The GradeBook system manager or curriculum director must set up the grading scales used in your school district. A default grading scale is set up in GradeBook, but you can add as many grading scales as desired and then customize them to meet district standards. It is recommended to be as descriptive as possible when creating the grading scale name and description since teachers can view them on the Grading Scales Setup screen. Grading scales let teachers do the following:
•Select the desired grading scale to use
•Use different grading scales for different classes
•Use different grading scales within a class; for example, assign different scales to different students
•Maintain averages for multiple assessments for an individual student within a class that follows standards-based education practices
It is imperative to set up grading scales correctly so that the appropriate marks display when teachers enter marks for assignments and report cards. The average calculations used in grading scales involve converting percentages to letter grades, letter grades to points, and points back to letter grades. When using percent and point ranges in a grading scale, make sure to use two decimal places to prevent gaps. For example, a range ending at 89% and the next range beginning at 90% creates a gap in a calculation of 89.65%. To eliminate this gap, the range should end at 89.99%, and the next range should begin at 90.00%.
Keep in mind the following recommendations before adding a grading scale:
•If your district calculates averages using two decimal places, then percent ranges and point ranges must also use two decimal places. If GradeBook is set up to round to more than two decimal places, then the grading scale must include at least the same number of decimal places.
•Verify that percent and point ranges do not have gaps. When a student’s grade falls within the gap, the system cannot assign the appropriate grade.
•Verify that percent ranges do not overlap. When a student’s grade falls within the overlap, the system cannot assign the appropriate grade.
•Verify that percent ranges are not duplicated. When a student has duplicate grades, the system cannot assign the appropriate grade.
•The starting number in a percentage or point range should be lower than the ending number in the range.
•Verify that point ranges are accurate (with two decimal places) since these ranges are used in translating semester and final averages to letter grades. Duplicate point ranges are acceptable but not recommended since GradeBook may assign an incorrect letter grade.
•Point values are used in calculating averages to letter grades. For example, a point value for an A would be 4. Duplicate point values are acceptable but not recommended since GradeBook may assign an incorrect letter grade.
•Recalculate grade books whenever you make a change to a grading scale.
•Verify that mark types and grading scales correspond.