Getting Started With GradeKeeper

7/30/2019 Getting Started With GradeKeeper

1/17

Getting Started with GradeKeeper

Introduction

Gradekeeper is a powerful, easy to use gradebook program for Windows.

You can have 100 students and 100 assignments per term, using semesters, trimesters,quarters, or six terms. You can compute grades using total points or category weights, withfinal exams contributing to the term, semester, or year grade. You can excuse anyassignment for any student, or drop the worst score in any category.

Gradekeeper is very easy to use. With the default grading options, you can start enteringstudents, assignments, and scores right away. Changing student names, assignments, orscores is as easy as clicking and typing the new information.

To set up your school, class, and teacher names:

1. Choose the gradebookor attendance view2. Click on the item you want to enter3. Type in the new text or edit the existing text4. Press enter to accept your changes

The school, class, and teacher you specify will be included in your reports as well.

To assign a password to a class:

1. Choose Gradebook Password from the Gradebookmenu2. Enter the current password for the class3. Enter the new password4. Enter the new password again

Passwords are case sensitive and can be 1 to 15 characters long. If you ever forget your

password, you can use your registration code instead. Only registered users can assignpassword to a class.

**Assigning a password will only prevent someone from opening the class. It will not preventhem from deleting the class or damaging it in some way.


2/17

To add one or more new students to the gradebook:

1. Click the student name field in an empty row

2. Enter a name for each new student and press the enter key3. Press the esc key when you are done entering names

It is best to enter student names last name first.

You may want to excuse all assignments for new students added to an existing class. Entex for the first score, then choose Fill Across from the Edit menu. This will make everyscore in that row the same as the one you just entered.

To add a new assignment to the gradebook:

1. Click the assignment name field in an empty column2. Enter the name, category, and points possible for the assignment


3/17

3. Enter a score for each student in the class

Scores must be decimal numbers, percents, or letter grades. You can leave a score blato indicate that an assignment has not been completed. You can enter a score ofex toexcuse an assignment. You can enter a score ofinc to mark an assignment incompleteThis is equivalent to giving a score of 0 on that assignment. Or you can enter a score ofabs to indicate that a student was absent for an assignment. This is equivalent toexcusing that assignment.

If all of the scores you are entering are the same, enter the first score, then choose Fill

Down from the Edit menu. This will make every score in that column the same as the oneyou just entered.

To add an extra credit assignment to the gradebook:

1. Click the assignment name field in an empty column2. Enter the assignment, using the Extra Credit category3. Enter a score for each student in the class

When you compute grades using total points earned, extra credit assignmentsincrease the total points earned but do not increase the total points possible.

To compute grades using total points earned:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Categories tab in the gradebookoptionsdialog3. Click the total points earned radio button

When you compute grades using total points earned,grades are determined by dividing the sum of all points

earned and dividing that by the sum of all points possible.This is converted to a percent, which is used to determinethe letter grade according to your letter grade cutoffs.

For example:

It All Adds Up 7 / 10

Orient Express 10 / 10

Bulgarian Solitaire 8 / 10

Spirograph Special 8 / 10

Extra Credit 10 / 0

Chapter 1 Homework 25 / 35Chapter 1 Test 73 / 100

Total 141 / 175 = 80.6%

Extra credit assignments increase the total points earned but donot increase the total points possible. Without the extra creditassignment, this student would have earned 131/175 points for74.9%.


4/17

To set up your letter grades:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Letter Grades tab in the gradebookoptions dialog3. Enter your grading symbols and cutoff percents

You may use the buttons on the right to choose astandard set of grading symbols and percents. Eachpercent must be a decimal number from 0 to 120.

Your letter grades and percents apply to the entire schoolyear.

When you compute grades usingcategory weights,extra credit assignmentsimprove the grade in proportion to the weight you assigned to the Extra Creditcategory.

To compute grades using category weights:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Categories tab in the gradebook options dialog3. Click the category weights radio button

When you compute grades using category weights, the percentcorrect within each category is computed by dividing the total pointsearned by the total points possible. A weighted average of thesecategory percents is done, using your category weights. This percentis used to determine a letter grade according to your letter gradecutoffs.

Computing grades using category weights allows you to guarantee


5/17

that certain kinds of assignments contribute a fixed portion of thegrade, such as having tests contribute 50% of the grade.

For example:

Tests

Chapter 1 Test 82/100Chapter 2 Test 80/100Chapter 3 Test 78/100

Total 240/300 = 80%

Homework

Chapter 1 Homework 30/ 40Chapter 2 Homework 20/ 30Chapter 3 Homework 40/ 50

Total 90/120 = 75%

Activities

Spirolaterals 8/ 10Spirograph Special 7/ 10

Total 15/ 20 = 75%

Extra Credit

Math Counts #1 7/ 10Math Counts #2 3/ 10

Total 10/ 20 = 50%

Tests 80% x 50 weight = 40.0%Homework 75% x 30 weight =22.5%Activities 75% x 20 weight =15.0%Extra Credit 50% x 10 weight =5.0%

Total 100 weight = 82.5%

Without the assignments in the Extra Credit category, thisstudent would have earned a grade of 77.5% for the term. Note


6/17

that the Extra Credit category is not included when thecategory weights are totaled. This is what makes theseassignments truly extra credit.

To add a final exam to the gradebook:

1. Click the assignment name field in an empty column2. Enter the assignment, using the Final Exams category3. Enter a score for each student in the class

You may have only one final exam in any term. Semester exams must be placed into thelast term of the semester.Year exams must be placed into the last term of the year.

Making Changes

To change school, class, or teacher names:

1. Choose the gradebookor attendance view2. Click on the item you want to change

3. Type in the new text or edit the existing text4. Press enter to accept your changes

To change students or IDs:

1. Choose the gradebookor attendance view2. Click on the student or ID you want to change3. Type in the new text or edit the existing text4. Press enter to accept your changes.

To change assignments or scores:

1. Choose the gradebookview

2. Click on the assignment or score you want to change3. Enter the new text or edit the existing text4. Press enter to accept your changes

To add student comments:

1. Choose Edit Student Comments from the Edit menu2. Choose a student from the combo box3. Enter new comments or change any existing comments4. Choose whether to show student comments

To add global comments:

1. Choose Edit Global Comments from the Edit menu2. Enter comments you want to appear before each student comment3. Enter comments you want to appear after each student comment

Student comments will appear on each student scores report if you have chosen to showthem. The first global comment will appear before each student comment. The second globcomment will appear after each student comment. Global comments will appear even whenstudent comments are not shown.


7/17

Recording an absence or tardy:

1. Choose Attendance from the Reports menu2. Click the cell for the student and date you want3. Enter the appropriate attendance code

To move into another term:

1. Choose the term you want from the Gradebookmenu

When you move into a particular term for the first time, your categories and gradingoptions will be copied into that term.

Categories:

To set up your assignment categories:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Categories tab in the gradebook optionsdialog3. Enter a name and weight for each category4. Choose to compute grades using total points orcategory weights. **See Above for Info Regarding

Set-up for Total Points Earned & CategoryWeighting.

Each of your assignments must be placed into one ofthese categories. You may use these categories tocompute grades or simply to organize your assignments.

Category weights must be whole numbers between 0 and100. If you are computing grades using category weights,


8/17

these weights indicate the relative contribution of theassignments in each category to the term grade.

You may have different categories and weights for eachterm in the school year.

Grading Options:

To set up your school year:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the School Year tab in the gradebookoptions dialog3. Choose the number of terms in your school year fromthe combo box4. Enter the first and last dates for each term in yourschool year5. Choose which days of the weekyour class meets

You can divide your school year into a single term, twosemesters, three trimesters, four quarters, or sixterms. When you choose the number of terms in yourschool year, Gradekeeper will predict the starting andending dates of each term. You may edit these asneeded. Dates must be entered in mm/dd/yy form.

Moving Students and Assignments


9/17

To move a student within the gradebook:

1. Click the row number of the student you want to move2. Hold the mouse button down and drag to the new location3. Release the mouse button to move the student

To move a student into another class:

1. Click the row number of that student2. Use Cut to remove the student from the class3. Open the other class (saving changes to the first class)4. Select the row where you want to insert the student5. Use Paste to insert the student into the new class

Be careful when you move students into another class, since scores for the student youmoved may not exactly match the assignments in the new class. Gradekeeper will warn youwhen this happens.

To move an assignment within the gradebook:

1. Click the column number of the assignment you want to move2. Hold the mouse button down and drag to the new location

3. Release the mouse button to move the assignmentTo move an assignment into another term:

1. Click the column number of that assignment2. Use Cut to remove the assignment from the term3. Choose another term from the Gradebookmenu4. Select the column where you want to insert the assignment5. Use Paste to insert the assignment into the new term

You should be careful when moving assignments, as scores for the assignment you movedmay not exactly match the number of students in the new location. Gradekeeper will attem

to warn you when this happens.To drop a student from your class:

1. Click the row number for that student2. Drag that student at least one row below the rest of your students

Students in any row after the first blank row in the gradebook are considered dropped.Grades are not computed for these students and they are not included in reports.

To completely remove a student from the gradebook:

1. Click the row number for that student

2. Choose Cut from the Edit menu.To completely remove an assignment from the gradebook:

1. Click the column number for that assignment.2. Choose Cut from the Edit menu.

Printing Reports


10/17

To print a report:

1. Choose the report you want from the Reports menu2. Choose Print from the File menu3. Choose any printing options you want4. Click OKto print

To print more on one page:

1. Choose Print from the File menu2. Next to printer name, click Properties3. Reduce scale to an appropriate percent4. Click OKto close properties dialog5. Click OKto print

The scale factor may appear in different places in the printer properties dialog for differentprinters. You may need to look in other panels in the dialog. Not all printers support scaling

To find the student scores report for a particular student:

1. Choose Student Scores from the Reports menu

2. Click the right mouse button in the window3. Choose the student you want from the pop-up menu

To print the student scores report for a single student:

1. Choose Student Scores from the Reports menu2. Scroll to the student scores report you want to print3. Choose Print from the File menu4. In the Print Range area, choose the Pages from to option5. The first and last pages to print will already be set up6. Click OKto print

To print a single report for several classes:

1. Choose Multiple Class Report from the Reports menu2. Choose the classes to include in the report3. Choose Print from the File menu4. Click OKto print

To select more than one class, select the first class, then hold down the shift key and selectthe other classes.

Import & Export

To export students, assignments, and grades:

1. Choose Export to Text from the File menu2. Choose the items you want to export3. Click the Export button4. The save dialog will appear5. Enter a file name for the exported items


11/17

The chosen items will be exported to a plain text file. Tabs will separate individual items, wieach student on a separate line.

To import students and assignments:

1. Choose Import from the File menu2. Choose the items you want to import3. Click the Import button4. The open file dialog will appear5. Choose a file to import from

**You may import students, assignments, and scores into an empty class, or you may impoadditional students and scores, or additional assignments and scores.

**You may only import from plain text files. Tabs should separate the items you areimporting, with each student on a separate line.

To create a form letter or custom report In Microsoft Works:

First, export the items you want in your form letter or custom report from Gradekeeper:

1. Choose Export from the File menu

2. Choose the items you want to include3. Click the Export button4. The save dialog will appear5. Enter a file name for the exported items6. Click the Save button

Next, start Microsoft Works:

1. Choose Open from the Works or File menu2. In the open dialog, choose to list files of type text3. Choose the text file you created when you exported

4. Choose to open the text file as a database document

Microsoft Works will create a new database document, using the information you exportedfrom Gradekeeper. You can also add additional information such as individual comments.

To create your custom report:

1. Choose New from the File menu2. Enter the text you want to appear for every student

To insert the information you exported from Gradekeeper:

1. Move the cursor to where you want the item2. Choose Database Field from the Insert menu3. Click the Use a different database button4. Choose the text file you opened earlier5. Click OK

You will now see a list of fields that you imported into the database:

1. Choose the field you want to insert


12/17

2. Click Insert, then click Close

When you print your report, Microsoft Works will print one page for every student in yourclass. The fields you inserted will be replaced with that information about that particularstudent.

To create a web page listing student grades and attendance:

1. Choose Export to Web from the File menu2. Choose the single web page option3. Click the OKbutton4. The save dialog will appear5. Enter a file name for the web page

This will create a single web page listing student grades and attendance totals according toyour report options. Students will be listed by ID. You should sort students by ID beforecreating this web page.To create a web site including a web page for each student:

1. Choose Export to Web from the File menu2. Choose the web site option3. Click the OKbutton4. The choose folder dialog will appear5. Choose a folder for this web site

This will create a web page for each student, listing their scores on every assignment.Summaries by category and by term will be included according to your report options.

An authorization web page will be created to ask for a student name and ID code to controlaccess to student web pages. This web page requires a web browser that supports Javascrip

Grade Computation


13/17

To compute grades using total points earned:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Categories tab in the gradebookoptions dialog3. Click the total points earned radio button

When you compute grades using total points earned, grades are determined by dividing thesum of all points earned and dividing that by the sum of all points possible. This is converteto a percent, which is used to determine the letter grade according to your letter gradecutoffs.

For example:

It All Adds Up 7 / 10Orient Express 10 / 10

Bulgarian Solitaire 8 / 10

Spirograph Special 8 / 10

Extra Credit 10 / 0

Chapter 1 Homework 25 / 35

Chapter 1 Test 73 / 100

Total 141 / 175 = 80.6%

Extra credit assignments increase the total points earned but do not increase the total poinpossible. Without the extra credit assignment, this student would have earned 131/175 poin

for 74.9%.


14/17

To compute grades using category weights:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Categories tab in the gradebook options dialog3. Click the category weights radio button

When you compute grades using category weights, the percent correct within each categoris computed by dividing the total points earned by the total points possible. A weightedaverage of these category percents is done, using your category weights. This percent is usto determine a letter grade according to your letter grade cutoffs.

Computing grades using category weights allows you to guarantee that certain kinds ofassignments contribute a fixed portion of the grade, such as having tests contribute 50% ofthe grade.

For example:

Tests

Chapter 1 Test 82/100Chapter 2 Test 80/100Chapter 3 Test 78/100

Total 240/300 = 80%

Homework

Chapter 1 Homework 30/ 40Chapter 2 Homework 20/ 30Chapter 3 Homework 40/ 50


15/17

Total 90/120 = 75%

Activities

Spirolaterals 8/ 10Spirograph Special 7/ 10

Total 15/ 20 = 75%

Extra Credit

Math Counts #1 7/ 10Math Counts #2 3/ 10

Total 10/ 20 = 50%

Tests 80% x 50 weight = 40.0%Homework 75% x 30 weight =22.5%Activities 75% x 20 weight =15.0%Extra Credit 50% x 10 weight =5.0%

Total 100 weight = 82.5%

Without the assignments in theExtra Credit category, thisstudent would have earned agrade of 77.5% for the term. Notethat the Extra Credit category isnot included when the categoryweights are totaled. This is whatmakes these assignments trulyextra credit.

Semester and year grades

Semester and year grades are computed by averaging term grades. All averaging is doneusing percents.

For example:

1st Quarter 81%2nd Quarter 75%3rd Quarter 82%4th Quarter 86%


16/17

1st Semester (81% + 75%) / 2 = 78%2nd Semester (82% + 86%) / 2 = 84%

Year (78% + 84%) / 2 = 81%

Final exams

Final exams contribute to term, semester, or year grade according to your grading optionFor example, if final exams are 30% of the term grade and a student earned 81% for the teand 75% on the final exam:

Term grade 81% x 70 =56.7%Final exam 75% x 30 =22.5%

Grade (with exam) 79.2%

If final exams are 20% of the semester grade and a student earned78% for the semester and 72% on the final exam:

Semester grade 78% x 80 =62.4%Final exam 72% x 20 = 14.4%

Grade (with exam) 76.8%

Grading Options

To set up your grading options:

1. Choose Gradebook Options from the Gradebookmenu2. Choose the Grading tab in the gradebook options dialog4. Choose how much final exams contribute to the specified grade5. Choose whether or not to round to the nearest whole percent5. Choose to drop the worst score from one or more categories


17/17

**Final exam options are only used when there actually are final exams. The worst score isthe one that most improves the grade for that student when dropped.**You may have different grading options for each term in the school year, but final examoptions apply to the entire school year.

More Grade Keeper Help

When you make Mistakes:

To cancel your last change

If you make a mistake or change something in a way you did notintend to, choose Undo from the Edit menu. This will restore yourgradebook to the way it was before your last change. You may onlycancel your most recent change and there are a few actions thatcannot be canceled, such as sorting students.

Making Backups:

To backup your gradebook

While Gradekeeper has proven very reliable, floppies are easily lost ordamaged and hard drives do sometimes fail. To avoid the risk oflosing your grades at the worst possible time, you should always keepa backup of your gradebook on another disk.

To backup your classes:

1. Insert a floppy disk into your disk drive2. Click the right mouse button on each class3. Choose Send To from the pop-up menu that appears4. Choose 3 1/2 Floppy from the sub-menu that appears

This will copy that class to the floppy disk. I also encourage you tokeep current printed copies of your gradebook grid. This would allowyou to reconstruct your grades if you should ever lose your gradebookand your backups.

Documents

Getting Started With GradeKeeper