedures outlined in sections 1.2.4, 1.2.5, 1.2.6, and 1.2.7 also apply to senior high parent teacher conferences. 3. Role of teachers during conferences: 3.1 All full-time teachers are expected to be present and available for conferences during both the evening and day conferences. Half time teachers are expected to attend for fifty per cent of the conference time, and these times can be determined by the principal and teacher. 3.2 Teachers who are unavoidably absent for the conference times, such as for illness or funerals, are expected to be open to meeting with parents/legal guardians at alternate times outside of the school day. Consideration of parental/legal guardian convenience should be given, as many parents/legal guardians would have arranged their work or child care schedule to attend the conferences at the scheduled time. 3.3 It is expected that teachers provide a comprehensive overview of student progress in all conferences following the September conference. This can include evidence (assessments) representing the student’s growth and their current understanding of the curriculum, including but not limited to the information shared on the students’ progress report. Teachers can also provide information regarding student behavior and work habits, as well as their social interactions and general well-being. It is important in all conferences that teachers take time to hear parental/legal guardian feedback and concerns and be open to recognizing their role as primary educators. 3.4 For students with SLAs, teachers must provide updates for parents/legal guardians regarding student progress related to goals set in the SLA document. Teachers with students who are English Language Learners should also provide parents/legal guardians with information related to student progress with respect to the English Language Learner Benchmarks. Additional time may need to be set aside for conferences of this nature. 3.5 The results of diagnostic assessments should also be shared with parents/legal guardians during conferences. This can include, but not limited to: Student Learner Assessments (SLAs), Canadian Cognitive Abilities Tests (CCATs), Fontas and Pinnell assessments, and Gates MacGinitie testing. Explanation of these tests may require the assistance of the Diverse Learning Teacher or administration, and may require additional conference time. Approval Date: Reference:
February 21, 2017
School Act Standards for Special Education Ministerial Order on Student Learning (#001/2013) Ministerial Order 016/97 – Teaching Quality Standard www.learnalberta.ca/content/mychildslearning/ Guide to Education
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