With the annual General Education Fall Conference period upon us, I am frequently asked by parents, “How can I make the most out of these conference sessions?” By co-creating the format with your child’s teacher, you will be standing out as your child’s best advocate .Most effective Parent-Conferences within the General Education program are those which have the following features:
- Highlight “What Works?” by celebrating your child’s success first and foremost!
- Review the Accommodations (from the IEP or 504 Plan) which serve as the foundation for his or her success when there are disabilities and challenges at play within the school experience.
- Explore Work Samples and other sets of evidence in support of his or her success as well as the areas needing re-calibration and adjustment
- Most notably, select one or two specific behaviors or areas of need to focus upon
- Walk away from the meeting with a collaboratively designed Action Plan including the following:
- What are we expecting the new learning or behavior to look like?
- How will we measure it? What will it look like when we know it is working (or not)?
- Who will serve the care-taker and manager of the evidence to be collected?
- When will we follow up next and review the progress?
By contacting your child’s teacher(s) in advance and identifying your expectations of the conference session, you are assisting them as well, for successful teachers utilize Fall Conferences as an important “check in” point of reference. As a result, I believe the separation is in the preparation! You will stand out as your child’s best advocate by reaching out to their teachers in advance of the meetings. Also, if you believe the conversation requires more time than the scheduled session, always ask for an alternative which meets their schedule needs as well.
For more information about parent conferences, working with your child’s teachers, or any other special needs topics, write us at larrydavis@specialeducationadvocacy.org or give us a call at 206 914 0975 / 888 851 5904.