Individual Gradebook Setup

Faculty should set up their gradebooks before they begin adding assignments to ensure students' cumulative grades are calculated correctly. Gradebook Managers may set up Gradebook defaults by school level, including Gradebook calculation (Year vs. Marking period), Calculation method, and the Number of decimal points to show. They may also restrict faculty from changing these settings. Even if defaults are set and restricted, faculty need to review their gradebook settings to complete the setup.

To set up your gradebook, navigate to your class and select Launch gradebook. Select Settings to access the Gradebook settings where you'll configure your Display options, Gradebook access, and Grade calculation. If your school uses Competency Based Education, this is also where you'll set up your Mastery calculation. See Competency Based Education for more information.

In addition to setting up the calculation, faculty can enable certain features to help customize the gradebook to meet their needs. Check out our documentation here when you're all set up and ready to work with assignment grades in a class gradebook.

Note: Faculty must have Group Page Access to access sections. See Group Page Access for more information.

Note: Your Display options are set for each class individually.

Under Display options, you can control the following display settings:

  • Column header information: You can select to display assignment titles or abbreviations and if you want to display the Assignment type, Date due, and Date assigned information in your gradebook. If your school is using Competency based education, you can also control displaying the Skill code and Skill name.

    Note: The Title, Max points, and Number of Skills will always be displayed.

  • Section indicators: You can select which indicator icons you would like to see in your gradebook.

  • Default displays: You can setup how your gradebook will display by default. You have the following options:

    • Group by assignment type

      Tip: Assignment groups will be sorted alphabetically.

    • Sort assignment columns by: Assignments can be sorted by Due date and Assigned date as well as oldest to newest.

    • Show student names: Names can be displayed with First name or Last name first.

    • Row sorting: You can select how students should be sorted in your gradebook. In addition to the traditional A-Z and Z-A sorting options, you can also Sort by custom order. If this is selected, use the Edit option to drag and drop your students into your preferred order.

    • Skill column display: Select if Skill columns should be hidden or displayed. This setting will only be available for teachers using Competency based education.

Note: Gradebook access settings can also be set globally by your administrator. If your school is using global settings, you can view the settings here, but you cannot change them.

Note: Gradebook access settings must be set for each class individually if they are not set globally by your administrator.

Under Gradebook access, you can set what gradebook information specific roles can access.

You can use to available checkboxes to provide access by role to the following:

  • Marking period cumulative

  • Year cumulative

  • Assignment grades

  • Assignment comments

Under Grade calculation, you can select the calculation method that will be used to calculate the assignment grades for your class. You can also apply your Grade Calculation settings to other class sections.

  1. Select the Set calculation by option for the gradebook calculation. You can set the calculation method to be based on the entire Year or by each Marking period or term individually.

    Note: Your school may require all gradebooks to use the same Set calculation by setting. If so, you cannot change the selection.

    Note: If your calculation is set by Marking period, after configuring your settings for the first marking period, you can use Copy to all marking periods to copy the Calculation method, Assignment types, Weight (if applicable), Letter grade scale, and Number to drop per marking period to subsequent marking periods.

  2. Select a Letter grade scale if you want to select letter grades instead of numeric values.

  3. Select the Gradebook cumulative display format: 

    • Numeric (label) - Example: 96 (A)

    • Label (numeric) - Example: A (96)

    • Numeric - Example: 96

    • Label - Example: A

  4. Enable Show gradebook calculation to display the gradebook calculation for students viewing their grade details from their Progress page.

    Note: When Show gradebook calculation is enabled, students and parents can see calculation details, including which assignments, if any, are dropped from the calculation.

  5. Next, use the Calculation method dropdown to select the calculation method for the course. Here are descriptions and examples for each of the three gradebook calculation methods, you can also use the blue info icon next to Calculation method to view the calculation method descriptions:

    1. Total Points: In this calculation method, the students' cumulative grade is based on the total points earned divided by the total points attempted. Select this option if the cumulative grade is based on straight points, and you do not consider the type of assignment when calculating the grade. 

      • Formula
        sum(assignment grade * assignment factor) / sum(maximum points * factor) = Total cumulative grade

      A class has five total assignments and one extra credit (EC) assignment.  Each assignment is worth 4 points, and each has a factor of 1.  The student receives the full 4 points on all regular assignments, and 3 points on the extra credit assignment.

      Tip: Factor references if an assignment should count more than once. For example, if an assignment has a factor of 2. In the calculation, the total points for the assignment will be multiplied by 2.

      To calculate the total cumulative grade for the class, we must first add up the total points the student earned for all assignment types, multiplied by the assignment factor.

      Assignment 1: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 2: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 3: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 4: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 5 (EC): 3 * 1 = 3
      Total = 19

      Then sum up all the assignment maximum point values multiplied by the assignment factor, excluding any extra credit assignments. 

      Assignment 1: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 2: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 3: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 4: 4 * 1 = 4
      Total = 16

      Next, divide the sum of the points earned by the sum of the maximum points.
      This is your cumulative grade.

      19 / 16 = 1.1875
      118.75%

    2. Total Points with Weight: In this calculation method, the students' cumulative grade is based on the total points a student earned, divided by the total points attempted within each assignment type. The assignment type grades are then averaged together based on their weights. Select this option if the cumulative grade is based on something like 30% homework, 40% quizzes, and 30% tests, but each assignment within those categories is worth varying points. 

      • Formula
        For each assignment type: sum(assignment grade * assignment factor) / sum(maximum points * factor) = Assignment type grade
        Then: sum(assignment type grade * weight) / sum(weight) * 100 = Total cumulative grade

      Tip: To view a student's grade for each assignment type from the gradebook, select the dropdown at the end of the student's name, then select See student's gradebook.

      A class has five total assignments and one extra credit (EC) assignment.  Each assignment is worth 4 points, and each has a factor of 1.  The student receives the full 4 points on all regular assignments, and 3 points on the extra credit assignment.

      To calculate the total cumulative grade for the class, we must first calculate the assignment type grade.
      For each assignment, divide the assignment grade by the assignment factor.
      Add the sums together.

      Assignment 1: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 2: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 3: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 4: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 5 (EC): 3 * 1 = 3
      Total = 19

      Then sum up all the assignment maximum point values multiplied by the assignment factor, excluding any extra credit assignments.  

      Assignment 1: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 2: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 3: 4 * 1 = 4
      Assignment 4: 4 * 1 = 4
      Total = 16

      Next, divide the sum of the points earned by the sum of the maximum points. This is your assignment type grade.

      19 / 16 = 1.1875

      Apply weights to each assignment type grade by multiplying each assignment type grade by its weight.

      Homework: 1.1875
      Weight: 50%
      1.1875 * 0.50 = 0.5938

      Classwork: 0.9102
      Weight: 50%
      0.9102 * 0.50 = 0.4551

      Add all the weighted grades together and divide by the sum of the weights. Multiply by 100.
      This is your cumulative grade.

      Assignment type grades: 0.5938 + 0.4551 = 1.0489
      Weights: 0.5 + 0.5 = 1

      1.0489 / 1 = 1.0489
      104.89%

    3. Percentages: The assignments are averaged together within each assignment category; the average is used to calculate the cumulative grade based on the weights the faculty has entered. Select this option if the cumulative grade is based on something like 30% homework, 40% quizzes, and 30% tests, but each assignment within those categories count equally.

      • Formula
        For each assignment type: sum(assignment grade / maximum points * assignment factor) / sum(factor) = Assignment type grade
        Then: sum(assignment type grade * weight) / sum(weight) * 100 = Total cumulative grade

      Tip: To view a student's grade for each assignment type from the gradebook, select the dropdown at the end of the student's name, then select See student's gradebook.

      A class has five total assignments and one extra credit (EC) assignment.  Each assignment is worth 4 points, and each has a factor of 1.  The student receives the full 4 points on all regular assignments, and 3 points on the extra credit assignment.

      To calculate the total cumulative grade for the class, we must first calculate the assignment type grade.
      For each assignment, divide the assignment grade by the maximum points, and multiply by the assignment factor.
      Add the sums together.

      Assignment 1: (4 / 4 * 1) = 1
      Assignment 2: (4 / 4 * 1) = 1
      Assignment 3: (4 / 4 * 1) = 1
      Assignment 4: (4 / 4 * 1) = 1
      Assignment 5 (EC): (3 / 4 * 1 ) = .75
      Total = 4.75

      Then sum up all the assignment factors, excluding any extra credit assignments. 

      Assignment 1: 1
      Assignment 2: 1
      Assignment 3: 1
      Assignment 4: 1
      Total = 4

      Next, divide the assignment averages by the sum of the factors. This is your assignment type grade.

      4.75 / 4 = 1.1875

      Apply weights to each assignment type grade by multiplying each assignment type grade by its weight.

      Homework: 1.1875
      Weight: 50%
      1.1875 * 0.50 = 0.5938

      Classwork: 0.9102
      Weight: 50%
      0.9102 * 0.50 = 0.4551

      Add all the weighted grades together and divide by the sum of the weights. Multiply by 100.
      This is your cumulative grade.

      Assignment type grades: 0.5938 + 0.4551 = 1.0489
      Weights: 0.5 + 0.5 = 1

      1.0489 / 1 = 1.0489
      104.89%

  6. Use Select assignment types to select the assignment types you will use for the section.

  7. For each assignment type you can set:

    • Letter grade scale: Letter grade scales allow you to use letters when entering grades for students and students receive a fixed-point assignment value based on the parameters of the letter grade scale set by the administrator.

      Note: You cannot change the Letter grade scale for an Assignment type if grades exist for assignments associated with that Assignment type.

      Warning: If your cumulative grades for students are incorrect and you are using a letter grade scale, please speak with your administrator to verify the letter grade scale goes up to 100.

    • Weight (if using Total points with weight or Percentages as your calculation method)

    • Number to drop per marking period: Number of lowest graded assignments to drop from the calculation for this assignment type.

      Tip: When viewing the gradebook, a icon indicates which assignments are dropped from the cumulative calculation.

    • Default max points: The Max points set on new assignments by default.

      Note: If Total points with weight or Percentages is used for a calculation method, you will see a running total of the overall assigned weight.

  8. Under Other sections to apply, select any other courses these settings should apply to. You cannot apply settings to courses that are already set up.

  9. To copy settings from the first marking period to subsequent marking periods for the current class and any other classes selected under Other sections to apply, select Copy to all marking periods.

    Note: Copy to all marking periods copies the Calculation method, Assignment types, Weight (if applicable), Letter grade scale, and Number to drop per marking period settings. If any other class sections are selected under the first marking period, the settings are also copied to all marking periods for those sections.

The last item under Settings is Mastery calculation. This will only be available for teachers at schools using Competency based education (CBE) and your school must allow teachers to set a Content-area skill computation method in their Mastery settings for these options to display.

  1. Under Calculation method, select your calculation. For more information on the calculation methods, see Competency Based Education Calculation Guide.

  2. If a student must master a skill a specific number of times, enable Student must demonstrate mastery N times before mastery is acknowledged.

  3. To allow students and parents to view the calculation method when reviewing the student's grade details, enable Display calculation.

  4. Under Other sections to apply, select any other courses these settings should apply to. You cannot apply settings to courses that have already been setup.

  5. If your school has both Total Points and Mastery enabled, under Student gradebook landing page, you can set the Landing page to display Total points or Skills by default when students or parents view the student gradebook.

  6. When finished, select Save.