An Achievable Dream puts a twist on traditional parent-teacher conferences. Teachers allow our Dreamers to take responsibility and ownership of their learning during student-led conferences. The conferences involve Dreamers in the goal-setting and assessment process and engage families in richer, more transparent conversations about their progress.

At the beginning of the school year, students received data notebooks to record their academic progress, accomplishments, and areas of improvement. Teachers involve Dreamers in the goal-setting process, which give them autonomy to decide the pathways toward their achievements. Students use their data notebooks to track their social, academic, and moral goals throughout the year. During the conferences, students meet with their teachers and families, facilitating discussions about their peer interactions, academic challenges, celebrations, and goals for the school year.

Family relationships are critical to our educational approach. By involving our parents in these discussions, they can develop an in-depth understanding of our social and emotional learning curriculum and our Dreamers’ standards for success. Student-led conferences give our Dreamers a voice and motivate them to excel in their education. Students are more likely to achieve when involved in their learning process.