STAR PORTAL GRADEBOOK

Let’s Get Into the Gradebook! At the Teacher Schedule page, click once on the Gradebook link to open to the page for the corresponding period/block.  This is where every teacher will setup his/her own categories and assignments.

STAR PORTAL CREATING CATEGORIES (How do you average your grades?)

Let’s Get Into the Gradebook! You must define Categorie s and Assignment s for each Marking Period. You can only enter assignments AFTER defining your categories. Click on the Categories link to set up the Categories you will use to group (average) student work for the marking period.

Creating Your Categories! You should see the “ Class Categories ” screen above. This is where you will enter the categories ( Homework, Classwork, Quizzes, Tests, etc…) you will use in this average. ALL FIELDS from left to right must be completed. Use the “tab” key to move to the next field or click once in the field. DO NOT HIT ENTER. Enter is the same as clicking the submit button on this screen.

Creating Your Categories! Create your own Category Codes (limited to three characters) and Descriptions (i.e. HW – Homework, QZ – Quizzes) The remaining fields will automatically fill with “total points”, “100”, “No”, “Default VG”. Make changes as needed

Important Points when Creating Categories! Use the “tab” key to move from field to field. Use the drop-down arrow to change the Grading Type (Percentage or Total Points). Enter the % of Grade. For example, Tests 20% and Other 80%  OR if all assignments are of equal value you would enter All and 100%. Leave the Valid Grade Table set to “Default Valid Grades”.

Creating Your Categories! If you choose the Total Points option, your screen will look like this. Each TP category equals 100% of the grade. If you choose the Percentage option, your screen will look like this. All Percentage categories must add up to 100%.

My Percentages Don’t Add Up! Don’t Worry! If your percentages don’t add up, Portal will warn you. Simply check your math and revise as necessary !

Creating Your Categories! To add categories, simply repeat the steps starting with setting the Marking Period. To erase an existing category, delete the code in the Category field. Be sure to click submit to save changes.

Average Everything the Same? If you prefer to enter all grades equally, simply enter ALL for the Category and ALL for the Description. Choose Percentage from the pull-down arrow under Grading Type. Enter 100 in the % of Grade column.  (Enter tests, quizzes, or projects twice in your assignment screen in order for them to weigh more.)

Copy Your Categories to Future Marking Periods You can copy the Categories from the 1 st marking period to other specific or all marking periods. Use the Copy drop-down arrow to select the grading period to copy FROM. Use the Categories To drop-down arrow to select the grading period to copy TO. Click Go once to complete the copy.

Copy Your Categories to Other Classes You can copy this class’s Categories to a specific class or to all classes. Use the drop-down arrow to select the class (or ALL). Click the Go button to complete the copy. When the confirmation message displays, click OK once.

STAR PORTAL CREATING ASSIGNMENTS (What are you grading?)

Create Class Assignments! You should see the Class Assignments window above. Enter Assignments for this marking period (For this class). You can add, delete or edit assignments at any time. ALL FIELDS from left to right must be filled.

Create Class Assignments! Use the drop-down arrow to select the corresponding marking period, such as “1 st Marking Period.”  Use the “tab” key on your keyboard to move to the next field or click once in that field. DO NOT HIT ENTER. Enter the date of the assignment in MM/DD/YYYY format.

Create Class Assignments! The Points column represents 100 possible points for this assignment.  Put in the maximum amount of points for the assignment here if working with Total Points. For Categories use the drop-down arrow to choose one of the Categories you created earlier.

Create Class Assignments! Enter a description for this assignment.  For instance: Vocab. Quiz, Six Week Test, Workbook Activity Use the drop-down options to reflect whether this is a normal assignment (Select NO), or extra credit (Select YES).

Create Class Assignments! Extra Credit Option--  This option will allow you to create an assignment especially for extra credit affecting the final grade. (for instance: when extra credit is given to help a student raise an “F” to a “D” you will change the total points possible for the assignment and select yes here).  DO NOT USE THIS OPTION if you apply extra credit (bonus) to an every day assignment such as “Chapter 1 Pretest”, simply key the grade in your gradebook (for instance: giving a bonus on a test and the student receives 5 pts.— simply key 105 in the gradebook.) Repeat these steps for each assignment. You can add assignments daily, weekly, or as you please.

What Equals 100 Points? Remember the 100 represents the maximum points possible for this assignment.  You would change this number, if you chose to use the Total Points (in categories set up), to the maximum amount this assignment is worth. For instance: Assigning a test worth 10 points  You might also change the Points to 2, if you provide an extra credit assignment. For instance: Assigning extra credit to a borderline student with the understanding that you will add 2 pts. to his or her final average if he or she completes the work.. (This is an example of when you should change the last Extra Credit column to Yes.)

Copy Assignments to Other Classes! You can now copy these assignments to another class or all classes. In the Copy Assignment area at the bottom of the screen, use the drop- down arrow to select which assignment to copy, and use the drop-down arrow to select which class to copy the assignment to. Click Go to complete the copy. When the confirmation message appears, click OK.

STAR PORTAL ENTERING GRADES (What are your students’ grades/averages?)

GradeBook With Categories & Assignments ! This is the left side of the screen. The student’s name will display after every 5 th assignment. Assignments appear in order by date in the Gradebook with the latest (or future) date to the left.

Color Codes for Assignments Gray – The assignment date is tomorrow or later. White – The assignment date is today’s date or earlier. Yellow – The assignment is for extra credit on the final average.

Entering Assignment Grades This is where you will enter individual’s grades. Simply locate the assignment title, click once in the block beside the corresponding student, and type in the numerical grade.

Entering Assignment Grades After entering all of the grades (for one class assignment or several assignments), hit any Submit button under your assignments to save your data. NOTE: If you leave a box blank, a zero will be figured into the student’s average until that grade is entered. (Future grades are not calculated into the average.)

So Where’s the Student’s Average? This is the top-right side of the screen. The right-hand columns show:  The Total for the Maximum Possible Points in the marking period (MP), the Max for the MP, and the Avg for the Marking Period (Teachers using Percentage only need to know the AVERAGE for the MP, not total or max, however the Total & Max can help when troubleshooting grades, for instance - with exempts). If you chose the Percentage option, the student’s current grade is in the Avg column in blue.

Student Average Breakdown If you weight your grades you can click on the student’s average to see a break down of the average (based on the categories you set up previously in gradebook).

POSTING GRADES (How do I get my grades to the report cards?) STAR PORTAL

ONLY when the Grade Posting Window is open will you receive this message when clicking on the Gradebook link. The Grade Posting Window dates are decided at the building level

Marking Period Posting Procedure You must use the Re-calc (recalculate) button to do any last minute grade changes or updates to the Alpha grade in your Gradebook. Re-Calc must be done before you go to post grades in the Grades Link.  You will only get this button when the window is open.  Submit re-averages the grades  Re-Calc re-assigns letter grades When you are done--Exit the gradebook and go to the Grades link

Posting MP Grades PICTURE HERE To Post Click on the Grades Link from your schedule screen.

Posting MP Grades To post grades to the Star Student Database so that report cards can be generated  Check each students average (transferred from your gradebook) Hit the “Enter” key on your keyboard to move from student to student.  If you wish to change the average—simply click on that student’s average and change it. Hit enter to move to the next student.  Choosing comments- If your screen looks like this one, you will choose more than one comment by holding CTRL and selecting the comments needed (limited to three..

Posting MP Grades If you make changes in your Gradebook you must come back to the Grades link to post again. You may make changes to your grades at any time; however, until you Submit in the Grades link, your grades are not downloaded to Star Student. You can post as many times as you need to while the posting window is open.

Posting MP Grades Changes in your Gradebook during posting If the MP Grade column turns yellow, you have made a change somewhere in that student’s grades SINCE you posted last.  Yellow indicates that the MP Grade in Gradebook does not match the MP Grade previously downloaded to Star Student.

Posting MP Grades Never leave an MP Grade column yellow (unless you are aware of the difference and are okay with it-but remember these grades will be used in final grade calculations).

MP Posting Points to Remember Cut off, enter, and/or make changes to grades in time to post before the window closes. Never leave your Marking Period column yellow without taking action to correct the grade in Star Student. You will no longer have to figure semester or final averages; these grades are pulled from the database!

Reporting Features Features available for your convenience:  Print Gradebook by student or average  Print Progress Reports by class or individual  Print Missing Assignments by class or individual  Student Average (Category Breakdown) STAR PORTAL

Printing the Gradebook Use the pull-down arrows to print the Gradebook for this class. Select how you wish to sort the report (By name or average). Choose to print or suppress the student name. Click Go.

Printing Student Progress Reports Use the pull-down arrow to select All Students or an individual Name. Click Go. You may use this feature for individual reports

Printing Missing Assignment Reports Use the pull-down arrow to select All Students or an Individual Name. Click Go.

Questions?