Our mission states that UPrep is committed to developing each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizen of the world. Our vision asserts that UPrep will be the school that redefines educational excellence, in a community where all learners develop the skills, knowledge, and character to thrive in any context. Our values state that UPrep believes that integrity, respect, and responsibility are essential to accomplish its mission and to sustain its vision.

But how do UPrep’s mission, vision, and values translate into concrete skill sets that can be evaluated on a Middle School student’s report card and discussed during conferences?

During the 2024–2025 school year, I convened a Conference Arc Committee to look at the current Middle School conference structure. A team of three teachers and myself considered changes we could make within the existing framework. Our goals were to more fully engage students and to improve the conference experience. We believe anchoring the conferences in UPrep’s mission, vision, and values produces the best student outcomes and gives a holistic view of how each student is developing.

Currently, the last 8th grade conference is focused on high-school readiness. With this endpoint point in mind, the committee considered the best way to help students reflect on and build upon their Middle School academic journey. We shifted to how we structure five 20-minute conferences that happen between the fall of 6th grade through the fall of 8th grade. All but the last conference is student-led, with each student creating a slide show to use during the conference, which includes the student, parents/guardians, and the advisor.

Everyone on the committee brought their ideas and then worked together to discern specific academic focuses for these ideas. We decided that academic responsibility is about preparedness and time management. For each class, the teacher will assess if the student demonstrates the ability to stay organized, bring necessary materials, and prepare coursework on time. The teacher can evaluate if a student meets this criterion and if they do not, then this student is growing in this area.

Intellectual courage in Middle School begins with study skills and self-advocacy. Does a student utilize tools to study and advocate for their own learning in the classroom? The committee added this statement to the mission, vision, and values section of the report card: The student utilizes effective strategies, works meaningfully with instructional materials, and seeks support when needed to take ownership of learning. Achieving these will allow the student to begin to develop their intellectual courage in Upper School and beyond.

Most importantly, students must be evaluated on their engagement. Does the student participate in class, collaborate well with others, and engage in the coursework? Moving forward, all students will be evaluated on their engagement in class. The following will now be included in the mission, vision, and values section of the report card: The student engages appropriately in class. We realize participation means different things for students. This statement leaves room for the teacher to evaluate each student based on their disposition. For some students, engaging appropriately means they listen well and occasionally raise their hands, while some students may need to work on raising their hand less often and improving their listening skills.

We believe every teacher can assess where students are in relation to these statements. For every class, a student will receive feedback on these three areas on their report card. Then, as they prepare for their student-led conference, they will write a reflection as part of their conference slide show on how they performed in these areas in each class.

The committee also decided to set aside more time in advisory during the fall of 6th grade for students to prepare for their first conference. Advisors will talk with each student about how they are adjusting to Middle School. How are things going socially—are they making new friends? Are they trying a new sport or joining clubs? There will also be a push for 6th grade families to have a fall in-person conference. Both in-person and virtual conferences are offered to all Middle School families, and this push for a fall in-person conference for 6th grade is meant to give new families more insight to UPrep’s campus life.

The expansion of the mission, vision, and values section and a new template for the slide show will help students become more engaged with the pre-conference reflection, slide show creation, and how they talk about their academic experiences during the conference. By focusing more on specific skills, students can understand how they are doing and see how building these skills will help them become adept learners in the classroom and prepare them for high school. Over the course of three years, we expect students to become more articulate and thoughtful about their academic performance. By the time of the fall conference in 8th grade, they will be able to reflect on their UPrep experience so far based on these specific skills.

This new framework anchors the Middle School conference arc in the skillset students are working to build throughout 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Students are prepared for Upper School if:

• they demonstrate the ability to stay organized, bring necessary materials, and prepare coursework on time,
• they utilize effective strategies, work meaningfully with instructional materials, and seek supports when needed to take ownership of learning, and
• they engage appropriately in class.

By mastering this skillset by the completion of Middle School, they greatly increase their likelihood of success in Upper School. This clear illumination of our mission to develop each student’s potential to become an intellectually courageous, socially responsible citizens will also help students understand the foundation they need to become effective learners who can positively engage with the world around them. 

Read more articles about academics at UPrep.