Gradebook Assignments (Teacher Programs)

The Gradebook Assignments module allows administrators to create assignments organized by specific categories for teachers, which is then made available via their gradebooks.

Searching for Users (Teachers)

1. To conduct a user search in order to add/edit/delete assignments/categories of a teacher's gradebook, from the Users menu, click Gradebook Assignments under the Teacher Programs submenu.

This will lead you to a Find a Teacher user search module where you can begin setting criteria for a search. The Search Screen module includes a search bar, the More Search Options feature, and options to Search All Schools, Include Parents, and Include Inactive Users.

2. Enter the user's name or ID in the User text box.

Click the User List tab for a complete list of users without conducting a search. You can also simply click the Search button and leave the User text box empty to pull all active users.

The search bar is not case sensitive, and full or partial entries can be in either a first last or last, first format. The comma is necessary in the last, first format. A full user name or ID number can also be entered into the search bar. Searching for "ma" will pull every user whose first or last name begins with "ma" into the search results.

3. Click More Search Options to search for groups of users with similar information in any number of user fields and/or user data.

A list of modules can be opened and closed by clicking the gray triangles. Set as many selections as needed to yield more specific search results. Note that the Profile defaults to Teacher and cannot be changed. In the example shown, the user search will be defined by the Teacher Profile and the Female Gender.

To clear search parameters and start over, click the Reset button.

4. Click Search.

5. All resulting users will display in the User List. When you find the correct user, click on the user's name to open the user's record.

6. Clicking the user's name navigates to the user's gradebook assignments screen. The user's name is displayed in the top right corner. Click the small red X next to the user's name to close the user and search for another one.

To open the selected user's User Info record, click on the user's name displayed in the header (next to the red x).

Adding an Assignment Category

Selecting a user navigates to the teacher's Gradebook Assignments screen where there are various options available.

1. You can create assignments for a teacher by section. To select the applicable section, click the pull-down and make a selection.

2. Any categories already created will display. To add a new category, click the black plus sign located at the bottom of the listed categories.

Clicking the black plus sign opens a New Assignment Category section where you can define the category.

3. Enter a Title for the category. The name entered here will display along with the other categories upon navigating to the Gradebook Assignments screen.

4. Enter the Percent of Final Grade in the provided text box. New categories must be added until this number equals 100%. This feature is useful for ensuring, for example, that class work makes up a minor percentage of the final course grade or that a group project represents a significant element in the course grade.

Weight grades by assignment category must be enabled via Gradebook Configuration in order for the option to appear.

5. If dropping the lowest grade, enter a numeric value in the Automatically Drop the lowest X grades text box. Using this option will automatically drop the lowest grades of the number of assignments for each class section assigned to this category and marking period. These will appear as gray values in the gradebook.

If there is only one assignment in the category, no assignment grades will be dropped. Note: If you enter 2 -- as in automatically drop the lowest 2 grades, and there are only 2 assignments, neither of the assignment grades will be dropped.

6. To assign a specific color to the new category, select the color from the Color section. Selecting a color will make it easier to distinguish which assignments belong to each category when looking at the column header of the gradebook. If you do not want to apply a color to the category, leave the selection to the defaulted coloring, which is gray.

7. Select the sections that will use the new category by selecting the corresponding check boxes. To select all sections, select the Check All check box.

Do not select sections that have already been set up in a category; doing so will create duplicates.

Notice that some of the courses cannot be cleared; the course and check box are inactive (grayed out).

8. The Category will display for selected marking periods; select the check box next to each marking period that should be included. The following is an example of why you would want to set a specific marking period for a category: Students may only have a Final Project in Quarter 4, so the Category titled Final Project can be set to display and calculate only in the Students Quarter 4 Grade.

Notice that some of the marking periods cannot be cleared; the marking period and check box are inactive (grayed out). To edit data for an inactive marking period, select the marking period from the marking period pull-down located in the header; the marking period will become active once selected.

9. When all information has been entered and all selections have been made, click the Save button to create the new category.

Editing or Deleting an Assignment Category

Selecting a user navigates to the teacher's Gradebook Assignments screen where there are various options available..

1. You can create assignments for a teacher by section. To select the applicable section, click the pull-down and make a selection.

2. To delete or edit a category, click the Assignment Category in question. For example, if you wanted to edit category information, such as the name of the Classwork category, you would click Classwork.

Clicking the Assignment Category will open the category information (listed at the top of the screen) and all Assignments housed within the category.

3. From this screen, you can edit the Title, the Percent of Final Grade, the Automatically Drop the lowest X grades, and Color sections by clicking the entered/selected data. For information on each of these options, see the section titled, Adding an Assignment Category.

Changing the value entered in the Automatically Drop the lowest X grades field will change students' grades already entered.

4. When changes have been made, click the Save button.

5. If you want to delete a category, simple click the Delete button.

The category cannot be deleted if assignments are housed within the category across all sections.

a. If the category in question has been applied to multiple sections, the pop-up shown below will display: You have created this category in multiple sections and terms. Which gradebooks would you like to delete this category in? Select the corresponding check boxes for each section and terms from which the category should be deleted. When selections have been made, click the Delete button in the upper right corner of the pop-up to move on to the next phase of deleting the category.

b. A new Confirm Delete screen will display. Click the Delete Category button to finalize the removal of the Assignment Category or click the Cancel button to cancel and leave the category as is.

Adding Assignments to an Assignment Category

Selecting a user navigates to the teacher's Gradebook Assignments screen where there are various options available.

1. You can create assignments for a teacher by section. To select the applicable section, click the pull-down and make a selection.

2. To view or create assignments for a specific category, click the Category. For example, if you want to add an assignment to the Classwork category, click Classwork.

3. Clicking the Assignment Category will open the category information (listed at the top of the screen) and all Assignments housed within the category. To add a new assignment, click the black plus sign at the bottom of the list.

In order to add an assignment, be sure you are clicking the black plus sign located in the Assignment column.

If the black plus sign does not display, the district may have a gradebook template attached to the course which restricts you from making changes.

Clicking the black plus sign will open a New Assignment section at the top of the screen.

4. Enter the Title of the assignment into the text box.

5. Enter the number of Points possible in the text box. If this is left blank, then the assignment will be taken out of 0 points and will count as extra credit when graded.

6. Enter the number of Questions in the text box. This is not required and is typically used when entering scores based upon questions correct/incorrect.

7. To fill in points for all students, type in the number of points in the Auto-Fill Points text box. If Auto-Fill Points is added after the assignment is created, it will only auto-fill empty cells for that assignment.

If the assignment is being added to multiple sections, the value entered in the Auto-Fill Points text box will populate for all sections. The Auto-Fill Points text box should not be populated until you are ready to grade the assignment.

8. Select an Assignment Category from the pull-down. This defaults the Assignment Category originally selected; however, if you want to select a different category, you can select it here.

9. Select the assignment Marking Period from the pull-down. Making a selection here ensures that the assignment will only be posted in the specified marking period.

10. Select the check boxes to the course sections that will receive this assignment. Selecting Check All will populate this assignment for all sections.

If the assignment was already added to another section, selecting the section again here will create a duplicate.

11. Select the Assigned and the Due date using the Month, Day, and Year pull-downs or by clicking the calendar icons.

a. Select a Publish date to determine when the assignment is published to the Student/Parent Portal.

12. Add files by dragging and dropping them directly from the computer to the files section. You can also click Select to upload a file. Files can also be scanned via Dynamsoft, a one-time download that allows the attachment of files directly from the scanner; click the Scanner icon to utilize this function.

13. Select the Hide from Excluded check box to create an exclusive assignment for a student or group of students. Students with an asterisk (*) in the grade column will not see the assignment on the student or parent portal. This is helpful when a transfer student comes into the class or make-up work has been assigned.

14. Select the check box to Allow student uploads as a way for students to submit assignments.

15. Enter a Description of the assignment. This description will be available when hovering over the assignment within the gradebook. Note: Depending on district settings, the Description field may not display.

16. Select the Standards related to the assignment by clicking on the appropriate check boxes. This feature is only available if standards are loaded and attached to courses.

17. When all data has been entered, click the Save button to officially add the assignment.

Editing and Deleting Assignments in an Assignment Category

Selecting a user navigates to the teacher's Gradebook Assignments screen where there are various options available.

1. You can create assignments for a teacher by section. To select the applicable section, click the pull-down and make a selection.

2. To edit assignments for a specific category, click the Category. For example, if you want to edit an assignment in the Classwork category, click Classwork.

3. Clicking the Assignment Category will open the category information (listed at the top of the screen) and all Assignments housed within the category. To edit an assignment, click the Assignment title.

Clicking the Assignment title will open information pertaining to the assignment, as shown in the image below.

4. Edit the Title of the assignment by clicking the underlined title information.

5. Edit the number of Points possible by clicking into the text box. If this is left blank, then the assignment will be taken out of 0 points and will count as extra credit.

Editing the Points will impact students' grades already entered.

6. Edit the number of Questions by clicking into the text box. This is not required and is typically used when entering scores based upon questions correct/incorrect.

7. To edit the specified fill in points for all students, type the number of points in the Auto-Fill Points text box. If Auto-Fill Points is added after the assignment is created, it will only auto-fill empty cells for that assignment.

8. To edit the Assignment Category, select the desired category from the pull-down.

9. Edit the assignment Marking Period by selecting the desired marking period from the pull-down.

10. Edit the course sections that will receive this assignment by selecting or clearing the selection for the corresponding check boxes. Selecting Check All will populate this assignment for all sections.

11. Edit the Assigned and the Due date by using the Month, Day, and Year pull-downs or by clicking the calendar icons.

a. Select a Publish date to determine when the assignment is published to the Student/Parent Portal.

12. Add files by dragging and dropping them directly from the computer to the files section. You can also click Select to upload a file. Files can also be scanned via Dynamsoft, a one-time download that allows the attachment of files directly from the scanner; click the Scanner icon to utilize this function.

13. Select the Hide from Excluded check box to create an exclusive assignment for a student or group of students. Students with an asterisk (*) in the grade column will not see the assignment on the student or parent portal. This is helpful when a transfer student comes into the class or make-up work has been assigned. Click the check box again to clear the selection.

14. Select the check box to Allow student uploads as a way for students to submit assignments.

15. Edit or enter a Description of the assignment. This description will be available when hovering over the assignment within the gradebook. Note: Depending on district settings, the Description field may not display.

16. Edit or select the Standards related to the assignment by clicking on the appropriate check boxes. This feature is only available if standards are loaded and attached to courses.

17. When all edits have been made, click the Save button to apply changes.

18. To delete an assignment, click the Assignment title listed in the selected Category, as mentioned in steps 1-3. Once the assignment is opened and the information is displayed, click the Delete button.

Do not delete an assignment if students' grades have already been entered as it will impact students' averages.

a. A new Confirm Delete screen will display. Click the Delete Assignment button to finalize the removal of the Assignment or click the Cancel button to cancel and leave the assignment as is.

If multiple sections are selected and the assignment is deleted, the assignment will be deleted from sections selected.