Class Defaults:

1. In an opened class, click on Gradebook on the menu bar Class Defaults.

2. Select how you want your assignments to appear in your grade book by selecting an Activity Sort Order. Click here for an explanation for Sort Order.

3. Select how you will calculate your grades. Click here for an explanation of each method.

4. Click in the check boxes for other areas you can control such as "Include Withdrawn Students" Click here for an explanation of each item.

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Average Method (How Grades are Calculated): 
Note: This selection is made in the Class Defaults window

1. If you want to use Total Points to calculate your grades, bullet Total Points.

2. If you want to use the Average method for calculating the final course grade in the selected course, bullet this item.  The Average method assigns equal weighting to all activities, by assigning a value to each activity of 100 percentage points.  The final course grade is calculated by totaling all averages and dividing by the total number of averages possible.

3. If you want to weight your grades (50% test, 25% homework, 25% quiz, etc.), click on Category (Pts).

4. Use the Category (Av) if you want averages within categories and then averages of the categories.

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Activity Sort Order:
Note: This selection is made in the Class Defaults window

1. If you wish your assignments to appear according to the date on which they were entered, bullet Date Ascending (08/22, 08/23, 08/24, etc.).  

2. If you want your most recent assignments to appear first, bullet Date Descending (08/24, 08/23, 08/22, etc.).  You probably won’t want to use this bullet until you have many grades recorded.  This method will save you from having to scroll to the last grade entered.

3. If you want assignments grouped by category rather than by date (all quizzes will be together, all tests will be grouped together, etc) bullet Group by Category. When you enter assignments, you must tell the program into which category the assignment falls.  Categories can be assigned whether you are using points or percents to calculate your grades.

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To Show Withdrawn Students:

• Bullet this item in the Class Defaults window

To Show the Current Grading Period:

• Bullet this item in the Class Defaults window

To Show the Class Average on Progress Reports:

• Bullet this item in the Class Defaults window. 

To Display Total Points Your Grade Book:

• Bullet this item in the Class Defaults window.

To Round Displayed Average:

• Bullet this item in the Class Defaults window. There will be no decimal point grades if you use this option

Entering Comments by Number:

• If you want to enter comments by number (you must have a list on hand to know what number stands for a comment), leave the setting as is if you want the actual description, click the down arrow and select description. To get a comment number list, click here.

Average Scale Weight
Note: This selection is made in the Class Defaults window

• If you wish to add the same number of points to all student grades, insert the number of points you want to add here. You may do this at any time.

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Defining Categories/Calculate Grades

1. Open the class for which you want to enter assignments and/or grades. Click on the Grade Book icon.

2. Click on the Categories icon. 

3. Click on Insert. Remember, when you set up the Class Defaults, you told the program how to figure your grades by bulleting either: Points, Average, or Category. Now you must be more specific about how to calculate your grades.

• If you are using Total Points or Average, type in one word like “Grades” or “Total” under the Activity column.  Under Value, type 100. (The example above is calculated to use Total Points.)

• If you are using Weighted Grades (Category Pts.), type in your categories under Activity (Test, Quiz, Homework, etc.). Under Value, put in the value that most individual assignments in this category typically will count (This is not the percentage). When you set up the assignment, the value of the assignment will be automatically entered.  You can change the value if the point count is not what you want. For Percent, type in the number that is to be the percentage weight of this category; for example, if you want tests to be 50% of the total grade, type in 50 in the percent column.  The total of your categories should be 100.

• If you want to add points to each grade earned by students, type in the points you want to give in the Weight Add box.

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1. Click on the Activities icon.

2. Click on Insert. 

3. Click the down arrow in the Category box and select the correct category.  If you use Total Points or Average, you will only see one choice.  If you use Weighted grades, you will need to choose how you want this particular assignment to count toward the final grade. (You made these decisions when you clicked on the Categories icon when you initially defined your categories.)

4. In the Description box, type in the name of the assignment; for example, you might type in Vocab. 1 or Chapter 1 questions.

5. For Value, type in how much the assignment is worth.

6. You can assign a specific weight to an assignment by using Wt. Multiplier.  The program defaults at 1.00. (Typically, you want to use the default setting

7. If you wish to assign extra points to each student grade on this specific activity, you may do so by typing the number of points in the Wt. Add box.  Grade Book defaults to 0.00.  You may change this at anytime in the future.

8. You can add any notes about the assignment in the Note box. When you are finished, click OK. You then will be taken back to the Activity List window.  It is  here that all of your assignments will be listed, and where you can make changes  to any assignment you have created.  Just highlight the assignment you want to  change and click on Change.  Click Close when you have finished with the Activity List window.

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Entering Scores:

1. Highlight the assignment for which you want to enter scores.

2. Click the Enter Scores icon.

3. Move your cursor to the New column.  Type in the score and hit Enter.  Continue until all grades have been entered.  Click Save.  You will be then taken back to the Grade Book window, and you should see your assignments and the corresponding student scores.

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1. Double Click on the score you want to edit.
2. Enter the student's new score in the highlighted box under Current Score.  You do not have to erase the old score, just type an number in the highlighted box.
3. You may also make a comment as to why the grade changed or is what it is by clicking on the Comment tab button and typing in your comment. This comment will appear on grade reports that you print out. The comment tab will turn red.

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Edit Assignments/Activities

1. Double Clicking on the Date of the activity automatically brings up the Activity Edit window. You can change your settings for this activity and make a comment if you like.
2. To edit several assignments at one time, click on the Activity Icon, put a check mark in cycle box and then click Change.

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Dropping Scores:

To drop a score for an individual student:

• Double click on the student's score you want to drop.
• Put a check mark in the box that says "drop this score."
• Click OK.

To drop all student scores on an assignment. (The assignment and scores will still appear but will not be calculated in grade.  An asterisk will appear by the student score.):

• Highlight the assignment.
• Click on the Enter Scores Down this Column icon (4th icon from the left).
• Click the Drop button. A window will pop up that tells you that you are about to drop all scores entered. Click OK.
• An asterisk now appears by all student scores. Click Save.

To drop lowest scores:

• Click on GradeBook on the menu bar.
• Click on Drop Scores.
• Select Drop Lowest Score.
• Leave Number of Scores to be dropped at the default setting of 1 unless you want more than one low score dropped.
• If you are calculating your grades by points, click Apply. 
• If you are calculating your grades, by percentages, what SSTS calls categories, you have two more steps.  Choose the Category from which you want the lowest score to be dropped by clicking the down arrow.  You may choose any category you have created (test, quiz, homework, etc), or if you select Any, the lowest score from all scores, regardless of category, will be chosen.
• Click Apply.
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Add Comments That Will Show On The Official Progress Report

1. Click on the Comment icon, 5^th icon from the left.

2. Type in your comment in the comment box.

3. If you want all students to get this comment, put a check in “Assign to All Students.”

4. NOTE:  Adding comments causes the student’s name to appear in blue in the grade book.  These comments will appear on Progress Reports but will NOT appear on report cards.  Comments that will appear on Report Cards must be entered through the Manual Grade Entry icon on the start-up screen for the Class Room Module.

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Adding A Comment To A Student's Individual Score

1. Double Click on the score for which you want to add a comment.
2. Click on the Comment tab button and type in your comment. This comment will appear on grade reports that you print out. The comment tab will turn red, and if your move your cursor over the score, the comment will appear as a pop-up box in the class main screen.

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Adding a new student to the bottom of your roll.

1. Select the student to be moved and left click in the white area to the right of his/her name (where a grade would appear).  This will light up the icon bar.
2. Decide where you want to place this student.  If he/she will be at the bottom of your roll, scroll down to find the last student on the roll.  Note the number of that last student (to the left of the student’s last name).
3. Click on the Comment icon which will be the 5^th icon from the left on the icon bar.
4. Type in the position number for the student.  If using a single digit, a zero must precede it (ex. 03 not 3).
5. Note:  Some teachers may want to add a comment at this time [such as “Student enrolled on …..(give date).”  Whatever is put in this comment may appear on progress reports or report cards.]
6. Click the OK button.
7. On the top menu bar, go to Gradebook Sort and click on By User Number.
8. Students are now rearranged according to their user numbers (Note:  No other student except the one selected has a user number)
9. These User Numbers will remain until the beginning of the next term.
10. To remove a User Number, assign a student a User Number of blank.  Then go back to Gradebook Sort to resort according to another order (such as alphabetical).  Note:  If students are not resorted, the order will remain the same.

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Posting:

1. Check Grade book set up:

• Click on Gradebook in the menu bar.
• Click on Class Defaults
• Under Grade Posting (bottom of Class Defaults window) make sure that Activity (1st line) says 00000Course Average and the Heading is either 1SM1 (for 1st semester) or 1SM2 (for 2nd semester).
• Leave the other two lines blank.
• Repeat for each class.

2. Post Grades:

• Click on diskette icon in class grade book. (You will only see this icon at the end of the term.)
• A box will appear to verify that you are posting from your grade book.
• Click Post
• Click OK
• Repeat for each class.

3. Manual Grade Entry: This is where you will enter conduct grades and comments.

• On the SSTS main screen (you are not in your grade book here), highlight a class and click on the Manual Grade icon (3rd icon).
• If your screen is blank, look in the upper left hand corner for a dropdown box. Click the down arrow and select the appropriate semester.
• If all students are to receive the same conduct grade, click on the Default button and type the letter S in the box beside the word conduct. Click Apply.
• If you want to give every student a comment, check the Cycle box. Do not check the Cycle box if you want to enter comments for specifically selected students.
• Click on the Edit button.
• Enter comments. (For comments, you will be able to scroll through a list and select the comment you want.)
• Click Save. If you checked the Cycle box, the next student should come up automatically in the Edit box.

Note: If you used the Default setting of "S" for conduct, you can change any individual students conduct grade by clicking on the student's name and then Edit. You can now change that grade to a U.

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Comments For Gifted And Talented

There are 3 G&T Service Plan Goals but only 2 comment lines that will show the words of the comments.  A third line is available, but only the comment number will show, so it is important to follow the instructions below.

1. If all three goals will receive the same mark of either Exceeds Expectations, Meets Expectations, or Needs Improvement then you may use one comment for all three goals (Scroll down to see the comments or type in the number):
   
   #194 G&T All Service Plan Goals - Exceeds Expectations
   #195 G&T All Service Plan Goals - Meets Expectations
   #196 G&T All Service Plan Goals - Needs Improvement
   
   You may use the second comment line for a regular class comment.
   
2. If all three goals will not receive the same mark:
   
   Select One of these numbered comments for Comment box 1
   
   #197 G&T Demonstrate Achievement - Exceeds Expectations
   #198 G&T Demonstrate Achievement - Meets Expectations
   #199 G&T Demonstrate Achievement - Needs Improvement
   
   Select One of these numbered comments for Comment box 2
   
   #200 G&T Develop Process Skills - Exceeds Expectations
   #201 G&T Develop Process Skills - Meets Expectations
   #202 G&T Develop Process Skills - Needs Improvement
   
   Select One of these numbered comments for  Comment box 3
   
   #203 G&T Complete High-Level Products/performances - Exceeds Expectations
   #204 G&T Complete High-Level Products/performances - Meets Expectations
   #205 G&T Complete High-Level Products/performances - Needs Improvement.
   

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Comment List:

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Enter Codes in Place of Grades:

Simply type in the code where you would normally the grade.

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Printing Reports:

1. Individual Student:

• Click on Print Selected Students Report Icon.

2. More than one student within a class but not the entire class:

• Click on the 1st student’s name, hold down the Shift key, and click on the last student’s name.  
• To select multiple, non-contiguous students, click on any of the desired student’s names, hold down the Ctrl key, and click individually on each remaining students’ names.
• Click on Reports on the Menu bar and then Class Progress Reports. A pop-up window will ask if you want to print selected students. Click OK.

 Selecting to print the Progress Report allows the selection of several options.  Be sure to select all attendance codes except the first three and the fifth.

Do not check Average Filter for single students or several selected students

3. Class of Individual Students (lists individual Assignments):

• Click on Reports on the Menu bar and then click on Print Class Progress Reports.

4. A Spreadsheet (Printing your Grade book):

• Click on Reports on the Menu bar and then click on Print Gradebook, or click on the Print Gradebook icon.

5. Class List of Averages for Posting Using Student Numbers:

• Click on Reports on the Menu bar and then click on Print Class Worksheet. Bullet the specific items you want.

6. Class List with blank columns:

• Click on Reports on the Menu bar and then click on Print Class Worksheet. Leave the default settings of Print Lines Both; put a check mark in "Single Line per student;" uncheck "Print Average" and "Print Letter Grade."

7. Missing Grades:

Note: Missing is the same as a blank grade unless you check the “Count 0’s As Missing”

• Click on Reports and then  Print Missing Grades
• Order – Activity or Student
• Selected Activity Only – Check as needed
• Starting and Ending Dates
• ID to Print = None
• One Per Page – Check if you want only one student on a page 

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Comments on Teacher Printed Reports:

You can add three types of comments that will appear on student reports that you print: Teacher Notes, Course Comment, and Score Comment. To see a sample Progress Report, click here.

• Teacher Notes appear on all reports that you print.  If you put it in for one student, it will appear on all student reports.  You might want to use this for general announcements or reminders to the whole class; for example, you might want to remind your class of a major assignment by typing in: "Semester Project is due Nov. 20."
• Course Comments are  statements you want to make about this student's performance ( A delight to teach, Sleeps in Class, etc.) This comment appears only on the individual student's printout.
• Score Comments let you note on a particular student's score why he performed the way he did. The student may have performed poorly because he fell asleep during a quiz or was absent for the discussion. This will appear on the Official Progress Reports that the office runs.

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Copying Assignments:

1. Open the Grade Book for the class you want to enter assignments.
2. Click on GradeBook on the Menu bar.
3. Click on Copy Activities. 
4. Click the down arrow in the Copy From box.  A list of your classes will appear.  
5. Click on the class that has the assignments you want to copy.  The list of assignments will appear in the right half of the window.
6. Highlight the assignment you want to copy and then click on the arrow that points to the left in the center of the window. Your assignment will be sent to the left side of the window. You can click on the All button to highlight all the assignments in the right window and then send them to the left. When you are finished, click the save button.

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