Sunday, May 15, 2016

Report Card Comment Writing Guidance

Dear colleagues,

Please find below further guidelines and suggestions for writing effective report cards.


1. Grade Level Checking
PreK3-KA: Kim
KB: Heikki
G1: Kim
G2: Trevor
G3: Heikki
G4: Trevor
G5: Heikki/Kim
ESOL: Trevor
Learning Support Students: Aimee and Rose before sharing with Kim, Heikki or Trevor

We recommend that you will write your report card comments on Google document, share them with Kim, Heikki, and Trevor for proofreading and feedback.

2. General guidance for structure, tone and language choices
1. Follow the same structure with all your comments:
E.g.
a) General statement of achievement (e.g. little, some, good or significant progress overall)
b) Specific achievement of the most important and pertinent (please try not to comment on everything) conceptual understandings, development of skills and dispositions within the subject/unit.
c) The specific area student struggles with or has not learned yet
d) Next steps

2. Maintain a positive image of the learner no matter what the learning challenges may be. We want to communicate that we care about the success and well-being of all students. The report card should be not used as a consequence or punishment.

3. No surprises to parents. If there are going to be negative surprises on the report card, please arrange parent meeting to explain the comment or grade before the report card is shared with the parents.

4. Avoid commenting on child's personality traits or general moods per se, or as an obstacle to his/her learning. E.g. "He/she is shy/outgoing", or "he or she is quiet/loud", or "he or she is lonely/sad/happy.

5. Ask your colleague or use online tools for checking basic grammar (e.g. articles, prepositions, and punctuation) of your comments.

3. Other
1. The student has been with CA less than a unit: A general comment on settling in and, if already known, a perception of their academic level in different subject areas. Also, a comment to parents saying that due to the recent arrival no full report card available at this point.

2. The student has been with CA one whole unit: Unit comments, general comments and reporting on student progress in the areas they have participated. Additionally, a note to parents and receiving schools upon the areas that were not assessed due to their late start of the year.

3. The student has been with CA two full units or more: A normal report card.


4. Character count for comments


ES Report Comments
Homeroom Teachers
Character Count
General Narrative - Teacher Comment
1000
Literacy
1200
Numeracy
 800
Student Goal
 300
Student Goal Reflection
 200
UOI
 800
Specialists
Character Count
ESOL
1500
Learning Support

Japanese
800
Music-Art-PE
600