One of the many challenges that face middle grade students, parents, and teachers is the student's lack of ownership of their academic achievements. Student-led conferences are a unique way to engage the student and the parent in the academic progress. Parents and teachers discuss the student's attitude toward the work, the student's work ethic in the classroom, the student's ability to perform on assessments, formal and informal, and the student's ability to manage their responsibilities. How can the teachers and parents turn ownership back over to the student? One answer is to allow the student to run the conference. If we direct the responsibility of explaining the work and work ethic, through formal and informal assessments, we place the responsibility of those achievements and failures on the person who ultimately has the ability to change the outcome, the student. This study indicates that students can accept and reach the goals and high expectations of academic achievement when given the opportunity to own their work and success. Two appendixes present: (1) Student Led Conference Survey for Parents; and (2) Student Led Conference Survey for Students. (Contains 2 figures.)