Gradebook

Documentation

Downloading the Appropriate Version

At the beginning of each grading period download the latest version of Gradebook to make sure you have all the latest features.  The special Kindergarten version (5.0k) is for teachers who determine student progress using a system of checks, pluses, and minuses.  The standard version (5.0) is for teachers who use either letter grades or percent grades (or a combination of both) and teach no more than five subjects.  Teachers in private schools which teach 6-8 subjects using letter grades and/or percent grades should use version 5.0-8.

Getting Started: Student List

Start on the SUMMARY page.  Type in the students' names in the A column on the SUMMARY page, beginning at row 5.  The students' names will automatically be entered onto the subject pages.  CAUTION:  Do NOT insert the names of new students into the list once you have begun entering grades.  New students should be added at the bottom of the list just as you did in your old handwritten gradebook.

Getting Started: Page Set-Up

Before you leave the Summary page, click on the word "FILE" at the top of your screen.  From the pull-down menu, select "Page SetUp."  If you do not see "Page SetUp" on the menu, double click on FILE to access a longer menu.

In the SetUp window, click on the tab labeled "Header/Footer."  You will see an old header in the center window.  Click on "Customize Header" and create your own header.  You also need to "Customize Header" for each of the Subject worksheets.  Just click on the subject tab at the bottom of you screen and repeat the above procedure.

Getting Started: Grade Weights

Next, go to the "GradeScale" page and edit the grade weights for each of the subjects. Give each type of grade (like "Test") a single CAPITAL letter and then a percentage. Use the existing ones as an example.  Remember that all your weights in each subject must add up to 100.  NOTE:  Teachers using the Kindergarten version may skip this step since your grades are based on performance criteria and are not weighted.

Getting Started: Changing Subject Tabs

If the subjects you teach are different from those listed on the tabs, you may change the names by following this THREE-STEP procedure:

1. On the SUMMARY page, click on the current subject name in row 4. Type the new subject name. Press ENTER.
2. Place your cursor over the current subject tab at the bottom of the screen (an arrow should point to the tab). Do a RIGHT click on your mouse. From the pop-up menu, click on RENAME. The current subject name will then be highlighted. Type the new subject name and press ENTER. Note: Excel does not allow some characters (like spaces) to be used for page names. The name on the page can be slightly different than what you entered on the SUMMARY page in step one. Printouts will use what was entered on the SUMMARY page.
3. On the GRADESCALE page, click on the current subject name in column J (under "Print Subject Order"). Type in the new subject name and press ENTER. This must EXACTLY match the name of the page entered in step 2.

When entering grades on a subject page, put a description of the assignment in row 3. In row 2, put the single letter code given to that type of assignment as you defined on the GradeScale page.  CAUTION: The grade calculator will not work if you fail to enter a code in this space.  It will not work if you type a lower-case letter on the subject page when you have assigned a capital letter on the GradeScale page.  It will also not work if you hit the space bar either before or after the letter.  

Grades can be entered as number grade (like 95) or using a letter grade (like B+). If a letter grade is entered, the program will use the scale shown at the top of the GradeScale page to calculate the averages. There are two "special" grades that can be entered: "EX" and "AB" for excused and absent. You can also enter "NG" for assignments you have collected but not yet graded.  The average calculator will automatically exclude  assignments with those codes when calculating the grade average instead of treating them as a 0.  If an assignment has not been turned in, but you will still accept it, leave the grade space blank.

When you set up your grade weights at the beginning of the marking period, you will envision all the types of assignments you expect to assign during the nine weeks.  Obviously, during the beginning of the marking period there will be weeks when the students have not yet done a particular type of assignment (i.e., a research project).  The Excel Gradebook calculator automatically takes this into consideration and distributes the weighting proportionately among the other categories until you have actually used all the assignment codes.

If you need to change a grade at any time, click on the cell containing the incorrect grade.  Then do a RIGHT CLICK on the mouse.  From the pop-up window click on "clear contents."  The old grade will disappear, and you can type in the new grade.  NEVER use the delete key to clear a cell in Gradebook.  ALWAYS use the "clear contents" command.

Adding Columns for More Grades

As the grading period progresses, you may find that you need additional columns to enter more grades.  Move the cursor to any cell in the column AFTER the place where you want a new column.  Then click on the button "Add Column" at the top of the page.  You may delete extra blank columns by moving the cursor to a cell in the blank column and clicking on the button "Delete Column."  CAUTION:  Do NOT click on "Delete Column" when your cursor is in a column where you have grades or you will lose that entire set of grades.  If this accidentally happens, IMMEDIATELY click on the undo button in your task bar in order to restore the grades.

Print-Outs for Administrative Purposes 

You can obtain a hard copy of the Summary Page or any Subject page.  When the page is open on your screen, click on FILE and select print from the pull-down menu.  In the print menu, click on "Pages" and enter the values "from 1 to 1."  Then enter the number of copies of that pages you want, and click on "Okay."  It is recommended that a hard copy be printed at least once a week.  However, at the end of the grading period, you only need to save the final copy of all 5 subjects and the Summary for your permanent records.  These records for four grading periods constitute the "Gradebook" which you will be required to turn in to the administration at the end of the school year.

Individual Print-Outs for Parents and Students

The print buttons at the top of each page may be used to generate status reports which can be sent home with the students.  If you need to generate a report for one particular student, select any cell in the row for the student for whom you would like a report, then hit the "Print Current Student" button.  "Show Student" will generate the report on your screen, but will not print it.  To have the computer automatically print an individual report for every student in your class, click on "Print All Students."

On the summary page you will see additional buttons which can be used to generate a report of all the work that the student is missing.  You may select individual students using "Show Missing Work for Student" or "Print Missing Work for Student."  To have the computer automatically create a print-out of missing work for each student in the class with any missing work, click on "Print All Missing Work."    All assignments where the grade space is blank in each subject  will be listed on the report.  If you have not yet had time to grade all assignments, but you want the assignment to appear on the Missing Work report, enter NG in the grade space for those students who did turn it in.  NG means "Not Yet Graded."

Using the Grade Report as a Weekly Newsletter

The "Header" and "Footer" pages allow you to use the Grade report as a general communication tool with parents.  These pages are useful for adding common blocks of text to every report.  

The Header page is set up to use for general announcements of upcoming events which all students/parents need to know about.   If you do not like the heading "Classroom Notes and Events," click on cell 5A and change the text.  All the blanks in column A below row 5 are set up to accept lengthy comments which will automatically "wrap" to the next line.  You may change the font style, size, color, etc. as you wish.  Remember: Whatever you type on the Header page will appear on every student report. 

The Footer page explains the codes used on the Grade Printout:

• AB="Absent, Not required to make up this assignment"
• EX="Excused from doing this assignment or quiz per teacher decision"
• NG="Not yet graded, but work was turned in"
• BLANK (No Grade Shown)="Assignment has not been turned in, notice the due date"
• 0="MAY mean student did not turn work in before the grace period expired and work will no longer be accepted'

You may edit these code definitions, and you may delete a code you do not wish to use.  However, you may not create new codes.

The Footer Page also includes the statement "Please sign this Progress Report and return it to your child's teacher" with spaces for Parent Signature, Date Signed, and Parent Comments.  You may choose to modify or delete this information.

Using the Grade Report for Individual Notes to Parents

The "Notes" page can be used to add a more personalized teacher comment to an individual student report (i.e., "Don't forget conference 2:15 on Wed, 9/10;" or "Joey needs to work on his multiplication facts" ).  NOTE: You may change the text in cell A2 if you want your comments to be titled something other than "Teacher Notes."

These individual Teacher Notes may be issued separately OR included with the Weekly Newsletter.  The section labeled "Teacher Notes" will only appear on a child's report IF you have entered a personalized comment in column B after the student's name.    Find the student's name in column A, and then type your comment/note into column B.  Cells in column B will automatically "wrap" text to the next line when you have lengthy comments.

Other Options

There are many additional OPTIONS available with Gradebook.  You will find them on the GradeScale page.  Study it carefully.  Here are two examples:

Grade Averages -- If you do not want grade averages to show on the individual printouts, go to the GradeScale page and find the topic "Print Averages" in column I; then change the code in column J to 0.  If you decide you want the averages to print later in the grading period, simply go back and change the code to 1.  Also, if you do not want grade averages carried out two decimal places, find "average decimals" in column I; then change the code in column J to 0.

Columns on Page -- Gradebook is currently set to print a two-column report.  As you get more and more assignments in each subject, the program adjusts the font size to make everything fit into the two columns.  However, if the print becomes too small for comfortable reading, you may switch to the three-column option.  On the GradeScale page, find "Print Columns" in column I, and change the code in column J to 3. 

CAUTION: The "Working" page always shows the last student printout you did.  It stays in the programs memory until you request a new or updated printout.  The "Working" page is NOT to be used for teacher input. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact me.

Dan Kulp 

©2003, J. Daniel Kulp