Middle and High School Report Card Comments for Work Habits, Grades 6-12
US middle and high school report cards usually give each course an academic grade, either A-F or a standards-based 4-3-2-1 score, plus separate marks for work habits, cooperation or citizenship. Subject teachers, advisory or homeroom teachers and counselors write the comment that explains those marks to families. The scale used here is Outstanding (4), Satisfactory (3), Needs improvement (2) and Unsatisfactory (1); mark names and comment limits vary by district.
Each page below covers one skill for one grade band, with sample strengths and next steps at every level and tips for writing your own. These comments are written for the work habits, cooperation or citizenship comments on a US middle or high school report card.
Comments by skill and grade band
| Skill | Grades 6-8 | Grades 9-12 |
|---|---|---|
| Engagement and Effort | Engagement and Effort, Grades 6-8 | Engagement and Effort, Grades 9-12 |
| Work Completion and Time Management | Work Completion and Time Management, Grades 6-8 | Work Completion and Time Management, Grades 9-12 |
| Organization and Preparation | Organization and Preparation, Grades 6-8 | Organization and Preparation, Grades 9-12 |
| Responsibility and Self-Advocacy | Responsibility and Self-Advocacy, Grades 6-8 | Responsibility and Self-Advocacy, Grades 9-12 |
| Self-Management and Growth Mindset | Self-Management and Growth Mindset, Grades 6-8 | Self-Management and Growth Mindset, Grades 9-12 |
| Collaboration and Respect | Collaboration and Respect, Grades 6-8 | Collaboration and Respect, Grades 9-12 |
Also: opening and closing sentences for each report period.
The 4 comment levels
| Code | Level |
|---|---|
| O | Outstanding |
| S | Satisfactory |
| N | Needs improvement |
| U | Unsatisfactory |
At Outstanding (4), use words like consistently, independently or without being asked; at Satisfactory (3), use usually, generally or with few reminders. At Needs improvement (2), say what happens sometimes or with reminders, and at Unsatisfactory (1), describe the behavior factually along with the support in place, such as daily check-ins. Do not write the mark name itself; describe the behavior behind it.
Tips for report card comments
- Describe work habits, not achievement. The course grade already reports what the student has learned, so cite habits seen in labs, essays, discussions or projects and leave grades, averages and test scores out of the comment.
- Write about behavior and choices, not personality, and keep IEP, 504 and diagnosis labels out. Students this age may read the report themselves, so phrase a concern they can accept and act on, such as turned in three of five labs on time.
- End with one next step the student can own, such as one office hours visit a week or a study schedule before tests. Check your district's comment character limit in the student information system before drafting, since limits vary.
This site shows 170 of the 1,234 sentences in the pack. Not affiliated with or endorsed by any state department of education, school district or social-emotional learning organization.
How these sentences were made, and what has been checked: About these comments.