Managing & Customizing GradeQuick Web

Transcription

1 Managing & Customizing GradeQuick Web Table of Contents An Overview...3 Why Customize GradeQuick Web... 3 What to Customize for School Use... 3 How to Customize Gradebook Default and Display Settings...4 Using the Setup Wizard To Create Default Settings... 4 Additional Gradebook Default Settings Gradebook Display Settings School Setup Files Creating Skill Import Files Creating a SchoolNotes Library Customizing Printed Report Layouts & Configurations Uploading Custom School Files Communicating with GradeQuick Users Passwords and Program Security Using SiteManager Using Pictures on the Seating Chart...22 Backing Up Gradebooks...23 Blocking GradeQuick Features Using Set Permissions for Options Customizing After Teachers Have Started Gradebooks Using Transfer Shared Options 25 Making Global Changes...25 Setting Up the School Template Gradebook Sending the Information in School Template Gradebook to Teacher Gradebooks...26 Customizing Exports Using Exports Manager Grade Export...28 Attendance Export...28 Exporting From All Active Gradebooks...31 Managing the Grade Export Process For Your School Using Send In GradeQuick to Export Using Send to Export Daily or Period Attendance Using Send to Export Grades...35 How to Set Up Export Warnings (Windows only)

2 Using Send to Export Skill Grades...37 Automatically Send Exports Global Send By Administrator

3 An Overview Why Customize GradeQuick Web GradeQuick features have default settings that you can change if you wish to standardize certain items your teachers use in the gradebook or match your administrative software settings. We recommend, for example, that you set GradeQuick to use the same grade symbols and grade scales used by your administrative system. You should try to customize all settings before teachers run GradeQuick Web. When you customize the program, any settings you make will apply to all new GradeQuick Web gradebooks subsequently created by your teachers (including the gradebooks automatically created with a new class), so that teachers will not have to change these settings themselves. If you should decide to make the customizations after teachers have started using GradeQuick Web, you can revise most features later and transfer them using SiteManager s Transfer Shared Options. However, you will not be able to delete most settings, only add new ones, and you will not be able to reset the attendance start date. Note: GradeQuick Web is a cross-platform program that can be used by teachers on both Windows and Macintosh. However, many of the administrative features of GradeQuick Web are only available on Windows. You should use GradeQuick Web on a Windows computer for your school setup. What to Customize for School Use Configuration settings that may be modified fall into three categories: Gradebook Default Settings, which may be customized in the GradeQuick dialogs, or by using the Setup Wizard, including: Grading Options Grading Symbols Grading Scale(s) Weighting (Terms, Categories, Special Scores) Grading Preferences (e.g. numeric vs. letter grades) Calendar and Attendance Options First Day of Class and Term Start Dates Vacation Days/School Calendar Attendance (Absent/Tardy) Codes Half-day Attendance Class and Student Data Field Names Skills QuickNotes Customizing the word Term in Gradebooks and Reports Gradebook Display Settings - how teachers view the following items in their gradebooks: Spreadsheet Column Font Subtotals Student Information (including name, ID, student data fields such as comment code fields) Attendance Chart Test Descriptions 3

4 Preferences School Setup files School Notes Libraries (to store comment codes) Skills Information (if not imported from StandardsBuilder or your SIS) Report Layouts and Configurations How to Customize Gradebook Default and Display Settings To make changes to any gradebook default setting or display setting, do the following: 1. Login as your school Super User and run GradeQuick Web. Your School Template Gradebook (School.gbk) will open. 2. Make your changes to the settings in the School.gbk, or follow the Setup Wizard to walk through the most common settings. Review the dialog boxes in the following topics Using the Setup Wizard to Create Default Settings and Additional Gradebook Default Settings to determine what you want to change. For more information on each feature, refer to the Illustrated Roadmap, GradeQuick Manual and Using GradeQuick Web Help on the GradeQuick Help menu for detailed explanations of each function. Some options can be changed in either the Wizard or directly in GradeQuick dialogs. In the following section, pictures illustrate the Wizard screens for each option. Following each wizard screen is a note called To change these settings using GradeQuick menus with directions for using the dialogs. Some options can only used in the dialogs and are described in the section Additional Gradebook Default Settings. 3. If you use the Setup Wizard to change default options, those options will be saved automatically and become available when a teacher opens their gradebook for the first time. 4. If you use GradeQuick dialogs to change defaults, they will not be saved unless you click Options Save Settings and check-mark the items you wish to save for the school. Note that you should not check all items, or you may inadvertently transfer settings that you did not intend; only check the items that you customized and want to apply to all gradebooks. Using the Setup Wizard To Create Default Settings Most of the common customizations that GradeQuick administrators set for teachers as default gradebook settings can easily be set using the optional Setup Wizard. By default, the Setup Wizard opens when you run GradeQuick Web as your school s Super User. This section will detail each item in the Setup Wizard. It will also indicate where in GradeQuick s own dialogs you can find the item should you want to change any item later, you can run the Setup Wizard again or you can go to the specific dialog within GradeQuick to make your change. 4

5 GradeQuick Setup Wizard Welcome Screen If you do not want to access the Setup Wizard each time GradeQuick opens, check this box. Later, if you want to use the Setup Wizard, click Options Run Setup Wizard. Each item in the Wizard will be shown with a dialog and quick overview of the function. It will be followed by an explanation of which GradeQuick menu item to choose to get to the dialog that can be used to set this function in GradeQuick when you are not in the Setup Wizard. Creating and Customizing Terms In the Setup Wizard s first dialog, you can set up your terms (marking periods). This includes: Specifying number of terms per year. Defining the name your school uses for marking periods for view on the spreadsheet and in reports. Setting term start dates (this will ensure that assignments created by teachers automatically fall into the correct term for accurate grading). Choosing whether to calculate semester subtotals. 5

6 To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: The Term Name can be changed in SiteManager GradeQuick Settings. The Term Start Dates can be changed in Edit Attendance Set Term Start Dates. The Semester Subtotals can be changed in Grading Grading Preferences. Initializing Attendance If teachers will be taking attendance in GradeQuick, select Yes. Enter the date of the first day of school. This will be the same as the start date of the first term from the previous dialog. If you will be taking morning and afternoon attendance within the same gradebook, select Track Morning and Afternoon Attendance. For schools who send attendance back to your SIS, you can only check this option if your SIS is set to accept morning and afternoon attendance from a single gradebook/class. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: The First Day of School and Tracking Morning and Afternoon Attendance can be changed in Edit Attendance Set First Day of Class. Note that you cannot transfer these options to existing gradebooks, unless those gradebooks do not have a first day of class set at all. This option should be set before teachers start their gradebooks. 6

7 Setting Attendance Codes In this dialog, you can: Create absent and tardy codes (up to 4 characters) Enter a meaning for each code Flag a code, such as field trip, so that it does not count in attendance totals Match the absent/tardy codes to those in your Student Information System To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Edit Attendance Set Absence/Tardy Codes, or in the Attendance Chart, select File Edit Codes. Setting Vacation Days In this dialog, you can set individual days or date ranges as vacation days. These days will then be unavailable for attendance, and will not count towards the total number of attendance days. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Edit Attendance Edit Vacation File. 7

8 Setting Grading Symbols In this dialog, you can: Add or change the grading symbols that can be entered as scores on assignments. Edit the values for these symbols. The value is used in spreadsheet calculations. If you have your administrative system calculate semester or final grades, use the default values you set in that system as the values in this dialog box. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Grading Set Grading Symbols. Notes on Setting Grading Symbols You can set up to 20 grading symbols in GradeQuick. There are 5 default and 15 undefined grading symbols. When you set up symbols you want teachers to use, you can add symbols, and replace any of the defaults with your own. Since there is a 20-symbol limit, you may want to leave several undefined symbols for teachers to add their own. See the Illustrated Roadmap or GradeQuick Manual on the Help menu for an explanation of grading symbols. Other Exempt Symbols: If you want teachers to have exempt symbols other than X, you should enter the symbols as new Grading Symbols. Additional exempt symbols are treated exactly the same as X. Enter the new symbol with X as the value, e.g. T for field trips, etc. Teachers may also set up their own exempt symbols to use. 8

9 Setting the Grading Scale In this dialog, you can: Change the grade scale grades and cutoff values. Select from one of the default scales, A-F with or without +/-. Create additional scales by clicking the down arrow at the top and choosing another Scale Number, (you should use Scale Number 1 for the grade scale that is used most often by teachers). Create a name for your scale(s). If teachers export grades calculated by GradeQuick, set the grade scale minimum scores (cutoff) to be the same as those you set in your administrative system. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Grading Set Grading Scale. Creating Categories In this dialog, you can create the categories that will be used for assignments in GradeQuick. This list will be used later in the Setup Wizard to set up category weighting for teachers. However, teachers will still have to enter these category names themselves in GradeQuick; they will not be transferred into the gradebooks for them. 9

10 Creating Special Scores In this dialog, you can create special scores, such as semester exams. A special score is one that is calculated into the semester or year average, rather than a specific term. This list will be used later in the Setup Wizard to set up category weighting for teachers, but will not create these test columns in teacher gradebooks. If you want to create these exam columns in teacher gradebooks, use SiteManager Transfer Shared Options, and select Test Descriptions. Setting Weighting In this dialog, you can: Weight terms and special scores to calculate semester and final averages. Activate Averaging of Term Grades, which will then be set in the next set of dialogs. Weight categories to create term averages (if you are not weighting terms, the category weights will apply to the semester and final averages). Turn on individual test weighting, however, teachers will have to weight tests as they are created in their gradebooks. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Weighting can be edited by clicking Grading Weighting. Average Term Grades can be turned on or off by clicking Grading Grading Preferences. 10

11 Notes on Setting Weighting If weighting is not selected, averages are calculated based on total points earned divided by total points possible. Term subtotals are not averaged to calculate the overall grade unless terms are weighted. If you do not want teachers to make changes to the weighting system, you can use SiteManager to block weighting so that teachers will not be able to set their own weights. However, this will mean that teachers will be unable to set weights if they create any of their own terms or categories, and the weight for those terms or categories will be set to zero. Average Term Grades (Use assigned term grades ) will use the assigned grade that appears in the grade column (which may be either a letter or numeric grade, depending on your settings), rather than the calculated term average that appears in the average column (that includes decimals), to calculate the final average. This option will use overwritten term grades in determining the final grade, whereas averages cannot be overwritten and therefore overwritten grades will otherwise be ignored in final grade calculations. See GradeQuick Manual on the Help menu for a complete explanation of Average Term Grades. Setting up Averaging Term Grades The remaining dialogs will only appear if you have selected Use assigned term grades, instead of calculated term averages, to computerfinal grades in the Setting Weighting dialog. If you have not selected this, or if you have selected this but are using numeric grades rather than a grade scale, you have completed the Setup Wizard. Averaging Term Grades In this dialog, you can choose the method you want to use to assign grades when using Average Term Grades. Read the explanations within the dialog to decide which one you want to use. The next dialog will depend on the selection you make here. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Grading Grading Preferences. 11

12 Averaging Term Grades Grading Tiebreakers In this dialog, you can: Set the Grade Equivalent Scale for your grade scale(s), to indicate how much each value in your grade scale is worth in calculating the final average. Set the grading tiebreaker rules to determine what happens if the semester or final average is a number at the exact midpoint between 2 of the values on the grade equivalent scale. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Grading Set Grade Equivalent Scale. Averaging Term Grades Assign Cutoff Values In this dialog, you can: Set the Grade Equivalent Scale for your grade scale(s), to indicate how much each value in your grade scale is worth in calculating the final average. Assign specific cutoff values for the grade equivalent scale, to give you complete control over the assignment of final grades. Setting this accurately can be somewhat complicated, and you should make sure that you understand the grading implications of your selections. To change these settings using GradeQuick menus: Click Grading Set Grade Equivalent Scale. 12

13 Additional Gradebook Default Settings This section contains additional gradebook default settings that are not included in the Setup Wizard. Either Macintosh or Windows dialog boxes will be displayed if the content is generally the same. Both platforms will be displayed if the process is different. Setting Score Footnotes Click Grading Set Score Footnotes This dialog box allows you to globally define the Score Footnote codes and descriptions that are initially available in teacher grade books. To do this: 1. Select a code from the Code pulldown list. 2. Enter a short description in the Meaning field. 3. Click Change. 4. Repeat steps 1-3 to add more codes. 5. Click OK when finished. Adding QuickNotes Use the QuickNotes Library to provide your teachers with a selection of text comments that they can use in the notes they write to students. To facilitate this process, you may want to import all of your school s comments into the QuickNotes library or you may want to write your own notes to provide to the teachers. Teachers can also add their own notes at any time. For full details on using QuickNotes, see the GradeQuick Manual on the Help menu. After you have imported comments or written your own, you can click Options Save Settings, then check the box next to QuickNotes. Note: If you are exporting comment codes corresponding to official school notes for your administrative report cards, you should store those notes in the SchoolNotes Library described in the topic Creating a SchoolNotes Library. 13

14 Click Edit Memos Edit QuickNotes Library In this dialog box you can enter QuickNotes that can be used with Notes to Students or in Report Memos. You may also read the GradeQuick Manual on the Help menu. Entering Student Data Field Names If your school purchased an interface to transfer information between GradeQuick and your SIS, the field names have been changed to accommodate that interface. You should NOT change or remove any default names, but you may wish to create additional fields. Windows: Click Edit Student Information Macintosh: Click Options Student Data Fields This dialog box has buttons that allow you to change the field names in various ways add new names, delete names, position new names above the current cell or at the end of the list. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-by-step instructions for customizing Student Information Fields. Entering Class Information Field Names If your school purchased an interface to transfer information between GradeQuick and your SIS, the field names have been changed to accommodate that interface. You should NOT change or remove any default names, but you may wish to create additional fields. 14

15 Click Edit Class Information This dialog box has buttons that allow you to change the field names in various ways add new names, delete names, position new names above the current cell or at the end of the list. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-by-step instructions for customizing Class Information Fields. Entering Standard and Skill Information The Skills feature in GradeQuick allows teachers to enter and evaluate skills for each subject. Elementary school teachers use skills to evaluate observable behaviors such as Manages Time Well. All grade levels can use these fields for detailed evaluations of subject-specific mastery objectives such as state standards. Jackson Software also offers StandardsBuilder, a product that includes your state standards and allows you to customize the standards for your curriculum. If you use StandardsBuilder, you can import the state standards, and your own standards, into teacher gradebooks. If you will not be exporting skills information to your administrative system and do not have StandardsBuilder, but want all teachers to use the same skills, you can enter them, and then save them in the same manner that you save other default settings. If you are not basing reports on standardized skill names and grades, teachers can enter skills in their own gradebooks. The creation and management of standards and skills, skill assessment scales, attaching skills to tests and automatically assigning skills grades based on test statistics is covered in the Illustrated Roadmaps and the GradeQuick Manual. Saving Gradebook Default Settings All settings made in the Setup Wizard, and all display settings, will automatically be saved. Anything set within the GradeQuick dialogs can be saved as follows. Note: Some class information fields cannot be deleted. If they are deleted, they will return whenever the teachers use their gradebooks. 15

16 Click Options Save Settings You can choose to make the changes you made the default for teachers as they start to use GradeQuick. Click next to each item you wish to save. \ See the Illustrated Roadmap on the Help menu for step-by-step instructions for Saving Settings. Note: These items can be transferred later to teacher gradebooks. Attendance first day of class cannot be changed, and the transfer of Grading Symbols is limited. See the topic Customizing After Teachers Have Started Gradebooks Using Transfer Shared Options. Gradebook Display Settings In this topic, each gradebook display item is shown with a dialog box and quick overview of the function. Detailed steps on how to customize the items are provided in the Illustrated Roadmap on the Help menu. When you customize gradebook display items, they will be used when teachers first run GradeQuick. Should teachers wish to modify their own display settings later, they can do so and use Gradebook to Gradebook Copy to transfer them from one gradebook to another. Changing the Spreadsheet Font to Show More Assignment Columns Windows: Click Options Font Mac: Click View Font In this dialog box, choose the font style and size you wish to use. A smaller size will allow more columns to be displayed. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-by-step instructions for changing the spreadsheet font. 16

17 View Subtotals Click View Subtotals In this dialog box, choose the subtotals you want to view on the spreadsheet. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for stepby-step instructions for viewing subtotals. View Student Information Name, ID and Data Fields Click View Student Info In this dialog box, choose the student information you want to view on the spreadsheet. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-bystep instructions. View Attendance Chart 17

18 Click Edit Attendance Attendance Chart View Options In this dialog box, you can choose the information that you want to view in the attendance chart. See the Illustrated Roadmap for step-by-step instructions for viewing attendance. View Test Descriptions Click View Test Info In this dialog box, you can choose the information that you want to view about each test or assignment. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-by-step instructions for viewing test information. View Preferences Click Options Preferences In this dialog box, you can choose the information that you want to view on the spreadsheet or choose how you want the spreadsheet to operate. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-by-step instructions for choosing preferences. 18

19 School Setup Files Creating Skill Import Files Some administrative systems can export class specific skill files, or you can create the files yourself. To create your own skills import files, see the separate document Skill Import File Requirements and Grade Scale ID Files. Notes: Standards Builder and Standards Link, two of Jackson products, make creating and importing skills into GradeQuick easier than ever. For more information on what these tools can do and how to get them, contact your Jackson Software representative. Creating a SchoolNotes Library The School Notes Library can display the comments and identifying code numbers used by your school s administrative system. Teachers can use this feature to enter code numbers for exporting purposes. Once you have created your School Notes Library file(s), place them in your Custom Settings Directory in order to upload them to Edline for teacher access. Read the section Uploading Custom School Files later in this document for instructions on using the Custom Settings Directory. To create a list of comments/codes for the School Notes Library: Use a text editor such as Windows Notepad to create a list of comment and codes. Enter each code/comment on a separate line. If you add the comment code number followed by an equal (=) sign, the code will be entered in the column. If you omit the code number, the entire comment text will be entered into the comment code field. Save the file with the name you want to appear on the drop down menu and add the extension.snl. Customizing Printed Report Layouts & Configurations GradeQuick includes several types of reports and over 50 predefined report layouts. Teachers can alter the look of printed reports in an almost unlimited number of ways. If you want to be certain that a specific report always displays and prints in a specific way, you can use the Print Preview/Editor to save your customized settings to a report configuration file. In this way, teachers will not need to customize the report themselves; it will automatically appear in the format you want. 19

20 Once you have customized any report templates or report configurations, place them in your Custom Settings Directory in order to upload them to Edline for teacher access. Read the section Uploading Custom School Files later in this document for instructions on using the Custom Settings Directory. Term Reports Teachers can access term-specific reports, identified by Single Term Only on the Reports menu. In the Print/Preview, a drop down menu will list the terms available in the open file. Teachers can select the specific term they want to view. The skill term and subtotal grades, test/assignment scores and overall term subtotal grades will be displayed without requiring any further customizations from you or the teachers. This shows the dropdown menu that is used for selecting the term to print. Special Reports These reports are available on the reports menu, but they cannot be customized like the reports above. See your GradeQuick manual for an explanation of the following reports: Elementary School Report Cards List Wizard Mailing Labels Uploading Custom School Files If you created any custom files for use with GradeQuick Web, such as School Notes Library files (.snl) or Reports, you can upload them to your school at any time by using the Custom Settings Directory. This directory can be used to upload the following file types that you may have edited or created, or were sent to you by Jackson Software: Report template files (*.rep) that were modified in a text editor. Report menu files that were modified by you or Jackson Software (GQReportMenu.ini, SkillReportMenu.ini, LessonReportMenu.ini). Report Configuration files (*.wcf) that were saved using Save Configuration in the network version of GradeQuick. Custom Reports (*.rtm), sent to you by Jackson Software. School Notes Library files (*.snl). Export Template Files (*.etp) for your interface, sent to you by Jackson Software. Skills Import Files (*.skf), and their associated Grade Scale Files (*.gsf). Any other files that you created or were sent to you by Jackson Software to be used as GradeQuick Web school settings. 20

21 To upload these files: 1. Create a folder on your computer or the network, and place all files that you want to upload in this folder. This folder should only contain files that you want to upload. 2. Run GradeQuick Web as your school s Super User. 3. Select SiteManager System Information. 4. In the Custom Settings Directory field, enter the path to the folder in which you put the files. 5. When you exit GradeQuick Web, the files will be uploaded. 6. Once the files have been uploaded, you should remove them from the folder, or they will be reuploaded every time you run GradeQuick Web. Communicating with GradeQuick Users If you are a system administrator, GradeQuick gives you the ability to send start-up Alert Messages to GradeQuick users. Important messages such as deadline reminders or special instructions can be easily sent by the administrator and are received whenever a user enters the program until the message is removed. To Add A Start-Up Alert Message: You must be logged in as the Edline Super User/GradeQuick administrator to access this function. 1. Select SiteManager Alert Message. 2. Enter the message in the box provided. 3. Click the radio button, Send the following message at GradeQuick start-up. 4. Click OK to save the message. The message will be sent until you return to the Setup Message Alert dialogue box and select do not send message or replace it with a new message. GradeQuick stores up to ten previous messages for your convenience. Click the drop down arrow by the text field to view and select previous message text. Passwords and Program Security With GradeQuick Web, all data is stored at Edline, which uses the highest level of Internet security available. The Edline website describes the robust and secure web hosting protocols and facilities, including use of the Secure Socket Layer (SSL), 128 bit encryption for all data transmission and storage. Furthermore, because your user names and passwords are created and managed at Edline, you no longer need to maintain specific GradeQuick passwords. The Edline screen name and password give you access to GradeQuick as well. 21

22 Using SiteManager SiteManager contains the administrative functions in GradeQuick Web. Whereas with GradeQuick Network Edition, SiteManager was a separate program, with GradeQuick Web, SiteManager is built in to GradeQuick. When you run GradeQuick Web as the Super User, you will see a SiteManager menu, which contains items that allow you to customize your school s use of GradeQuick Web. System Information The information entered into System Information is used as explained below. If the use is described in greater detail in another topic, you will see a reference to that topic. Search Path. See Using Pictures on the Seating Chart. Auto-Import Template. Required to import rosters to start and update gradebooks. Give Export Warnings. See Using Send to Export Grades. Gradebook Backup Directory. See Backing Up Gradebooks. Custom Settings Directory. See Uploading Custom School Files. Export File Extensions. See Quick Start Guide. Using Pictures on the Seating Chart If your school makes student picture files available to teachers to use on Seating Charts, you must set the Search Path directory. All the pictures must be located in one directory on the server. The path to this directory should be entered for Windows or selected for Macintosh in System Information. If picture file names are imported along with student information, making this path available means that when teachers choose to add pictures to their seating chart, the pictures will automatically appear. If picture file names are not imported, teachers can attach the pictures by finding the appropriate picture file name in the directory where they are stored and attaching it to the student s seat. If the path is set in System Information, pictures will be displayed whenever the seating chart is viewed. If you have followed all the instructions above and pictures are not appearing on the seating chart, make sure Pictures are selected to show on the chart. To do that, select the seating chart from the toolbar. In the seating chart, select Options Seat Labels. Select Picture from the second set of options. 22

23 Backing Up Gradebooks You can download all teacher gradebooks from the Web for backup and archiving purposes. To use this option, you will first have to set a directory where you want the gradebooks to download. To do this: 1. Click SiteManager System Information. 2. Locate the field Gradebook Backup Directory, and enter a path to which you want gradebooks to be backed up. If you are using LiveLink with GradeQuick Web, you may choose to run, and schedule, gradebook backups from LiveLink instead. (This is the same path set up in LiveLink for Gradebook Archive.) Each time you back up gradebooks, the entire set of gradebooks will be downloaded from the Web to its own dated folder. The latest set of downloaded gradebooks will be in a sub-folder named Current. Blocking GradeQuick Features Using Set Permissions for Options The Set Permissions for Options feature in SiteManager allows you to control, or lock, which features in GradeQuick are available to the teachers. This can also be used to insure uniform settings for your school. For example, if the school has a specific grade scale and requires teachers to use this grade scale, the Set Permissions for Options in SiteManager can prevent teachers from setting a different grade scale in their gradebooks. Or, if the school does not want teachers to use weighting to calculate grades, or to change the school s set weights, weighting can be blocked from the Grading menu. When an item is blocked, the menu item may be unavailable, or teachers may not be able to make certain changes within a dialog. Ideally, features should be blocked at the start of a new semester after you have set your customization, and before teachers have started their files and had the change to make changes to the settings. For example, if you lock permission to the Grade Scale dialog after teachers may have set their own scale, their scales will remain, as they were when you locked the feature. If you want to set your own grade scale after school has started, you should use the Transfer Shared Options feature to send the new Grade Scale to the teachers gradebooks and then restrict their permission by blocking their access to changing the Grade Scale dialog. Note: ONLY teachers will be prevented from making changes. GradeQuick administrative users (Super User) will ALWAYS have access to ALL GradeQuick features. To block a menu item: 1. Run GradeQuick Web. 2. Select SiteManager Set Permissions for Options. The window that appears has the GradeQuick program menu bar displayed and four buttons, labeled Save, Revert, Reset and Exit. 3. Begin to set the menu items you wish to block by choosing the menu items from the menu bar. For example, if you want to prevent teachers from adding their own attendance codes, click Edit Attendance Set Attendance Codes. Two examples are shown below. Note: The menus are modeled after GradeQuick for Windows, and the locations for some features may be different from the Macintosh version of GradeQuick. 23

24 On the menus in the Option Locker dialog box, selected items are checked. Class field titles (names) you want to restrict from change or deletion are added to the list of Restricted fields.' 4. The items you select will be check-marked on the menus and listed in the list-box. If an item has a check-mark beside it or is in the list-box, the GradeQuick program will be affected in one of the following ways and users will receive a message about the limitation: A dialog box will be displayed but is inactive. Teachers will not be able to remove, add or change information in the dialog box. For example, in the Attendance Codes dialog box, teachers will only be able to view the Attendance Codes. A menu item may not be available. For example, if ID is checked on the Student Info dialog box, the ID item will be inactive or dimmed in the dialog box. 24

25 Click Save before exiting to save the list of features you have blocked. Selected items listed here. 5. Click one of the buttons described below to save, exit, remove all blocks or return to the last settings. Save After you have checked the features you wish to block, click the Save button. Your teachers will blocked from using the items you checked from the GradeQuick menu.. Reset Using the Reset button will unlock all blocks that have been set. If the settings are saved after using Reset, GradeQuick will no longer have any menu items blocked or inactive. Revert If after putting a check-mark beside some items, you decide to return to the blocks you set previously, before leaving the dialog box click Revert. Clicking this button will not unblock all items but will remove changes that have been made. Exit Choose Exit to leave the Set Permissions for Options feature. Customizing After Teachers Have Started Gradebooks Using Transfer Shared Options The Transfer Shared Options feature in SiteManager is used to transfer certain information, such as Grade Scales, from your School Template Gradebook to all teacher gradebooks, after teachers have begun to use GradeQuick Web. Important Note: It is difficult to remove data that was transferred in error. You should not select all items to transfer, but should only select those items to which you have made modifications that you want to send to teachers. Selecting all items in Transfer Shared Options can result in teachers receiving information in their files that you did not intend for them to receive. Making Global Changes The following global changes may be made to teacher files: Grading Symbols Grade Scale Class Fields Grading Preferences 25

26 Weights Attendance Codes QuickNotes Test Descriptions Data Fields (Student Information) Score Footnotes Term Start Dates Setting Up the School Template Gradebook Read the information earlier in this chapter for information about setting these features the way you want them before you transfer it to teacher gradebooks. Sending the Information in School Template Gradebook to Teacher Gradebooks 1. Run GradeQuick Web. 2. Select SiteManager Transfer Shared Options. Items transferred to teachers gradebooks 3. Select the types of data you wish to transfer to teacher gradebooks. Selected items will appear highlighted. Click a highlighted item again to deselect it. 4. Click Save and Quit. 5. If you do not want to transfer the selected data, click Quit w/o Saving. What to do if you transfer information in error: You can remove a problem item from the transfer by deselecting it in the Transfer Shared Options dialog and choosing Save and Quit again. In this way the change will not affect gradebooks for teachers who have not run GradeQuick Web since the erroneous information was sent. If teachers have run GradeQuick Web already, you cannot remove or change information in the teachers gradebooks, except as follows: Grade Scales: You can send the correct scales by changing the scale in the School Template Gradebook and sending it again. Grade Symbols and Score Footnotes: Since there is a limit of 20 symbols, and 10 footnotes, the teachers will need to remove unused or incorrect symbols (including symbols for which 26

27 you want to change the value) so that there are undefined symbols available in the file. If you send the grading symbols again, they will be added to the teachers files. Other Transferred Information: All information, other than Grading Symbols, Score Footnotes, and Grade Scale, you change and transfer again will be added to the teachers files. For example, if the name of a student data field was misspelled when you sent it the first time, the misspelled name will be added to teachers file and when you send the correctly spelled field name, it will also be added. To remove the misspelled name, teachers must delete it in each of their files. Customizing Exports Using Exports Manager SiteManager contains a utility called Exports Manager to customize grade, skill, and attendance exports for all teachers. This feature allows you to automatically export from gradebooks when they are synced to the Web, and to control which exports are available to teachers on the Send menu. If you set the autoexport feature, teachers will not have to export at all, or if you do not want to auto-export, restricting the exports available on the Send menu will make it easier for teachers to export and will ensure that teachers send grades, skills, and/or attendance for the appropriate term. The Availability of an export can be set in the following ways: Available on the Send menu in GradeQuick Automatically sent when a gradebook is synced to the Web Disabled (not visible) 27

28 Grade Export To Edit a Grade Export Setup 1. Highlight the export in Manage Exports. 2. Click Edit. 3. Choose Availability. You should disable all exports EXCEPT for current term exports. 4. Make sure the Type of Export is set to Grades/Skills. 5. Type an Extension if you want the exported file to have a specific extension. If you already have an export extension set in GradeQuick s System Information, you do not have to set an extension here. If you do set an export extension here, it will override the extension listed in System Information. 6. Click OK. Important! Only one of each type of export (grades or skills) should be selected to auto-export at any given time. During Term 1, you should only be exporting the Term 1 grades and/or skills. When the Term 1 export is complete, switch the auto-export to send grades/skills for Term 2 only. If you have more than one auto export selected, you will not have the correct grades exported. Attendance Export Because attendance exports do not show up automatically in Exports Manager, it will be necessary to create them manually. The Exports Manager allows you to create multiple attendance exports. For example, you can have teachers export both daily and period attendance. 28

29 To Edit an Attendance Export Setup 1. Open SiteManager and click Exports Manager. 2. Click Add on the Manage Exports dialog to create a custom export. 3. Type a Description for the export. 4. Type the name of the appropriate etp file in the Template File field. If you want to create an export for daily attendance, type adaily.etp. If you want to create an export for half-day attendance, type adailydbl.etp. 5. Choose Availability. 6. Click Attendance for Type of Export. 7. Type an Extension if you want the exported file to have a specific extension that is different than the extension listed in GradeQuick s System Information Fields. 8. Click OK. Restricting Exports There are two ways to restrict exports, to only gradebooks that meet a certain criterion, or to only active students, (or students who have not been dropped from the class). Most schools will want to restrict exports to active students. Restrict by Criterion It is possible to restrict the exports to specific gradebooks. This is useful if you want to create different exports for different teachers, classes, etc. You can restrict both Grades/Skills and Attendance exports. For example, if attendance is only exported from Homeroom classes, you could restrict your attendance export to only send attendance for classes whose subject was Homeroom. 1. Run GradeQuick Web and select SiteManager Exports Manager. 2. Highlight the desired export in Manage Exports. 3. Check Restrict this export to Gradebooks that satisfy the following at the bottom of the dialog box. 29

30 4. Choose a Class Information field from the drop-down menu. 5. Type the value to restrict the export in the equals field. In the example to the left, the export is restricted to classes with the subject Homeroom. 6. Click OK. Restrict to Active Students Only 1. Run GradeQuick Web and select SiteManager Exports Manager. 2. Highlight the desired export in Manage Exports. 3. Highlight an export. 4. Click Edit. 5. Remove the check in the box Export Dropped Students, if it is checked. If it is unchecked, then it is already set to export active students only. 30

31 Important Notes! If a gradebook is set up to automatically export when saving, ALL students for the class (except dropped students, if that has been selected in Exports Manager), will be exported. If an export is available on the Send menu, which means the export does not happen automatically, teachers will be able to select students to export. If you have created exports that automatically export every time a gradebook is saved, and you are concerned about bandwidth at your school, you may want to consider disabling the exports until the end of the term. Having these exports enabled throughout the school year may result in decreased performance when running GradeQuick Web since more syncs to the Web will be created as a result of the automatic exports. Exporting From All Active Gradebooks The feature to Export All Active Gradebooks is available in Exports Manager by a button on the bottom of the window. This can be used instead of teachers sending their own exports or instead of exporting when the gradebook is saved. To use this export feature, click the appropriate export in the list. Click the button Export All Active Gradebooks Now. Each gradebook will be accessed and the information desired in the selected setup will be exported. 31

32 Managing the Grade Export Process For Your School There are several ways to manage the export process for your teachers. Each will provide a different experience for them. Teachers export from each gradebook using the Send menu. See Using Send in GradeQuick to Export. Teachers automatically export each time they work in their gradebook. See Automatically Send Exports. An administrator exports from all gradebooks without any teacher intervention. See Global Send by Administrator. Using Send In GradeQuick to Export Using Send to Export Daily or Period Attendance Attendance can be exported on a daily or period basis. Teachers may also export for a date range if they are unable to export on a given day and the administrative system can read such an export. Just enter the range (such as 9/5/06-9/8/06) in the text box that appears when you export. The GradeQuick Manual discusses the attendance export more thoroughly. 32

33 Follow Steps 1-3. In the Attendance Chart, click File Send Step 1: Choose the appropriate export from the list. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-bystep instructions for Sending attendance. Columns that are Vacation days will be gray. Step 2: Today s date appears when Send is selected. If you need to export for a date range, enter the range this way. GradeQuick for Macintosh will only send attendance for a specific date, and not for a date range. Step 3 All students will be exported unless you click the button Select Students to Export. Select the students to export and then click OK. 33

34 Step 4: A message indicates the export is completed. Exporting Half-Day Attendance If your school is exporting daily or period attendance, check the Quick Start Guide for your interface for information about whether the half-day option is available for your school. If your school is not exporting daily or period attendance, do not select the Do morning and afternoon attendance separately option unless most of your teachers will be tracking attendance twice daily in the same gradebook. If some teachers will track it only once per gradebook and others twice, each teacher will need to set his own attendance start date. Those tracking it twice in the same gradebook will need to select it at the same time they set the attendance start date (or reset it). Caution: This option cannot be added later without removing all attendance record keeping and starting over. Exporting Attendance for Term or Year Totals Term or period attendance may be included in your school's grade exports. See the Quick Start Guide for your interface for information about exporting attendance. Teachers can use the Attendance Chart to record daily attendance or they can enter a term or period total if a Student Data Field has been set up. The Student Information fields will be named AbsTerm n, where n is the term number. Using the Attendance Chart If the teachers are recording attendance in the Attendance or Seating Chart, the totals will be automatically exported with the grades. They should not use the Student Information fields to export attendance totals. If teachers will be exporting Attendance by Term, be sure to set Term start dates. You may save term start dates through customizing GradeQuick. See the section Managing & Customizing GradeQuick Web, Creating and Customizing Terms. If an Attendance start date is entered, the attendance information will come from the attendance chart and not the Student Information fields even if no attendance is entered in the chart and attendance totals are entered in the Student Information fields. (If no attendance is entered in the chart but the file has a Start date set, 0 absences will be exported.). Using Student Data Fields If teachers do not want to use the GradeQuick Attendance functions to record total or term attendance on a daily basis, but need to export the data, they can ignore the Attendance Chart and enter the information in the proper Student Information fields. The Student Information fields will be named AbsTerm n, where n is the term number. If the First Day of Class has been set, teachers must choose Edit Attendance Clear Attendance if they plan to export the totals from the Student Information fields instead of automatically from the chart. 34

35 For more details, refer to the Attendance chapter in the GradeQuick Manual or Help menu, particularly the sections Setting First Day of Class, Exporting Attendance after Setting First Day of Class, Set Term Start Dates. Using Send to Export Grades GradeQuick is set up to show all the possible send choices (some interfaces have only one choice). You can change the Description of the export and its Availability. Description. A typical Send menu item might read Term 1 Grade. This could be changed to read Quarter 1 Grade if this would be more appropriate in your school. Use the Description field to change the name. Availability. The exports are all set to visible on the Send menu. Since not all are applicable at the end of a marking period, only the one you want teacher s to use can be marked as visible. Teachers will have greater confidence that they made the right choice when it comes time for them to send grades. Follow Steps 1-5: Click File Send Step 1: Choose the appropriate term number from the list of exports. See the Illustrated Roadmaps for step-bystep instructions for Sending grades. 35

36 Step 2: The export file is named with the original source (roster) filename. Step 3: All students will be exported unless you click the button Select Students to Export. Select the students to export and then click OK. Export Warnings When teachers export, they may receive a warning that certain data is missing. The warning only alerts them that they have not sent some of the data requested. Teachers need to determine if they intended to send that data, and if so, the teacher must fill in those fields and send again. For example, if student IDs are missing, the teacher must fill in the ID field. If a comment code is missing, they only need to fill in the appropriate Student Information field if they want those fields exported. Step 4: If warnings have been set up, teachers may get a warning like this. Missing Comment Codes 36

37 Missing Student IDs Caution: The warnings will not inform the teachers if they have failed to export the proper term or marking period or a special score. They must check to see that they have grades in the appropriate subtotal column for each Term, or marking period, for which they are exporting. Overwrite or Append If an export using the same name has already been created, an alert will appear asking whether you want to Overwrite or Append to the first export. Choose Overwrite. Step 5: The first time teachers export, they will not receive a message. If they export again, this message will appear. Teachers should choose to overwrite. How to Set Up Export Warnings (Windows only) 1. Run GradeQuick as the Super User. 2. Click SiteManager System Information. 3. In the Information field Give Export Warnings, enter Yes. Using Send to Export Skill Grades Once skill grades have been entered into the skill fields, the grades may be exported either with the academic grades or separately. See the Quick Start Guide for your interface for information about whether teachers will be exporting skill grades. If your administrative software has been set to receive skill grades and skills information is NOT set to automatically export, teachers should export as follows: 1. Click File Send. 2. Choose the appropriate skills export for the marking period. 3. Select the students to export and then click OK. 4. Click OK. 37