Grading Symbols Configuration

The Grading Symbols feature allows you to assign numerical values to symbols, which can then be used by teachers as shortcuts when entering assignment grades in Grade Book. Grading symbols can be managed at either the district or school level, or teachers can create their own. This article walks you through the steps to create and distribute grading symbols at the district, school, and teacher levels.

(1)

Grading Symbol Setup

Managing Grading Symbols at the District and School Levels

Configuration of grading symbols at the district and school levels is done in the System Manager.

To manage grading symbols at the district level, navigate to System Manager and follow this file path: District > Grade Book Settings > District Options > Grading Symbols.

To manage grading symbols at the school level, navigate to System Manager and follow this file path: Schools > Grade Book Settings > School Options > Grading Symbols.

The process for adding a new grading symbol is the same at both the district level and school level: 

1. Click Add Grading Symbol
2. Populate the Symbol and Grade Percent fields
3. Click Save

Managing Grading Symbols at the Teacher Level

Configuration of grading symbols at the teacher level is done by the teacher in Grade Book. Note that each section/marking period has its own grading symbols.

Navigate to the desired section in Grade Book, then select Tools & Actions > Edit Grade Symbols. Existing grade symbols are visible here.

To add a new symbol, click the Add Symbol button, populate the desired symbol and percentage, and click Save.

(2)

Grading Symbol Distribution

Whether teachers see district-, school-, or teacher-level grading symbols for a particular section is determined by the Symbol Set Source setting for that section. The setting can be applied to sections individually or can be bulk applied to multiple sections. 

Assigning a Grading Symbol Set to a Single Section

Navigate to Class Manager, click on the Sections tab, and open the desired section. Next, set the desired option in the Symbol Set Source field (Teacher, District, or School) and click Save.

Assigning a Grading Symbol Set to Multiple Sections

Navigate to Class Manager, click on the Sections tab, and check the boxes for the sections you wish to update. Next, click the Sections drop-down menu, choose Batch Update Sections, and populate the fields as follows:

• Field:  Symbol Set 
• Value: Teacher, District, or School
• Audit Comment: Include a comment

Click Update and confirm.

(3)

OnCourse Grade Book

Once a grading symbol set has been assigned to a section, teachers will only be able to use symbols from that set in the grade book for that section. Teachers can see the  symbols available for a section by hovering over an assignment block.

To use a symbol, the teacher simply enters the symbol in an assignment block just as they would a number grade. The system will calculate the grade based on the value assigned to the symbol.

If the teacher symbol set has been assigned to a section, the teacher will see the Edit Grade Symbols option in the Tools & Actions drop-down. If the district or school symbol set has been assigned, the Edit Grade Symbols option will not be visible.