Sahel EDU

How to write useful and fair report card comments, with examples

A good comment answers three questions: where the student stands, why, and what to do next. It is read at home by the family, often before any spoken explanation; it must therefore be precise, consistent with the mark and respectful. This guide says who writes what on a report card, sets out five principles, offers examples for each level of results and lists what is better avoided.

Who writes what on the report card

Three people take part. The teacher of each subject writes the subject comment, next to the mark: the yearly order asks, for each targeted competency, for a mark and a comment from the teacher. The form teacher writes the general comment, covering all the results and the student’s behaviour. The class council finally decides on distinctions, work sanctions and, at the end of the year, on promotion.

The correspondence book is endorsed by the head of school, handed over on the day the holidays begin, and comes back signed by the parents when school resumes. The comment must therefore be understandable without any spoken explanation.

Subject comment: short, on the work and the learning in that subject.
General comment: a summary of the term, with advice for what comes next.
Council decision: a distinction or a work sanction and, in the last term, the end-of-year decision.

Five principles of a good comment

These principles hold for a subject comment as for a general one. They take less time than they seem to once they become a habit.

Be precise: say what is mastered and what is not (“handles fractions well, hesitates on equations”) rather than “good student”.
Be consistent with the mark: a warm sentence on 6 out of 20 misleads the family, a harsh one on 15 out of 20 discourages it.
Point towards action: say what to do next (revise, practise, ask for help).
Stay respectful: talk about the work, never about the person or the family. The report card is an official document, and a hurtful sentence leaves a lasting mark on it.
Be brief and clear: simple words, one or two sentences, readable by a parent who is not at ease with writing.

Examples for each level of results

The examples follow bands of average out of 20. They are indicative: to our knowledge there is no standardised national scale for comments, and practice varies from school to school. Adapt each sentence to the real student, and never copy it from one report card to another.

For each band, a short subject comment, then a fuller general comment.

16 and above. Subject: “Excellent and steady work, the topics are mastered.” General: “Remarkable results in every subject. Keep it up and help classmates who are struggling.”
From 14 to under 16. Subject: “Good work; take care over how answers are written.” General: “A good term with solid results. A little more rigour would allow you to aim for excellence.”
From 12 to under 14. Subject: “Satisfactory results; redo the exercises on fractions.” General: “Satisfactory overall. More regular work at home would allow progress.”
From 10 to under 12. Subject: “Borderline results; more practice is needed.” General: “Results on the edge of the pass mark. You need to become more regular to consolidate what you have learned.”
From 8 to under 10. Subject: “Significant gaps; go back to the basics with the teacher’s help.” General: “Insufficient results. Regular effort and targeted support are needed.”
Under 8. Subject: “The basics are not in place; remediation is needed.” General: “Very insufficient results. Let us meet the family to decide together on support.”

What to avoid

These slips come back term after term. They harm families’ trust as much as the student.

Labels (“lazy”, “hopeless”, “talkative”): they judge the person, not the work.
Comparing with classmates, with a brother or sister, or with “last year” without being specific.
Judgements about the family, its finances or the child’s health: this information is personal.
Stock phrases repeated to the whole class: parents notice them, and they teach nothing.
“Could do better” without saying how.
Contradiction between the comment, the mark and the council’s decision.

Delicate cases

A few situations call for particular care, because the report card is read by the student and sometimes in front of other people.

Student in serious difficulty: start with something mastered, name the main difficulty, offer specific help (remediation, a meeting with the family) and do not end with a verdict.
Brilliant but undisciplined student: separate work and conduct, which each have their own section and decision.
Student who is improving but whose average is still low: state the progress and put a figure on it (“two marks higher than last term”).
Student absent for a long time: make clear that the comment concerns the work done, and refer to the hours of absence on the report card.

What Sahel EDU brings to the writing

In the mark entry screen of Sahel EDU, each student has a comment box. When the teacher types the mark, a sentence for the matching band is suggested, taken from a common bank in French, English and Arabic that the school can complete; the language is that of the school’s report cards. The teacher keeps it in one step, edits it or deletes it. The suggested sentences are short (60 characters at most) so that they fit in the report card column, and the school’s own sentences come before the common bank. The wording in the common bank avoids humiliating terms, even in the lower bands.

The comment is printed under the grade of the subject when the space on the report card allows it, and the report card also carries the form teacher’s comment. Before publication, the check flags an empty comment. Sahel EDU does not write in the teacher’s place: it suggests, and the teacher decides. In primary school, a comment goes with each competency in the booklet.

Frequently asked questions

Who writes the general comment on the report card?

The form teacher hands over the correspondence book with the general comments, endorsed by the head of school. In primary school, these are the class teacher’s general comments.

How long should a subject comment be?

We found no text that sets it. One or two short sentences fit in the report card column; Sahel EDU suggests sentences of 60 characters at most.

Can I use ready-made sentences?

Yes, as a starting point, as long as you adapt them to the student. The same sentence for the whole class informs nobody.

Which language should the comment be written in?

In the language of the school’s report card: French, English or Arabic. For a family not at ease with writing, prefer simple words and short sentences.

Can I try this writing aid on my own classes?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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