ic_list_attendance

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnlyHint=true and openWorldHint=true, so the safety profile is covered. The description adds a genuinely useful behavioral note that enrollmentID is auto-resolved from the student record, but says nothing about pagination, ordering, or what happens when the date range is omitted.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two compact sentences with the resource and output shape front-loaded and no filler. Every clause carries information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 5-parameter read tool with no output schema, the description covers the core identity and the enrollmentID resolution but omits date-range filtering semantics (since/until) and any pagination or volume expectations. Adequate but with clear gaps.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

The auto-resolution note tells the agent that studentId (not enrollmentID) is the key input, which is real value beyond the schema. However, district and studentId have no schema descriptions and the description does not clarify their formats, so the 60% coverage gap is only partly compensated.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb (list) and resource (absences and tardies) and clarifies the output shape as a per-course summary grouped by term, which distinguishes it in spirit from the raw-events sibling. It stops short of naming ic_list_attendance_events explicitly, so an agent must infer the summary-vs-event distinction.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Usage is implied by 'List a student's absences and tardies' but there is no explicit when-to-use, when-not, or pointer to the closest alternative (ic_list_attendance_events). The 'Auto-resolves enrollmentID' note hints at a precondition but does not frame it as guidance.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.