itfaq

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====== Finalizing Grades at the End of the Quarter ======

===== Finish Adding ‘Assignments’ to the Quarter =====

Sometimes for reporting, the PowerSchool quarter end date may be different then what is displayed on the calendar (although that is rare).  Make sure that any Assignment that you would like included in the quarter grade has a Date Due that is before then end of the quarter as indicated in the gradebook under Grade Setup – even if the student handed it in after that period. Remember, it is whatever date that is in the Date Due field that determines what Reporting Term any particular Assignment will be counted in.

===== Give an ‘Effort Grade’ for the Quarter =====

On your Scoresheet, *with the Q# Reporting Term selected* , change the Mode to Final Grades. Under the Citizenship column enter an effort grade of E, S or U.  (N is not used).

===== Check your Grade Setup =====

It is important that you check that your Grade Setup for the Q# Reporting Term. This will ensure that your final grades will be calculated using the method that you want.  Under Grade Setup, click the arrow icon beside each of the listed Reporting Terms to check the method PT Gradebook is using to calculate the final grade.  For quarter grades, these are typically Total Points and/or Category Weights.

===== Check your Final Grade for each Reporting Term =====

Under the Scoresheet tab, check that the final grades for each Reporting Term are correct. To do this, change the Reporting Term in the pull down menu. You might even want to calculate one student’s quarter grade by hand to see if you have your Grade Setup correct. When you have confirmed the Reporting Term is correct and complete, you can indicate this by clicking the Q# in Progress button and checking the Final Grades Complete checkbox.

===== A Note About How Grades Are Calculated =====

Regardless of your settings for an assignment, PowerSchool uses the point value when calculating grades. If you issue a letter grade for an assignment, PowerSchool will use the corresponding 'Percent' grade (grade out of 100) to calculate the Final grade. For example, you give two quizzes in the Quiz category, one quiz with a Points Possible of 50 and the other with a Points Possible or 100.  The student scores a C on the first and a B on the second.  The student will end up earning 75% (i.e. C) of 50 points and 85% (B) of 100 points, giving the student 122.5/150 (37.5 + 85 points of a total 50 + 100 points). If these were the only two assignments in Q1 Reporting Term, then the student would get 122.5/150 --> 81.7 --> B- for the quarter. The cutoff for a B is 80.0.  If the student were to have scored a B on the first and a C on the second, they would have gotten a C+ (78.3). The take away from this is that the Points Possible for each assignment in a category weight that assessment against other assignments in the same category OR if you use Total Points to calculate your final grades, then the Points Possible weight the assignments against all other assignments. The points matter!

Another thing to note about how grades are calculated: PowerSchool carries forward the 'Percent' grade and not the letter grade when calculating a Final Grade. In the above example, even though a B is the equivalent to a Percent grade of 83, the student's Y1 average would be calculated using 81.7 and not 83.

You can see what the "Cutoff" and "Percent" are for each letter grade in your gradebook under Grade Setup --> Grade Scales.