Configuring Task Assessment Settings Video
Assessment Settings
Administrators can configure task assessment frameworks, task types, categories and grade scales via Settings > Select your Programme > Assessment.
Important Note:
- Adjusting frameworks (such as disabling Criteria assessment) will impact tasks past and present. These can be adjusted when necessary to meet your developing assessment needs.
- Default types, categories and scales set in Settings will only be reflected in classes created AFTER the defaults have been set. (This is to avoid potential loss of data on existing tasks in current classes). Thus, it is recommended to configure defaults at the beginning of the term.
Framework
Via Assessment > Framework, you can configure the assessment options available for teachers when they create a task.
Ticking Enabled by Default will mean when your teachers add a new task, this option is enabled, however, they can still disable it if needed.
- Observation – Allows Comments on the task to be entered in the Gradebook.
- Binary – Permits marking a task as either Complete or Incomplete, Achieved / Not achieved, Pass/Fail etc.
- Points – Assess a task out of a certain number of points. Teachers will be able to set the maximum upon task creation.
- Criteria – Build custom criteria (such as A-E) to grade on.
Advanced Assessment Options
Administrators can configure default grade scales and criteria descriptors in Settings. Teachers are able to customize these in their classes to suit their needs. Here admins can additionally provide teachers with the option to configure on a task-by-task basis for specific needs.
- Task-Specific Grade Scales – Permits a teacher to set a specific scale for that task only. Useful for if a task falls outside the regular grading pattern of the class, such as Learning Support or Advanced assessments
- Task-Specific Clarification – Permits the teacher to customize the criteria guidance visible to students on a task.
- Enable Dropbox by Default – Enabling the ManageBac dropbox permits students (or teachers on behalf of students), to upload a file for the student to the task. The submission will be stored on the task and in student portfolios.
- Show student average grades to: - Enabling this option will display the task category averages and term grade average calculated for each student per class to the users this is enabled for.
For details on Term Grade assessment models, click here.
Types
Via Assessment > Types, customize the default task types available for teachers. By default, Summative & Formative are configured on school accounts.
Add New Assessment Type to expand options for your teachers. Note, we would recommend to keep types to a minimum, and expanding differentiation via task categories.
- Add New Assessment Type to expand options for your teachers. Note, we would recommend to keep types to a minimum, and expanding differentiation via task categories.
- Edit existing Types by updating the text name. Please note, this will impact all tasks tied to this type past and present.
- Configure type Label colours that are reflected in your class and calendars. Enter a colour hex code or select from the colour panel. Types with tasks tied to them will be restricted from deletion.
- Configure an Abbreviation used throughout the ManageBac interface.
Teachers are not able to adjust the type and must link their tasks to one of the default configured.
Task Categories
Via Assessment > Categories, find a default set of Task Categories has been configured on all school accounts. You can either edit those existing, or add additional as required.
Task Categories can be configured for all subjects and / or for individual subjects. We would recommend to configure a default for all subjects first, and then edit individual subjects where necessary.
- Add New Category to expand your category list. Edit existing categories by updating the text name. Please note, editing the category name will not impact the task categories in existing classes, but will show up in new classes created after the update.
- Configure category Label colours which are reflected in your class and calendars. Categories with tasks tied to them will be restricted from deletion.
- Set a default weight for the category. Weights must tally to 100%. If you are not using a weighting assessment framework, you can ignore this field.
- Optionally configure the Grade Scale for tasks in that category.
Teachers further have the option to adjust their classes grade scale within their class directly.
Assessment Models
Via Assessment > Assessment Models, create assessment models such as ATLs, Scope & Sequence, Learner Profile, or local curriculum standards for assessment.
Add Assessment Models
Via Add Assessment Model, you can select from either Criteria, Rubrics & Options or Standards-based assessment models.
Criteria
Clicking a Criteria name will expand its list of values & descriptors. Via Edit you can update these options or modify the criteria's settings.
- Criteria can be differentiated across grades, or configured as uniform for all grade levels.
- Set subject-specific criteria or enable for all subjects.
- Add levels along with a descriptor, or edit existing values. Please note, editing your criteria will edit values passed and present, so as a best practice, it is recommended to configure this prior to reporting and keep consistent throughout the term.
- Drag and drop values to re-arrange.
- Criteria no longer needed can be Archived.
Grade Scales
Via Assessment > Grade Scales, set a Global Default Grade Scale which is applied to all subjects and task categories unless a custom grade scale is specified on the Task Categories page.
When the default grade scale is changed all subjects and categories without custom grade scales will be updated.
- Add a numeric value and converted letter or local grade this corresponds to. Add additional values via Add New, or edit / delete existing values. Remember to click Save Changes.
- Updating the default grade scale will not affect existing classes, only future classes created beyond this point.
An example of how this works, is if a student achieved a score of 30 on a task out of 40 points, this corresponds to 75% and thus would receive a C+ (75% is more than 70% but less than 78%).
Teachers further have the option to adjust their classes grade scale within their class directly.