Setting up and managing Parent-Teacher Conferences for an entire school or grade is a straightforward process with flexible options. There are 5 key steps, and while it may seem like a lot at first, once you’ve planned your first conference, the process becomes seamless—you’ll simply repeat the same steps for each teacher.
Step 1. Create a SignUp Template for your Conferences
Step 2. Duplicate & Rename SignUps for each Teacher
Step 3. Give Teachers (and Admins) Access to See their Conference Appointments
Step 4. Invite Parents to Sign Up
Step 5. See Who's Coming
Start by Choosing the Best Plan for Your School's Conferences
Deciding who will manage conference scheduling and who needs access to SignUps (for editing, reporting, and inviting parents) is key to selecting the right plan for your school. Review this comparison chart (click here) to explore our plan features and pricing options—including our Basic/Free Plan—to find the best fit for your needs.
Fast-Track Option: Concierge Service
Need a quick and hassle-free setup? Our Parent Conference Concierge Service can handle everything for you! For a nominal fee, our Customer Success Team will import your entire teacher roster, conference schedules, and meeting links and turn around your whole school's set up within 2 business days. Learn more here and streamline your scheduling today!
Setting up Conference SignUps for your Whole School
Step 1. Create a SignUp Template for your Conferences
Start by creating a SignUp Template with the standard appointment times most teachers will use.
Have you planned SignUps before? If so, scroll down to the Planning Wizard section that shows you specific set up items to pay attention to.
New to SignUp? 📌 Follow this step-by-step guide for planning a Conference SignUp — click here. After watching the video, review the specific sections below to create your Template.
Launch the Planning Wizard by clicking Create New SignUp from your Dashboard.
Planning Wizard (PW)
PW 1: Provide Details
- Set the SignUp Kind as Single or Multiple Days
- Set the Category to Parent Teacher Conference
- Enter the Name as Conference Template
- Add a generic Welcome Message (*example below)
- Leave Location blank for now (you'll update it later for each teacher)
- Uncheck the option Allow Participants to see who else has signed up
- Check the option Hide comments from Participants
- Add a Custom Participant Question as a required text field labeled Student Name.
PW 2: Add Spots
- Enter the Spot Name as Parent Conference and use the Add Shifts option to create the appointment schedule with one person allowed to sign up for each appointment.
PW 3: Choose Theme
- Upload your school Logo and select a complementary Background Theme.
PW 4: Invite (skip for now, click Next to continue)
Once you complete the Planning Wizard steps, go to the Settings tab and set Email Preferences for getting notified when parents sign up or cancel.
*Example Welcome messages:
It's time for Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences! Please click the link below to choose an appointment for an in-person meeting on campus. If you prefer to have a virtual meeting (via Zoom or a phone call), please make a note in the comments box when you sign up.
Step 2. Duplicate & Rename SignUps for each Teacher
Watch this video for quick instructions on how to duplicate and rename the Template for each teacher, and refer to the step-by-step instructions below for more details.
- Login and on your Dashboard, click the gear (
) pull-down menu and select Duplicate to create a new SignUp for each teacher.
- In the New SignUp Name field, enter the first teacher's name or class name (e.g. Mr. Brown’s 4th Grade Conferences, AP Chemistry Conferences).
- Select the Duplicate All Spots option then click the blue Duplicate button at the bottom of the pop-up window.
- Repeat for each teacher.
Step 3. Give Teachers (and Admins) Access to See their Conference Appointments
Once you've set up SignUps for each teacher, it's important to ensure they can easily view their scheduled appointments. How you grant access will depend on your plan type. Watch the video for a quick walkthrough, and refer to the step-by-step instructions below for more details.
📌 Choose the best access option for teachers based on your Plan type, then enter this information in the Details tab of each SignUp's Organizer view. If there are school Office Admins or Secretaries who will also need access to the teachers' SignUps, please add them using the option you select.
On the same screen, you’ll also add a conference Location for each teacher. This can include:
- School address + room number
- Virtual conference link (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.)
- Both in-person and virtual options
Teacher Access Options
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Share a Teacher Status Report (Basic Plan) – Enter the teacher’s email address in the Teacher Status Report section of the Details tab of each SignUp. Each teacher will be sent a link to bookmark the Status Report for easy, anytime access in their browser. For more details, see: How to give the teacher access to my SignUp to view who has signed up? (View Only option)
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Make the Teacher an Assistant Organizer (All Premium Plans) – This option allows teachers to log in, run reports, edit the SignUp, and manually assign parents. To add an Assistant Organizer, go to the Details tab of the SignUp’s Organizer View. Learn more: How do I add an organizer to my SignUp? Note: each teacher must have a registered SignUp account with a password to become an Assistant Organizer.
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Make the Teacher the Primary Organizer (Basic or Campus Plans) – If each teacher will manage their own SignUps without a school Admin, you can Pass the Baton to transfer the SignUp to them. They’ll be able to log in, run reports, edit the SignUp, and manually assign parents. Campus Plan members can designate the teacher as the Primary Organizer while staying on as an Assistant Organizer. Learn more about both of these options: How do I change the primary organizer? Note: each teacher must have a registered SignUp account with a password to become a Primary Organizer.
Step 4. Invite Parents to Sign Up
There are several options for inviting parents to sign up for their conference spots, depending on your school's structure, communication platforms, and your SignUp Plan. Please review this quick video (or the options below) and pick and choose those that will work best for your school's structure.
Post all the SignUps to a Common Group Page
A Group Page is a central SignUp page with links to all the Teachers' Conference SignUps in one place (one URL). It's the easiest way to invite parents to sign up as they will find their own child’s teachers listed and choose their appointment Spots. For more information, please see: How do I set up a group page?
After choosing an appointment Spot with the first teacher, parents with multiple children have the option to go back to the Group Page (Back to All SignUps) to choose another teacher's SignUp.
Invite to Individual Class SignUps with Shareable Links (URLs)
- Invite parents to the various teacher's SignUps using Shareable SignUp links. In this option you will copy/paste a full list of teacher SignUp links in your school newsletter, principal's email, school text message, or post SignUp buttons on the school website.
- For communication to parents within a specific class, post the link to that class' SignUp in an email message, class text message, or on the teacher's website.
- This help article shows how to get the Shareable link or website button (see #2): How do I invite parents to sign up for my conferences?
Invite to Individual Class SignUps with Personal Invitations (Available to all Organizers)
- If you have access to the individual class' parent contact lists, invite parents to each teacher's SignUp using a Personal invitation so each parent gets their own unique link to the SignUp schedule.
- This help article shows how to paste in parent emails to send personal invitations (see #1): How do I invite parents to sign up for my conferences?
Ask the Teacher to Invite Class Parents
- If the teacher is the Primary or Assistant Organizer of their own conference SignUp, they can directly invite parents. They have a few options, please see: Tour of My SignUps Invite Tab / Mobile Share
Step 5. See Who's Coming
Depending on who the Organizer of the SignUp is will depend on how you get information about each parent's conference time.
Campus Plan Admin or Max-level Premium Members
- Premium Reporting options let you run reports across all Conference SignUps in your Plan. Use the Campus Plan All Fields Export or the All Fields Export reports option. Learn more here: Can I run Reports Across Multiple SignUps?
- Use Quick Search to find a single parent's appointments across all SignUps. Learn more here: How Can an Organizer Search for a Participant’s Assignments
Teachers and SignUp Organizers
Go to the Reports tab of your SignUp's Organizer view. (click the SignUp Title in the My SignUps area of your Dashboard to access.) See: Tour of My SignUps Reports Tab
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- The Check-in Sheet report has an option to see the student's name, click the checkbox to show Custom Participant Questions.
- The Interactive report can show both comments & custom questions and can be bookmarked in your browser for quick access.
Teachers receiving the free Teacher Status View Report
When teachers and admins receive the Teacher Status View Report, they can access their personalized link in their email to see who’s coming and when. Please see: Teacher Status View Reports
Additionally:
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- SignUp will send a summary of parent reminder messages to each Organizer and Assistant Organizer via email automatically, including a full status report the Friday before conferences.
- Basic (Free) members can designate another teacher or staff member to receive a View-Only Status Report. Learn how.
- Premium & Campus Plan members can authorize electronic Participant Check-in to keep a roster right on their smartphone. Learn how
📌 Please review and bookmark our Parent Conference Quick Start Guide with answers to common questions from Admins, Teachers and Parents.