LEWISTON – Last year was the first time Patti Butler didn’t attend her son’s parent-teacher conference.

That’s because, unlike most Maine schools, Lewiston High School didn’t offer them.

New Principal Gus LeBlanc is changing that.

After 15 years of not offering parent-teacher conferences, they will be held this Monday and Tuesday evenings. Students whose parents are involved in schools and communicate with teachers do better, experts say.

“Support from parents is just key,” LeBlanc said.

Parent-teacher conferences stopped at Lewiston about 15 years ago because they weren’t well-attended by parents. “So a decision was made not to do it,” LeBlanc said. “That just became the status quo.”

But when looking at challenges that high school educators face – student failure rates, dropouts, getting all graduates to higher education – Lewiston needs parents, LeBlanc said.

“It’s even more important today than ever that parents and teachers sit down and discuss progress, or lack of progress,” LeBlanc said. “Our kids are going into a much more competitive work force than my generation did.”

Dianne Hoff, assistant professor in education leadership at the University of Maine, agreed that the meetings provide “a much more complete picture of a student’s progress” than the written report card.

Involvement by parents tells teens their parents are concerned and watching, Hoff said. “There are so many competing pressures on students during the teen years, that students can quickly and easily go down the wrong path,” she said. “Parental involvement in school helps teens academically, socially and emotionally.

Even though it means long days for teachers next week, Lewiston math teacher David Bowie said he’s happy to meet parents.

“It almost always makes a difference,” Bowie said, adding that expectations at home often rise. Parents don’t have to be smart in math, science or English to support their students. Often that support is asking about homework, turning off the television or making sure the student has needed resources.

Butler said she was looking forward to meeting her son’s teachers. Unless she knew about a specific problem, she probably wouldn’t have contacted them. “This gives me a good chance to touch base,” she said. “Providing that communication is really important.”

The meetings can also help teachers, LeBlanc said.

“Sometimes parents come in, look into things and say, ‘That doesn’t make any sense to me. Johnny didn’t pass his rough draft in and can only get such-and-such a grade.’ Parents ask, ‘Did he know he was supposed to do that?'”

Teachers need to be able to defend their expectations, LeBlanc said. “Those kind of communications with parents is valuable input for us.”

First-quarter report cards were mailed home on Wednesday, LeBlanc said. Parents should have them by Saturday, in time for the meetings.