Grade Book Training Thanks for coming!

Adding A Student  Add student from enter/leaves screen  Go to Manage Students (if you forgot low assignment)  Put in low assignment (if trimester has begun)  Please do not excuse them from all previous assignments!  You must have at least one grade in the grading period for all students!!!!  NM (No mark) can be assigned in finalize screen, but not unless there is a grade! If necessary, have a participation grade for a day! If necessary, have a participation grade for a day! NM is for students in school less than 10 days! NM is for students in school less than 10 days!  A student will not show up in the finalize grade screen unless a grade has been assigned.

Dropping A Student  Print an “assignments by student” record for that student  Drop student from Enter/Leaves screen  Delete student prior to grade cut-off  Remember to click box to authorize deletion

Adding/Dropping  Please do not delay in adding or dropping students!  If you do not drop a student, and he/she goes to another class, the student will end up with more than 6 periods and grades for both teachers!

Transferring Students  If you have a student that you will be moving from homeroom to switch or vice versa, as long as the grade books are linked there is a way to transfer grades!  Please call me and I will be happy to come do it for you.  District would prefer I do it as opposed to teaching you how to do it.  Please do not try it on your own!

Grading periods  You are entitled to enter grades all the way until the cut-off date!  Here is the problem with doing so: Absent student work Absent student work Entering an assignment and grade, but changing grades over the weekend. Entering an assignment and grade, but changing grades over the weekend. Changes can take up to a couple of hours to take effect Changes can take up to a couple of hours to take effect

Why don’t changes take effect immediately??:  A program runs in background that compiles data.  That data loads into grades database and into the preview (finalize grade) screen  As long as grades have not been approved, the changes will take 1-3 hours to appear.  Remember that changes are not in REAL TIME!

 Once you approve “finalize” grades this prevents the grade transfer mechanism from overwriting your approved data.  If you make changes you will have to go back into the finalize grade screen to the grades you approved and change the grade.  The percentage and the letter grade may not correspond since the system did not override what you confirmed to be “finalized grades”.

What you see!  This is what the preview screen looks like prior to your approval. Notice how the message is red? These grades have not been approved and so they have not been locked.

 This is after you have submitted your grades. Notice how the message is green? That means you have locked in the percentages. The system will not calculate any new percentages.

Example:  Teacher wants to get a test score into the grades, so they give a test on Friday (grade cut- off day).  Grades have to be approved by 4pm.  Teacher enters grades, but has 4 students absent.  Teacher enters test into grade book.  At 2:25, the teacher finds that the test has still not been calculated into the percentage on the preview screen.

 Teacher leaves school and logs onto website from home.  Teacher reviews grades in finalize grade screen, comments are in, teacher approves grades and hits submit.  Monday, the absent students return and the test is administered.  Teacher enters the test scores for the absent students.

 It is Tuesday and the teacher goes in to verify and resubmit grades.  Teacher finds that the test score has not been calculated in.  Since the grades were approved (finalized) the scores for the test that were entered on Monday will not be calculated into the percentage seen on finalize grade screen.  Teacher will therefore have to enter a grade based on what the grade is in the grade book not on the percentage seen on the finalized grade screen.  Teacher must hit approval and submit AGAIN! If you do not, the system will revert back.

Reminders:  All students must have at least one grade!  Do not forget to delete students that have been dropped!  Do not forget to give added students a “low” score in managed students screen.  Grades entered after you have submitted approval can be changed, but percentages will not reflect changes!  You must submit approval by the given closing date on the finalize grade screen!

More reminders:  Remember to use “ab” or “mi”, in place of leaving an assignment blank!  Remember to check that you have marked “grading complete” on all assignments that should appear in that grading period.  If you have any questions, please come to me as opposed to just doing your own thing! I really do not mind helping!

Suggestions:  Print a grade book summary before you approve grades in the finalize grade screen.  Write down your last assignment in your grade book before adding a student.  Make sure that if you have 32 students that on the finalize grade screen you have 32 students. If you are missing any, there is a problem!  Try to close your grades before the Friday grades are due.

Favor  Please do not call me during class time as it is very disruptive to my students.  I will respond to s or you can call me during my prep period which is 5 th period or during my elective 6 th period.  Please do not call or Deborah or Manuel. I am the first contact regarding Aeries!! This is comparable to a parent going to administration without talking to you first! I swear I don’t bite! Bark yes, bite no!