GradeQuick 10 for Macintosh
What this workshop will cover
You will import a class roster, if you have downloaded your class rosters and completed the process of saving them in a
tab-delimited text file. If you have not prepared your class rosters, then you will
open a previously created GradeQuick demo file. You will then learn to set up
and use the GRADE BOOK.
Start GradeQuick and Import a Class Roster
1.
Start GradeQuick 10 by double-clicking on the GradeQuick shortcut icon
on the desktop.
2. Click in the space for student names at the right of the number 1. See
screen picture at right.
3. Click on the FILE menu and choose the IMPORT command. See below at
right a screen picture of the FILE menu with the Import command highlighted and the IMPORT submenu.
4. Click to select CLASS ROSTERS WITH OTHER DATA.
5. The CUSTOM IMPORT dialog box appears with these
choices: COMMA and TAB. (See a screen picture of
this dialog box below right.)
6. Choose TAB if you have saved your Class Roster in
TAB DELIMITED format. (The student name column is
separated from the ID column by a TAB.)
7. Click the OK button.
8. The OPEN dialog displays.
9. Locate your class file, and click CHOOSE button.
10. The notification asking how students should be
imported displays. The selection ADD NEW STUDENTS is
selected. Click the OK button.
11. The class list is imported to your GradeQuick file.
Not
e: Those who do not have a class roster prepared, can type in
ote:
a few names or open a Demo file supplied with GradeQuick.
Open the Demo GradeQuick file
1.
2.
3.
With the GradeQuick opening screen showing, drop down the
FILE menu and choose the OPEN command.
The OPEN dialog displays. Browse to the GQMac folder. The
file’s name is Demofile.gbk.
Locate the demo file, select it and click the OPEN button.
Look at the Top of the Gradebook Screen
See the picture (at right) of the top section of the
screen. At the top is the MENU bar. Note there is a menu
named EDLINE. This particular menu item allows
teachers to send reports about individual students to
parents over the Internet. Understandably, Chabot
College has not subscribed to this service.
The Big ToolBar
The Big ToolBar allows you to quickly access some of GradeQuick’s menu options. These include one-click access to the
FOLLOWING: ATTENDANCE, SEATING CHART, REPORTS, STUDENT INFORMATION, MEMO, SUPPORTLINK ONLINE, SEND TO EDLINE, and
SAVE TO EDLINE. (Ignore the Edline icons.)
The Standard Toolbar:
The STANDARD TOOLBAR (small toolbar) contains the following features (left to right): NEW FILE, Open File, Save File, PRINT
FILE, SORT ASCENDING/SORT DESCENDING, ADD STUDENT, ADD TEST, ACCESS SEATING CHART IN ATTENDANCE MODE, and HELP.
Note: SORT ASCENDING/DESCENDING. These buttons will sort the students in your spreadsheet based on the column in which
your cursor is sitting when you choose this option.
Customize your Gradebook
Set up a Home Directory on your own computer
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Pull down the OPTIONS menu and click on
SYSTEM INFORMATION. See at the right, a dialog
that shows the HOME DIRECTORY field (left
column).
Click in the blank field space in the right
ir
Dir
ireec tor y and then
column opposite Hoome
me D
Directory,
choose to select a directory using the SELECT
DIRECTORY button at the bottom.
The CHOOSE LOCATION dialog displays.
Select the folder you want as your default
folder in which your GradeQuick files will be
automatically saved, and click the CHOOSE
button.
You will see the name of your default directory
in the HOME DIRECTORY field. Click OK.
Pull down the OPTIONS menu and select SAVE SETTINGS.
Enter Class Information
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
See a screen picture of the EDIT menu.
Select the command, CLASS INFORMATION.
The CLASS INFORMATION FIELDS dialog appears.
Take a look at the FIELD NAMES
(the column on the left).
You will want to keep the ones
you will use in all your classes.
You may want to delete any FIELD
NAMES you will not use in any of
your classes. To do so, click on the
field you want to delete, and then
choose DELETE.
Fill in any information (such as
your name) that will remain the
same for all your classes. This
information will appear on your
reports.
8.
8.
To enter data, click in the empty box to the right of the field name, then
type the data.
When finished entering data, click the OK button.
Set the First Day of Class
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pull down the EDIT menu and click on the ATTENDANCE command.
Select ATTENDANCE DATES.
See a screen picture at the right of the ATTENDANCE DATES dialog. Since
Chabot College has only one term in a semester, enter the first day of your
class during the current semester at the right of Term 1.
Select the days of the week during which your class meets.
Save your Settings
Saving your settings will allow you to use your customizations for all your
future gradebook files. When you customize and save your settings at the
beginning of your term, you will save time.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pull down the OPTIONS menu.
Choose the command SAVE SETTINGS.
The SAVE SETTING dialog displays.
Click to check any settings you want saved.
Click the OK button.
Set up Student Information
You may wish to have available certain information about your students.
This information is then available to print on reports, to use for selection
criteria, or to display on the spreadsheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Click OPTIONS, then choose STUDENT DATA FIELD NAMES.
The EDIT DATA FIELD NAMES dialog box displays.
If there are fields you want to remove, highlight the field name, then
click DELETE.
If you want to add a field, click ADD. A new field is added at the
bottom. Scroll to the bottom of the window and type the name of
the new field.
When you have finished adding and/or deleting fields, click OK to
return to the spreadsheet.
For these settings to be used for all of your files, you must save the
settings.
Save your settings
As previously explained, saving your settings will allow you to use your
customizations for all your future gradebook files. When you customize
and save your settings at the beginning of your term, you will save time.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Pull down the OPTIONS menu.
Choose the command SAVE SETTINGS.
The SAVE SETTINGS dialog displays.
Click to check any settings you want saved.
Click the OK button.
Set a Grade Scale
You may want to change the grading scale for one or all of you classes. If
so, do as follows:
1.
2.
3.
Click to drop down the GRADING menu, then choose SET GRADING SCALE.
The SET GRADE SCALE dialog box will appear.
Highlight a grade to change then type the lowest average that you want to receive this grade.
4.
Here is a screen picture of the SET GRADE SCALE dialog
for the standard GRADE SCALE A to F and below that one
is a picture of the standard GRADE SCALE A to F with
plus and minus.
5. To change any of the lower cutoff values, highlight a
grade to change, then change the lower cutoff value.
Note: Below see a screen picture of the GRADING menu.
Set Up Score Footnotes
Notice the item in the Grading menu SET SCORE FOOTNOTES.
If you choose this command, you will see a small dialog
that allows you to enter a single letter code in the left
column of the dialog box (entitled SYMBOL), and in the
corresponding right space opposite in the right column
headed MEANING, you can enter the meaning of the Symbol
code.
Some of the meanings suggested are: LATE, NEEDED ASSISMODIFIED. You may edit any of these
settings or create new ones. A total of 10 codes can be
created. You can add score footnotes to add meaningful symbols to specific scores in your gradebook. For these settings to
be used in all of your files, you will need to use the SAVE SETTINGS command on the OPTIONS menu.
TANCE, INCOMPLETE, and
Saving Files
To save your file (you should do this often):
1. Pull down the FILE menu and click SAVE AS.
2. The file name will show in the SAVE AS box,
and if you want, you can change the name
and/or location. D o not use punctuation in
the name.
3. In the WHERE box, specify the save location.
4. Click the SAVE button.
Add a New Test
•
Click on the ADD NEW TEST icon on the STANDARD TOOLBAR or press COM+I Or pull down the EDIT menu and choose ADD STUDENT/TEST
command.
The ADD/INSERT dialog displays.
You can add a new test column at the right of the current test column, or
you can choose to insert a new test column at the left of the current test
column.
On this dialog, you can also insert a new student row. See at right a screen
picture of the ADD/INSERT dialog.
MAND
•
•
•
Entering Test/Assignment Information
Enter Test Information
A “test” column can be anything you want it to be: quiz,
homework, special assignment, midterm, etc. The name
of this “test” is entered at the top of its column. See at
right, a screen picture of the top of a GradeQuick screen
showing two tests and the type of information you will
enter for each test.
1. Name. The cell for NAME appears with two asterisks.
Type a short name for the title of the test or assignment. Limit the name field to eight characters or
fewer. The names of the various tests must be
unique. Keeping the names short allows tests to be
seen in narrow columns. Pressing the RETURN key
moves the cursor down the column.
ong N
ame. Enter a longer name or description (up
Name.
2. L
Long
to 30 characters). As you start to enter the characters,
a LONG NAME DIALOG will display giving you a text box into which you enter the long name. The characters will
scroll as you enter the longer name.
er m. Since Chabot College operates with a
3. T
Term.
single term system, ignore this row. If you wish,
you can leave the term number as assigned and
simply remove the row from view as follows:
1) Drop down the VIEW menu.
2) Select TEST INFO. In the VIEW TEST INFORMATION
dialog, click to deselect TERM. See the screen
picture of the VIEW TEST INFORMATION dialog at
right.
3) Click OK to return to the spreadsheet.
Note: If you select any of the STATISTICS in the
bottom section of the VIEW TEST INFORMATION
dialog, you will see a row appear that will provide
the requested information for each test.
at
ateegor y. You can use categories to group individual tests or other assignments by topic. It is also useful if you
4. C
Category.
want to give different weights to certain components in determining the final grade. You may, for example, want
to place all tests in one category, all quizzes in another, homework in another, etc. Many people wait to assign
weights to categories until the latter part of the semester after most tests have been completed and all categories
have been assigned. Category names may be up to 8 characters long. You may have up to 16 categories.
e. When you set up a test, the date in the computer memory will appear. To change the date to reflect the date
Date.
5. Dat
of the test, double-click in the date cell and enter the date of the assignment, then press RETURN to move to the
next cell.
ossib
le. You must enter in this cell the number of points possible for this test before you can enter scores for it.
ossible.
6. P
Possible.
If you choose to give extra credit on an exam, do not include those points here. You may enter more points for a
student score than is entered on the POSSIBLE row for that exam or test. This will earn the student extra credit,
regardless of your weighting system.
Enter Student Scores
Look at the section containing information about students. Note that the color changes for each two students, which
helps guide your eyes across the rows. Move the highlight bar to a cell in the appropriate test column opposite any
student of your choice, and then type in the test score, then press either the RETURN or DOWN ARROW key.
The Search Feature
If you have a large class and you want to use the SEARCH feature to easily locate a student, follow these steps:
1.
2.
Put the highlight bar in the test column where you want to enter a test score.
Select OPTIONS from the menu bar and then click SEARCH MODE. SEARCH MODE ON is displayed in the lower right corner
of the window.
3. Type the first letter of the first word in the name of the student whose score you will enter. For example, if you type a
W, the highlight will automatically move to the first row of students whose names begins with W. If you have the
names arranged with last name first, then you would type the first letter of the last name.
4. Enter the score if the highlight bar is in the correct row. Press RETURN.
5. If the bar is not in the correct row, type the second letter in the name, if you wish GradeQuick to search further.
Repeat the process until you reach the right name.
6. Type in the number score and press RETURN, or, if you are entering letter grades instead of numbers, press TAB before
typing the letter grade, so GradeQuick will know you are not searching for another letter in the name. Press RETURN
after your entry.
7. Type the first letter of another student's name and continue as above.
8. If you are entering letter grades instead of numbers, press TAB before typing each letter grade so GradeQuick will
know you are not searching for another letter in the name. Type the letter grade, then press RETURN when done.
9. Go to OPTIONS then click SEARCH MODE again to turn off the SEARCH MODE.
Note the double asterisks. These indicate that the student has not taken the test yet, but it is not counted against the
student at this point. At the end of the grading period, you can globally change this to a 0 if you want. Look through the
gradebook and try changing a double asterisk to 0 and see the change in the student grade in the right column.
Using Score Footnotes
If you created SCORE FOOTNOTES, you may add the Score Footnotes to specific scores in your gradebook as follows:
1. Hold down the COMMAND key and click a score cell. Choose the appropriate ADD SCORE FOOTNOTE from the menu that
appears.
2. To remove a SCORE FOOTNOTE, hold down the COMMAND key and click a score box, and choose REMOVE FOOTNOTE.
Using Grade Symbols
Listed below are the few default grading symbols set in the program. Without putting them on the grade symbol chart,
you may always use the fixed symbols listed below for incomplete work or work not handed in. Since they all represent
work not done, they are not included in computations for test statistics. If you want to exempt only a few students for
certain work not turned in, enter an X in their column. When the grading period ends, you can then quickly toggle the
rest of the ** grades to zero and the X will remain as exempt. If you want to penalize only a few students for work not
handed in, enter an NC in their column. It will count as a 0, and then you can keep the rest of the ** grades as exempt.
** Test/assignment not done but does not count against student.
NC No Credit
X Exempt
Setting Up Student Information
GradeQuick provides a place for you to track information on each of your students. The information is then available to
print on reports or to display on the spreadsheet.
1.
3.
4.
5.
With your highlight in a student row, select STUDENT INFORMATION from the EDIT menu, or press F8 if a student’s name
is highlighted.
Type the data into each Information Field (to the right of a Field Name), pressing RETURN after each entry to move to
another data field.
You may continue entering data for other students by clicking NEXT STUDENT or PREVIOUS STUDENt to display the entry
form and when finished, click on the OK button.
To edit data in the student data fields without first deleting the current data, press the F2 key when your cursor is in
the correct field, and your insertion point will be placed at the end of the data, ready for editing.
View Student Information
1.
Pull down the VIEW menu and click STUDENT INFORMATION.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Click the data field from the list (for example, phone) and click OK.
The spreadsheet displays the Phone data as a column.
To enter all the students’ phone numbers, simply enter them down the column, pressing RETURN or the DOWN ARROW
key after each entry.
When you have finished entering the data, you may want to hide the column until you need to see it again. If so, pull
down the VIEW menu and click to deselect the Phone field from view.
Correcting Mistakes - Making Changes
Replace an incorrect entry
Single click the incorrect entry. Type the new name or number. The old one will disappear and be replaced with the letters
you are currently typing. Press RETURN.
Change, or edit, a previous entry
If you want to change one or two letters, double click the incorrect entry. The insertion point will appear at the end of the
text in the cell. Use the mouse to position the insertion point to the right of the letters you want to change, and then click.
Delete the letters or numbers you want to remove and type in the new ones or insert new ones. You may also use the
arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired spot. Press RETURN when done.
Add, Delete or Drop Students
Add a st
ud
ow. To add a student row at the bottom of the sheet, click the last student name and press RETURN. To add
stud
udeent rro
student
row.
a student row in the middle of a class file, select the student row above the row in which you wish to insert the new row.
(To select a student row, click the number to the left of the student name.) Drop down the EDIT menu and choose ADD
STUDENT/TEST or press COMMAND+I from the keyboard. In the dialog box, click INSERT NEW STUDENT, and then click OK.
This will insert the new row below the selected row in the gradebook.
ow. To delete a student, highlight the student name and press
R
emo
ud
stud
udeent rro
movve a st
Remove
student
row.
COMMAND+CLICK. Select DELETE STUDENT in the drop-down menu, pictured at right.
Dr
op a st
ud
Dro
stud
udeent. To drop a student, highlight the student name and press COMMAND+CLICK.
Drop
student.
Select DROP STUDENT in the drop-down menu. Note the small green Dr note that appears in
the column that would ordinarily hold the student grade.
U
op a st
ud
nDro
stud
udeent. If you want to restore a student you have dropped, highlight the student
UnDrop
student.
nDr
name and press COMMAND+CLICK. In the drop-down menu, select unDrop Student, and the
drop-down menu will indicate the student you have selected. See the screen pictures of
these menus above right.
Remove ID Column from View
To free up more screen space, you may want to hide the
students’ ID numbers column:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Pull down the View menu.
Select STUDENT INFORMATION.
The VIEW STUDENT INFORMATION dialog displays. See a
screen picture of this dialog at right.
umb
Click the check mark in front of ID N
Numb
umbeer to
Number
uncheck this item.
Changing Column Widths
You may change column widths to increase the number
of columns displayed.
1. Click VIEW and then COLUMN WIDTHS.
2. The COLUMN WIDTHS dialog displays.
3. The AUTOMATICALLY ADJUST SETTINGS are selected.
4. Check mark the box for THIN COLUMN MODE to
display more columns. See COLUMN WIDTHS dialog at
the right.
5. Click the OK button.
Sorting (or Reordering) Student Rows
1.
Choose SORT from the VIEW menu. See a screen
picture of the VIEW menu below right.
2. Choose STUDENTS from the submenu.
3. A dialog displays. If you select a field such as FIRST
WORD IN NAME, then you will sort the names in
alphabetical order of their last names, if you have
student names entered with the last names first.
4. If you have students with common last names, and if
you want to also sort by first
name, then choose LAST WORD
IN NAME as the second level (if
your students first names are
the last word in the name list).
If your students’ first names are
the second word in the name,
then for your second level sort,
you would want to use SECOND
WORD IN NAME.
5. To sort by scores on a given test,
you must first place your cursor
in the test column, and it will
appear in the sort list.
6. Once you select a sort method,
you will be asked to select
ASCENDING or DESCENDING.
7. After selecting ASCENDING or
DESCENDING, click the OK
button.
Note: For a simple sort, use either
the ascending or descending
button on the STANDARD
TOOLBAR.
Placing Tests
You can select whether to add new tests to the beginning (next to the
STUDENT NAME/ID), or the end (next to the summary columns), of your
gradebook.
1.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Click OPTIONS, then select PREFERENCES.
Select END or START.
Click OK.
Click OPTIONS, then select SAVE SETTINGS.
The SAVE SETTINGS dialog informs you that “View and Options Menu settings will apply to NEW files.”
Click OK on the SAVE SETTINGS dialog.
Sort tests
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose SORT from the VIEW menu.
Choose TESTS from the submenu.
A dialog displays where you choose to sort tests by DATE (chronological order) or NAME (alphabetical order) or by
CATEGORY to group the tests together by category.
Select the method of arrangement you prefer, and click OK.
The Grading Scale
You may make changes in the GRADING scale defaults, and
these changes are saved as part of this class file. (If you are
satisfied with the standard grade scale, do nothing to
change the defaults.) Pull down the GRADING menu. Choose
the SET GRADING SCALE command. The SET GRADE SCALE
dialog displays.
Unless you change the scale, Grade Quick assigns letter
grades to numeric scores for the grading period using a
preset A to F scale: A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, D=6069, and F-0-59. You can also switch to a standard A to F
scale with +/- grades. To do this, click on the STANDARD
A,B,C,D,F WITH +/- BUTTON. See a picture of tis grading scale
below and at the right.
You can edit the values by assigning new minimum values:
1. Highlight a grade to which you want to assign a new
cutoff value.
2. See the CUTOFF text box field. Type in a new cutoff
value, and click the MAKE CHANGE button.
4. When you have entered all your changes, click on the
OK button.
If you want this change to affect only this class, then you do
not have to save these settings. If you want these changes to
apply to all your new class files, then pull down the OPTIONS
menu, click SAVE SETTINGS, and on the SAVE SETTINGS dialog,
select GRADE SCALE and click the OK button.
Set Up Pass/Fail Grading
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Choose SET GRADING SCALE on the GRADING menu.
In the SET GRADING SCALE dialog, click on the CLEAR GRADING SCALE
button.
Click to highlight NEW GRADE, then click in the GRADE text box and type P
(for Pass).
Click in the CUTOFF text box and type the cutoff value for passing.
Click on the MAKE CHANGE button.
Define F (for fail) with a cutoff value of 0 following the above procedure.
When finished, click the OK button.
Drop Low Scores
Grade Quick allows you to drop as many low scores as you wish from any category
and restore these scores at any time. Grade Quick drops the score(s) that will hurt the
student’s average the most, even when it is not the lowest absolute score or lowest
percentage score. GradeQuick calculates this correctly, even with a weighted grading
system.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click on the GRADING menu.
Choose DROP LOW SCORES.
The DROP LOW SCORES dialog displays.
On the submenu, click Term 1.
Select the test or category from which you wish to drop scores by clicking it. If
you want to drop the lowest score (or scores) in the semester regardless of what
category it is in, select ANY CATEGORY and type in the number to drop.
Type the number of low scores you want to drop from a test, category, or semester in the text box next to the MAKE CHANGE button.
Click on the MAKE CHANGE button.
When you are finished, click on the OK button.
Show Markers for Low Scores Dropped
To see which scores have been dropped, have
GradeQuick display the score bolded:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click OPTIONS to drop down the menu.
Choose PREFERENCES.
On the PREFERENCES dialog, check LOW SCORES
DROPPED to check-mark it.
Choose OK to execute the option.
If you later decide not to drop low scores, select
DROP LOW SCORES again and type 0 for the number
of scores you want dropped.
Choose DONE and the scores will no longer be
dropped.
On the OPTIONS menu choose PREFERENCES. In the
section entitled “Show markers for:” click LOW
SCORES DROPPED.
The low scores will be bolded. See a picture of a section of a spreadsheet with the low scores bolded, above right.
How to Use Weights
If you choose to set weights (relative weight of importance in the final
grade) for categories, for example, you may want all the quizzes to account
for a certain percent of the final grade and so on for tests, midterm, and
final. If you grade for homework or class discussion, you may want these
efforts to account for a certain percentage of the final grade. Calculate and
adjust the category weights as you like so they will add up to 100%. They do
not have to total 100%, as GradeQuick will do the calculations based on
their relative weights.
You should wait until late in your semester until you have all your categories named. When you are ready to specify weights do this:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Click on the GRADING menu to drop it down.
Select WEIGHT from the GRADING menu. The WEIGHT dialog box displays.
Select CATEGORIES. You will see a warning that you should enter weights
for all your categories. Click the YES button.
Select the first category in the list box. Highlight the 0.00 in the box
next to the MAKE CHANGE button.
Type a weight, then click MAKE CHANGE.
The highlight will move down to the next category. Change the 0.00 to
its weight and click MAKE CHANGE.
Repeat these steps for each item in the list.
When you have set all the weights, click DONE to return to the spreadsheet.
A WEIGHT row will be created between the DATE and POSSIBLE rows on the
top gradebook section, and the TOTAL and MAX columns will automatically
be removed from the display on screen, since the numbers will no longer
provide a meaningful explanation of the student’s final average. The
student scores in SUBTOTAL columns will be changed to the percent correct.
Student Reports
A number of report styles are available for each report type you select from
the REPORTS menu. Once you select one, it is displayed in the Print Preview/
Editor screen so you can see what data it includes and its layout. One of the
most often used by faculty is the BLANK SPREADSHEET which you can use to
print a roster and blank grid on which to write scores when a computer is
not handy.
To print a blank spreadsheet, click REPORTS
and then BLANK SPREADSHEET. See a picture
of the Reports menu and the submenu
with this command at right, and a picture
of a blank spreadsheet in the PRINT
PREVIEW EDITOR lower right. To print the
spreadsheet, click the printer icon at the
top of the screen. To return to the
GradeQuick spreadsheet, click the icon
that is (from left to right) next to the last
one on the right.
Note: Be sure that a printer has been
selected and specified as a default driver on each local computer. If one is not
selected, the reports cannot be printed, customized, or viewed in the PRINT PREVIEWEDITOR.
There is a section starting on page 53 of the ILLUSTRATED ROADMAP file found on the
HELP MENU in GradeQuick. The entire Illustrated Roadmap is contained in a PDF
file, and you can save this file, if you wish, on your own computer. It provides an
excellent illustrated explanation of the GradeQuick features and especially its
reports.
Globally Changing Asterisk Scores To 0
GradeQuick treats the asterisk (**) score as exempt, meaning not counted in student
averages, but you can switch it to count as a zero. In the Grading Preferences dialog
box (found on the Grading menu), choose the toggle option CHANGE ** to 0. Then
the ** will remain visible in the gradebook for incomplete work, but it will count as
0 in student averages. You can switch back by choosing CHANGE ** TO
EXEMPT.
See a screen picture of the Grading Preferences dialog box at the right.
Back upYour Files
Please remember to back up your files frequently. Even though you will
probably save your files on your own computer’s fixed disk, you should
also back up your files on removable media, such as a floppy disk or a
removable USB flash drive.