Buhata
Login Start for Free

Home › Life Terms

School and education for parents

Parent-teacher conference

A short scheduled meeting between a parent and a child's teacher to talk about how the child is doing in school and how to help at home.

What It Means

A parent-teacher conference is a scheduled meeting, usually short, where a parent and a teacher talk about a child's learning, work habits and friendships, and agree on how to support the child at school and at home. Many schools set aside conference days in the calendar, and a parent or teacher can also ask for one at any time of year. It's a different meeting from an IEP meetingIEP meetingThe meeting where a child's IEP team, parents included, writes or reviews the child's special education plan under IDEA. See more, which follows federal special education rules.

Try It: Get Ready for the Conference

Tick each step as you do it. The steps follow the Harvard Family Research Project's tip sheet for parents.

Before
During
After
Steps done0
Of10

How Parents Say It

  • "Conferences are next week, I signed up for the 4:40 slot."
  • "The teacher only had 15 minutes, so I brought a list."
  • "She said he's a great helper but rushes his math."

The Breakdown

Before, during and after, per the Harvard Family Research Project

StageWhat to do
BeforeSchedule a time, look at homework, tests and progress reportsProgress report(1) A school's update on a student's grades partway through a grading period; (2) the periodic report on an IEP's annual goals that IDEA requires. See more, talk with your child, and write down your questions
DuringAsk to see examples of your child's work, how the teacher grades, and what you can do at home
AfterWrite down what you and the teacher will each do, plan to check in again in the coming months, and share what you learned with your child

Questions that go beyond grades. Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, suggests asking about character and relationships too. A few in that spirit:

  • How does my child treat classmates who are left out?
  • How does my child handle a disagreement with a friend?
  • What does my child do after making a mistake?

By grade. Buhata's suggestion: in the early grades, ask about reading, behavior and friendships; in middle and high school, ask about organization and what each course expects. Some schools invite older students to sit in, or have them lead the meeting in a student-led conferenceStudent-led conferenceA parent conference that the student runs, walking the family through their own work, progress and goals while the teacher supports. See more. Bring your child's own questions either way.

When to ask for more time. If a concern needs more than the slot allows, ask for a follow-up meeting or a call. If you think your child may need an evaluation for special education, put that request to the school in writing.

Good to Know

Conference slots can be short, so put your most important question first. The Harvard Family Research Project's tip sheet also asks parents to bring the child into the follow-up: tell them what you learned, show how you'll help at home, and ask for their ideas. If you can't make the scheduled day, ask the teacher for another time or a phone call.

FAQ

What should I ask at a parent-teacher conference?

Ask to see examples of your child's work, how the teacher grades, and what you can do at home, as the Harvard Family Research Project suggests. Add a question about friendships or how your child handles mistakes.

How long is a parent-teacher conference?

Schools set the length, and slots are often short. If you need longer, ask for a separate meeting.

Should my child come to the conference?

It depends on the school and the child's age. Some schools invite students, and some hold student-led conferences where the child runs the meeting.

Do It in Buhata

Calendar, Reminders, Tasks

Add the conference to your Buhata Calendar, add each question as a Task, and set a Reminder for the check-in date you agree on.

Open Buhata

Related Terms and Categories

  • Student-led conference

    A parent conference that the student runs, walking the family through their own work, progress and goals while the teacher supports.

  • Back-to-school night

    An evening event early in the school year where parents visit the school, meet teachers and hear the class routines and expectations for the year.

  • Report card

    (1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish.

  • Progress report

    (1) A school's update on a student's grades partway through a grading period; (2) the periodic report on an IEP's annual goals that IDEA requires.

  • IEP meeting

    The meeting where a child's IEP team, parents included, writes or reviews the child's special education plan under IDEA.

  • Emailing a teacher

    Writing to your child's teacher by email to ask a question, share news or raise a concern, ideally short, specific and polite, with one topic per message.

School and education for parents

Sources

Harvard Family Research Project, "Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheets for Principals, Teachers, and Parents"; Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education, "15 questions to ask your child's teacher that aren't about grades"; Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education, "Approaching parent-teacher conferences with care"

Last updated .