Gradebook Guide PCSD Media Services Department 200 S. 7th St. Palatka, FL 32177 (386)312-4927
TABLE OF CONTENTS WHAT IS SKYWARD EDUCATOR ACCESS PLUS? 4 LOGGING IN TO SKYWARD THE FIRST TIME 5 LOGGING IN/LOGGING OUT 7 ACCESSING THE GRADEBOOK 8 ATTENDANCE 10 BY NAME 11 BY SEATING CHART 11 NOTES ON ATTENDANCE 12 ATTENDANCE REPORTS 12 BASIC ANATOMY OF THE GRADEBOOK 13 SETTING CATEGORIES 16 CATEGORY MAINTENANCE THREE IMPORTANT BUTTONS 16 ASSIGNMENTS 18 ADDING ASSIGNMENTS 18 ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION SCREEN 18 ASSIGNMENT INFORMATION SCREEN BREAKDOWN 19 EDITING ASSIGNMENTS 21 DELETING ASSIGNMENTS 21 CLONING ASSIGNMENTS 23 PCSD Media Services Department Page 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS GRADING 24 ENTERING/EDITING GRADES 24 MASS ASSIGN SCORES OPTION 25 SCORE ENTRY 26 QUCIK SCORING 27 YEAR IN REVIEW 28 PCSD Media Services Department Page 3
WHAT IS SKYWARD EDUCATOR ACCESS PLUS? Educator Access is an online application that allows teachers and administrators to record and track the educational progress of students at their site. It is a district-wide application. Should staff transfer from one site to another, they will already be familiar with the application and functions. Student data is available from any computer with internet access. No more fear of lost data on a flash-drive or single computer hard-drive. Makes the entering, maintaining and communicating of student grades and progress less tedious and time consuming (no more entering grades each 9 weeks into TERMS). Attendance, emergency and general student information is readily available to you via the Gradebook program. No need to spend time searching anywhere else for data. Opens the lines of communication between teachers, parents, students and administrators. Class rosters are created at the district level. The system is ready to use when teachers walk into the classroom. No need for teachers to spend time creating classes and rosters. Remember: Guard your user ID and password carefully Always use the back or exit buttons while logged in to Skyward Never leave your computer unattended while logged in to Skyward PCSD Media Services Department Page 4
LOGGING IN TO SKYWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME 1. Go to the Putnam County School District website. 2. Click on the Employees Tab. 3. Under Skyward Access click Student System. 4. Enter your login (User ID) and password. Click Login. PCSD Media Services Department Page 5
LOGGING IN TO SKYWARD FOR THE FIRST TIME 5. You will see the following message: 6. The next screen will ask you to confirm your current password. This is not the screen where you change your password. 7. This next screen will be where you change your password. It must be 8 characters long. Click save. 8. You will now be prompted to log in again; this time with your new password. PCSD Media Services Department Page 6
LOGGING IN 1. From the PCSD home page (http:// www.putnamschools.org), click on the Employee link 2. Click the Skyward Student System link 3. Enter your login (user ID) and password ***TIP*** Create a shortcut on your desktop: While you are on the Putnam Student login page: Go to FILE > SEND > Shortcut to desktop Now you can click on the link on your desktop and save time. LOGGING OUT: To log out of the Gradebook, always use the back buttons to go back to the home page. Or click the apple icon or home page link when available Always click the Exit button NOTE: Not doing so may leave you logged in and unable to access the Gradebook from another computer. PCSD Media Services Department Page 7
ACCESSING THE GRADEBOOK 1. Launch Skyward from the page of 2. Enter your login (user ID) and password. Click login. 3. Check the home page for information and updates. 4. On the left side of your Skyward Educator Access (EA) home page, click on My Gradebook. PCSD Media Services Department Page 8
ACCESSING THE GRADEBOOK 5. Click on the Gradebook link for the appropriate class/section. 6. This is an example of a Gradebook main screen. Hover your mouse, do not click, on the tabs across the top of the spreadsheet. These tabs allow you to navigate to different areas, applications, reports, etc. 7. To switch to another class/section, hover your mouse pointer over the Classes tab, and select another class/section from the list. PCSD Media Services Department Page 9
ATTENDANCE 1. From the home page, click the Post Daily Attendance link. 2. The following screen lists your classes and gives you a couple of options for posting attendance data. *You can choose to collect attendance by name or by seating chart. PCSD Media Services Department Page 10
ATTENDANCE Attendance By Name View Attendance By Seating Chart View PCSD Media Services Department Page 11
ATTENDANCE Notes on Attendance: Each school (entity) has a cut-off time for entering attendance. Once the cutoff time has passed, attendance has to be entered by the office. You can edit your attendance up until the daily cut-off time. Simply redo your steps and save again. All students are defaulted to present You must click to report to the office that attendance for that day, has been taken. Attendance Report: 1. In your Gradebook, hover the mouse over the REPORTS tab 2. Select Attendance - Summary by Class 3. Choose the range you want the report to cover (beginning and ending date) 4. Click View Report for All Students 5. A report (.pdf) will appear on your screen. Choose the Print icon to produce a hard-copy PCSD Media Services Department Page 12
BASIC ANATOMY OF THE GRADEBOOK NOTE: This is referred to as the Main Screen. #1. Click this link to take you to that section s/class s information. #2. TIP: Clicking the apple always returns you to the home page. PCSD Media Services Department Page 13
BASIC ANATOMY OF THE GRADEBOOK #3. The view tutorial link takes you to SKYDOC. This is a place full of tutorials and guides for using the Gradebook. #4. Clicking the girl/boy icon next to a student s name brings up a student profile with valuable contact, family and general student information. PCSD Media Services Department Page 14
BASIC ANATOMY OF THE GRADEBOOK #5. The new link directs you to a screen which has information on transferring scores for a new student. Also, there is a button to turn off the new link. Leave it turned on so this screen is easy to access. PCSD Media Services Department Page 15
SETTING CATEGORIES Your categories must be set before adding an assignment. 1. From the Gradebook Main Screen, click on Categories Notes: Check with your department to learn if there are specific categories to use and the specific percentage for each category Percentage amounts need to be set BEFORE adding an assignment. Category Maintenance - three important buttons: #1 click this to use one of these two options Use total points to calculate grades Base grades on percents assigned to categories by grade period PCSD Media Services Department Page 16
SETTING YOUR CATEGORIES Three important buttons (continued ) #2 click this to set your categories 1. Check the categories you wish to Include 2. Enter the percent for the category under the Modified Percent column 3. Confirm the Modified Percent Allocated equals 100%. 4. Click the Save button when done to return to the category maintenance screen. #3 if you wished to use these same categories for the other classes in your Gradebook, click this button PCSD Media Services Department Page 17
ASSIGNMENTS Adding Assignments: On the Gradebook Main Screen, hover your mouse cursor over Assignments. From the drop-down menu that appears select Add Assignment. Assignment Information Screen: PCSD Media Services Department Page 18
ADDING ASSIGNMENTS Assignment Information Screen Breakdown: 1. Select the assignment Category from the drop down menu Refer to pg. 15 on Categories 2. Enter a basic Description 3. Assignment Group is optional, however it allows you, to group assignments together for reporting purposes 4. Assign Date is the date the assignment will be given to students. The default is set to current date 5. The Proposed Due Date is the anticipated date the assignment will be due 6. Actual Due Date is the final date the assignment is due. This date may be changed so that it does not appear on the Family Access calendar 7. Max Score sets the maximum score for this assignment (usually 100) PCSD Media Services Department Page 19
ADDING ASSIGNMENTS Assignment Information Screen Breakdown: 8. The Weight Multiplier will make an assignment have greater, lesser or equal value to the other assignments in that category 9. If you would like for this exact assignment to be added to additional classes, place a check in the corresponding box Note: This teacher is adding this assignment to their other Geometry class. 10. SAVING Save and Back will return you to Gradebook Main Screen Save and Add another will allow you to add another assignment Save and Score will direct you to post grades for that specific assignment you just created PCSD Media Services Department Page 20
/D EDITING/D /DELETING ASSIGNMENTS 1. From the Main Screen, click on the assignment name you wish to edit 2. On the Assignment screen, click the Edit button 3. Edit the assignment details you would like to change and click Save Deleting an Assignment: 1. From the Main Screen, click on the assignment name you wish to delete 2. On the Assignment screen, click the Delete button PCSD Media Services Department Page 21
/C DELETING/C /CLONING ASSIGNMENTS Deleting Assignments (continued ) 3. The next screen will allow you to choose which classes to delete the assignment from; or even delete from all classes Cloning an Assignment: Cloning will allow you to create several similar assignments without starting over each time After you clone an assignment, you can change information on the new assignment (i.e., due dates, description, etc.) 1. From the Main Screen, click on the assignment you wish to clone 2. On the Assignment screen, click the Clone button Consider: Q: Are you going to offer similar assignments on a regular and scheduled basis each grading period? A: Then clone them to specific dates. Spend less time adding assignments throughout the term. PCSD Media Services Department Page 22
CLONING ASSIGNMENTS Cloning Assignments (continued ) 3. Modify any details you wish to change, such as description, due dates or the classes to which this assignment should be given 4. Be sure to save PCSD Media Services Department Page 23
GRADING Entering Scores from the Gradebook Main Screen: 1. From the Main Screen, click the assignment you wish to score Note: If you hover your mouse cursor over an assignment, a description of the assignment will appear 2. The Assignment Options screen will appear. From here you can enter scores in two ways: 1. Mass Assign Score or 2. Score Entry PCSD Media Services Department Page 24
MASS ASSIGN SCORES If you click this button from the Assignment Options screen, it will allow you to mass assign scores for the current assignment. Refer to page 24 Mass Assign Options Mass Assign saves time: You can mass assign a specific score to all students. Overwrite existing scores Give additional points Remove scores Mass assign no count (*) Remove all the no counts for that assignment Remove all missing assignments Don t forget to click Save when you are ready to move on PCSD Media Services Department Page 25
SCORE ENTRY If you click this button from the Assignment Options screen, it will allow you to mass assign scores for the current assignment. Refer to page 24 Enter in the Score for each student Enter a Special Code, if needed. For example, if you type HING, then that no count (*) has a code attached that explains why there has been no score entered yet. This reports to Family and Student Access. Mark the No Count box if you would like for this assignment not to be averaged into the students grades. An * (asterisk) appears You can mark Missing if the student has not completed or handed-in the assignment. However, if you do not score the missing assignment as a 0, it will not count (*) Comments are free form comments that you can create. This does post to Family and Student Access Anything you have not scored will be both marked as Missing and receive a score of 0 (zero) Don t forget to click Save when you are ready to move on PCSD Media Services Department Page 26
QUICK SCORING Quick Scoring is a fast way to score multiple assignments 1. From the Main Screen, click the Quick Scoring menu button 2. The next screen places your assignments side-by-side and allows you to make quick changes to their scores Any changes you make will be highlighted in green 3. While Quick Scoring, if you need to add comments or more details for a specific score, click the mouse cursor in that specific cell and click Show Cell Details. PCSD Media Services Department Page 27
LESSONS LEARNED After reviewing our progress in year one of our Gradebook launch let s first state that we have much to be proud of. Launching a new district wide Student Information System is a monumental undertaking. Your hard work, patience and willingness to learn made it possible. We also realized we could summarize the problems that we ran into easily so hopefully we can avoid making the same mistakes this year. The Big Ones: 1. Make sure to weight categories by grading periods if using weighted grades. Changes can be made to category weights during that grading period. If you don't use all assigned categories for example, you would be able to correct your weights before the end of the grading period. 2. When you get new students make sure you transfer in grades for those students. This doesn't happen automatically. Please click on the new button which appears beside the student's name to see what options are available. Your gradebook can not calculate a grade until you physically enter it. 3. Understand what it means mathematically to weight grades 4. Know what parents will see in the Parent Portal and know how to check for messages We look forward to working with you again this year! Adam Azula, Karen Hughes and Marsha Cruce Call Center - 386 329-4927 PCSD Media Services Department Page 28