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Instructions

Start comment with student name . Focus on positive ways to express student

progress when writing comments.  Be sincere when writing comments but

avoid negativity.

"Karen is making steady progress in Reading" or

"Karen strives to improve her Reading progress"

"Karen has shown no effort in her Reading progress".

Always follow up with a progress report or other form of communication when a student requires assistance. Parents are eager to know how their child is progressing.

Examples

Good Comment

Bad Comment

Instructions

Give examples of inappropriate student behavior or attitude when writing comments.

Include a brief comment but be sure to contact the parent if the behavior continues.

Examples

Good Comment

Bad Comment

"Johnny requires much teacher direction to complete

assignments."

Johnny is always misbehaving"

Parents need to be aware of disciplinary situations pertaining to their child.

Instructions

Avoid use of criticism or sarcasim when writing student comments.

Teachers should always consider the impact of their written words on report cards.

Examples

Good Comment

Bad Comment

"need to focus in class" and request a

conference if needed.

class clown" to describe a student who acts out in class

could make the situation worse.

Strive to improve the situation instead of making it worse by using names or harsh comments.

Instructions

Get to know all your students Often those students who need the most help are

the least likely to seek help. Observe all students, especially those that are shy

or seem withdrawn. To effectively write a report card comment for such

a student, a teacher must first determine if the student has a potential learning disability such as attention deficit.

Reporting Student Achievement Report Card Comments

teachers should focus on what students have learned, describe significant strengths, and identify next steps for improvement.

Teachers should strive to use language that parents will understand and should avoid language that simply repeats the wordings of the curriculum.

The comments should describe in overall terms what students know and can do and should provide parents with personalized, clear, precise, and meaningful feedback.

Teachers should also strive to help parents understand how they can support their children at home.

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Damian Cooper recommends three questions to ask about report card comments.

1) Is the purpose of this communication clear?

2) Is the communication appropriate for the intended audience?

3) Does the communication include a clear message?

Report Card Comments not to use

“Works well when under constant supervision and cornered like a rat in a trap.”

“He doesn't have ulcers, but he's a carrier.” “I would like to go hunting with him sometime.”

SMART ReportsS - Support

M - Monitor

A – Affirm

R – Relate

T - Timely and frequent

SMART Reports SMART Reports S – Support for the student’s learning at home

and at school.

M – Monitor student progress in meeting the goals identified on the SLP. The comments should describe in observable terms the child’s improvements, growth, and successes.

A – Affirm what the child can do by indicating a student’s strengths.

SMART Reports R – Relate current and past instructional growth

with future plans. The progress reports should identify the progress the student has made and what the tutor will focus on next.

T – Timely and frequent reports to parents, tutors, and/or teachers are necessary so adjustments in the instructional program may be made, if necessary.

Comments to Parents

Keep it positive Build on the child’s strengths Tell parents how they can help Keep in mind the impact on the students

Examples—Make them better

John is reading better.Change this to a SMART Report

SMART Report

John’s ability to orally segment words is improving. He is now able to break words with four sounds into the individual parts.

Best Practices

Sample Progress Reports Positive Words

Questions