Reporting is not only tied to assessment. It can be used for social and developmental concerns, or simply reporting what is happening within the school. It can be done in writing, face-to-face, online, through conferences, … . It may be system, school, teacher or parent initiated. It can be general or very specific.

Below is a collection of resources for reporting covering these from different reporting styles to teacher comment banks, parent/teacher conferences to electronic formats linked to assessment, newsletters and more.

Remember many sites are not Australian. Check carefully to be sure they conform to Australian requirements before use, e.g. spelling, Mathematical formatting, terminology, … .

Listed individual resources are suitable for teacher use with all education levels unless specifically indicated otherwise.

This page requires further development. This will be done as soon as time permits through the addition of further topics and a strengthening of those that already exist.

Other Reporting Sites

• BBC News School Report
  One approach to a project ‘which motivates secondary students around the UK to make and broadcast their own news’. Sample video to demonstrate, explain this. Reporting in the widest sense. Should be possible here.
• Kathy Schrock’s Guide
  Looks at rubrics, electronic portfolios and reporting including a selection of comments.
• Teacher’s Report Assistant
  Free software.

Parent-Teacher Meetings

Includes, conferences, student-led conferences, more.

• 10 Tips for a Successful Parent-Teacher Conference
  Preparation. list development, other sites, links, more. Parents and teachers.
• Handy Hints for Parents at IEP Meetings
  Downloadable article.
• Helpful Hints for Parent Teacher Meetings
  A brochure containing suggestions from the Tasmanian State Schools Parents and Friends Inc..
• Parent Conference Considerations
  TeacherVision. Lengthy article in point form for teachers. Also consider the Resources here and here A Second Page here.
• Parent-Teacher Conference Tip Sheets for Principals, Teachers, and Parents
  ‘These tip sheets from Harvard Family Research Project are designed to support educators and families in conducting productive, successful parent-teacher conferences’. Download a PDF of this publication here.
• Student Led Conferences
  ‘Many teachers hold student led conferences during Report Card time. This collection gathers all of the great ideas in one place’. American site, but ideas are still valid.
• Using Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences
  Multiple ideas. Edutopia Blog.

Report Card Comments

While there are a range of links to comments provided, teachers are reminded these should only be used as guides and other factors should be taken into consideration - the child, the setting, the subject, special factors, systemic restraints, etc..

In addition, we repeat what was always a mantra while we were actively engaged in education - don’t use meaningless comments, e.g. ‘Child X was a pleasure to teach this semester’. What does this mean ? They were excellent in their studies, they were really quiet and didn’t annoy me, they always smiled and did what they were told, …’.

Comments should always be specific, directed at the topic involved, reflect the child’s achievement or lack thereof and be meaningful for all parties involved - teachers, parents, students.

Wherever possible it should be positive, with recommendations or suggestions for the future. It should always have evidence to back up any assertion which is being made and be capable of being effectively addressed in any interview situation.

Finally, remember, most of the comment banks listed are not Australian and therefore have an added cultural difference.

• Comment Ideas for Report Cards
  Nearly 300 starters for end of year comments.
• General Comments
  Nearly 300 general comments, listings for specific areas including Effort. US based.
  You now have to be a member to log-in to this site. There is a small charge for membership.
• Primary/Elementary Comments
  Up to Year 6 in the UK. Lists, general and specific, grade oriented, subject oriented. There is a link to a similar presentation for Secondary Comments.
• Religious Education Comments
• Report Card Comments
  ‘There are over 800 Free comments for Art, French, Geography, History, ICT, Maths, Science and Tech’.
• Report Card Comments [Teachers Network]
  ‘Sample generic report card comments are given below. Remember, it is more helpful and informative for parents if you can provide specific rather than general comments whenever possible’ Words, phrases, in general and subject oriented groupings.
• Report Card Comments Teachers would love to Use
  Collection of humorous truths [?] about students, that we wouldn’t be game to use.
• Report Card Comments and Phrases
  ‘These suggested comments and phrases can be used as is, or adapted for any grade and subject’. Multiple sections.
• Report Card Comments Collection
  ‘Grade 6 Language, scanned From The Ontario Provincial Report Card’. Comments long and short.
• Report Comments Bank
  ‘Welcome to a massive online school report comments bank. This report comments bank has been made to speed up producing school reports’. More than 14 000 comments available.
  You need to be able to log in to access this site but registration appears to be Free.
• Report Timesaver
  ‘Designed to allow you to write your own report comments. These Comment Banks could give you a head start when you do so. Add your own comments to them, combine them together, or import comments into them from other comment bank formats’. Fee-based.
  Secondary
• Student Report Card Comments
  Article with listings for Elementary [Primary] and Secondary.
• Teacher Comments on Report Cards
  ‘This [ERIC] digest explains why teacher comments on report cards are important, offers suggestions on how to construct effective comments, points out words or phrases to be cautious about using, and indicate sources of information for report card comments’. This link is for the PDF download.
• Teacher Report Card Comments
  ‘Specialises in ready-to-use, printable, downloadable report card comments designed to save teachers’ time. Every report card comment in this book has been ranked and organized according to subject, topic, length, and positive or negative nature’. Note this is Fee-based and also from the US, so will need modifying for use in Australia.

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Student-led Conferences

• About Student-led Conferences
  And three-way conferences. From New Zealand. Overview and then access to examples of implementation in several schools. This is part of a larger Reporting to parents, families and whānau section of the site
• How to Conduct Student-Led Teacher Conferences
  Specific detail from eHow.
• Back to school : Student-led conferences
  A blog article which also includes a range of links to further, more specific information.
• Student-Led Conference
  American Student Achievement Institute. Has briefly annotated links to resources and several Indiana schools that are implementing these.
• Student-led Conferences [Canada]
  A series of videos explaining the process, covering both levels, Informing Practice and Perspectives. Worth viewing if you are interested in this option.
• Student-Led Conferences Hold Kids Accountable
  ‘Would you like to find a way to actively engage students in their learning process and increase parent attendance at conferences ? Student-led conferences can accomplish those two objectives. Included : Highlights of research about student-led conferences’.
• Student-Led Conferences [SchoolTube]
  ‘Video describing student-led conferences and what students need to include in their portfolios. Also an example of an actual conference’.
• Student-Led Parent-Teacher Conferences
  Overview and points to remember from a teacher who has experienced them. Part of a Scholastic Blog.
• Successful Student-Led School Conferences
  ‘Here’s a growing collection of resources about successful conferences, with an emphasis on the student-led parent/teacher conference’. Well-annotated links.
• Students’ Perceptions Of Student-led Conferences
  Abstract and online article.

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