AI report card comment starters, built from what you taught.
[Student] can write a focused personal narrative about a small moment that includes at least two distinct sensory details and a clear beginning, middle, and end.
A next step is to revise the draft by replacing one general description with a specific sensory detail to make the moment more vivid.
Haven’t been tracking? You can still get starters today.
Catch-up is included in every Compass plan. Comment starters are part of Compass Plus.
Report card comment examples, by level.
[Student] demonstrates a solid, independent grasp of crafting a focused personal narrative by choosing a small moment and explaining that moment with clear sensory details and a beginning, middle, and end.
[Student] shows some understanding of reading strategies by beginning to make personal connections, use context to infer meaning, and visualize scenes, with occasional explanation of how these strategies help comprehension.
[Student] shows an early understanding of applying strategies to texts by trying one strategy, such as visualizing or asking a question, with teacher or peer support.
Each level also gets a next step. Every line is yours to edit, pick from and finish with the student’s evidence.
It starts with the lessons you taught.
It’s the same record behind your curriculum coverage, so nothing gets entered twice.
Use your school’s reporting scale.
- 2 to 6 levels. Match the scale your school reports on.
- Your level names. Use the words on your report card, and say what each level means.
- Once or for good. Use a scale once without saving, or save it for next time.
Standard scale descriptions are suggested wording, not official equivalents across reporting systems.
Make the wording sound more like you.
- Your tone. Short and warm or formal and detailed: your example shows Compass how you write.
- Next-step emphasis. Steer every next step, like “explaining ideas with evidence.”
- Examples for each level. On your own scale, add an example comment to any level.
Standard scale, no writing preferences
A next step is to revise the draft by replacing one general description with a specific sensory detail to make the moment more vivid.
Custom scale, a writing example and the emphasis “explaining ideas with evidence”
A next step is to explain how each sensory detail supports the central moment by adding one sentence that links each detail to the writer’s feelings or actions.
Mix and match across levels.
Tick lines from any level. They collect in Your selection, so a learning statement from one level can sit next to a next step from another. Copy selection gives you plain text, one statement per line.
[Student] can use comprehension strategies such as making connections, visualizing, and using context clues to understand grade-level texts.
A next step is to practise summarizing a short passage after making a personal connection and a visualization to check understanding.
Why we don’t write personalized comments.
What goes in
- The lessons you recorded as taught in that period
- Your reporting scale and what each level means
- Your writing example and next-step emphasis, if you add them
What stays out
- Student names
- Student work and marks
- Private notes and reflections
Questions about comment starters.
Is this a report card comment generator?
Yes and no. It’s an AI tool that generates comment starters about the learning: a learning statement and a next step for each level, built from what you taught. It doesn’t write about a particular student. You finish each one for the student in front of you, because you know them and Compass doesn’t.
Can I make the starters sound like me?
Yes. Under Writing preferences, paste a comment in your usual style, made up or fully anonymized, and Compass uses it to guide the wording and style. Add a next-step emphasis to steer every next step, then edit any line before you copy it. What you taught and your level descriptions still decide what each starter says.
Can I get comment starters without tracking in Compass?
Yes. Starters are built from the curriculum you’ve recorded as taught, but that record doesn’t need a term of tracking. Set up your classes, then use Catch up on teaching to add the curriculum you’ve already covered. It took us under 5 minutes from signing up to our first comment starters. Watch the walkthrough.
Can I use my school’s reporting scale?
Yes. Edit a standard scale’s levels, or build your own with 2 to 6 levels, your level names and what each one means. Saved scales are ready next time. The Learn & Support guide has a full video walkthrough.
Does it work for Ontario, BC and Alberta report cards?
Yes. Built-in curricula cover 11 Canadian provinces and territories, including Ontario, BC and Alberta, plus all four UK nations, Mexico and Common Core, or you can upload your own. Each starter pairs a learning statement with a next step, and your scale can use your report card’s own level names.
Is it free?
Compass is free to start. Report card comment starters are part of Compass Plus, which you can try free for 14 days (card required). See plans and pricing.
Report season, with receipts.
Use the teaching you’ve already recorded, or catch up on the term today. Then make starters you can adapt for each student.
Comment starters are part of Compass Plus. Try Plus free for 14 days (card required).
