Setting up Categories and Grade Setup Grades 3-5

Before adding assignments to the gradebook, you must set up your Categories and the Grade Setup. Categories are global and will appear in all class periods, therefore they only need to be set up one time. PowerTeacher stores gradebooks from previous years, so NEVER delete a category, as that would affect any previous gradebooks.

1. Verify that you are in the correct year. 2. Click on your first class period. Before setting your categories, please check with your administrator, as he/she may require certain categories and weights at your school. 3. Setup your categories. a. Click the + Sign in the Categories Pane.

b. Enter a Name for the category c. Enter an Abbreviation d. Set a color code if you wish. e. Set Possible Points to 100. f. Set Score Type to Percentage. g. Leave the other fields at their default. h. Click OK to save the category. i. Continue this for all categories that you need.

4.Once the categories are setup, click on Grade Setup to determine how to calculate the Final Grade.

5. Double-click on Y1. 6. Under “Calculate Y1 final grade using”, Click Term Weights. 7.Set S1 and S2 Weights to 50/50. 8.Click Save.

9. Double-click on S Under “Calculate S1 final grade using”, Click Term Weights. 11. Set R1 and R2 Weights to 50/ Click Save.

13. Double-click on S Under “Calculate S2 final grade using”, Click Term Weights. 15. Set R3 and R4 Weights to 50/ Click Save.

17. Double-click on R Under “Calculate R1 final grade using”, Click Category Weights. 19. Click the + add category.

20. Select the Categories that you wish to use. 21. Click OK.

22. Set the Category Weights. Please check with your administrator, as he/she may require certain categories and weights at your school. The Weights should add up to 100. Click Save.

23. Now that you have defined how R1 is to calculate the final grade, let’s copy this setup to the other three reporting periods (R2, R3, and R4).

24. Click the copy button to the right of Calculate R1 final grade. 25. Select R1 only. 26. Click OK.

27. Select R2, R3, R Click the Next button.

29. Confirm the Copy and Click Finish.

30. Now, when you click on the other reporting terms (R2, R3, and R4), you will see that the setup has been copied to each of the terms.

31. If you use the same setup for the rest of the classes that you teach, you can copy the setup from the first period class (go to step 32). If not, go to the next class and follow the previous steps in setting the grade setup and categories. 32. Select Y1. Click the copy button. 33. Entire Class should be selected. 34. Click OK.

35. Check the classes to which you wish to copy the setup. 36. Click Next.

37. Confirm the copy. 38. Click Finish.

39. Now, when you change to one of the class periods to which you copied the setup and double- click on each of the terms, you will see that the setup has been copied to the other classes. 40. Once you have completed the setup for each of the classes that you teach, your gradebook is setup for the entire year.

41. For those classes that only have a final grade, such as P.E., Music, and Health – setup Y1, S1 and S2 as shown. If you do not create any assignments for those classes, leave R1, R2, R3 and R4 set to total points. If you do create assignments, continue with the setup as we did for R1, R2, R3 and R4.

42.You are now ready to create assignments for the subjects that you teach. 43.Click on the Class Period/Subject for which you wish to create assignments. 44.Click on the Assignments tab.

45. Click on the + sign in the bottom left corner of the Assignments window.

46. Give the Assignment a Name and Abbreviation. 47. Set the Category to which this assignment should be assigned. 48. Be sure Score Type is set to Percentage; Possible Points to 100 and Include in Final Grade is checked. 49. Click Save.

50. Click on the Publish Tab. 51. Set Publish Assignment to Immediately. 52. Be sure Publish Scores is checked, as this allows the assignment to appear in Parent Portal. (If you are putting an assignment in ahead of time, you may uncheck Publish Scores. Just remember to go back and check it when the assignment is due.)

53. Click Save and the Assignment will appear in the top portion of the Assignments window. 54. Repeat these steps for entering additional assignments in this class. 55. Change to the next class to enter assignments for that class/subject. 56. Once your assignments are entered, you are ready to enter grades from the Scoresheet Tab.