Setting Up and Using Aspen Gradebook

Setting Up and Using Aspen Gradebook Overview Topic Page I. Set Your Aspen Gradebook Preferences 1 II. III. IV. Define and View Class Details A. Viewing Class details 4 B. Changing Averaging Modes 4 C. Linking Sections 4 D. Dropping Lowest scores 5 Create Special Codes A. Creating Special Codes 6 B. Editing Special Codes 7 C. Deleting Special Codes 7 D. Entering Special Codes 7 E. Removing Special Codes 7 Create Categories for Your Classes A. Creating Categories 8 B. Editing Categories 9 C. Deleting Categories 9 V. Create Assignments for Your Classes A. Creating a Graded Assignment 10 B. Creating an Ungraded Assignment 13 VI. Enter Scores into Assignments A. Entering Scores 15 B. Tips for Entering Scores 17 VII. Using the Help Menu 18 Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 1

I. Set Your Aspen Gradebook Preferences Use the Gradebook Preferences to determine the default settings for your assignments, how the Score page displays, and how averages are calculated. WARNING: While most of these settings are optional, you must select the Enable gradebook features to be able to use the Gradebook to capture scores for homework, quizzes, tests, etc. 1. In the Settings bar, click Set Preferences. 2. Click the Gradebook tab. 3. Select the Shade alternate lines checkbox to shade every other row of your Grade Input page. 4. Select the Track administrator updates checkbox to see an exclamation point next to any changes made by an administrator in the Grade Post Columns for the Progress Report or Report Card. 5. Select the Tab direction to specify the direction your cursor moves when you press the Tab key on your keyboard: Across the row or Down the column. 6. You can ignore the Show studies checkbox. 7. Select the Enable gradebook features checkbox to use the Scores page to enter scores for assignments. etc. WARNING: You must select this checkbox to use the Gradebook for homework, classwork, quizzes, exams, 8. Select the Assignment column order from the drop-down list to indicate the sort order of your assignments. 9. Select the Show points in headers checkbox to display the number of total points in the column header of an assignment. 10. Select the Show category names in headers checkbox to display the names of the assignment categories in the assignment headers. 11. Select the Publish assignment statistics checkbox if you want to display the low, median, and high assignment scores to parents. 12. Select the Show student alerts checkbox to display alert icons next to student names. Alert icons include Legal, IEP, 504, and Other. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 2

13. Select the Show course selection recommendation checkbox to display the Recommendation columns used for making course recommendations for next year. You can make recommendations during a defined date range, but the columns will continue to appear even after the date range has expired. Clear this checkbox to remove these columns from the Scores page. 14. Select the Anchor averages checkbox to left-align average columns on the Scores page. This will place the averages next to the students names, and the assignments will appear to the right. A calculator icon displays in the Average column header and the student s average is displayed in blue. 15. In the Default weighting drop-down list, select the default method for calculating averages. To indicate to the system how you calculate averages, do one of the following: Select Categories only if you want to weight categories only in your gradebook. For example, assume you create three categories: Homework, Tests, and Quizzes. All homework assignments are worth the same amount, as are all tests and quizzes. To determine student term averages, Homework is worth 25% of the grade, Tests are worth 50% of the final grade, and Quizzes are worth 25% of the final grade. Select Category and assignments if you want to weight both categories and assignments within those categories. For example, a student's homework average is worth 25% of the term grade, but each homework within the category is weighted differently. For example, you weight reading homework assignments 1, and intensive writing homework assignments 3. Select Total points if you calculate averages by dividing the total points a student earns by the total number of points possible. For example, a student receives a 100, 90, and 80 for grades. The student's average is 270/300=90. Select Category total points if you want to use total points for individual assignments within categories that you weight. For example, assume you have a Homework category. The homework average counts as 25% of the student s final grade. Within the Homework category, you grade each individual assignment using points (HW 1 is worth 10 points, HW 2 is worth 20 points). Note: This value becomes the default average mode for the teacher. Teachers can then assign a different average mode to different course sections in the gradebook. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 3

16. In the Decimals field, type the number of decimal places you want Aspen to use for calculated grades. 17. In the Grade scale for averages field, click the lookup icon and select Standard A-E (Teacher Gradebook). This defines the grading scale that displays for gradebook averages based on the SHS grading policy. WARNING: You must use the Standard A-E (Teacher Gradebook) grading scale for the grades to feed the Progress Report and Report Card correctly. 18. Click OK. II. Define and View Class Details A. Viewing Class Details In the gradebook, you can view details such as room, day schedule, and term for each of your current classes. 1. Log on to the Staff view. 2. Click the Gradebook tab, and select the checkbox next to the class. 3. Click the Details side-tab. The details for that class appear. Note: On the Options menu, click Change History to view a list of changes made to the section. B. To Change Averaging Mode: 1. To apply a different averaging mode than the default you have defined in your user preferences, use the Average mode drop-down to select the mode for this course section. Note: If you co-teach this section, you cannot select Gradebook default at the Average mode field. The average mode you select appears for the other teachers who share the class. C. To Link Section to Another Section: Note: Linking sections lets you create categories and assignments for one section, and automatically add them to other sections linked to it. 1. To link this course section to another section, click Select. A pick list containing a list of any other sections the teacher is responsible for appears. (see below) Note: To unlink a course, click Select, and deselect the checkbox next to the course. Click OK. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 4

2. Select the sections you want to link, and click OK. The sections appear on the page. D. To Drop Lowest Scores: 1. In the Drop mode box, select one of the following to determine if you want to drop the lowest scores for this class: Select Do not drop scores if you do not want the system to drop any scores for this class. Select Drop lowest overall score if you want the system to drop the lowest score(s) for a term. The following options appear: 2. For each term, the number of scores appears in the Available column. Type the number of scores you want to drop for that term in the # to drop column. Select Drop lowest score by category if you want to determine how many scores to drop each term by assignment category. For example, you might drop the two lowest homework scores each term. To do so, type the number in the # to drop column for each category, for each term: Note: On the Scores page, the system indicates dropped scores with determined in the Drop mode box: because they fit the criteria you Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 5

8. Click Save. III. Create Special Codes Special codes are used in place of an assignment score. You can apply a special code you created to be used for an assignment score that would either exempt the score from the student's average or have the assignment counted as a zero (0) in the student's average. Warning: Parents/Guardians and students will see Special Codes when viewing scores from the Family Portal. Some examples of codes: AB (absent), AD (academic dishonesty). A. Create a Special Code 1. Click the Tools tab. 2. Click the Special Codes side tab. 3. From the menu bar, click Options > Add. 4. The New Gradebook Special Code page displays. 5. Enter the appropriate Code, e.g., AD for academic dishonesty. NOTE: The code can be up to five characters in length. 5. In the Behavior field, select one of the following: a. Exempt from calculations to exclude this assignment when calculating the student s average. b. Calculate as zero to count this as a zero when calculating the student s average. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 6

6. Click the Report as missing? checkbox if you want assignments with this code to appear in reports that list missing assignments. These assignments appear in addition to assignments with no score. 7. Click the Color field and select the color you want Aspen to display when you use the code. For example, you might want the new AD code to appear in red so that you can easily locate it on the Scores page. NOTE: Do not use a code that is already represented in our grade scale. For example, you do not want to create a special code of A since our grade scale contains an A. Also, avoid using colors such as white and gray since these will not show well in the gradebook. 8. Click Save. 9. Click the Special Codes side tab to return to your list of special codes. B. Edit a Special Code 1. Click the Tools tab. 2. Click the Special Code side tab. 3. Click the link of the record to edit. 4. Edit the appropriate options, e.g., Color. 5. Click Save. C. Delete a Special Code 1. Click the Tools tab. 2. Click the Special Code side tab. 3. Select the checkbox for the appropriate Special code. 4. From the menu bar, click Options > Delete. 5. Click OK to confirm deletion of the Special code. D. Enter a Special Code 1. Click the assignment score for the student that requires a special code. 2. Enter the special code, e.g., AD. NOTE: Currently there is not a lookup option for inserting a special code. To view your special codes, click the Tools tab then click the Special Codes side tab. E. Removing a Special Code 1. Select the student s score that contains the special 2. Press the Delete key on your keyboard. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 7

IV. Create Categories for Your Classes Use categories to group your grades, e.g. Homework, Quizzes, etc... Weight values can also be assigned to categories, e.g. Homework 20%, Quizzes 30%, etc... You can create categories without assigning weights to them. For quick setup, categories can be linked to other classes. NOTE: If you calculate grades using Total Points (without any categories), you must create at least one category. A. Create a Category 1. Click the Gradebook tab. Your class list displays. 2. Select the checkbox for the appropriate class. 3. Click the Categories side tab. 4. From the menu bar, click Options > Add. The New Category page displays. 5. In the Code field, enter the appropriate code for the category, e.g. HW for Homework. description. NOTE: The code can appear in the column header on the Scores page and should be a short 6. In the Description field, enter an appropriate description. 7. If you set your gradebook preference to weight categories, enter the appropriate weight in the Weight field, e.g. 10 for 10%. NOTE: Weights do not have to add up to 100. 8. Enter any appropriate settings in the Assignment Defaults section. Entering default values can save you time when you are creating assignments for this category. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 8

NOTE: The Max points field only displays if you calculate your averages by category only or category weights and assignments. The Max points and Total points fields do mean the same thing the value of the assignment. 9. Select the Private checkbox as the assignment default if you do not want the assignments in this category displayed to parents/guardians and students in the Family Portal by default. 10. If this category is linked to another section on the Class Details page, select the Also add this category to linked classes checkbox if appropriate. 11. Click Save. B. Edit a Category 1. Click the Gradebook tab. Your class list displays. 2. Select the checkbox for the appropriate class. 3. Click the Categories side tab. 4. Click the link of the category to edit. 5. Edit any category options as appropriate. 6. Click Save. WARNING: If you edit a category in a specific class that is linked to other classes, it will not modify this category to the other linked classes. C. Delete a Category 1. Click the Gradebook tab. Your class list displays. 2. Select the checkbox for the appropriate class. 3. Click the Categories side tab. 4. Select the checkbox for the category to be deleted. 5. From the menu bar, click Options > Delete. 6. Click Save. a. If this is a new category without assignments created, click OK. b. If this category already has assignments and scores associated with it, click Continue to delete the category, assignments, and scores. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 9

V. Create Assignments for Your Classes An assignment in Aspen is any type of student work, e.g., homework, test, etc... You will create a new assignment each time you give your students new work or assessments. Assignments in a class can be linked or imported from another class. You can create assignments using the Assignments or Scores side tab. The Assignments side tab is typically used when the gradebook is being set up for a class; the Scores side tab is typically used to add an assignment on-the-fly. Note: You must define categories and set your gradebook preferences before you can create assignments. Create an Assignment You can create a single assignment or recurring assignments using the Assignments or Scores side tab. You must define categories and set your gradebook preferences before you can create assignments. NOTE: If you calculate grades using Total Points (without any categories), you must create at least one category. A. Create a Graded Assignment 1. Click the Gradebook tab. Your class list displays. 2. Select the checkbox for the appropriate class. 3. Click either the Assignment or Scores side tab. a. Assignment side tab - from the menu bar, click Options > Add. The New Assignment page displays. b. Scores side tab Click the Add button or from the menu bar click Options > Add Assignment (or press Ctrl+A on the keyboard). The New Assignment page displays. 4. Enter information in the fields using the table on the following page. 5. If this class is linked to another class and you would like to link the new assignment, verify the Also add this assignment to linked classes checkbox is selected. 6. Click Save. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 10

Use the following table to enter information in the fields: Field Description Category Click to select the category for this assignment. If you defined default values for assignments in this category, those values appear in the appropriate fields. Type the name for the assignment that appears in the column header on the Scores page. GB Column Name Note:Type a short code with no spaces. Assignment Type a detailed name for the assignment. Name Type or click to select the date you created the assignment. Date assigned Note: You can move assignment dates forward or backward for a course section. This is helpful if a day of school is cancelled because of weather, or a last minute assembly is scheduled for an upcoming school day. Date due Type or click to select the date the assignment is due. This field appears only if you calculate averages by total points. Type the number of possible points a student can earn. Total points Weight You determine how you calculate averages when you set your gradebook preferences. This field appears only if you calculate averages using category and assignment weights. Type a number if you want to weight this individual assignment in relation to other assignments in this category. For example, you might weight a difficult homework assignment more than an easy reading homework assignment. You determine how you calculate averages when you set your gradebook preferences. If you want students to be able to submit files for this assignment online using the Student Portal, type the dates to set the Open and Close Dates for the online submission. Online submission Options Note: You must set up your gradebook and Class pages to receive assignments from students online. You receive these files on the Scores page. Select this checkbox to treat this entire assignment as extra credit. Extra credit Note: If you select this checkbox, do not enter a value in the Extra credit points field below. Do only one of the following: Select the Extra Credit checkbox to treat the entire assignment as extra credit; or Enter a value in the Extra credit points field to allow students to earn extra points, in Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 11

Field Description addition to their earned points, for this assignment. Enter the number of extra credit points a student can earn for this assignment. A student can earn these points only; students are not penalized for extra credit points. Extra credit points Note: If you enter a value in this field, do not select the Extra Credit checkbox above. Do only one of the following: Select the Extra Credit checkbox to treat the entire assignment as extra credit; or Enter a value in the Extra credit points field to allow students to earn extra points, in addition to their earned points, for this assignment. Sequence number Score not droppable Private Entry mode Grade Scale Grade Term Max points If you select to order your gradebook column headers on the Scores page by Sequence number in your user preferences, type the number that determines the order in which this gradebook column appears. Select this checkbox if you drop scores for this course section, and you do not want the system to drop this score if it meets the requirements you set. Select this checkbox if you do not want this assignment or any grades for this assignment to appear in the Student and Family portals. Use the drop-down to select Both, Numeric Only, or Letter Only to determine the grade values you can enter for this assignment. The grade scale you associate with the category you select at the Category Code field appears. If you want to use a different grade scale for this assignment, begin typing the value and select the one you want, or click to select from a pick list. The system enters the grade term based on the date you enter at the Date due field. You can change this value. This field appears only if you calculate averages by category weight or category and assignment weights. Enter the maximum number of points a student can earn for this assignment. You determine how you calculate averages when you set your gradebook preferences. If you want to create a recurring schedule for this assignment, select one of the following options: Recurring options Click Daily to define a daily schedule. A dialog box appears. Define the start and end dates of the recurring schedule. In the Frequency field, type the number that determines how often the assignment recurs on schedule days. For example, if the assignment recurs every other day the class meets, type 2 in the Frequency field. Click OK. Click Weekly to define a weekly schedule. A dialog box appears. Define the start and end dates of the recurring schedule. Type a value in the Recur every {how many} weeks field. Then, click the day of the week the assignment recurs on. Click Monthly to define a monthly schedule. A dialog box appears. Define the start and end dates of the recurring schedule. In the Frequency fields, type the number day of the every {number} of months to recur the assignment. Click OK. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 12

Field Also add this assignment to linked classes Description Note: If this section is linked to other classes, you can also recur this assignment for the linked classes. To recur this assignment, you must define the schedule before you click Save for a new assignment. Subsequent edits you make to any assignment or recurring schedule for the assignment apply to the class you are working in only; the system does not copy edits to assignments to other linked classes. Select this checkbox if you linked other sections to this section on the Class Details page, and you want to copy and automatically create this assignment for all linked sections. 7. If the assignment is available on the Student and Family portals, click the Portal Descriptionsub-tab to enter that information. The description can contain web links, tables,and all of the features of an Aspen text editor. 8. To align the assignment to standards, click the Standards sub-tab. 9. Click Save. You can now enter grades or scores for the assignment on the Scores side-tab. B. Create Ungraded Assignments Create ungraded assignments to alert students of assignments they are responsible for, but they will not earn a score or grade for. For example, you might want to assign reading for homework. You want this assignment to appear in students' To Do widget in the Student portal, but you will not enter a score for the assignment: You can copy assignments to quickly create duplicates,(use Options>Copy Assignment) and you can import assignments from another of your class sections or from previous years (use Options>Import Assignment). To create an ungraded assignment: 1. Log on to the Staff view. 2. Click the Gradebook tab. 3. Select the section you want to add the assignment to, and click the Assignments side-tab. A list of assignments already created for this section appears. 4. On the Options menu, click Add. Two options appear: Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 13

5. Click Add Ungraded Assignment. The New Assignment page appears: 6. Enter information in the following fields: Field Classes Assignment Name Category Description The classes this assignment is created for appear here after you click Save. Type a name for the assignment. This name appears in the To Do widget. Select the assignment category. Type or click to select the date you created the assignment. Date assigned Note: You can move assignment dates forward or backward for a course section. This is helpful if a day of school is canceled because of weather, or a last-minute assembly is scheduled for an upcoming school day. Date due Type or click to select the date the assignment is due. Grade Term Select the grade term. Private Select this checkbox if you do not want this assignment to appear in the Student and Family portals. Description Use the text editor to type a description of the assignment. The description can include links to the web, and any other feature available in the text editor. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 14

7. Select the Also add this assignment to linked classes checkbox if you want to add this assignment to any classes linked to the class you are currently adding the assignment to. 8. Click Save. VI. Enter Assignment Grades for a Class In the Staff view, on the Gradebook tab, the Scores side-tab is similar to an online version of a class page in your leather-bound gradebook. This is where you enter assignment grades: To determine the information that displays: At the top of the page, you can select the following information you want to view for this class on this page: Student Fields: You can select the student fields you want to view on the page. The student fields appear to the left of the grid lines next to the student names. For example, you might want to see each student s year of graduation next to his or her name. If the default field set does not contain the fields you want to see, create a field set. Student field sets you create are available for all classes in your gradebook. Note: Next to each student s name, the medical, legal, "other" alert, or the IEP symbol might appear if allowed by your gradebook preferences. Click the symbol to view details. For example, click student s medical alert. to view details of the Grade Columns: You can determine the set of grade columns you want to view. The system automatically creates a set of grade columns for each of your categories, district post columns, and all averages including term and category averages. For example, assume you want to view only homework assignments and the student s homework average you would select the Category: HW grade column set. If the grade columns in the menu do not contain what you want to view, click to create a new grade column set. Grade column sets are only available for the classes in which you create them. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 15

Note: The Grade Columns setting will default to your most recent selection from the Class List s Scores page. For example, if you selected Category: Hmwk the last time you were on the Scores page, the Grade Columns would still be set to Category: Hmwk. Use the following tables to understand the icons that appear in the Grade Column headers: Assignment Type Visible in Student and Family Portals Included in Grade Calculations Icon Behavior Private No No Click public. to change assignment to Public Yes Yes Click private. to change assignment to Icon Description Icon Behavior Envelope Indicates that students have uploaded their assignments Click to download one zip file containing all from the Submit Assignments widget. submitted files for assignment. Lock Locks the column to scores are read-only and prevents accidental grade changes. Click to lock the gradebook column. Unlock Unlocks the column for you to enter scores. Click to unlock the gradebook column. Term: You can determine which term(s) you want to view grade columns for. Status: Select if you want to view students currently enrolled in the section, or those who have withdrawn. Note: You can enter new assignments directly on the Scores page. Do one of the following: Press CTRL-A. Click the Add button in the last column. On the Options menu, click Add Assignment. A. To enter grades: 1. Do one of the following: Click a student s name to enter grades for a single student; or On the Scores page, click in the box you want to enter a value in and continue with the steps below: Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 16

B. Tips for quickly entering grades for students: o o o o o Press the arrow keys on your keyboard to move around the columns and rows. You can also use your mouse to click directly in a cell. Press TAB or ENTER to quickly move across rows or down columns, as you defined when you set your gradebook preferences. To select a value (grade or comment) for this column from a list, press CTRL+L, or click Lookup on the Options menu. For example, if you need to enter a comment code (such as 012 - Pleasure to Have in Class), press CTRL+L to see the list of available comments. To enter the same value for all students, enter a grade for the first student, then press CTRL+D, or click Fill-Down Values on the Options menu. The system enters the same grade in that column for every student. Then, you can change the grade for the few students who did not receive that grade. Press CTRL+K to revert a score to the last saved value. o If the Paper and Pencil icon appears, the column is a text comment column. To enter a text comment for a student, click for a student. The Edit Text Comment dialog box appears. Enter the comment, and click OK. The icon now appears with blue lines to indicate you have entered comments for the student. o o o If a grade column is based on a rubric, the Plus sign appears in the column header. Enter grades for the rubric. Enter a gradebook special code you created, such as CH for Cheated, or MED for Medical. The value appears in the color you selected when you created the code. To mark an assignment score exempt, enter the score. Select the score, and on the Options menu, click Exempt current cell, or press CTRL+E. You then have a record of the score the student Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 17

received, but it does not count toward the student s average. The score appears on the Scores page with a strikethrough. o To add an informational footnote you pre-defined to the score, enter the score, and on the Options menu, click Lookup Footnote, or press CTRL+N. Select the code (such as 1 for Late submission), and click OK. The code appears next to the score. To view the entire footnote, use your cursor to hover over the code. 2. Enter a value for each student. After you enter a grade and leave the cell, the system automatically saves the grade you enter. If you have entered an invalid value, such as a letter for a numeric text comment code field, the system displays an error message in the upper-right corner of the page. Note: To give the student a zero, or no credit, for an assignment, you must manually enter a zero (0). The system does not count blank grades toward averages. 3. Click the Feedback icon to enter a note only you can see for the score, or feedback students and their families can view in the Student and Family portals. You can also press CTRL + M. 4. Look at the average column. A calculator appears in the column header of each average column. The student s average for those columns appears in blue: Each time you enter a new score, the system saves it and updates the average that appears. There is no Save button. The average column that appears depends on the Grade Columns you select to display. For example, if you are viewing all HW (homework) grade columns, the average column displays the average of all homework scores you enter. To view a student s term average, select to view the Averages grade column set, or create your own grade column set. You can use the record navigation bar to move to another course section. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 18

VII. Use the Help Menu Go to the Help menu to access information that will make using Aspen easier and more efficient. When you have a question about how to do something in the system, come to this menu first: The Help menu contains the following options: Online Help: Click to view an online help system with instructions on how the system is set up and ways to perform common tasks. A table of contents, index, and search feature make it easy to find the information you need. Release Notes: Click to view a list of major changes and new features that have been added to the system in recent releases. User Guides: Click to open a PDF version of all of the Aspen user guides, such as Basic Navigation and Managing Students. Refer to and print these as needed. They are updated with each release. Quick Reference Cards: Click to access sheets on guided steps or summaries of the most common tasks used by a user role (such as a nurse) or in a particular Aspen view (such as the Health view). They provide a good refresher after attending a training or a quick way to look up a frequently used feature or process. FAQ elearning: Click to access FAQ elearning videos. Report a Problem: If your district uses the feature and you have appropriate privileges, the Report a Problem option appears. Click to report a problem to your district s IT department (Rich Long and Steve DeProsse). About Aspen: Click to view which version of the system you are currently using. Scituate Public Schools July 2012 Page 19