- Selecting your School's Grade Calculation Option
- Configuring default Grades Scales
- Configuring default Task Grades Scale for newly created classes
- Configuring Term Grade Scale by class
- Configuring Class Task Categories by class
- Configuring Task Grade Scales by class
- Configuring Term Grade Rubrics & Assessment Models
The Term Grades tab of the Class Gradebook displays a Term Average, which is a cumulative average of all Tasks assigned to students that have been assessed with Points in an Academic Term.
There are three methods for calculating this average, which, once configured, will be reflected across all Classes on your school's account, except IB Middle and Primary Years.
via School Settings
Navigate to Settings > School Settings > Key Academic Functions. Here you can choose one of three options:
- Use Percentage weights
- Use Percentage weights with Points-based averaging
- Use Absolute weights
1. Use Percentage Weights
When using percentage weights the task categories are given a weight that totals 100%. It calculates the percent average for each task category, then applies the weighting and finally adds all the resulting values together.
This option does not consider the number of tasks in each category or the number of points per task, i.e. all tasks are considered equal weight.
2. Use Percentage weights with Points-based Averaging
Points-based averaging will take the total number of points achieved within a category and divide it by the maximum number of points available to find the average for that category.
This calculation method puts a greater emphasis on points achieved as a metric of success, ie tasks with more points are worth more.
3. Use Absolute Weights
When using absolute weights the task categories are given weight from 1-100 whose total can exceed 100 and is not based on percentages but on the absolute values.
This method does not concern itself with calculating the average for a task category, applying the weightings and adding the resulting values together. Instead, it allows you to choose a weighting for a task type and it will apply this weighting to each task.
It puts a greater emphasis on a number of tasks. If the number of tasks is not equal across all categories (e.g. 5 Homework, 3 Project, 1 Exams Tasks), you could have the same average for Homework and Projects tasks but if there are more Homework tasks then the final grade will be more heavily influenced by Homework tasks than Project tasks.
Gradebook Calculation FAQs
- Tasks for which the student did not receive a score are not factored into the calculation of the Term Average.
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Task Categories with zero tasks assigned to them are excluded.
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Task Categories with tasks but without grades being entered are excluded.
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The category weightings for those being excluded (Either due to no assigned tasks or no graded tasks) whilst being ignored, are still considered in the final percentage calculation. For example:
- A class has task category weights as follows:
- Exams 40%
- Essay 30%
- Practical 20%
- Homework 10%
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In Term 1, the "Homework" category, worth 10%, had 0 tasks assessed in the term. This 10% is being excluded
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All other categories, toting 90%, have tasks assessed. Thus 90% is included
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Thus the student's score will be taken out of 90 and converted to a term average percentage.
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If you prefer for the value to be calculated out of 100, the teacher can edit the unused task category weightings to 0 (adjusting Homework to 0%) and increase the value of the valid categories to out of 100. (such as Exams to 45%, Essay 35% and Practical kept at 20%)
- A class has task category weights as follows:
- Editing a classes task categories, weightings or grade scale, impacts all terms in the class, past and present.
Configuring default Term Grades Scales
Navigate to Settings > Select any Programme in Academics > Assessment > Grade Scales > Term to configure default grade conversions for any new classes created. Please note that this change will not apply to the existing classes. Note that this scale is applied to all term grades calculations of grades in classes of the programme.
Configuring default Task Grades Scale for newly created Classes
Navigate to Settings > Select any Programme in Academics > Assessment > Grade Scales > Task to configure the default Task Grade scale for any new classes created. Note that this scale is applied to all Task category calculations of grades in classes of the programme.
Configuring the Term Grade Scale by Class
Each class can have its own unique Grades Scale. This is customisable by an admin or the class teacher via the class Gradebook > Term Grades > Display Term Grade Scale > Edit Term Grade Scale. Again, this scale is applied to all task and term grades calculations in the class.
Configuring Class Task Categories by class
Task Categories can be configured on a class-by-class basis. Here teachers can customise and colour-code task categories. These task category weightings are applied to the final grade calculation when entering term grades.
- To delete a category, click the checkbox in the delete column of the category that you wish to delete
- To edit a category, type in the new name in the text field, and click on the colour palette to select a new colour for the label.
- To add a new category, click Add New and type in the name and select a colour for the label.
Please make sure you click Save Changes to apply the changes to your class.
Configuring Task Grade Scales by class
Task Grade Scales can be configured on a category-by-category basis. Here, teachers can customise the grade scales for available task categories in the class (either all categories with the same scale or category-specific grade scales).
- To delete a grade level, click the checkbox in the delete column of the category that you wish to delete
- To edit a grade level, type in the new percentage and grade values.
- To add a new grade level, click Add New and type in the minimum percentage threshold and grade value.
Please make sure you click Save Changes to apply the changes to your class.
Configuring Term Rubrics & Assessment Models
Via Settings > Select your Programme > Assessment > Assessment Models > Term
Under Term, create new rubrics & options, which are completed by teachers together with their term grades.
Click Add Rubric to define your rubric title. There are three types of rubrics & options:
1. Criteria: this is a set of criteria that teachers will select as a dropdown menu (e.g. Effort grades may be set using a range of 5 to 1 with 5 being excellent effort and 1 being the worst).
2. Custom Field: this is a customisable field allowing teachers to enter in any type of text with a defined suffix (e.g. attendance in % terms).
3. Formula: Formulas allow you to calculate a rubric value based on Custom Fields or Criteria rubric values.
After adding the title of the rubric and selecting the type, click Create Rubric.
By hovering over the rubric title, you can see the pencil icon to edit the value and descriptors. After defining your rubric details, click Save Changes.
Once you have added your rubrics, they will be visible from the Term Grades tab, where teachers will be able to enter the values.