Preparing for Family-Teacher Conferences: A Checklist for Success

At the School District of Lancaster, we value the partnership between families and teachers. Family-Teacher Conferences are an essential opportunity to collaborate, celebrate your child’s progress, and create a plan for continued growth. To make the most of this important conversation, we’ve prepared a helpful checklist and tips to guide you.

Start with a Conversation at Home

Before attending the conference, take time to talk to your child.

• Ask your child:
  • “Is there anything specific you’d like me to discuss with your teacher?”
  • “Is there anything I should know about how things are going in school?”

This step ensures you have insight into what’s on your child’s mind and allows you to share their thoughts with their teacher.

Keep it Positive

Let your child know that Family-Teacher Conferences are a positive experience. Emphasize that you’re attending to celebrate their progress, address any challenges, and work together as a team.

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Prepare Questions in Advance

Having a list of questions ready ensures you’ll leave the conference with a clear understanding of how your child is doing and how you can help them succeed. Here are some examples:

Elementary:

• What are my child’s strengths this school year?
• In what areas does my child need to grow?
• Is my child performing on grade level?
• What mathematics performance assessments does my child take and what does the data say?
• Does my child need extra help in any areas?
• Is my child reading on level, above, or below grade level? Can you show me samples of my child’s writing?
• How can we work together to help my child grow as a reader and writer?
• As the parent/guardian, what can I do to support my child?
• Related to my child’s attendance, does my child have any unexcused absences? Do I still have time to submit an excuse card?
• Related to Social Emotional Learning and the Mood Meter, how has my child been feeling in the classroom? How does my child use the mood meter?

Secondary:

• What are my child’s strengths this school year?
• In what areas does my child need to grow?
• Is my child performing on grade level?
• Does my child seem rested, focused and ready to learn?
• Does my child need extra help in any area?
• Does my child ask questions when they do not understand?
• As the parent/guardian, what can I do to support my child?
• Related to my child’s attendance, does my child have any unexcused absences? Do I still have time to submit an excuse card?  

Be Ready for the Conference

Here are a few tips to ensure your conference runs smoothly:

• Arrive on time: Plan to arrive 10 minutes early.
• Be present: Silence your phone and focus on the conversation.
• Take notes: Bring a notebook to jot down key points and action items.
• Ask for clarification: If something isn’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask for more details.
• Leave with an action plan: Before leaving, confirm the best way to contact your child’s teacher for follow-up questions or updates