Create a Grade Translation

Grade Translations are grades (A+, B-, C, D, etc.) and the criteria associated with each grade for use in Grade Point Average calculations. Grade translations can be used to calculate weighted GPAs for certain categories of courses, such as Honors or AP courses.

Grade Translations are tied to Grade Categories and allow grading managers to determine whether a teacher records a raw score or sees a Grade label. They also determine whether the raw score or grade label appears on reports cards and transcripts.

Grade translations must be set up before creating Grade Categories . If your school uses standard grading, the grade translation can be used to set the parameters for translating the gradebook cumulative grade into the grade that will appear on the report card. If your school uses assessment grading, the grade translations are used to create the scale by which students will be evaluated. 

To get started:

  1. From the persona menu, choose Academics.

  2. Select Grades then select Grading setup.

  3. Select Grade translations.

For a tutorial on setting up grading at your school, see The Guide to Grading Setup.

  1. Select + Add grade translation.

  2. Choose the Group Type you want to add a translation for (if applicable).

  3. Enter a Description The Translation Description should describe the grading scale (for example, "AP Upper School"), School Level ("Upper School"), or the skill-focused purpose of the Grade Translation table.

  4. Set the Status to Active.

  5. Under Value to use when translate on output is set, select Grade label or Abbreviation.

    This selection will only impact grade translations for the new report card and transcript builders when selecting Letter Grade.

  6. Under Grades, enter the following information in the top row. Select + Add another grade to create additional rows:

    • Grade label
      Label that will appear on report cards and transcripts. (Up to 7 characters are supported on transcripts.)

    • Abbreviation 
      This field will display only if "translate score on output" is checked in the Grade Category options when using assessment grading. It is not used for standard grading. Most schools using assessment grading should populate this field.

    • Minimum 
      Lower end of grade boundary.

      To ensure grades are correctly translated and calculated, use an adequate number of decimal places for the Minimum value. Enter at least two decimal places if you allow teachers to pull in their gradebook cumulative grades.

    • Maximum 
      Upper end of grade boundary.

      To ensure grades are correctly translated and calculated, use an adequate number of decimal places for the Maximum value. Enter at least two decimal places if you allow teachers to pull in their gradebook cumulative grades.

    • Numeric equivalent 
      This optional field is used in some formulas if your school does not use the gradebook. It defines one distinct numeric value for each grade label. 

    • Include in GPA 1
      If checked, the grade will be used in GPA calculations.

    • GPA Equivalent 
      This value is used in grade average calculations. If your school uses a 4.0 GPA scale, typically an A = 4.0, etc. The equivalent score for each of the grade labels must be unique.

    • Include in GPA 2

      If checked, the grade will be used in an alternate GPA calculation.

    • GPA equivalent 2
      Used to calculate an alternate grade average. The alternative equivalent score does not need to be unique. 

    • Pass (earn credits) 
      If you select Pass, students will earn credits for completing a course with this grade.

      If you select Fail, students will not earn credits for completing a course with this grade.

      Create only one failing grade per grade translation table.

Alternate grades, such as Medical Excuse or Pass, are designed to allow for unique grading scenarios where a school acknowledges a circumstance that affects a student's ability to participate in a course, but that circumstance should not impact the student's GPA. For example, if a student withdraws from a course, the teacher can select Withdraw (W), rather than a grade associated with a GPA calculation (ex. A, B, C). The result is that the appropriate scenario is recorded on a report card or transcript (W, for Withdraw, for example), and a GPA calculation does not take place to influence that student's grade.

Alternate grades exist in grade translation tables alongside other grades. Simply add a new grade to an existing translation table, and note the following details:

  • Minimally enter information for Grade Label (ex. Withdraw) and Abbreviation (ex. W).

  • Ensure Translate Score on Input and Translate Score on Output are enabled for the Grade Category associated with the Grade Plan Grades used to record grades.

    • Enabling Translate Score on Input and Translate Score on Outputis required in order to take advantage of alternate grades, because the former allows a teacher to select the Grade Label from a drop-down when recording grades, and the latter allows Grade Labels to appear on report cards.

Here are some important definitions to know during grading setup:

  • Grade Translations are grades (such as A, B, C, D, or F) and the criteria associated with them for use in GPA calculations.

  • Grade Categories determine how Grade Translations appear on report cards. They are linked to courses through Grade Plans. You should create a Grade Category for each Grade Translation table.

  • Grade Plans are the periods during an academic year when grades are recorded. They are time-sensitive buckets that teachers drop grades into. Grade plans are added to Grade Plan Groups.

  • Grade Plan Grades are what you allow teachers to record during a Grade Plan, whether they are comments or standard grades. If Grade Plans are buckets, then Grade Plan Grades are the contents of those buckets.

  • Grade Plan Groups are used to link courses with Grade Plans. There are two types of Grade Plan Groups: Standard or Assessment.

  • Grade Calculations use students' grades to generate Grade Point Averages, academic performance awards, and class rankings.

  • Transcript Categories determine how courses are grouped together on a transcript.