POWER TEACHER GRADEBOOK
Basic Training Manual
Revised August 23 2012
Log in to your gradebook using the following:
https://powerschool.shenandoah.k12.va.us/teachers
This means that your gradebook can be accessed anywhere there is
Internet access!!
Everyone has the following initial set up:
Username: (first initial)(middle initial)(lastname)
Password: password set by each school’s assistant principal
Power School pulls the grades directly from PowerTeacher
in “real time”.
Make sure your gradebook is accurate and up-to-date.
Parents can access grades from PowerTeacher via the
Parent Portal.
Home Screen of PowerTeacher
Attendance
Seating Chart
Attendance from
Seating Chart
Note the Menu on the left
of the screen.
Daily Bulletin (not currently used)
Staff Directory
Meals (used by some schools; consult your assistant principal)
Personalize
Gradebook
Reports
Recommendations (not currently used)
Lunch count
Student info
Setting up Seating Charts – Seating Chart Design tab
Create and save
different layouts.
Be sure to save!
Add tables or
student desks.
If a student has a
photo in
PowerSchool,
then it will show
up here.
Add a teacher desk,
door, white board or
text to seating chart.
Zoom in or out to
enlarge area.
Copying a Seating Chart Layout to a New Class
1. Click on the
Seating Chart
icon for the new
class.
2. On the Seating Chart
Design tab, click on
the grayed-out “New
Layout” choice.
3. Give the new layout a
name and choose “Start
from a pre-existing
layout.” Click next.
4. Choose the class
that has the layout
that you want to copy.
Click Finish.
To Take Single Day Attendance:
Choose attendance
code from the
dropdown above, then
click in the box. Or
simply choose UA in
the box for the
student. Then submit.
Student A
Student B
Student C
Student D
Student E
Click on the callout to
enter a comment.
Medical, Guardian, Discipline and Other Alerts
will display here. Alerts contain CONFIDENTIAL
INFORMATION. Never open an alert in front of
students. Never leave this attendance screen open
and unattended.
Taking Attendance with the Seating Chart Tab
Choose the attendance
code. Then click on the
appropriate student(s).
Click Submit.
Or choose from this
dropdown for the
student. Click Submit.
Taking Attendance on Multi-Day Screen
Click Edit to change
the range of dates. The
teacher is able to see a
week, a month, a sixweeks, etc.
Choose attendance
code from the
dropdown above, then
click in the box. Or
simply type UA in the
box. Then submit.
Above, Comments can
be hidden or
displayed. Click on the
callout to enter a
comment.
Staff Directory
The staff directory contact information on
staff in the building. Email addresses are
linked for convenience.
Personalize
From this screen you can: (a) Change your password, (b) Select which
student screen you want to see first when you click on the “book bag”
icon [Meeting Attendance and Term Grades are most common], (c)
Choose whether to show Section number on home page.
Change Password
You may change your password at any time. However, if you
change your password, let your assistant principal know. A record of
all passwords is kept by school administration.
Gradebook
Click here to “quick-launch” the gradebook.
Gradebook
The Gradebook link shows a list of new features of
PowerTeacher 2.5, new for 2012-2013.
Use this dropdown
to determine that
your year is 2012-13.
Opening Screen of Gradebook
Click here to
switch to
PowerTeacher
to take or adjust
attendance
quickly.
•The gradebook will open in another
window. The gradebook and
PowerTeacher may be open
simultaneously.
•If the gradebook expires, there will be
a prompt to re-enter the password. Do
not leave PowerTeacher nor your open
gradebook unattended at any time!
Notifications of
student birthdays,
added or dropped
students, and
administrative
logins.
(Administrators
have a “view-only”
option of reviewing
teacher
gradebooks
without using the
teacher’s
password.)
Determining Method of Grade Calculation
For each class you need to determine how you want to calculate grades for each marking
period. This is done on the “Grade Setup” tab (1). Next, (2) Choose either “Total Points” or
“Category Weights”.
If you choose “Category Weights” follow the instructions below.
You must complete this process
for EACH class and EACH
marking period. However, there is
a copy function.
1
3
2
•
Click on CATEGORY
WEIGHTS
•
Click on ADD CATEGORY to
put in all the categories and
their weights.
•
SAVE.
Creating Categories
You may want to create categories for your assignments to evaluate student performance.
If you choose to grade based on a weighted average, you must create categories.
2. Choose
options you
wish for your
gradebook and
click “Ok”
1. Choose “+”.
A new window
will appear.
You must create categories for each
class in which you will use them.
Copying Grade Setup for Each Marking Period
After setting up M1, click on the Copy link and check M2 and
M3.
Confirm that you want to copy the grade setup
of M1 to M2 and M3 of that same class.
Grade Calculation for S1
This step is very important. If this is not done correctly, student’s final grades
will not calculate properly. Earned credits and GPAs my be calculated incorrectly
if this step is not done properly!
Grade calculations
for S1 MUST be:
•Term Weights
•33.3% for EACH
marking period
Copying the Grade Setup to all other Blocks
After M1, M2, M3 and S1 are set up for
one of your blocks, right-click on S1 and
choose Copy Grade Setup – Entire
Class.
Check all the blocks that
you want to have the same
grade setup as the first one
that you set up.
When you check an S2
class, you will get this
mismatch error because
the terms do not match.
Confirm that you are
aware of what you are
attempting to do.
Carefully
review
this
summary
screen
before
clicking on
Finish.
Creating a New Assignment
1. Click on the Scoresheet tab and then click on the + sign.
2. Complete the information regarding the assignment at the bottom. Be accurate.
Remember, parents will be able to access student’s grade information.
1
Name of assignment
Choose category (if
applicable)
Due date needs to be
accurate. (Not the day
you entered it)
If you want to link assignment to
another file or webpage, you can
do so with this button
Copying Assignments
You can copy assignments from one class to another, from current or previous
grading periods, or from one semester to another.
1.
Click TOOLS at the top of the screen.
2.
Choose the assignment to copy. Click NEXT.
3.
Select where you want to copy the assignment. Don’t forget to update the DUE DATE at the bottom.
Publishing Assignments
Parents and students will have access to grade information through the Parent
Portal. Gradebooks should be updated weekly.
1. Click the “Publish” tab when entering an assignment.
2. Choose when you want to publish the assignment. The default is
“Immediately.”
3. Make sure “Publish Scores” box is checked and Save.
1
2
3
4
Recording Scores in the Gradebook
1.
There are two ways to enter a score for an assignment in the gradebook.
A. After you have created the assignment, simply click in the box adjacent to the student
name and type in the score. You can click enter or use the arrow keys to maneuver.
B. To mass fill scores you can Right Click in the column and use the FILL SCORES option as
well.
2.
Don’t forget to SAVE often.
A
B
Sample Gradebook with Grades Entered
Assignments are colorcoded to colors chosen for
categories (if applicable).
Score Inspector
Score inspector allows you to manage assignments, add comments, or add denotations to the
grade such as “Late”, “Missing Assignment”, etc.
1.
Click on TOOLS and drop down to “Score Inspector” OR Right click on assignment and
select “Show Score Inspector.”
Score Inspector – Icons and their Meanings
Some icons can be added simply by right clicking on
the assignment and choosing (Ex. “Late”; “Missing
Assignment”)
Sample Scoresheet with Icons
PowerTeacher Optional Features
On the Student Info tab, you
may enter preferred names and
create other custom columns
for non-graded items, such as
textbook numbers. You may
also change the order of the list
of students using the “drag and
drop” method in the My Order
column.
Tools > Preferences > Student Tab: allows you to decide when you want to use preferred
names and how you want to sort names. Check out other tabs to make your gradebook yours!
(Preferred names are for your gradebook only; they do not span across all gradebooks for the
student’s classes or the administrative side of PowerSchool.
Student Groups
1.
You can create groups of students that will allow you to work with sets of students. (Example:
cooperative groups, group projects, reading groups, etc.)
2.
Click the STUDENTS tab, click the +sign in the Student Groups sections and choose ADD GROUP
SET. Give the group a name and click NEXT.
3.
Click on the names of the students you want in that group. Use CONTROL key to select multiple
students. Drag students to the group name and all names will drop in.
4.
Create assignment. Use drop down box in Student Groups to select FILTER SELECTED. Click on
SCORESHEET and just those students will appear to enter grades.
Student Reports
There are a variety of student reports that can be accessed using PowerTeacher.
Most of the reports you will use will be accessed from the gradebook and the
“Reports” Tab (A). Report Cards can be generated from the PowerTeacher home
screen (B).
A
B
Attendance Grid
Category Total Points
Final Grade Verification
You will use this report at the end of the six weeks to verify
grades. Follow your assistant principal’s instructions
regarding this report at the end of a marking period.
Individual Student Report
1.
To choose the student for whom you want the report, click ACTIVE under Student Groups for a list of
students.
2.
To choose all students, select ENROLLED STUDENTS.
3.
This will be your interim report (A).
A
Student Roster Report
You can name
these columns
whatever you
want!
Double-click on a student’s name
and click on the Teacher Personal
Note tab to enter a comment for the
student (only viewable on this
screen) and not available on any
reports, but viewable when an
administrator logs in. Information in a
teacher gradebook is to be
professional and appropriate.
Good Quick-Reference
Guide!