1. PowerGrade User Guide
  2. PowerSchool
  3. Student Information System
  4. Document Properties
  5. Contents
  6. Introduction
  7. Who Develops PowerGrade?
  8. PowerGrade Features
  9. Assignments and Grades
  10. Attendance
  11. Automation
  12. Reports
  13. Resources
  14. PowerGrade User Guide
  15. PowerSchool Customer Support Web Site
      1. Email Support
      2. Self-Service
  16. Installation
  17. System Requirements
  18. Install PowerGrade
  19. How to Install PowerGrade for Macintosh
  20. Auto-Update PowerGrade
  21. The Basics
  22. How to Launch PowerGrade
  23. Work Online/Offline
  24. How to Work Offline
  25. How to Work Online
  26. How to Shut Down PowerGrade
  27. Security
      1. Setup
      2. How It Works
      3. Setup
      4. How It Works
  28. LDAP
      1. Setup
      2. How It Works
  29. Preferences
  30. How to Define General Preferences
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
      3. Field Description
  31. How to Define Display Preferences
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
      3. Field Description
  32. How to Define Scores Preferences
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  33. How to Define Notification Preferences
      1. Field Description
  34. How to View PowerSchool Preferences
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  35. Attendance Preferences
  36. How to Define Attendance Preferences
      1. Field Description
  37. Classes
  38. How to Open a Class From a Different Term
  39. Class Information
  40. How to View Class Information
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  41. Web Links
  42. How to Copy Class Information
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  43. Class Groups
  44. How to Create a Group
  45. How to Find a Student
  46. How to Reorder Students on a Class Spreadsheet
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  47. Sort Information
  48. How to Sort Information on a Class Spreadsheet
  49. Class Roster
  50. How to View the Class Roster - PowerGrade Info Tab
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  51. Submit Lunch Counts
  52. How to Submit Lunch Counts
      1. Field Description
  53. Student Summary
  54. How to View the Student Summary
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  55. Terms
  56. How to View Terms
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  57. Upcoming Birthdays
  58. How to View Upcoming Birthdays
      1. Field Description
  59. Current Students
  60. How to View Current Students
  61. Dropped Students
  62. How to View Dropped Students
  63. How to Save Class Information
  64. How to Close a Class
  65. Attendance
  66. How to View Attendance Codes
      1. Field Description
  67. Take Attendance
      1. Editing Attendance Codes
      2. Field Description
      3. Meeting Attendance
      4. Field Description
      5. Field Description
  68. How to Take Attendance
  69. How to Add an Attendance Comment
  70. How to Edit an Attendance Comment
  71. How to View Student Attendance Totals
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  72. Seating Charts
      1. Field Description
  73. How to Edit a Seating Chart Layout
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
      3. Mass Attendance for Interval Classes
  74. Assignments and Grades
      1. Weight Grades
  75. Assignment Categories
  76. How to View Categories
  77. How to Create a Category
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  78. How to Edit a Category
  79. Assignments
      1. Standards
      2. Extra Credit Assignments
  80. How to View Assignment Details
      1. Field Description
  81. How to Create an Assignment
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
      3. Field Description
  82. How to Edit an Assignment
  83. How to Delete an Assignment
  84. Assignment View Options
  85. How to Reorder Assignments
      1. Field Description
  86. How to Hide Assignments
  87. How to Show All Assignments
  88. Standards
  89. How to Create Standards for an Assignment
      1. Field Description
  90. How to Delete Standards for an Assignment
      1. Field Description
  91. Grade Scales
  92. How to Create a New Grade Scale
  93. How to Edit a Grade Scale
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  94. How to Delete a Grade Scale
  95. Final Grades
      1. Final Grades Setup
      2. Class Spreadsheet Configuration
  96. How to Set Up Final Grades
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  97. Scores
      1. Custom Score Codes
      2. Letter Grades
      3. Special Scores
  98. Types of Score Entry
  99. Standard Score Entry
  100. How to Use Standard Score Entry
  101. How to Fill Scores
      1. Field Description
  102. Mass Fill Final Grades
  103. How to Mass Fill Final Grades
      1. Field Description
  104. How to Manually Override Final Grades
      1. Field Description
  105. How to Clear Manual Final Grades
  106. Insert Scores
  107. How to Insert a Score
  108. How to Edit a Score
  109. How to Delete a Score
  110. How to Use Standard Deletion
  111. Log Entries, Notes, and Comments
      1. Field Description
  112. Comment Bank
  113. How to Create a Personal Comment Bank
      1. Field Description
  114. How to View School Comments
  115. How to Create a Parent Note
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  116. How to Create a Private Note
      1. Field Description
  117. How to Enter a Score Comment
      1. Field Description
  118. Reports
  119. Create Reports – Basic Report Info
  120. How to Use the Basic Report Information Tab
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
      3. Field Description
      4. Field Description
      5. Field Description
      6. Field Description
      7. Field Description
      8. Description
      9. Field Description
      10. Field Description
      11. Field Description
  121. How to Use the Header Tab
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  122. How to Use the Footer Tab
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  123. How to Use the Which Students Tab
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  124. Preview Reports
  125. How to Edit a Report
  126. How to Delete a Report
  127. Print Reports
  128. Samples Reports
  129. Export Spreadsheets
  130. How to Export a Spreadsheet
  131. How to Export Student Information
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  132. Charts
  133. How to Open a Chart
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  134. How to Edit a Chart
  135. How to Save a Chart
  136. PowerSchool Server
      1. Field Description
      2. Field Description
  137. How to Open the Backup File
  138. Frequently Asked Questions
  139. Backups
  140. Data File
  141. Extra Credit
  142. Multiple Teachers Sharing One Computer
      1. Method 1
  143. Printing
  144. PowerGrade Preferences
  145. Multiple Data Files
  146. PowerGrade Version Number
  147. Work Remotely
      1. Before leaving school:
      2. When working at home or on another remote computer:
      3. Upon returning to school:
  148. Assignments
      1. How do I delete an existing assignment?
  149. Scores
      1. How do I return a score to unrecorded?
      2. How do I record letter grades instead of numerical scores?
  150. Terms
  151. Troubleshoot PowerGrade
  152. Attendance
  153. Classes
      1. One or more of my classes does not appear under the Classes menu. Either...
      2. ...or...
      3. ...or...
  154. Grades
  155. Passwords
      1. My PowerGrade password does not work. ...or...
  156. Printing
  157. Glossary
      1. Term Definition
      2. Term Definition
      3. Term Definition
      4. Term Definition

PowerGrade User Guide

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PowerSchool

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Student Information System

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
2

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Document Properties
Copyright
Copyright © 2006 Pearson School Systems. All rights reserved. This
document is the property of NCS Pearson, Inc. and is for reference only.
It is not to be reproduced or distributed in any way without the express
written consent of NCS Pearson, Inc. All trademarks are either owned or
licensed by NCS Pearson, Inc. Other brands and names are the property
of their respective owners.
Owner
Technical Communication and Documentation
Last Updated
12/12/2006
Version
5.1.4
Note:
This document includes applicable PowerGrade updates from
PowerSchool 4.0 through 5.0.12 release notes and from PowerGrade
4.5.2 to 5.1.4 release notes.
Please send comments, suggestions, or requests for this document to
ps_manuals@powerschool.com
. Your
feedback is appreciated.

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
3

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Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................11
Who Develops PowerGrade? ........................................................................................11
How are PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related? ........................................................11
What is the Process by Which PowerGrade is Implemented?.......................................12
PowerGrade Features ...................................................................................................12
Assignments and Grades ........................................................................................12
Attendance ..............................................................................................................12
Automation..............................................................................................................13
Reports....................................................................................................................13
Resources .....................................................................................................................13
PowerGrade Online Help .........................................................................................14
PowerGrade User Guide .........................................................................................14
PowerGrade Quick Reference Card ........................................................................14
PowerSchool Customer Support Web Site..............................................................14
PowerSchool Technical Support .............................................................................14
Installation...............................................................................................................................16
System Requirements ...................................................................................................16
Required Information.....................................................................................................16
Download PowerGrade .................................................................................................16
How to Download PowerGrade from the Support Web Site....................................16
How to Download PowerGrade from PowerSchool Teacher ...................................17
Install PowerGrade........................................................................................................17
How to Install PowerGrade for Macintosh ...............................................................17
How to Install PowerGrade for Windows .................................................................19
Set Up PowerGrade ......................................................................................................21
How to Set Up PowerGrade ....................................................................................22
Auto-Update PowerGrade.............................................................................................25
How to Ensure Auto-Update is Set Up Properly In PowerSchool ............................25
How to Ensure Auto-Update is Set Up Properly In PowerGrade .............................26
How to Update PowerGrade ...................................................................................26
The Basics...............................................................................................................................28

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
4
Launch PowerGrade .....................................................................................................28
How to Launch PowerGrade ...................................................................................28
Work Online/Offline .......................................................................................................28
How to Work Offline ................................................................................................29
How to Work Online ................................................................................................29
Shut Down PowerGrade................................................................................................29
How to Shut Down PowerGrade .............................................................................29
Security....................................................................................................................................31
PowerGrade Lock Function...........................................................................................31
How to Set Up the PowerGrade Lock Function.......................................................31
How to Change Your PowerGrade Password..........................................................33
How to Unlock PowerGrade Upon Launching .........................................................34
How to Lock PowerGrade During a Session............................................................35
How to Unlock PowerGrade During a Session ........................................................36
Connectivity Key ...........................................................................................................36
How to Change the Connectivity Key ......................................................................37
LDAP.............................................................................................................................38
Preferences.............................................................................................................................40
General Preferences......................................................................................................40
How to Define General Preferences.........................................................................40
Display Preferences ......................................................................................................44
How to Define Display Preferences .........................................................................44
Scores Preferences .......................................................................................................45
How to Define Scores Preferences..........................................................................46
Notification Preferences ................................................................................................47
How to Define Notification Preferences...................................................................47
PowerSchool Preferences .............................................................................................48
How to View PowerSchool Preferences ..................................................................49
Attendance Preferences................................................................................................50
How to Define Attendance Preferences...................................................................50
Classes ....................................................................................................................................52
Open Classes................................................................................................................52
How to Open a Class ..............................................................................................53

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
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How to Open a Class From a Different Term...........................................................54
Class Information ..........................................................................................................55
How to View Class Information................................................................................55
Web Links .....................................................................................................................56
How to Add a Web Link...........................................................................................57
Copy Class Information.................................................................................................57
How to Copy Class Information...............................................................................57
Class Groups ................................................................................................................59
How to Create a Group ...........................................................................................59
Find Students................................................................................................................60
How to Find a Student.............................................................................................60
Reorder Students ..........................................................................................................61
How to Reorder Students on a Class Spreadsheet .................................................61
Sort Information ............................................................................................................63
How to Sort Information on a Class Spreadsheet....................................................63
Class Roster..................................................................................................................64
How to View the Class Roster - PowerGrade Info Tab ............................................64
How to View the Class Roster - PowerSchool Fields Tab .......................................65
Submit Lunch Counts ...................................................................................................66
How to Submit Lunch Counts .................................................................................67
Student Summary .........................................................................................................67
How to View the Student Summary.........................................................................68
Terms ............................................................................................................................69
How to View Terms .................................................................................................69
Upcoming Birthdays......................................................................................................70
How to View Upcoming Birthdays ...........................................................................70
Current Students...........................................................................................................71
How to View Current Students ................................................................................71
Dropped Students.........................................................................................................71
How to View Dropped Students ..............................................................................72
Save Class Information .................................................................................................72
How to Save Class Information ...............................................................................72
Close Classes ...............................................................................................................72

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Introduction
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How to Close a Class ..............................................................................................73
Attendance ..............................................................................................................................74
Attendance Codes ........................................................................................................74
How to View Attendance Codes..............................................................................74
Take Attendance ...........................................................................................................76
How to View Attendance .........................................................................................76
How to Take Attendance .........................................................................................79
How to Add an Attendance Comment.....................................................................80
How to Edit an Attendance Comment .....................................................................81
How to Delete an Attendance Comment .................................................................83
Attendance Totals .........................................................................................................83
How to View Student Attendance Totals .................................................................84
Seating Charts ........................................................................................................................86
Create Seating Chart Layouts .......................................................................................86
How to Create a Seating Chart Layout ....................................................................86
How to Reset a Seating Chart .................................................................................89
Edit Seating Chart Layouts............................................................................................89
How to Edit a Seating Chart Layout ........................................................................89
Assign Seats .................................................................................................................91
How to Automatically Assign Seats .........................................................................91
How to Manually Assign Seats ................................................................................93
Take Attendance Using Seating Charts.........................................................................94
How to Print a Seating Chart ...................................................................................94
How to Take Attendance Using a Seating Chart .....................................................95
Assignments and Grades .......................................................................................................98
Assignment Categories .................................................................................................99
How to View Categories ..........................................................................................99
How to Create a Category.......................................................................................99
How to Edit a Category .........................................................................................101
How to Delete a Category .....................................................................................102
Assignments ...............................................................................................................102
How to View Assignment Details ...........................................................................103
How to Create an Assignment...............................................................................104

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Introduction
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How to Edit an Assignment ...................................................................................107
How to Delete an Assignment ...............................................................................108
Assignment View Options ...........................................................................................109
How to Reorder Assignments................................................................................109
How to Hide Assignments .....................................................................................109
How to Show All Assignments...............................................................................110
Standards....................................................................................................................111
How to Create Standards for an Assignment ........................................................111
How to Delete Standards for an Assignment.........................................................113
Grade Scales...............................................................................................................115
How to Create a New Grade Scale........................................................................116
How to Edit a Grade Scale ....................................................................................116
How to Delete a Grade Scale ................................................................................119
Final Grades................................................................................................................119
How to Set Up Final Grades..................................................................................120
Scores....................................................................................................................................123
Types of Scores ..........................................................................................................123
Types of Score Entry...................................................................................................124
Standard Score Entry..................................................................................................124
How to Use Standard Score Entry.........................................................................125
Fill Scores ...................................................................................................................125
How to Fill Scores .................................................................................................125
Mass Fill Final Grades .................................................................................................126
How to Mass Fill Final Grades ...............................................................................126
Manually Override Final Grades ..................................................................................127
How to Manually Override Final Grades ................................................................127
Clear Manual Final Grades ..........................................................................................129
How to Clear Manual Final Grades ........................................................................129
Insert Scores ...............................................................................................................129
How to Insert a Score............................................................................................129
Edit Scores..................................................................................................................130
How to Edit a Score ..............................................................................................130
Delete Scores..............................................................................................................130

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
8
How to Delete a Score ..........................................................................................130
How to Use Standard Deletion ..............................................................................131
Log Entries, Notes, and Comments.....................................................................................132
Student Log Entries.....................................................................................................132
How to Submit a Student Log Entry ......................................................................132
Comment Bank ...........................................................................................................133
How to Create a Personal Comment Bank............................................................134
How to View School Comments ............................................................................135
Parent Notes ...............................................................................................................136
How to Create a Parent Note ................................................................................136
Private Notes...............................................................................................................137
How to Create a Private Note................................................................................138
Score Comments ........................................................................................................139
How to Enter a Score Comment............................................................................140
Reports..................................................................................................................................141
Types of PowerGrade Reports ....................................................................................141
Create Reports............................................................................................................142
Create Reports – Basic Report Info.............................................................................142
How to Use the Basic Report Information Tab ......................................................142
Create Reports – Options............................................................................................144
How to Define Options for the Individual Student Report ......................................144
How to Define Options for the Roster Report ........................................................145
How to Define Options for the Spreadsheet Format Report ..................................147
How to Define Options for the Missing Assignment Report...................................149
How to Define Options for the Attendance Grid Report.........................................150
Create Reports – Header.............................................................................................152
How to Use the Header Tab ..................................................................................152
Create Reports – Footer..............................................................................................154
How to Use the Footer Tab ...................................................................................154
Create Reports – Which Students ...............................................................................156
How to Use the Which Students Tab.....................................................................157
Preview Reports..........................................................................................................159
How to Preview a Report While Creating the Template .........................................159

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
9
How to Preview a Report from the PowerGrade Menu..........................................160
Edit Reports ................................................................................................................162
How to Edit a Report .............................................................................................162
How to Delete a Report .........................................................................................162
Print Reports ...............................................................................................................163
How to Print from the Preview Window .................................................................163
How to Print From the PowerGrade Menu.............................................................163
Samples Reports.........................................................................................................165
How to Create a Positive Feedback Letter ............................................................165
How to Create a Warning Letter ............................................................................166
How to Create a Blank Attendance Grid................................................................166
Export Spreadsheets...................................................................................................167
How to Export a Spreadsheet ...............................................................................167
Custom Export ............................................................................................................168
How to Export Student Information .......................................................................168
Charts .........................................................................................................................170
How to Open a Chart.............................................................................................171
How to Edit a Chart ...............................................................................................172
How to Save a Chart .............................................................................................175
PowerSchool Server .............................................................................................................177
Exchange Information With the PowerSchool Server ..................................................177
How to Restore Data From the Server...................................................................177
Backups ......................................................................................................................180
How to Make a Backup .........................................................................................180
How to Retrieve the Last Backup ..........................................................................181
How to Open the Backup File................................................................................182
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................................................................183
Backups ......................................................................................................................183
Data File ......................................................................................................................183
Extra Credit .................................................................................................................184
Multiple Teachers Sharing One Computer ..................................................................184
Printing........................................................................................................................185
PowerGrade Preferences ............................................................................................185

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
10
Multiple Data Files.......................................................................................................186
PowerGrade Version Number......................................................................................186
Work Remotely............................................................................................................186
Assignments ...............................................................................................................188
Scores.........................................................................................................................189
Terms ..........................................................................................................................190
Troubleshoot PowerGrade ...................................................................................................191
Attendance..................................................................................................................191
Classes .......................................................................................................................191
Grades ........................................................................................................................192
Passwords ..................................................................................................................192
Printing........................................................................................................................193
Glossary.................................................................................................................................194

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
11

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Introduction
PowerGrade is the software employed by teachers at schools that use PowerSchool Student
Information System (SIS). PowerGrade is a full-featured grade-keeping application used to
record, report, and modify grades, attendance, and other related information.
PowerGrade sends grades, attendance, and assignment scores over a network to the
PowerSchool server at your school. The PowerGrade information is sent automatically to the
PowerSchool system whenever a teacher saves the information and connects to his or her
school's network. There is nothing else the teacher must do for the data to be stored in the
PowerSchool system.
PowerSchool manages the data entered by school administrators and by some teachers, and
is the repository for PowerGrade information. PowerSchool receives the information from
PowerGrade, and then stores it for daily administration and management.

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Who Develops PowerGrade?
PowerSchool, a division of Pearson School Systems, develops PowerGrade and PowerSchool
Student Information System (SIS). PowerSchool is a Web-based student information system
that tracks student records and progress. School administrators and teachers enter data into
PowerSchool, and the system stores it. Parents can monitor their child's progress and learn
about school activities through PowerSchool.
PowerSchool manages many types of information, including grades, attendance records,
school schedules, class schedules, daily bulletins, lunch balances, and citizenship and student
schedules.
How are PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related?
It is important to understand that PowerGrade and PowerSchool are not the same application.
Teachers use PowerGrade to record grades and take attendance. The data in PowerGrade is
automatically sent to the PowerSchool server whenever a teacher saves the information. The
teacher does not need to do anything else to store the data on that server.
PowerSchool is a server that manages the data entered by school administrators and teachers.
Think of it as a parent to PowerGrade. PowerSchool receives the information from PowerGrade
and stores it for daily administration and management.
Parents can log in to PowerSchool to check their child's progress. PowerSchool sends class
rosters to teachers through PowerGrade at the beginning of each term and notifies them when
a student is added to a class. Teachers that use PowerGrade may not need to use the
PowerSchool server, except to automatically transfer information.

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
12
What is the Process by Which PowerGrade is Implemented?
The following outlines the process by which PowerGrade is implemented. As the PowerSchool
administrator, before teachers and staff can begin using PowerGrade, you will want to perform
the following:
Implement PowerSchool
Configure PowerGrade Settings in PowerSchool
Communicate PowerGrade-related policies and procedures to teachers and staff
Download PowerGrade
Install PowerGrade on teacher's computers as well as on the training computers
Download PowerGrade documentation
Make PowerGrade documentation available to teachers and staff
Configure PowerGrade Settings in PowerSchool
For detailed information, visit the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site. Go to
https://support.powerschool.com/
, navigate to Implementation, and select the
implementation process that applies to you.

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PowerGrade Features
The PowerGrade electronic attendance and grading system does more than simply track
progress—it helps motivate students and involve parents in their children’s success.

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Assignments and Grades
With PowerGrade, you can track grades and assignments, organize them by category and
include standards grades. Scores can be based on weighted percentages or total points.
Register the grades as numbers, letters, exempt, or unrecorded.
Unlimited class sizes and number of assignments.
Final grades based on weighted percentages or total points.
Fully definable grade scale and grade symbols.
Scores recorded as numerical or letter grades, or marked as exempt or unrecorded.
Ability to drop any number of low scores from any category of assignments.
Easy recording of extra credit assignments.

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Attendance
PowerGrade helps you expedite attendance tasks. Full-featured tools include a drag-and-drop
photo seating chart that records attendance.
Drag-and-drop seating chart.

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
13
Full-featured attendance keeping.
Ability to generate progress reports of cumulative student grades at any time.

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Automation
PowerGrade performs automatic updates and backups to prevent data loss among users.
Grades, attendance, and citizenship data can be automatically delivered to school
administrators and parents via the PowerSchool server.
Automatically self-updates with each new version of PowerGrade.
No time-consuming reentry of data for class rosters, attendance codes, and student
information.
Automatic and transparent uploading of attendance, grades, citizenship, and other
student information to the PowerSchool server.
Automatic backup of all data to the PowerSchool server.
Automatic delivery of grades, attendance, citizenship, and other student information to
school administrators and parents via the PowerSchool server.

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Reports
Create custom reports, and view and print individual reports. Easily transfer student names,
scores, and grades to word processors and spreadsheets.
View and print reports.
Copy student names, scores, and grades from PowerGrade to word processors and
spreadsheets.
Name and define your own reports; PowerGrade remembers exactly how you want your
reports so you do not have to recreate them.
Export names, IDs, scores, grades, and reports to a text file that is easy to import into
standard spreadsheet and word processing applications.

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Resources
The following resources are available to assist you with PowerGrade: PowerGrade Online Help,
PowerGrade User Guide, PowerGrade Quick Reference Card, PowerSchool Customer Support
Web site, and PowerSchool Technical Support.
In addition, be sure to check out the sections “Frequently Asked Questions,” “Troubleshoot
PowerGrade,” and “Glossary.”

PowerGrade User Guide
Introduction
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
14
PowerGrade Online Help
When working in PowerGrade, click the Help icon, which looks like a question mark, to display
context-specific help. The help appears in a Web browser. There, you can click the A-Z Index
tab for an alphabetical list of topics or Topic Index for a list of topics organized by subject.
PowerGrade Help is updated as the application is updated.

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PowerGrade User Guide
A print-ready version of PowerGrade online help, the “PowerGrade User Guide,” is available on
the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view
the user guide.
PowerGrade Quick Reference Card
Also available on the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site, is the “PowerGrade Quick
Reference Card,” which lists tips, tricks, and shortcuts for PowerGrade's most frequently used
features, including attendance, assignment categories, assignments, reports, and shortcuts.
Keep a copy of the quick reference card near the workstation where you use PowerGrade.

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PowerSchool Customer Support Web Site
The “PowerGrade User Guide” and “PowerGrade Quick Reference Card” are located on the
Support site, as well as Release Notes (descriptions of new features and functions by version),
archived Tech Notes, tutorials, the knowledgebase, downloads, and links to training
opportunities. Each of these provides a wealth of information.
To access this site, go to
https://support.powerschool.com/
. You will need a username and
password to log in. If you do not have a username and password, see your PowerSchool
administrator.
PowerSchool Technical Support
PowerSchool's Technical Support team is comprised of seasoned Support professionals who
have successfully completed advanced product support training. The Support team is available
to assist you with technical problems, general questions about the PowerSchool application,
best practices advice and other product support needs.
The Technical Support center is staffed Monday through Friday from 4:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Pacific Standard Time.
Telephone Support
The Technical Support team can be reached by phone at (866) 434-6276. Calls are answered
in the order they are received. Please have your customer number ready. You will be asked for
your name to check it against the authorized Technical Contacts allowed for your district. The
Technical Support team only provides assistance to authorized Technical Contacts.

PowerGrade User Guide
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15
Your call will be routed to a Technical Support Specialist. If technical support resources are not
immediately available, you may follow the prompts to divert your call to voicemail. The voice
mail queue is checked regularly throughout the business day. The next available Technical
Support Specialist will return your call upon receiving your voice mail. When leaving voice mail,
please include your name, customer number, phone number where you can be reached, and a
brief description of your issue.
Email Support
You are always welcome to send your questions via email to
support@powerschool.com
. The
service level agreement indicates a 24-hour response time to emails (during the normal
business week).
Note:
One advantage of emailing support is that you have an answer in writing and can archive
the response for future reference.
Self-Service
You may also submit Support cases via the self-service area on the PowerSchool Customer
Support Web site at
https://support.powerschool.com/techsupport/selfservice.do
. The
self-service area provides a convenient way to log cases whether you are in your office, at a
school site, or another remote location. Through the self-service area, you have the ability to
view archives of all cases, whether open or closed.

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Installation
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Installation
Before installing PowerGrade, it is important to read through the instructions for your computer
before starting. If you are not comfortable using computers or if you do not know if the
application has been installed on your computer, contact your PowerSchool administrator.
Everyone installing PowerGrade must verify system requirements and download the
application. After installation, complete all steps in the setup process.

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System Requirements
Before installing PowerGrade, verify that your computer meets the minimum system
requirements. If you are not sure about your computer's capabilities, contact your
PowerSchool administrator. System requirements are posted on the PowerSchool Customer
Support Web site. Go to
https://support.powerschool.com/
and navigate to Documentation
> System Requirements > PowerGrade System Requirements. You will need a username and
password to log in.
Required Information
Obtain the following information prior to installing or upgrading PowerGrade:
PowerSchool Customer Support Web site Username and Password
PowerSchool Server’s IP Address
PowerSchool connectivity key
Data file to be migrated, if applicable
Download PowerGrade
Before downloading PowerGrade, make sure you have the minimum system requirements. For
more information, see the section “System Requirements.”
When you install PowerGrade, all the necessary files download to your local computer from
either the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site or PowerSchool Teacher. All users must
complete one of the following procedures.
How to Download PowerGrade from the Support Web Site
To download PowerGrade from the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site, you must have
a username and password. Contact your PowerSchool administrator for this information.
1. Open your Web browser to the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site at
https://support.powerschool.com/
and navigate to Documentation > Downloads.

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2. On the Downloads page, click the version of PowerGrade that is compatible with your
version of the PowerSchool server application. The download process begins.
Note:
For a list of compatible PowerGrade/PowerSchool combinations, see the
knowledgebase article “Article 4277” on the PowerSchool Customer Support Web site.
3. Save PowerGrade to a location on your computer.
Note:
Depending on your Web browser, different pages appear.
How to Download PowerGrade from PowerSchool Teacher
To download PowerGrade from PowerSchool Teacher, you must have a username and
password, and you must know the address of PowerSchool Teacher on your PowerSchool
server. Contact your PowerSchool administrator for this information.
1. Open PowerSchool Teacher using the PowerSchool Teacher URL for your school, or
launch PowerSchool Teacher directly from PowerGrade by choosing Utilities > Launch
PowerSchool Teacher. The PowerSchool Teacher Log On page appears.
2. Enter your username in the first field.
3. Enter your password in the second field. The characters appear as asterisks (*) to
ensure greater security when you log in.
4. Click Enter. The PowerSchool Teacher start page appears.
5. Choose PowerGrade from the main menu.
6. On the PowerGrade Download page, click the link of the appropriate PowerGrade file.
PowerGrade saves to a location on your computer.
Note:
When you finish your work in PowerSchool Teacher, it is important to log out.
You can do so from any page in the system. Simply click Logout in the navigation bar.
The Log On page appears. You must enter your username and password again to
redisplay the PowerSchool Teacher start page.

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Install PowerGrade
Install the files that you downloaded from the Web using the procedure “Download
PowerGrade.” Complete the instructions for your specific type of computer.

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How to Install PowerGrade for Macintosh
If you are using a Macintosh operating system, a file named after the current version of
PowerGrade saves to your computer during the download. Use the following procedures to
install PowerGrade.
Note:
You may need to un-stuff the downloaded file before opening the PowerGrade setup file.
1. If you downloaded an installer file, double-click the PowerGrade installer file. Otherwise,
skip to step 3.

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Installation
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Note:
If prompted, select the option to install a new instance of PowerGrade or update
a prior version.
2. Click Install. PowerGrade installs to the specified location.
Note:
If you update a prior version of PowerGrade, click OK to allow PowerGrade to
search for earlier versions.
3. Double-click the PowerGrade setup file at the specified location, such as PowerGrade
or “pg4.comp,” if necessary. If you do not already have a data file, the Open Data File
window appears. If you already have a data file, you can begin using PowerGrade.
4. Click New to open a new data file or locate and select an existing data file. If selecting
an existing data file, continue to the section “Set Up PowerGrade.” The “Create a data
file...” window appears.

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Installation
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5. Enter the data file that stores grades, such as grades.data, grades99-00.data, or
mygrades.data.
6. Click Save. The PowerGrade installation is complete. Continue to the section “Set Up
PowerGrade.”
How to Install PowerGrade for Windows
If you are using a Windows operating system, a file named “Setup.exe” downloads to your
computer. Use the following procedures to install PowerGrade on your PC.
Note:
Search for the setup file if you cannot locate it on the desktop.
1. On the desktop or other location specified when downloading, open the PowerGrade
installation file, which ends with “.exe”. The PowerGrade Setup program starts.
Note:
If any other applications are open, close them if instructed to do so and continue
the installation process.
2. Click Next. The Choose Destination Location window appears.
Note:
To install the software to another directory, click Browse and select it. In either
case, make a note of the directory.

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Installation
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3. Click Next. The Ready To Install window appears.
4. Click Next. The setup program finishes the installation process. The Finished window
appears.
5. Click Close.
6. Click Start in the lower left corner of the desktop.
7. Choose Programs > PowerGrade > PowerGrade. If you are installing PowerGrade for
the first time or if you do not have a data file, the Open window appears. If PowerGrade
found a data file, you can begin using PowerGrade.

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Installation
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8. Click “New...” to open a new data file or locate and select an existing one. If selecting
an existing data file, continue to the section “Set Up PowerGrade.” If creating a new
data file, the “Create a data file...” window appears.
9. Enter the data file name that stores grades, such as grades.data, grades99-00.data, or
mygrades.data.
10. Click Save. The PowerGrade installation is complete. Continue to the section “Set Up
PowerGrade.”
Set Up PowerGrade
Use these instructions to set up PowerGrade at your workstation. All users must complete this
procedure after completing the procedure “Install PowerGrade.”

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Installation
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22
How to Set Up PowerGrade
After you install PowerGrade and start the application for the first time, you need to configure
it.
Note:
During this process, if the PowerGrade Online Help folder cannot be found, you will be
prompted to manually locate and select the folder.
1. In the Step 1 PowerGrade Setup window, enter the PowerSchool server IP address for
your school.
Note:
If you do not know the IP address of your server, contact your PowerSchool
administrator. Without this information, PowerGrade cannot communicate with the
PowerSchool server.
2. Click Continue. The “Select a School” window appears if more than one school uses
your server. If the window does not appear, skip to Step 4.

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Installation
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3. Click OK. The “Select a School Year” window appears if more than one school year
exists on your server. If the window does not appear, skip to Step 5.
4. Click OK. The Step 2 PowerGrade Setup window appears.
5. Click your name on the list.
6. Click Continue. The Step 3 PowerGrade Setup window appears.

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Installation
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7. Do one of the following:
Enter the PowerSchool connectivity key given to you by your PowerSchool
administrator. If you do not remember the PowerSchool connectivity key, contact
your PowerSchool administrator. For more information, see the section
“Connectivity Key.”
Note:
This is not the same as the PowerGrade password, which opens the
PowerGrade application on your computer. For detailed information, see the section
“PowerGrade Lock Function.” For more information on the relationship between
PowerSchool and PowerGrade, see the section “How are PowerGrade and
PowerSchool Related?”
If your PowerSchool administrator did not assign you a PowerSchool connectivity
key, leave this field blank.
8. Click Continue. The “Restore Data” window appears if any PowerGrade setup data
exists on the PowerSchool server. Select the “Use your existing setups” checkbox to
restore existing setup data, which downloads all classes’ final grade setups, grade
scales, assignments, categories, scores, final grades, citizenship grades, and notes to
the new data file. Or, you can leave the checkbox blank if you do not wish to download
previous setup data. If the window does not appear, skip to Step 9.
Note:
If you correctly enter the PowerSchool connectivity key, it is then encrypted and
transmitted to the server. If you incorrectly enter the PowerSchool connectivity key, a
message appears prompting you to quit.

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Installation
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9. Click Continue. A message appears indicating that PowerGrade is communicating with
the PowerSchool server. The class rosters, schedules, and other information download
from the server.
10. Click OK when your classes become available.

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Auto-Update PowerGrade
When PowerGrade Auto-Update is enabled, PowerGrade updates itself automatically as new
versions are released. Upon closing a class for the first time, PowerGrade checks for new
versions. If a new version is available, an update notification appears.
How to Ensure Auto-Update is Set Up Properly In PowerSchool
In PowerSchool, the PowerSchool administrator enables PowerGrade auto-update by
performing the following procedure:
1. On the start page, choose System from the main menu.
2. Click PowerGrade Settings. The PowerGrade Settings page appears.

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Installation
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26
3. Click PowerGrade Download/Auto Update. The PowerGrade Download/Auto Update
page appears.
4. Select the “Enable PowerGrade auto update” checkbox to automatically update
instances of PowerGrade to the latest version when they connect to the PowerSchool
server.
5. Click Submit. Once auto updates are enabled, version numbers appear.
Note:
If this checkbox is not selected, PowerGrade installer versions display as “0.0.0”.
How to Ensure Auto-Update is Set Up Properly In PowerGrade
If PowerGrade auto-update is enabled in PowerSchool, you too can enable PowerGrade auto-
update in PowerGrade by performing the following procedure:
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the General tab, if necessary. The General tab appears.
3. Select the “Update automatically” checkbox.
4. Click OK.
How to Update PowerGrade
Once auto-update is enabled in PowerSchool and in PowerGrade, you can use the following
procedure to update PowerGrade:
1. In PowerGrade, open a class. For detailed information, see the section “How to Open a
Class.”
2. Edit class information as needed. For detailed information, see the section “Classes.”
3. Close the class. For detailed information, see the section “How to Close a Class.” A
message appears indicating that a newer version of PowerGrade is available.
4. Click Yes to download the installer. Once the file is downloaded, the PowerGrade
application shuts down and the installer launches.
5. From the PowerGrade installer window, choose Update... from the pop-up menu if it is
not already selected. If multiple instances of PowerGrade are installed on the
workstation, make sure you are updating the correct installation. If you are not sure
which instance is the right one to update, contact your PowerSchool administrator or
PowerSchool Technical Support.
6. Click Install. The installer proceeds by updating your local copy of PowerGrade.
7. Click OK to confirm the update of the selected installation.
8. Click Update to confirm your choice. The installer updates the PowerGrade installation.
When finished, a dialog appears stating that the software was successfully installed.
9. Click Quit.

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Installation
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10. Re-launch PowerGrade.
11. Verify the update was successful by confirming the new version number:
(Mac) From the PowerGrade menu, choose About PowerGrade.
(Windows) From the Help menu, choose About PowerGrade.

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The Basics
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
28

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The Basics
Launch PowerGrade
After you initially install and configure PowerGrade, use the following procedure to launch
PowerGrade.

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How to Launch PowerGrade
1. Locate the PowerGrade application either on your desktop or other location specified
during installation.
2. Double-click the PowerGrade icon
. PowerGrade launches. The PowerGrade
toolbar appears at the top of your screen.
Note:
If the PowerGrade Lock function is enabled, you will need to enter your
PowerGrade password and click OK. For more information, see the “How to Unlock
PowerGrade Upon Launching.”
Once you have launched PowerGrade, you can then begin working with your classes.

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Work Online/Offline
By default, PowerGrade automatically attempts to connect to the PowerSchool server.
Provided that a good connection exists with the PowerSchool server, a green Online button
appears in the right-hand corner of the class toolbar.
!!!!
Note:
Upon opening a class, if the button text appears as Offline in red, a connection has not
been established with a PowerSchool server.
At times, you may prefer to work offline. When working offline, the entries for that PowerGrade
session store on your local computer only; they are not sent to the PowerSchool server. This
option allows you to work remotely without the computer trying to reach the PowerSchool
server.
Working offline affects only your current session of PowerGrade. The next time you log in, the
system automatically establishes a connection and communicates with the PowerSchool
server. The offline entries automatically upload to the PowerSchool server.

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The Basics
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Note:
If you work offline on a different computer, remember to take a copy of your edited data
file back to school to replace the file on the school computer.

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How to Work Offline
When you want to work offline without communicating with the PowerSchool server, do one of
the following:
If you do not have a class open choose File > Work Offline. The Work Offline menu item
then appears with a checkmark next to it.
If you do have a class open, click the green Online button
. The red Offline
button
then appears in its place.

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How to Work Online
The server connection is tested when changing from a state of offline to online. If the
connection is invalid, a message appears indicating the server is offline and to please contact
your PowerSchool administrator for assistance.
When you want to work online, do one of the following:
If you do not have a class open choose File >
Work Offline. The Work Offline menu
item then appears without a checkmark next to it.
If you do have a class open, click the red Offline button
. The green Online
button
then appears in its place.
Shut Down PowerGrade
Use the following procedures to shut down your session of PowerGrade. Shutting down
PowerGrade saves information, creates a backup, and quits the open session.

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How to Shut Down PowerGrade
Though you can shut down PowerGrade when no classes are open, the following procedure
assumes that you finished working with a class, and now you want to quit PowerGrade.
1. To save your work, choose File > Save.
2. Choose File > Make Backup. A copy of the data file is stored on the PowerSchool
server. A message appears indicating the data was successfully backed up.
Note:
PowerGrade sends your entire data file to the backup folder on the PowerSchool
server. If your local computer crashes, you can retrieve your data file from the backup
quickly and easily. PowerGrade notifies you when the backup process completes.
3. Click OK.

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The Basics
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4. On the class spreadsheet, choose File > Quit. The class closes and the application
shuts down. If you have a connection to the PowerSchool server, PowerGrade
automatically sends any grades or assignments you entered to the PowerSchool server
for review by school administrators and parents.

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Security
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31

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Security
PowerGrade provides different levels of security to protect the confidential information stored
in PowerGrade, whereby when enabled, makes the confidential information stored in
PowerGrade inaccessible to unauthorized users.
PowerGrade Lock Function
The PowerGrade Lock function is intended to provide you with the ability to secure your
PowerGrade data file in the event that you need to leave your computer unattended.
Note:
This is not the same as the PowerSchool connectivity key, which you may be required to
enter the first time you start PowerGrade. For detailed information, see the section
“Connectivity Key.” For more information on the relationship between PowerSchool and
PowerGrade, see the section “How are PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related?”
Setup
To enable the PowerGrade Lock function, you must select the “Use password at Startup and
for Screen Lock” checkbox and establish a PowerGrade password and on the General
Preferences window.
How It Works
Once enabled, the system prompts you to enter your PowerGrade password each time you
open PowerGrade. If you need to leave your computer unattended during a PowerGrade
session, use the PowerGrade Lock function to lock and unlock your computer.
Note:
The PowerGrade Lock function works independently of the connectivity key and can be
used whether working in online or offline mode. For more information, see the section
“Connectivity Key” and “Work Online/Offline,” respectively.
How to Set Up the PowerGrade Lock Function
Use this procedure to enable the PowerGrade Lock function and to establish your Powergrade
password.
1. Choose Utilities > Lock PowerGrade. A message appears indicating that the screen
cannot be locked until password protection is enabled.
Note:
If you do not have a class open and the key combination is not otherwise used,
you can also press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) and press L.

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Security
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32
2. Click Yes. The General tab appears in the Preferences window.
3. Click Change Password. The Password window appears.
4. Enter a new password. Confirm the password by reentering it in the Confirm field.

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Security
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5. Click OK. A message appears indicating that the password has been changed.
6. Select the “Use password at Startup and for Screen Lock” on the General tab.
7. Click OK to return to the previous window.
How to Change Your PowerGrade Password
Once the PowerGrade Lock function is initially enabled, you can use this procedure to change
your Powergrade password.
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the General tab, if necessary. The General tab appears.
3. Click Change Password. The Password window appears.

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Security
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4. Enter a new password. Confirm the password by reentering it in the Confirm field.
5. Click OK. A message appears indicating that the password has been changed.
6. Select the “Use password at Startup and for Screen Lock” on the General tab.
7. Click OK to return to the previous window.
How to Unlock PowerGrade Upon Launching
Use this procedure to enter your PowerGrade password when initially opening PowerGrade.
1. Locate the PowerGrade application either on your desktop or other location specified
during installation.
2. Double-click the PowerGrade icon
. PowerGrade launches. The PowerGrade
toolbar appears at the top of your screen.
When the PowerGrade Lock function is enabled, The Password window appears.

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Security
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35
3. Enter your password.
4. Click OK. Once you have launched PowerGrade, you can then begin working with your
classes.
How to Lock PowerGrade During a Session
If you are not ready to quit PowerGrade, use this procedure to lock PowerGrade to maintain
your students' privacy and to guard against unwanted changes to students' grades or other
records.
1. Choose Utilities > Lock PowerGrade or if you do not have a class open and the key
combination is not otherwise used, you can press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or
CONTROL (Windows) and press L to access the Password window. The Password
window appears.
Note:
If you did not set a password, a message appears indicating that the screen
cannot be locked until password protection is enabled. See the section “Set Up the
Lock Function.”

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Security
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2. Enter your password.
3. Click OK.
How to Unlock PowerGrade During a Session
When you are ready to return to PowerGrade, follow the same steps as “How to Lock
PowerGrade During a Session.”
Connectivity Key
The connectivity key communicates with the PowerSchool server. It prevents those without
proper authorization from downloading your classes from the server and making changes to
items such as grades and attendance.
Note:
This is not the same as the PowerGrade password, which opens the PowerGrade
application on your computer. For detailed information, see the section “PowerGrade Lock
Function.” For more information on the relationship between PowerSchool and PowerGrade,
see the section “How are PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related?”
Setup
Your PowerSchool administrator enables the connectivity key on the server by selecting the
“Require PowerGrade users to use a security key for connecting to the PowerSchool server”
checkbox on the PowerGrade/PowerSchool Connectivity page. Then, the connectivity key
password is established using the Security Settings page.
How It Works
Once enabled, you will be required to enter your PowerSchool connectivity key the first time
you start PowerGrade. If you do not remember you PowerSchool connectivity key, contact
your PowerSchool administrator. In the meantime, you may still launch PowerGrade. However,
it will only operate in offline mode until you are able to obtain the PowerSchool connectivity
key. For more information, see the section “Set Up PowerGrade” and “Work Online/Offline,”
respectively.
Note:
Your school may not elect to enable the connectivity key. If so, you will not be required
to enter a connectivity key the first time you start PowerGrade. For more information, see the
section “Set Up PowerGrade.”

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Security
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37
How to Change the Connectivity Key
If you change your PowerSchool connectivity key, you run the risk of disabling your
PowerGrade account. Only make changes to this setting under the direction of your
PowerSchool administrator.
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the PowerSchool tab. The PowerSchool tab appears.
3. Click Change Connectivity Key. The Password window appears.
4. Enter a new password. Confirm the password by reentering it in the Confirm field.

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Security
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38
5. Click OK. A message appears indicating that the password has been changed

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LDAP
LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) functionality enables administrators to establish
a single source for securely managing authentication for all users on the district network.
In order for PowerSchool to authenticate users using an LDAP directory server, the LDAP
directory server must be configured within PowerSchool. Once configured, the LDAP directory
server synchronizes the login IDs stored in PowerSchool’s database with the login (user) IDs
stored in your LDAP directory server. For a user to successfully authenticate in PowerSchool
using LDAP, the login ID must match in both PowerSchool and the LDAP directory server.
Note:
LDAP support for PowerGrade is only available with PowerSchool version 5.1 and later.
For more information, see the “LDAP User Guide.”
Setup
Your PowerSchool administrator must configure LDAP on the server using the LDAP Directory
Setup page. This page includes the “Require Enable LDAP for PowerGrade” checkbox. If
selected, PowerGrade uses the LDAP directory server to synchronize and authenticate
PowerGrade users passwords.
Note:
SSL is not required to use LDAP with PowerGrade.
How It Works
Once enabled, you will be required to enter your PowerSchool LDAP password the first time
you start PowerGrade. If you do not remember your PowerSchool LDAP password, contact
your PowerSchool administrator. Unlike the connectivity key, you may not launch PowerGrade
if you do not have an LDAP password.
Note:
Your school may not elect to enable LDAP. If so, you will not be required to enter an
LDAP password the first time you start PowerGrade.
How LDAP Works with the PowerGrade Lock Function and the Connectivity Key
The following outlines how LDAP works with PowerGrade and the different levels of security
within PowerGrade:
LDAP Enabled
When LDAP is enabled, Basic authentication is used. The username and password are
encrypted using TwoFish encryption.
When LDAP is enabled, teachers cannot log on to PowerGrade without their LDAP
password. This differs from the connectivity key, which allows teachers to launch
PowerGrade in offline mode when the connectivity key is unknown.

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Security
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When LDAP and the connectivity key are both enabled, any currently active
PowerGrade sessions continue to use the connectivity key for the remainder of the
session. Upon restart, PowerGrade uses LDAP.
When working in online mode, if LDAP and the PowerGrade Lock function are both
enabled, PowerGrade uses LDAP upon restart.
When LDAP and the PowerGrade Lock function are both enabled and there is no
connection to the server upon launch, only the PowerGrade Lock function is used.
LDAP Disabled
When LDAP is not enabled, Digest authentication is used.
If LDAP is disabled and a connectivity key is enabled, any active PowerGrade sessions
switch to using the connectivity key. Active PowerGrade users who do not have a
connectivity key stored in PowerGrade will experience authentication errors.

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Preferences
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education. All rights reserved.
40

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Preferences
You can personalize PowerGrade to fit your work style. You can set all, none, or
any combination of these preferences. To access the Preferences window, choose File >
Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). When you are finished
setting your PowerGrade preferences, click OK.
Note:
It is not necessary for a class to be open when you set preferences. Preferences concern
your data file, not specific classes. Setting preferences are optional.
This section includes the following topics:
General Preferences
Display Preferences
Scores Preferences
Notification Preferences
PowerSchool Preferences
Attendance Preferences
General Preferences
Define general preference settings on the General tab. For example, you can change your
password or determine the number of decimals used for your grades.

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How to Define General Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the General tab, if necessary. The General tab appears.

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Preferences
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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Teacher name
Enter your name as you would like it to appear on reports.
Use password at
Startup and for
Screen Lock
Select this checkbox to enable the PowerGrade Lock function.
For detailed information, see the section “PowerGrade Lock
Function.”
Change Password
If the “Use password at Startup and for Screen Lock“
checkbox is selected, click this button to establish or change
your Powergrade password. For detailed information, see the
section “PowerGrade Lock Function.”
Note:
This is not the same as the PowerSchool connectivity
key, which you may be required to enter the first time you start
PowerGrade. For detailed information, see the section
“Connectivity Key.” For more information on the relationship
between PowerSchool and PowerGrade, see the section “How
are PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related?”
Auto-Save
This option guards against power surges or other interruptions
that may keep you from saving your work.
Select the “Auto-save every [blank] minutes” checkbox if you
want the system to save a copy of your work to your local
computer and another copy to the PowerSchool server at
specified intervals.
Enter the number of minutes between auto-saves. Every 30

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Preferences
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Field
Description
minutes is the default and recommended setting.
Note:
When setting this value, consider the following:
The smaller the number of minutes, the more often
PowerGrade auto-saves your work. The more often you
save, the slower the application runs.
Less than 15 minutes may not provide enough time for
the system to perform the auto-save function for
teachers who teach multiple sections.
The default setting is 30 minutes in order to provide
enough time for a full download should a Restore
Scores from Server be required on a new data file.
Auto-Update
Select the “Update automatically” checkbox to enable auto-
updating. When enabled, PowerGrade updates itself
automatically as new versions are released. Upon closing a
class for the first time, PowerGrade checks for new versions. If
a new version is available, an update notification appears. For
more information, see “How to Update PowerGrade.”
Note:
PowerGrade does not check for new versions when
logging into PowerGrade.
Auto-Backup
Use this option to restore your data file, in case you
accidentally delete it or it becomes corrupted.
Select the “Auto-backup every [blank] days” checkbox if you
want the system to back up a copy of your work to the
PowerSchool server at specified intervals.
Choose the number of days between auto-backups from the
pop-up menu. The date of the next backup appears in the
“Next backup” field.
Note:
The smaller the number of days, the more often
PowerGrade automatically backs up your work. Every day is
the recommended setting.
Final Grade Options Select the “Decimals are” option for rounding or truncating
decimals in final grades:
Rounded: Rounds the number up or down to the
nearest decimal point specified.
Truncated: Cuts off the number at the specified number
of places after the decimal.
Enter the number of digits to appear after each decimal point in
the “this many places” field.

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Field
Description
Use the Default Final Grading Report pop-up menu to choose a
reporting grade to use as the default in all reports where an
asterisk (*) is specified as the final grade.
Select the Use Averages checkbox as an alternative to using
final grade weighting where final grades are determined by
points earned in place of percentages. If enabling Use
Averages, every assignment must be set to 100 total points
possible AND standards cannot be assigned to the
assignments.
Note:
For information, please go to Customer Support Web site
at
https://support.powerschool.com/
and search for “Use
Averages for PowerGrade.” You will need a username and
password to log in.
Auto-Abbreviation
Select the “Auto-abbreviate assignments and categories”
checkbox to automatically abbreviate the names of
assignments and categories you create.
For example, if you enter a test as Quarter 1 Final Examination,
PowerGrade automatically enters QTR 1 FIN. E in the
abbreviation box on the category/assignment setup window.
Concurrent
Attendance
If concurrent sections have been set up in PowerSchool, you
can use this checkbox to enable attendance to be taken
concurrently for those sections.
If enabled, all sections taught at the same or overlapping
periods on the same day, for the same teacher may appear in
one roster when taking attendance.
Note:
If a class is set at the section level to record attendance
once per meeting, then the expressions of the classes must
match perfectly. If the sections are set at the section level to
record each meeting separately, then the expressions do not
have to match exactly and any overlap in the expression will
allow them to be displayed together on the Attendance
window.
For information on how PowerGrade determines which classes
to display together when using concurrent attendance, please
go to Customer Support Web site at
https://support.powerschool.com/
and search for the
“Concurrent Attendance Flowchart for PowerGrade.” You will
need a username and password to log in.
4. Click OK to save your general preferences.

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Display Preferences
Use the Display tab to define how you want information to appear in PowerGrade.

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How to Define Display Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the Display tab. The Display tab appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the Spreadsheet Options section:
Field
Description
Font
Use the pop-up menu to select the font you want to appear in
PowerGrade. Choose the font and font size from the pop-up
menus to indicate the font used to write assignments and
student names.
Font Size
Use the pop-up menu to choose the font size you want to
appear in PowerGrade.
Font Color
Select the font color you want from the color palette.
Header Color
Select the color you want for report headers from the color
palette.
Highlight Color
Select the color you want for highlighting selections from the
color palette.

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Field
Description
Background Color
Select the color you want for the background from the color
palette.
Alternate Row Color Select the color you want for distinguishing different rows from
the color palette.
Add Students
Use the pop-up menu at the “Add students” field to choose
how you would like new students added to your class rosters:
Alphabetically
“At the End of Roster”
PowerSchool notifies you when a student is added to your
class list. After the system adds the student to the class, a
notification appears when you log in to the system.
Hide Citizenship
Select this checkbox to hide student citizenship information in
PowerGrade.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the Attendance & Assignments section:
Field
Description
Show only
Attendance &
Assignments in this
date range
Select this checkbox to display attendance and assignments in
the specified date range. Then, enter the date range.
Apply to
assignments
window
Select this checkbox if you want the Assignments window to
display only assignments in the date range you selected.
Date format
Use the pop-up menu to choose the date format, such as
“Month dd” or “mm/dd.”
Show Absences
Select this checkbox to include absent totals for each student
displayed in PowerGrade.
Show Tardies
Select this checkbox to include tardy totals for each student
displayed in PowerGrade.
5. Click OK to save.
Scores Preferences
Define your scores preference settings on the Scores tab.

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How to Define Scores Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the Scores tab. The Scores tab appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields.
Note:
These settings are not case-sensitive. School administrators and parents can
view the following codes; therefore, you are encouraged to make them descriptive.
Field
Description
Display unrecorded
scores as
Enter the character(s) used to represent unrecorded scores on
the spreadsheet.
By default, PowerGrade displays unrecorded scores as “( )”.
You can change the default setting to customize your display.
For example, use XX or ** to represent unrecorded scores.
Calculate as
Select an option to indicate how unrecorded scores will
calculate:
If you select to calculate unrecorded scores as “0
points earned,” the assignment counts against any
students who do not have a grade for it. This occurs
after you begin recording scores for students who have
completed the assignment.
If you select Exempt, the missing scores do not count
against students who have not yet completed the
assignment. Therefore, you can set up your

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Field
Description
assignments in advance, and unassigned work does not
count against students.
Count as Exempt
Using text or other characters, enter a code to indicate how
exempt scores appear on the spreadsheet. Common examples
are Excused or Sick. You can enter multiple codes.
Count as
Unrecorded
Using text or other characters, enter a code to indicate how
unrecorded scores appear on the spreadsheet.
Scores marked with this code do not count against a student's
final grade. Common examples are Late or Sick. You can enter
multiple codes.
Note:
PowerGrade's default code for unrecorded scores is “u”
or “un”. Any codes entered here supplement the default codes.
Count as Zero
Using text or other characters, enter a code to describe why a
student received zero points on an assignment. Common
examples are Cheat, Absent, or NHI (Not Handed In).
PowerGrade calculates the code as zero on the final grade.
You can enter multiple codes.
Note:
When inserting scores on the spreadsheet, enter =
followed by any of these codes. PowerGrade calculates scores
in the final grade based on your preferences.
4. Click OK to save your scores preferences.
Notification Preferences
Use the settings on the Notification tab to customize PowerGrade notifications. For example,
set preferences to have the system notify you before overwriting a grade.

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How to Define Notification Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the Notification tab. The Notification tab appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Warn if maximum
points exceeded
using
Select any combination of the following checkboxes to indicate
if and how you want the system to warn you if the student's
maximum points possible are exceeded:
“Beep sound”
“Alert dialog”
Warn before
overwriting a score
using
Select any combination of the following checkboxes to indicate
if and how you want the system to warn you before overwriting
a score:
“Beep sound”
“Alert dialog”
Birthday Notification Select this checkbox to receive birthday notifications. Each
time you open PowerGrade, it notifies you of any birthdays
occurring within two days of the current date.
4. Click OK to save your notification preferences.
PowerSchool Preferences
The PowerSchool tab provides important information about your local copy of PowerGrade.
Before changing any of the data on this tab, contact your PowerSchool administrator. If you
edit any of the information, you run the risk of disabling your PowerGrade account.

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How to View PowerSchool Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the PowerSchool tab. The PowerSchool tab appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields.
Note:
Make changes to the network settings on the PowerSchool tab only under the
direction of your PowerSchool administrator.
Field
Description
Server
The server IP address appears. This address tells PowerGrade
which server at the school sends updated class information to
the workstation and where to send grades after they are
entered.
The IP address field is automatically populated when you set
up PowerGrade.
Change
Connectivity Key
If you were assigned a new PowerSchool connectivity key, click
this button and enter the new key. For detailed information, see
the section “Connectivity Key.”
Note:
This is not the same as the PowerGrade password,
which opens the PowerGrade application on your computer.
For detailed information, see the section “PowerGrade Lock
Function.” For more information on the relationship between
PowerSchool and PowerGrade, see the section “How are
PowerGrade and PowerSchool Related?”

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Field
Description
Path of Current Data
File
Information about your data file and its location on your
computer appears. The data file stores your preferences and
records on assignments and students. The Data File field
records important information about your data file. This field
also tells PowerGrade where to look for your data file.
If you change this field and do not move your data file to the
new location, PowerGrade is unable to find it and a message
appears indicating such when you try to open PowerGrade.
4. Click OK to save your PowerSchool preferences.

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Attendance Preferences
Use the Attendance tab to define how you want attendance-related information to appear in
PowerGrade.

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How to Define Attendance Preferences
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). The
Preferences window appears.
2. Click the Attendance tab. The Attendance tab appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

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Field
Description
[Classes]
Spreadsheet of all your classes. The following information
displays for each class: term, schedule expression, section
number, and attendance mode.
Note
: If your school uses more than one attendance mode, an
arrow appears. You can click the arrow to select a different
attendance mode from the pop-up menu. The attendance
mode you select becomes the default setting for the
Attendance window accessible via Class Selection > Windows
> Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon).
Current Day Header
Color
Use to select the color you want the current day cells to appear
on the Attendance window.
Non-selectable Cell
Background Color
Use to select the color you want non-selectable cells to appear
on the Attendance window.
4. Click OK to save your display preferences.

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Classes
Navigate through your classes to view class rosters, enter and view assignments and scores,
and take attendance. Take attendance using either the class roster or the seating chart.
When opening an Attendance Only section, not all of the following functions are available since
the section is used only for taking attendance. For example, the class spreadsheet, the
Assignments icon, and a number of the items under the Utilities and Windows menus do not
appear for Attendance Only sections.
This section includes the following topics:
Open Classes
Class Information
Web Links
Copy Class Information
Class Groups
Find Students
Reorder Students
Sort Information
Class Roster
Submit Lunch Counts
Student Summary
Terms
Upcoming Birthdays
Current Students
Dropped Students
Save Class Information
Close Classes
Open Classes
The Classes menu displays a list of all current classes. Open a class by choosing it from the
Classes menu. Access all of your classes, including current classes or classes from another
term, by choosing File > Open Class.
When copying class information, open the class from which you want to copy class
information. For more information, see the section “Copy Class Information.”

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How to Open a Class
If the class is in the current term, choose the class from the Classes menu, or use the following
procedure. You cannot have more than one class open at the same time.
1. Choose File > Open Class. The Open Class window displays basic class information,
such as the first day of the term, term number, schedule expression, class name, and
group information.
2. Select an available class from the list. Use the scroll bar to locate the class, if
necessary.
3. Click OK. The class spreadsheet for the selected class appears.
Note:
If this is your first time opening that class or if students have enrolled or dropped
since the last time you opened the class, a message appears displaying a list of
students with changes in their enrollment status. Review the class list, then click OK.
Note:
If PowerGrade detects scores that are incorrectly formatted, a message appears
instructing you to verify and correct the assignment scores or revert to a backup.
The class spreadsheet for the selected class shows the class roster for the current
term. By default, the spreadsheet displays current students. For more information, see
the section “Current Students.” To view dropped students, click Dropped Students. For
more information, see the section “Dropped Students.”

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This is the view that you will use most often in PowerGrade, since it appears each time
you open a class. Once a class is open, you can enter assignments and grades or
perform a number of other activities.
Note:
To change the width of columns, place your cursor on the dividing line between
columns and drag it to the left or right until the column is the appropriate width.

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How to Open a Class From a Different Term
No other classes can be open when you open a class.
1. Choose File > Open Class. The Open Class window displays basic class information,
such as the first day of the term, term number, schedule expression, class name, and
group information. For more information on groups, see the section “Class Groups.”
2. Select an available class from the list. Use the scroll bar to locate the class, if
necessary.
3. Click OK. The class spreadsheet for the selected class appears.

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Class Information
To view information about a particular class, choose Windows > Class Information.
You can also access the Class Information window by clicking the Class Info icon at the top of
the class spreadsheet.

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How to View Class Information
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Class Information (or click the Class Info icon). The Class
Information window appears.
Note:
The dates on the Class Information window download from the PowerSchool
server. Some fields appear as read-only.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name of Class
The name of the class.
Expression
The expression, or period/day combination.
Room
The room number associated with the selected class. Change
this number if it is incorrect.
Course Number
The course number.

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Field
Description
Section Number
The section number for the selected course.
Class Group
Enter the name of the class group, if applicable. For example,
the group name is helpful if you teach two or more sections of
the same class. By creating a group, you can apply
assignments to all classes in the group, and avoid having to
enter them for each class.
For more information on class groups, see the section “Class
Groups.”
1st Day of Class
The first day of class.
Last Day
The last day of class
Keyboard Shortcut
Click an option to indicate if you want to use the automatic or
custom keyboard shortcut to open the class. If you select
custom, enter the key(s) you want to use. The default shortcuts
are noted after each class on the menu.
Description Tab
Click the Description tab and enter a description of the class.
Note:
Parents can view this description when they check their
child’s progress on PowerSchool.
Web Link
Click Web Link to enter any URLs and explanatory text that
might be helpful to students or parents. Students and parents
can view this information in PowerSchool. For more
information, see the section “Web Links.”
4. Click OK to save your changes.

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Web Links
Use Web links to associate Web pages to various functions in PowerGrade. Enter a URL to
indicate which Web site to display when the Web link is clicked. For example, insert the URL
http://www.dictionary.com
in the Web link field of a spelling assignment. When viewing the
assignment, students can click the link to display the specified Web site.
Web links are prevalent throughout PowerGrade. For example, insert Web links when creating
comments for parents or assignment scores. Web links are available for the following
PowerGrade functions:
Assignments
Class Information
Comment Bank
Parent Notes

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Score Comments
How to Add a Web Link
To add a link to a Web site, complete the following steps:
1. Click Web Link. The Web Link window appears.
2. Enter the Web address in the URL field.
3. Enter the text to display for the link in the "Link text" field.
4. Select the checkbox to "Open this link in a new browser window."
5. Click OK.
Copy Class Information
Copy detailed class information, such as term dates, grades, and student enrollment, from one
class to another using the Copy Class Info From option on the Utilities menu.
Note:
For general class information, choose Windows > Class Information. For more
information, see the section “Class Information.”
Either insert the items from the other class into the currently opened class or replace
information for the class that is currently open.

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How to Copy Class Information
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
Note:
If you make changes or new entries, choose File > Save before copying class
information.
2. Choose Utilities > Copy Class Info. The Select a Class window appears.

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3. Select the class from which you want to copy information. Be sure to select the class
from the appropriate term.
4. Click OK. The Copy Class Information window appears.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Information Type]
Select the checkbox(es) to indicate which type of information
you want to copy. For example, to copy assignments and final
grade setup from one class to another, select the appropriate
checkboxes.
The types of information you can copy include:
Categories
Assignments
Gradescale(s)

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Field
Description
Final grade setup
[Add or Replace
Item]
Select how you want the information copied:
“Add the item to whatever already exists in this class.”
For example, select this option if you want to add an
assignment from another class to the open class.
“Replace the item completely in this class with the item
from the other class.” For example, select this option if
you want to replace an assignment on the open class
with one copied from another class.
6. Click Copy to copy the selected categories to the open class. The updated class
spreadsheet displays the new information.
Note:
When you replace the data from one class to the selected class, the original
information and all student scores are completely replaced.

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Class Groups
Using groups is helpful when you teach different sections of the same course. For example,
you can create groups so that you only have to enter assignments one time.

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How to Create a Group
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Class Information. The Class Information window for the selected
class appears.

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3. Enter the name for the class group.
4. Click OK. The class spreadsheet appears.
Repeat these steps for other courses in the same group. Create as many groups as needed for
all your courses. Be sure to spell the group name the same for each group.
The next time you create an assignment for a class in this group, select the checkbox to apply
the assignment to other classes in the same group. For more information, see the section
“Assignments.”
Find Students
Use the Find Student function on the File menu to search for a specific student in a class.

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How to Find a Student
1. Choose File > Find Student. The “Enter a student name” window appears.
2. Enter the student's name.
3. Click OK. The class spreadsheet appears, and the student's name is highlighted.

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Note:
If there is more than one student with that name, the Select Student window
appears.
4. Click the name of the student for whom you want to view enrollment information.
5. Click OK. The spreadsheet for that student's class appears, with the student's name
highlighted.
Reorder Students
Use reordering to customize how students are listed on the class spreadsheet. For example,
you can choose to list students by name or birthday.

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How to Reorder Students on a Class Spreadsheet
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Reorder Students. The Reorder Students window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Reorder Options]
Reorder students by choosing one of the following options:
Manually
Last Name
First Name
Nickname
Student Number
Date Enrolled
Birthdate
User Defined Field: Select a field pre-defined on the
Class Roster window. For more information, see the
section “Class Roster.”
If you select to reorder students manually, the Reorder
Students window appears.

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Field
Description
a. Click a student's name and drag it up or down to the
appropriate position on the list.
b. Click OK to save your changes. The Class spreadsheet
displays the new student order. Select “Last name” to
display students alphabetically by last name.
4. Click OK. The spreadsheet displays the names in the new sort order.

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Sort Information
Sort information by clicking a column heading and using the command keys. To sort students
on the class spreadsheet, see the section “Reorder Students.” To view dropped students on
the class spreadsheet, see the section “Dropped Students.” To enter scores on the
spreadsheet, see the section “Types of Score Entry.”

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How to Sort Information on a Class Spreadsheet
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) while clicking a column
heading on the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet sorts the contents of the column in
ascending order.
Note:
If you delete an assignment that is selected as the sort order of the spreadsheet,
the spreadsheet re-sorts by student name.

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3. Press and hold Alt while holding COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) and click a
column heading on the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet sorts the contents of the column
in descending order. The column title of the column that is currently sorting the
spreadsheet is underlined.
Note:
If you click any column other than Name, the system automatically creates a
second-level sort by student name. For example, if you click the City column and ten
students have the same city name, the system sorts those students by student name.

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Class Roster
Use the class roster to quickly view the demographic information about the
students enrolled in a specific class. The information downloads from the PowerSchool server
and cannot be modified in PowerGrade.

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How to View the Class Roster - PowerGrade Info Tab
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Class Roster (or click the Class Roster icon). The Class Roster
window appears. By default, the PowerGrade Info tab is selected.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Student Name]
The name of the selected student appears in the following
format: last name, first name.

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Field
Description
Home Phone
The contact phone number.
DOB
The student's date of birth appears in the following format:
mm/dd/yyyy.
Street
The student's street address.
City
The city of the street address.
State
The state of the street address.
ZIP
The postal code of the street address.
[Student Photo]
Photo of student. Use the pop-up menu to size photo.
Nickname
The nickname for the selected student. If a nickname is not
available, this field is blank.
User field
Click “User field” to set up your own categories of
demographic or class information. For example, rename User
Field 1 to Lab Fee. You can enter information about the lab fee
in this field. Change or delete user fields as often as necessary.
Use these fields in report headers and footers, or when sorting
students on the class spreadsheet.
Grade scale
Choose the appropriate grade from the pop-up menu.
4. If you made any changes, click Save Changes.
5. Click OK to close the Class Roster window.
How to View the Class Roster - PowerSchool Fields Tab
PowerGrade provides up to ten additional fields that your PowerSchool administrator
configures. These fields can be parent names, phone numbers, or other relevant information.
Use these fields in report headers and footers.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Class Roster (or click the Class Roster icon). The Class Roster
window appears. By default, the PowerGrade Info tab is selected.

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3. Click the PowerSchool Fields tab. As on the PowerGrade Info tab, the PowerSchool
Fields tab displays [Student Name], Home Phone, DOB, Street, City, State, ZIP, and
[Student Photo].
4. Information appears for the selected student. This information is view-only and cannot
be changed or deleted.
5. Click OK to close the Class Roster window.

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Submit Lunch Counts
Use the Submit Lunch Counts command to take a count of which students eat a school-
prepared lunch or buy milk. This provides a way for teachers to take daily counts of such items
and report them electronically. Generally, teachers take the count during first period.

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How to Submit Lunch Counts
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Submit Lunch Counts. The Submit Lunch Count window appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Date
The system displays the current day and date.
[Count Name]
All existing count names appear, such as:
Student Breakfast
Student Lunch
Milk
Count
The number of a particular count name needed.
4. Click OK to submit lunch counts.
Note:
After the information automatically synchronizes with the PowerSchool server,
cafeteria personnel can download it.

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Student Summary
Use the Student Summary window to quickly review all the scores and the final grade for an
individual student. This information is especially useful for meetings with students and parent-
teacher conferences.

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How to View the Student Summary
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Student Summary. The Student Summary window appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name
Use the pop-up menu to choose the student for whom you
want to view information.
[Grade]
The grade information for the selected student. This field is
read-only.
[Citizenship]
The citizenship entry for the selected student.
Which final grade to
show (abbr)
Enter the term abbreviation to view available term grades for
the selected student. For example, if you enter Q3, Quarter 3
grade information for the selected student appears.
You can edit grade information on the spreadsheet.
Date
The date of the assignment.
Ctgry
The category for the assignment.
Assignment
The assignment name.
Score
The score the student received on the assignment.

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Field
Description
Poss
The points possible for the assignment.
%
The percentage score the student received on the assignment.
Grade
The letter grade the student received on the assignment.
4. Click OK to save the information.

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Terms
Use the Terms window to quickly review the start and end dates of terms.
Note:
You can sort data by each field by simply clicking the header. Additionally, you can
select and copy data to the clipboard.

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How to View Terms
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Terms. The Terms window appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name
The full name of the selected term.
Note:
This field is read-only.
Abbreviation
The abbreviation for the selected term.
Note:
This field is read-only.
First Day
The first day of the selected term.
Note:
This field is read-only. Your PowerSchool administrator

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Field
Description
sets the dates that appear on the Terms window.
Last Day
The last day of the selected term.
Note:
This field is read-only. Your PowerSchool administrator
sets the dates that appear on the Terms window.
Calendar
Click to access to the calendar. The calendar opens to the
current date.
4. Close the window to return to the spreadsheet when you finish reviewing the terms.

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Upcoming Birthdays
Use the Upcoming Birthdays window to view a list of your students' birthdays.

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How to View Upcoming Birthdays
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Upcoming Birthdays. The Birthdays window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Upcoming Birthdays
and Recently
Passed Birthdays
The names of any students celebrating birthdays near today's
date appear at the top of the list.
Others
The system displays a list of students and birthdays. The
remainder of the class is sorted chronologically starting at the
beginning of the calendar year.
4. Click OK to return to the previous window.

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Current Students
Use the Current Students option to view the students who are currently enrolled in a particular
class. By default, this option is selected when opening a class.

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How to View Current Students
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Note the Current Students option is selected. The names of the students currently
enrolled appear on the class spreadsheet.

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Dropped Students
Use the Dropped Students option to view the students who dropped a particular class.

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How to View Dropped Students
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click Dropped Students. The system displays one of the following:
The names of the students who dropped the course.
A message indicating that there are no dropped students in the selected class.
Click OK to return to the class spreadsheet.
Save Class Information
Save your work before you close a class or shutdown PowerGrade. This ensures that the
information is saved and backed up to the PowerSchool server. Save information anytime
during your PowerGrade session. PowerGrade prompts you to save when you close a class.

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How to Save Class Information
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Edit the class information. For detailed information about the options on this window,
see the section “Classes.”
3. Choose File > Save. The system saves the information. You can continue working in
that class or close it.
Close Classes
When PowerGrade Auto-Update is enabled, PowerGrade updates itself automatically as new
versions are released. Upon closing a class for the first time, PowerGrade checks for new
versions. If a new version is available, an update notification appears. For more information,
see “How to Update PowerGrade.”

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How to Close a Class
1. Close a class when you finish working with it. You must close an open class before
opening another one.
2. Choose File > Close Class. If you have not saved the information, a message appears.
3. Do one of the following:
Click Don't Save to close the class spreadsheet without saving edits.
Click Cancel to return to the class spreadsheet.
Click Save to save changes and close the class spreadsheet.
Open another class or quit PowerGrade. For more information on quitting
PowerGrade, see the section “Shutdown PowerGrade.”

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Attendance
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Attendance
In PowerGrade, you can take attendance by class meeting using the attendance chart.
When you attempt to take attendance, you may be restricted from modifying attendance or
from modifying attendance within a certain number of days before or after the current date.
This restriction is set in PowerSchool at the district office-level.
This section includes following topics:
Attendance Codes
Take Attendance
Attendance Totals
For information about configuring PowerGrade attendance settings, see the sections “General
Preferences,” “Display Preferences,” and “Attendance Preferences.” To access the
Preferences window, choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class
spreadsheet).
Attendance Codes
Attendance codes are school-specific symbols or abbreviations used to mark attendance. For
example, your school might use “A” as the attendance code for absent and “T” for tardy. Other
schools might use different codes. The attendance codes for your school automatically
download to PowerGrade from the PowerSchool server. These codes are read-only.

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How to View Attendance Codes
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Attendance Codes. The Attendance Codes window appears.

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3. Use the following table to view information on this window:
Field
Description
Code
The code abbreviation for the attendance name you selected.
Description
The name of the attendance code.
Presence Status
Indicates whether or not the attendance code counts towards
membership totals.
Points
The number of attendance points for the attendance code. This
is used to calculate period to daily attendance and for reporting
purposes
Categories
Indicates the attendance code category, which the attendance
code is associated to. Attendance code categories are used to
group attendance codes by classification, beyond Present or
Absent, for reporting purposes.
Can Teacher
Assign?
Indicates whether or not teachers can assign this attendance
code in PowerGrade and PowerSchool Teacher.
ADA
Indicates whether or not the attendance code counts towards
average daily attendance (ADA).
ADM
Indicates whether or not the attendance code counts towards
average daily membership (ADM).
4. Click OK when you finish viewing the attendance code information to return to the
previous window.

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Take Attendance
Use PowerGrade to take attendance for all your classes. To take attendance for a
specific class, choose Windows > Attendance. You can also access the Attendance window by
clicking the Attendance icon at the top of the class spreadsheet.
Editing Attendance Codes
Non-editable attendance codes no longer appear in uppercase and editable attendance codes
no longer appear in lowercase. All attendance codes whether editable or not, may appear in
either case. When on the Attendance window, if a cell with an attendance code appears as
non-selectable, this means that it is non-editable. Additionally, you can view which attendance
code are editable (Teachers Can Assign), by viewing the Attendance Codes window.
If you want to change an attendance record that appears non-editable, contact the attendance
secretary at your school.
How to View Attendance
To mark a student tardy, absent, unexcused, or any other attendance option for a day in the
past or upcoming weeks, click the Back or Forward icon in the Attendance window. Click the
cell until the correct code appears.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The Attendance
window appears. The Attendance window varies depending on whether the class
selected uses meeting attendance mode or interval attendance mode. Meeting
attendance will allow only one column per period while interval attendance provides
multiple columns per period depending upon the length of the period and the specified
interval time. The specified interval time as well as what attendance mode is used by
the class is set on the server.

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Meeting Attendance
Interval Attendance
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Attendance Mode]
Indicates the mode by which attendance is being taken, such
as by class meeting or interval.
Meeting Attendance
Meeting Day/Interval refers the amount of meetings a section
meets. For example, if a section expression is 1-3 (A-B) and the

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Field
Description
section uses meeting attendance, you can expect to see three
attendance columns for each day of the week. (m, m, m, t, t, t,
w, w, w, th, th, th, f, f, f).
Interval Attendance
Given a section expression of 1(A), a period length of 90
minutes, a server specified interval duration of 60 minutes and
a section that uses interval attendance mode you can expect to
see two attendance columns for each A day in the week. The
first column is for interval 1 (the first 60 minutes of the class)
and the second is for interval 2 (after 60 minutes has gone by).
The column heading for Day/Interval will show the day
abbreviation and the interval number such as “M1”, “M2”, “T1”,
“T2”, etc. Keep in mind that interval attendance does not
assume that a student is present or absent. An attendance
code must be entered for each student in each column.
Note:
The columns of the spreadsheet are set by default.
However, if you want to widen the columns, simply place your
cursor on a divider within the header row and click and drag.
[Date Range]
The specified date range indicating which days appear on the
Attendance window. To change the date range, go File >
Preferences > Display and enter a new date range under
Attendance & Assignments.
[Student Name]
A list of students enrolled in the class.
[Date]
The dates for all days in the term. Use the Back and Forward
icons to view and locate additional dates.
Note:
Attendance cannot be taken for non-selectable cells.
Most often cells that are non-selectable represent an out-of-
session day. However, non-selectable cells may also appear
when a student has enrolled late in the term or has been
expelled from school. By default the non-selectable cells
appear in dark gray. However, if you want to change to color,
go to File > Preferences > Attendance and select a new color
using Non-selectable Cell Background Color.
[Attendance Codes]
Use this pop-up menu to select the appropriate attendance
code. Present, indicated by a blank, is followed by those
attendance codes created by your school, which teachers can
assign.
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click
(Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which

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Field
Description
contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a
cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
Modify Comment
Use this button to enter or modify attendance comments. For
more information, see the sections “How to Add an Attendance
Comment” or “How to Edit an Attendance Comment.”
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click
(Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which
contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a
cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
Delete Comment
Use this button to delete attendance comments. For more
information, see the section “How to Delete an Attendance
Comment.”
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click
(Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which
contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a
cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
4. Close the Attendance window when done viewing.

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How to Take Attendance
To mark a student tardy, absent, unexcused, or any other attendance option for a day in the
past or upcoming weeks, click the Back or Forward icon.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The Attendance
window appears.

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3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code:
Single-click to select an individual cell.
COMMAND+click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
SHIFT+click to select contiguous cells between two points.
Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.
Note:
Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all
selection methods may be available to you.
4. Use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu to select the appropriate attendance code.
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance
Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to
select a cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
5. Click Save. Once you enter attendance records and save them to PowerGrade, they are
automatically sent to the PowerSchool server, where they become part of the students’
permanent records.
Note:
If taking attendance for more than one day, a message appears. If you wish to
disable the notification, select the checkbox and click OK. Or simply click OK.

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How to Add an Attendance Comment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The Attendance
window appears.
3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:

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Single-click to select an individual cell.
COMMAND+click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
SHIFT+click to select contiguous cells between two points.
Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.
Note:
Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all
Selection methods may be available to you.
4. Click Modify Comment. The Enter Attendance Comment window appears.
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the Attendance
Codes pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to
select a cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
5. Enter your comment in the text field. For example, if a number of students were tardy
due to the bus being late, you could enter a comment stating “Students late due to bus
delay.”
Note:
It is okay to include paragraph marks by pressing RETURN (Mac) or ENTER
(Windows) on your keyboard in the comment text field.
6. Click Save. When a comment is added to an attendance code, the attendance code
appears red, as opposed to black (no comment). When attendance comments are
entered for days that a student is present, a red dash appears instead of a blank cell.

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How to Edit an Attendance Comment
Attendance codes that appear red have an attendance comment(s). When attendance
comments are entered for days that a student is present, a red dash appears in its place.
Note:
If saved attendance records are locked by your school’s attendance administrator, you
can no longer edit the comment associated to that record.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”

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2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The Attendance
window appears.
3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:
Single-click to select an individual cell.
COMMAND+click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
SHIFT+click to select contiguous cells between two points.
Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.
Note:
Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all
Selection methods may be available to you.
4. Click Modify Comment. The Enter Attendance Comment window appears.
Note:
You can also SHIFT+click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance
Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to
select a cell. If a cell is not selected, a message appears.
5. If the date(s) you selected have the same comment, the comment appears in the text
box. If the date(s) you selected do not have the same comment, the text box appears
empty.
6. Do one of the following:
Select the Append option to add on to the existing attendance comment.
Select the Overwrite option to replace the existing attendance comment.
7. Enter your comment in the text field. For example, if a number of students were tardy
due to the bus being late, you could enter a comment stating “Students late due to bus
delay.”
Note:
It is okay to include paragraph marks by pressing RETURN (Mac) or ENTER
(Windows) on your keyboard in the comment text field.
8. Click Save.

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How to Delete an Attendance Comment
Attendance codes that appear red have an attendance comment(s). When attendance
comments are entered for days that a student is present, a red dash appears in its place.
Note
: If saved attendance records are locked by your school’s attendance administrator, you
can no longer edit the comment associated to that record.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The Attendance
window appears.
3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:
Single-click to select an individual cell.
COMMAND+click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
SHIFT+click to select contiguous cells between two points.
Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.
Note:
Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all
Selection methods may be available to you.
4. Click Delete Comment. A message appears confirming you want to delete the
comment.
5. Click Yes.
Attendance Totals
Display attendance totals for each student on your spreadsheet. This information appears to
the right of the final grades on the class spreadsheet. This way, you can view student's grade
and attendance data on one window.
To display attendance totals, choose File > Preferences. Click the Display tab. Locate the
Attendance & Assignment options in the lower-left corner of the window. For additional
information about the Display preferences, see the section “Display Preferences.”

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Use the Attendance Totals function to display attendance for each student in your class. To
view the totals, choose Windows > Attendance Totals.
Note:
To sort the column in ascending order, click the column heading by which you want to
sort. To sort the column in descending order, press SHIFT and click the column heading by
which you want to sort.

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How to View Student Attendance Totals
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Attendance Totals. The Attendance Totals window appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Include attendance
only between these
dates
Select this checkbox to display attendance totals for a specific
date range.
Enter the beginning and ending date in the fields in the
following format: mm/dd/yy.
Student Name
The names of the students enrolled in the selected class.
Attendance Total
Column
Click the numbers in the Absent or Tardy columns to view the
dates of the selected attendance activity.
Attendance Codes
Attendance codes appear across the top of the spreadsheet.
Click a code to sort the list in ascending order according to
that attendance code. Press and hold OPTION (Mac) or ALT

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Field
Description
(Windows) and click a code to sort in descending order.
Show
Absent/Tardies on
All Pages
Select this checkbox to display the Absent and Tardies
columns on all pages of the attendance totals printout.
Print
Click Print to print a copy of the attendance totals.
Note:
If a large number of attendance codes appear on the
Attendance Totals window, some columns might not fit on the
printed page.
4. Click Close to return to the previous window.

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Seating Charts
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Seating Charts
You can create and edit a seating chart to identify seating arrangements for up to 50
students in each of your classes. In addition, you can use the seating chart to take attendance.
The seating chart displays rectangles, or seats, that are labeled with the students’ names. After
you create the seating chart layout, arrange the seats by clicking and dragging them to the
appropriate location. Then, assign students to the seats.
The Seating Chart window includes three tabs: Take Attendance, Edit Seat Layout, and Assign
Students to Seats. When the Seating Chart window is opened for the first time, the “Assign
Students to Seats” tab appears. Use this tab to create the seating chart.
You can navigate from tab to tab without losing any of your changes. But you should save
when you finish working with any of the three tabs, and save periodically to prevent data loss.
This section includes the following topics:
Create Seating Chart Layouts
Edit Seating Chart Layouts
Assign Seats
Take Attendance Using a Seating Charts
Create Seating Chart Layouts
Create a seating chart layout. After you create the layout, you can reset it, add and remove
seats from the layout, and assign students to seats. To modify the chart, see the section “Edit
Seating Chart Layouts.”
How to Create a Seating Chart Layout
You can create a seating chart layout even if no students are currently enrolled in a class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Create Seating Chart
window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Font
Choose a font from the pop-up menu.
Font Size
Choose a font size from the pop-up menu.
Width
Enter the width of each seat. This value should be proportional
to the height.
Height
Enter the height of each seat. This value should be proportional
to the width.
Rows
Enter the number of rows to create on the seating chart.
The rows and columns create a grid for the seating chart
layout. For example, a grid with 3 rows and 6 columns creates
an 18-seat chart.
Note:
You can have more seats than students, but you cannot
have more students than seats.
Columns
Enter the number of columns to create on the seating chart.
The rows and columns create a grid for the seating chart
layout. For example, a grid with 3 rows and 6 columns creates
an 18-seat chart.
Note:
You can have more seats than students, but you cannot
have more students than seats.
4. Click OK. The seating chart layout appears.

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Note:
Set the width and height of each seat to fit the number of seats in the classroom.
The capacity of the classroom is determined by the ability to fit the seating chart onto a
standard, 8.5- by 11-inch piece of paper. If your seating chart exceeds the space
available, a message appears.
Note:
If there are more students currently enrolled than will fit on the current seating
chart layout, a message appears.
The number of seats must equal or exceed the number of enrolled students. Increase
the number of rows or columns.

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How to Reset a Seating Chart
Clear or reset the entire seating chart to remove all students' seat assignments for the selected
class. To re-create the seating chart, see the section “How to Create a Seating Chart Layout.”
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. Click the Edit Seat Layout tab.
4. On the Edit Seat Layout window, click “Reset & close.” PowerGrade asks if you want to
reset the seating chart.
5. Click Yes. The seating chart resets and closes.
Edit Seating Chart Layouts
After you create the layout, you can reset it, add and remove seats from the layout, and assign
students to seats. To create a seating chart, see the section “Create Seating Chart Layouts.”

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How to Edit a Seating Chart Layout
After you create a seating chart layout, you might need to change the display of the chart or
the position of seats. You might also need to add seats, such as when students enroll in your
class. Alternatively, delete seats from a chart when students drop the class.
A message appears when you open the seating chart to inform you of any enrollment changes.
The names of new students appear in green on the list of students. Manually assign new
students to seats. When a student drops the class, he or she is removed from the list of
students and from the assigned seat, which becomes blank. It is not necessary to remove the
seat from the layout.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. Click the Edit Seat Layout tab. The Edit Seat Layout window appears.
Note:
Student names and photos do not appear on the seating chart layout until
students are assigned to seats. For more information, see the section “Assign Seats.”

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Note:
If photos do not appear, a photo might not exist for the student(s). Submit photos
in PowerSchool. If photos exist for the students in PowerSchool but do not appear in
PowerGrade, synchronize PowerGrade with the PowerSchool server. For more
information, see the section “Exchange Information with the PowerSchool Server.”
4. Do any of the following:
Field
Description
up-down
Use this scroll bar to change the vertical alignment of all the
seats on the seating chart. A gap at the bottom allows for
student names.
left-right
Use this scroll bar to change the horizontal alignment of all the
seats on the seating chart.
zoom in-zoom out
Resize the seating chart using this scroll bar, which zooms in
and out from the upper-left corner. A gap at the bottom allows
for student names.
[Seats]
Drag and drop seats to arrange the seat layout. Consider
aisles, lab tables, and other classroom fixtures. Seats cannot
overlap each other; however, you can overlap the names of
students with seats.
Click the Print icon to print the seating chart layout.

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Field
Description
Click the Add Seat icon to add another seat. The new seat
appears on the left. Drag the seat to the seating chart. Repeat
for any additional seats.
Click and drag a seat to the Delete Seat icon to remove it. You
can never have fewer seats than students.
Picture Scaling
Use this pop-up menu to indicate how you want student
photos sized:
Choose “Truncated centered” to enlarge each student
photo, thereby cropping the edges all around.
Choose “Scaled to fit” to reduce the photo size to fit in
the seat.
Reset & close
Click to clear or reset the entire seating chart to remove all
students’ seat assignments for the selected class. PowerGrade
asks if you want to reset the seating chart. Click Yes. The
seating chart resets and closes. To re-create the seating chart,
see the section “How to Create a Seating Chart Layout.”
5. Either click Save or press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows) to save and close the
seating chart.
Assign Seats
After you create or reset a seating chart layout, you must assign students to seats, either
manually or automatically. You can first use the automated function, and then manually move
students between seats.
How to Automatically Assign Seats
If you want PowerGrade to assign seats, do so before manually assigning seats; if any seats
are moved around after you initially create the layout, they will be skipped in the automatic seat
assignment process, since this process uses only the original layout arrangement.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. Click the “Assign Students to Seats” tab, if necessary. The “Assign Students to Seats”
window displays a list of students on the left and the seating chart layout on the right.

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Note:
If the message “No photo” appears in place of a student, that student does not
have a photo in the system. You can assign students without photos to seats.
4. Indicate the seating order by doing one of the following:
Select the Alphabetically option to sort by last name.
Select the Shuffle option to sort randomly.
5. Do one of the following:
Select From Top to start the sort order with the top left seat.
Select From Bottom to start the sort order with the bottom right seat.
6. Click “Auto assign seats.” PowerGrade assigns students to seats according to your
selections.

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7. Either click Save or press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows) to save and close the
seating chart.
How to Manually Assign Seats
After you create or reset a seating chart layout, assign students to seats.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. In the Create Seating Chart window, click the “Assign Students to Seats” tab, if
necessary. The “Assign Students to Seats” window displays a list of students on the left
and the seating chart layout on the right.
Note:
If the message “No photo” appears in place of a student, that student does not
have a photo in the system. You can assign students without photos to seats.
4. Do one of the following:
Drag and drop seats to arrange the seat layout.
Drag the student photos on the left to the seats on the right. When a student is
assigned to a seat, the name grays out and you cannot assign that student to an
additional seat.
Note:
You do not need to assign all students to all seats at this time. In addition,
you cannot assign a student to more than one seat.
Drag and drop students from one seat to another to switch seats.
5. Either click Save or press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows) to save and close the
seating chart.

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Take Attendance Using Seating Charts
Use the seating chart in PowerGrade to take attendance. Attendance taken by the attendance
clerk using PowerSchool overwrites any attendance you take in PowerGrade.
You can also print the seating chart, in case you want to take attendance away from your
computer. For example, you can print the seating chart and take it with you on a field trip.
Mass Attendance for Interval Classes
Since interval attendance does not assume the student is present or absent you must provide
an attendance code for each student and for each interval. To make this easier interval classes
provide a pop-up selector called “Set Blanks To”. By choosing an attendance code from this
pop-up you will tell the system to set all students without an existing code to the selected
code. One way of using this feature is to immediately select the present code upon entering
the attendance tab and selecting an interval. This will set all students to present since all
students will be blank at this point. Then set the proper attendance code for any students that
are not present (i.e. tardy or absent).
How to Print a Seating Chart
When you print the seating chart, each student's seat appears, including the student's photo (if
available) and name.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. Click the Take Attendance tab. The Take Attendance window appears.

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4. Click the Print icon. The seating chart prints.
How to Take Attendance Using a Seating Chart
Though you can view attendance for your classes after you take attendance in PowerGrade,
you cannot change it. Only the attendance clerk using PowerSchool can make changes.
You can only take attendance on days when school is in session.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Seating Chart (or click the Seating icon). The Seating Chart window
appears.
3. Click the Take Attendance tab. The Take Attendance window appears. The available
options that appear depend on whether the class uses meeting attendance mode or
interval attendance mode. The attendance mode is specified on the server when
defining sections. While meeting attendance allows only one opportunity to take
attendance for a class interval attendance can allow multiple opportunities depending
on the length of the period and the specified interval duration.

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Meeting Class
Interval Class
4. For Interval classes select the appropriate period and interval in the Period/Interval pop-
up selection.

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5. Click a seat. The Attendance menu displays all available attendance codes. Meeting
classes will not show the code for “present” since no code indicates a present. Interval
classes do not assume a student is present so a code for “present” will be included.
6. Choose an attendance code from the menu. The indicator above the student’s seat
changes from green (for present) to a different color based on the attendance code you
selected. For example, if you selected absent the indicator above the student’s seat
changes from green to red. If you selected tardy the indicator above the student’s seat
changes from green to orange.
Note:
To change attendance back to present for a meeting class, select the blank menu
item below “Attendance for: [student’s name].” To change attendance back to present
for an interval class select the code for present.
7. Either click Save or press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows) to save and close the
seating chart.

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Assignments and Grades
This section includes important information on how to create assignment categories,
assignments, standards, and grade scales.
In PowerGrade, a score is the grade for an individual assignment. This data is located on the
right side of the spreadsheet. A final grade is a student's cumulative grade for all assignments
in the current term and is averaged every time you enter a score. This data appears on the left
side of the spreadsheet.
Finally, this section discusses how to use grade weighting in PowerGrade. The concept is
similar to what you would do in a paper gradebook.
This section includes the following topics:
Weight Grades
Assignment Categories
Assignments
Assignment View Options
Standards
Grade Scales
Final Grades
Final Grades Setup
Weight Grades
Grade weighting is an important part of how final grades are calculated. Weight grades to
make certain assignments count for more or less toward the final grade. PowerGrade provides
four methods to weight grades and assignments. You can use none of them, all of them, or any
combination of the four. You can set up weighting at any time during the school year, but it is
best to do so at the beginning of the year or term so that students know what to expect.
The first method of weighting is the easiest. Simply enter the value of the assignment multiplied
by the number of times you want it weighted. Perhaps homework assignments are usually
worth 10 points, but you want a specific homework assignment to be worth 20. When creating
the assignment in PowerGrade, make it worth 20 points rather than the usual 10.
The second method uses PowerGrade to weight assignments. Rather than perform the
multiplication yourself, enter the points possible and the appropriate weight when you set up
the assignment. PowerGrade performs the calculation and enters the proper grade into your
data file. Students and parents view the total points possible and the final calculated grade;
they do not have access to weighting information. However, you can explain the weighting in
the assignment's description.

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The third method uses PowerGrade to weight categories of assignments for final grades. For
example, weight grades so that chapter tests are worth 50% of the final grade, the final exam
is worth 20%, and homework assignments are worth the remaining 30%.
The fourth method weighs one final term grade for more than another final term grade. Some
teachers use this method to calculate term or end-of-year grades.
If you weight the final exam by two and the final exam category by two, you are effectively
quadrupling the weight of the final exam, thereby rendering the other assignments and tests
less valuable in the final grade calculation. It is important to carefully consider how much
weight you give to which assignment and which category.
If you are not sure how to go about weighting assignments or categories, contact your
PowerSchool administrator. Mistakes in the setup process could cause problems later on.

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Assignment Categories
PowerGrade categories are groups of the same types of assignments, such as homework,
quizzes, exams, reports, and labs. Use categories to sort assignments and display category
subtotals. Create whatever categories you want either individually as the need arises or several
at the same time; however, you must create at least one category in order to enter an
assignment in your gradebook.

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How to View Categories
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Categories. The Categories window appears.
Note:
If categories are not set up in the system, this window is blank.

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How to Create a Category
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”

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2. Choose Windows > Categories. The Categories window appears.
Note:
If categories are not set up in the system, this window is blank.
3. Click New Category. The cursor appears in the Category name field.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Categories]
Categories appear on the left side of the window. If necessary,
use the scroll bar to view the list of categories. When you click
a category name, its details appear on the right side of the
window.
If categories do not exist, this field is blank.
Category name
The category name, such as Homework.
Abbreviation
The category abbreviation. For example, the abbreviation for
Homework might be HW.
This abbreviation is used for PowerGrade reports.
Description
The description of the category.
Note
: This field is optional. Parents can read the description
when they log in to check their child's progress.
Dflt. pts. poss
Enter the number of default points possible if most of the
assignments in the category will have the same number of

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Field
Description
possible points. You can change this number on individual
assignments when necessary.
Set up weighting
If you want to weight scores in this category, click “Set up
weighting.” For more information, see the section “Final Grades
Setup.”
5. Click Accept to save your changes. The new category appears on the left side of the
window.
Note:
If the system encounters a problem saving the information to the server, a
message appears instructing you to reopen the class and save it again.
6. Close the Categories window.

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How to Edit a Category
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Categories. The Categories window appears.
Note:
If categories are not set up in the system, this window is blank.
3. Select a category name from the list on the left of the window. Detailed information for
the selected category appears on the right.
4. Edit information as needed. For detailed information, see the table in “How to Create a
Category.”
5. Click Accept to save your changes.
Note:
If the system encounters a problem saving the information to the server, a
message appears instructing you to reopen the class and save it again.
6. Close the Categories window.

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How to Delete a Category
Use the following procedure to delete a category and all assignments associated to that
category.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Categories. The Categories window appears.
Note:
If categories are not set up in the system, this window is blank.
3. Select a category name from the list on the left of the window. Detailed information for
the selected category appears on the right.
4. Click Delete. The Categories window appears without the deleted category.
Note:
If you try to delete the last category on the list, a message appears. To change
the last category, see the section “How to Edit a Category.”
5. Close the Categories window.

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Assignments
In PowerGrade, you can create several assignments either during the same or
different PowerGrade sessions. Later, you can add more or edit existing assignments. If you
taught a specific class before, you probably know in advance that there are certain
assignments, tests, or projects. You can enter them at the beginning of the term to save
yourself time later on.
To change the view of the assignments on the class spreadsheet, see the section “Assignment
View Options.”
Standards
You can add standards to assignments and to specific categories. PowerGrade sends
percentage scores for each assignment to PowerSchool, where they are averaged to

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determine a standards score. Some states have curriculum standards. Use this field to track to
which standards an assignment applies. For more information, see the section “Standards.”
Extra Credit Assignments
PowerGrade makes it easy to set up extra credit work without penalizing those who do not
complete the work. Create an assignment with zero points possible so that it doesn't count
against students who don't try for extra credit. When students turn in extra credit, enter the
appropriate scores for the assignment. These points count toward their grade; however,
because the assignment has zero points possible, the lack of a score does not count against
the final grade of those students who did not complete it.

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How to View Assignment Details
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.
Note:
If no assignment categories have been created, a message appears indicating
that before you can add assignments, you must first set up assignment categories.
Click OK. To create assignment categories, see the section “Assignment Categories.”
3. Select an assignment from the assignment list on the left side of the window.
The following details for the selected assignment appear on the right:

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Field
Description
Category
The category by which the assignment is grouped. For more
information, see the section “Assignment Categories.”
Name
The assignment name.
Abbrev.
The assignment abbreviation. Various PowerGrade reports use
this abbreviation.
Pts. Poss.
The number of points possible.
Weight
The weight of the assignment (optional). The system multiplies
both the assignment's points possible and the students’ scores
by this weight when calculating final grades.
For example, suppose that there are three assignments worth
10 points each, and a student earns 5, 6, and 7 points on them.
All of the assignments have a weight of 1 except for the first
assignment, which has a weight of 2. This means that for this
student's final grade, PowerGrade makes the first assignment
worth 20 point, so the student earns 10 points on that
assignment. The other two assignments do not change
because they have a weight of 1. Thus, the student earns 23
out of a possible 40 points.
Date due
The date the assignment is due.
Description
A description of the assignment (optional). Parents can read
this description when they log in to PowerSchool.
View Group
Click to view the class group to which the current class is
associated.
Apply to other
classes in group
If selected, indicates that the assignment applies to other
classes in the group. The assignment only applies to courses in
the same group for the same term.
Other Classes
In addition to the current class, the number of other classes
that include this assignment appears.
4. Close the window and return to the class spreadsheet when you finish viewing the
assignment details.

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How to Create an Assignment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”

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2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.
Note:
If no assignment categories have been created, a message appears indicating
that before you can add assignments, you must first set up assignment categories.
Click OK. To create assignment categories, see the section “Assignment Categories.”
The list of available assignments appears. If no assignments are entered, this field is
blank.
3. Click New. The cursor appears in the Name field.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Category
From the pop-up menu, choose the category by which you
want the assignment grouped. For more information, see the
section “Assignment Categories.”

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Field
Description
Name
Enter the assignment name.
Abbrev.
Enter the assignment abbreviation. Various PowerGrade
reports use this abbreviation.
Pts. Poss.
Enter the number of points possible.
Weight
Enter a weight for the assignment (optional). The system
multiplies both the assignment's points possible and the
students' scores by this weight when calculating final grades.
For example, suppose that there are three assignments worth
10 points each, and a student earns 5, 6, and 7 points on them.
All of the assignments have a weight of 1 except for the first
assignment, which has a weight of 2. This means that for this
student's final grade, PowerGrade makes the first assignment
worth 20 points, so the student earns 10 points on that
assignment. The other two assignments do not change
because they have a weight of 1. Thus, the student earns 23
out of a possible 40 points.
You can also use this feature to turn off an assignment by
giving it a weight of zero. For more information on weighting,
see the section “Weight Grades.”
You can use decimal weights such as 1.5 or 2.25. If you do,
category subtotals and final point totals might include several
decimal places.
Date due
Enter the date the assignment is due using the format
mm/dd/yyyy or click the Calendar icon and select the date.
Description
Enter a description of the assignment (optional). Parents can
read this description when they log in to PowerSchool.
Web Link
Click Web Link to enter any URLs and explanatory text that
might be helpful to students or parents. Parents can read this
information. For more information, see the section “Web
Links.”
Standards
Click Standards to apply standards to this assignment. The
Standards window appears.
Standards are the average scores for tests and assignments,
and are typically used for state reporting purposes. For more
information about standards, see the section “Standards.”
View Group
When creating an assignment, click View Group to view the
class group to which the current class is associated. Use this
information to determine if you want to copy this assignment to

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Field
Description
other classes in the group. To do so, see the field “Apply to
other classes in the group.”
Note
: This field cannot be edited after initially saving the
assignment.
Apply to other
classes in group
When creating an assignment, select this checkbox to apply
the assignment to other classes in the group. The assignment
only applies to courses in the same group for the same term.
Note
: This field cannot be edited after initially saving the
assignment.
Other Classes
In addition to the current class, the number of other classes
that include this assignment appear.
5. Click Accept. The new assignment appears on the left.
6. Do one of the following:
Click New Assignment and repeat this process to add other assignments.
Close the Assignments window. The new assignment(s) appear on the class
spreadsheet.
Note:
If the system encounters a problem saving the information to the server, a
message appears instructing you to reopen the class and save it again.

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How to Edit an Assignment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.

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3. Select an assignment from the assignment list on the left. Details for the selected
assignment appear on the right.
4. Edit information as needed. For detailed information, see the table in “How to Create an
Assignment.”
5. Click Accept to save your changes.
Note:
If the system encounters a problem saving the information to the server, a
message appears instructing you to reopen the class and save it again.
6. Close the Assignments window.

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How to Delete an Assignment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.
3. Select the assignment you want to delete. Details for the selected assignment appear
on the right.
4. Click Delete. A message appears confirming you want to delete the selected
assignment.
5. Click Yes.

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6. Close the Assignments window. The class spreadsheet appears.

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Assignment View Options
After you create assignments, you can reorder and hide them on the class spreadsheet. For
more information on creating assignments, see the section “Assignments.”

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How to Reorder Assignments
PowerGrade displays assignments on the spreadsheet in the order you create them. However,
you can rearrange them as often as you like using the Reorder Assignments function. You can
sort by date, name, or abbreviation, and group by category.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Reorder Assignments. The Reorder Assignments window appears.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Sort by
Select a sort option. You can choose to have assignments
appear and sort by:
Date
Name
Abbrev.
Group assignments
by category
Select this checkbox to have the system display and sort the
assignments by the associated category. For more information
on categories, see the section “Assignment Categories.”
4. Click OK to save your changes. The class spreadsheet reorders the assignments.

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How to Hide Assignments
Periodically, you might not want to view every score for every assignment on the class
spreadsheet. This is especially true in classes that have numerous assignments or meet the

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entire year. In PowerGrade, you can hide assignments so that only those during a selected
date range display on the spreadsheet. However, these grades are still used to calculate the
final grade.
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet).
2. On the Preferences window, click the Display tab. The Display tab appears.
3. Select the “Show only assignments in this date range” checkbox.
Note:
If you want the Assignment window to display only assignments for the same
date range, select the “Apply to assignments window” checkbox.
4. Enter the first and last days of the date range.
5. Click OK. The class spreadsheet displays only the assignments where the due dates fall
within the specified range. The system notes the date range at the top of the
spreadsheet.
Note:
To view all assignments again, return to the Preferences window and deselect
either or both of the checkboxes.

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How to Show All Assignments
1. Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet).
2. On the Preferences window, click the Display tab. The Display tab appears.

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3. Deselect the “Show only assignments in this date range” checkbox.
4. Deselect the “Apply to assignments window” checkbox.
5. Click OK. The class spreadsheet displays every score for every assignment.

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Standards
Some states have curriculum standards. Use assignment standards to track to which
standards an assignment applies.

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How to Create Standards for an Assignment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.

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3. Select an assignment from the assignment list on the left. Details for the selected
assignment appear on the right. For more information about working with assignments,
see the section “Assignments.”
4. Click Standards. The Standards window displays a list of predefined standards in the
Available Standards column.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Available Standards
The list of all standards available to the school appears.
Applied Standards
The list of standards applied to the assignment appears.
Description
A description of the selected standard appears.
6. Click and drag the standards from the Available Standards list to the Applied Standards
column.

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Note:
The standards are sorted alphabetically in the Applied Standards list according to
their abbreviations.
7. Click OK to return to the Assignments window.
8. Close the Assignments window.

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How to Delete Standards for an Assignment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Assignments (or click the Assignments icon). The Assignments
window appears.
3. Select an assignment from the assignment list on the left. Details for the selected
assignment appear on the right. For more information about working with assignments,
see the section “Assignments.”

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4. Click Standards. The Standards window displays a list of predefined standards in the
Available Standards column.
5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Available Standards
The list of all standards available to the school appears.
Applied Standards
The list of standards applied to the assignment appears.
Description
A description of the selected standard appears.
6. Click and drag the standards from the Applied Standards list to the Available Standards
column.
Note:
The standards are sorted alphabetically in the Applied Standards list according to
their abbreviations.

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7. Click OK to return to the Assignments window.
8. Close the Assignments window.

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Grade Scales
PowerGrade has a flexible grading scale system that assigns grades based on either your
personal preferences or your school's guidelines. You can also set up multiple grade scales for
the same class if you have a mix of students. For example, if you have resource students and
mainstream students in the same class, create different grade scales for the groups.
PowerGrade has a default scale that your PowerSchool administrator sets up and downloads
from the PowerSchool server. The default scale may or may not work for your classes. Modify
it to fit your needs.
You might not have permission to create, edit, or delete grade scales. This setting is
determined in PowerSchool at the district level. However, all PowerGrade users can view their
grade scales.
“Sync” PowerGrade Default Grade Scales
PowerSchool provides the ability for PowerSchool administrators to “sync” PowerGrade
default grade scales with the school's grade scales. If enabled, PowerSchool finds all of the
sections taught by these teachers for the current school year that use those grade scales.
When the section is opened the next time in PowerGrade, a confirmation window appears
stating, “PowerSchool has sent a new grade scale for this class. Do you want to accept it?
Local changes to the grade scale will be lost. (There is no undo.)” Click No to decline and
nothing is changed. Click Yes to accept and the main grade scale for that section is
overwritten with the new grade scale from the server. Any custom grade scales the user may
have created for that class are unaffected.

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How to Create a New Grade Scale
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Grade Scale. The Grade Scales window displays the default grade
scale.
3. Click New. The Request window appears.
4. Enter a name for the new grade scale.
5. Click OK. On the Grade Scales window, the name of the new grade scale appears in
the name field. The new grade scale includes the same letter grades and cutoff values
as the default grade scale. To edit these values, see the section “How to View and Edit
a Grade Scale.”

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How to Edit a Grade Scale
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Grade Scale. The Grade Scales window displays the default grade
scale.

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3. Select a grade from the grade list. Information about the grade appears on the right
side of the window.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Grade Scale Name]
The default grade scale name appears. Use the pop-up menu
to select a different grade scale.
[Grade List]
The grades included in the selected grade scale (including the
letter grade and the cutoff percentage) appear.
When you select a grade from the list, its details appear on the
right side of the window.
Grade
The selected letter grade appears.
Note:
You can enter up to six characters.
Cutoff
The percentage cutoff for the selected grade appears. The
cutoff sets the minimum percentage for scores or totals
required to receive this grade.
Value
If you use letter rather than number grades, enter the numeric
value of the selected grade. For example, if you give B+ the
value of 88 and a student receives a B+ on an assignment, the
letter grade appears in the gradebook but PowerGrade
calculates 88% in the final grade.
Students cannot receive a score less than zero. By inserting a
value of ø1 for the grade, the system effectively removes it
from the grade scale. PowerGrade will not recognize this
grade. When you finish making changes, the grade appears at
the bottom of the list with a cutoff of -1.
Description
Enter a description for the grade scale (optional).
Remove from
gradescale
Select this checkbox to remove the selected grade from the
grade scale.

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Field
Description
New
Click New to add a grade scale. For more information, see the
section “How to Create a New Grade Scale.”
Delete
Click Delete to delete the grade scale.
Note:
You cannot delete the default grade scale.
Edit Name
Click Edit Name to enter a new name for the grade scale.
Copy to
If you want to use this grade scale for other classes:
a. Click “Copy to.” The “Copy to” window appears.
b. Select the checkbox(es) next to the class(es) for which
you want to copy the grade scale.
c. Click Copy to save the grade scale to the selected
classes. Click Cancel to return to the previous window.
Note:
If you click Copy, a message appears confirming
you are sure you want to overwrite the grade scales for
the other classes. If so, click Yes. If not, click No to
return to the previous window.
5. Click Accept to save your changes

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How to Delete a Grade Scale
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Grade Scale. The Grade Scales window displays the default grade
scale.
3. Use the pop-up menu to select the grade scale you want to delete.
4. Click Delete. A warning window asks if you want to delete the selected grade scale.
5. Click Yes. The Grade Scales window appears without the deleted grade scale.
6. Close the Grade Scales window. The class spreadsheet appears.

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Final Grades
In PowerGrade, a final grade is any grade based on added or averaged scores. Since
PowerGrade immediately processes any score you enter, a student can get his or her final
grade at any time during the term, even if you only entered one assignment in PowerGrade.
When school administrators, parents, or students log in to the PowerSchool server, they can
view students' current final grades. Final grades appear on the left side of the spreadsheet.
The PowerSchool server is able to alter a final grade based on the attendance points earned.
For example, if the limit is set to 10 points and a student reaches that number in any given
period, PowerSchool can change the final grade that displays to school administrators and
parents to NG (no grade).
While the grade on your spreadsheet would not change, it appears in red to notify you of the
change on the PowerSchool server. Additionally, a tilde (~) appears after any final grades that

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the PowerSchool server has changed on your PowerGrade reports. Contact your PowerSchool
administrator to find out if your PowerSchool server is set up this way.
See the section “Final Grades Setup” to define how to calculate final grades.
Final Grades Setup
Final grades setup may involve weighting; however, weighting is not required. Weighting gives
particular categories or terms more value than others when determining final grades. It is
important to set up weighting standards at the beginning of the term and to use care when
doing so.
Note:
Set up all terms at the beginning of the year to prepare for the remainder of the year.
If you make an error in weighting or do not complete the setup at the beginning of the term, the
final grade may not accurately reflect your students’ work.
Class Spreadsheet Configuration
The number of final grades that can appear on the class spreadsheet is limited by the width of
the spreadsheet. The spreadsheet can display up to approximately seven sets of final grades
and citizenship grades.
To increase the number of final grades that appear, choose File > Preferences (or click the
Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet) > Display tab. On the Display tab, select the “Hide
Citizenship” checkbox, and then click OK.
If there are more final grades than can appear on your monitor, you can choose which final
grades to display. Choose Windows > Final Grades Setup. On the Final Grades Setup window,
select a final grade from the “Which Final Grade” pop-up menu and select (or deselect) the
“Show on Spreadsheet” checkbox to show (or hide) the selected final grade, and then click
Accept.

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How to Set Up Final Grades
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Final Grades Setup. The Final Grades Setup window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
FG Name
Use the pop-up menu to select the term for which you want to
view final grades.
Note:
Your PowerSchool administrator sets the name of the
term and its start and end dates. You cannot edit the data in
this field.
Start Date
The start dates for the selected term appear.
Note:
Your PowerSchool administrator sets the name of the
term and its start and end dates. You cannot edit the data in
this field.
End Date
The end dates for the selected term appear.
Note:
Your PowerSchool administrator sets the name of the
term and its start and end dates. You cannot edit the data in
this field.
Show on
spreadsheet
Select this checkbox if you want the final grades for the
selected term to appear on the spreadsheet.
[Add/Subtract
Factor]
Click Add to add a factor; click Subtract to delete a factor from
the list. There must always be at least one factor.
Factor type
Use the pop-up menu to select the factor type. You can
choose to factor final grades by:
“Total points:” Factors the final grade from a total of all

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Field
Description
points entered for all assignments.
“Category points:” Factors the final grade from the
category points entered in the system. When you select
this option, the Categories window appears. You can
select which categories you want to factor in the final
grade. Click OK when you finish selecting the
appropriate categories.
“Single assignment:” Factors the final grade from a
single assignment. When you select this option, the
Assignments window appears. Select the assignment
you want to use as a final grade. Click OK when you
finish selecting the assignment.
“% from another final grade:” Factors the final grade
with a final grade from another term. When you select
this option, the Final Grades window displays a list of
terms. Select which term final grade you want to use.
Click OK when you finish selecting the term.
After you select the appropriate factor type, the Final Grades
Setup window appears.
Asmt/Cat/FG name
The name for the final grade appears based on the factor type
selection. If a name does not appear, enter the name.
Drop
If you select a category and want to drop any low scores from
the category assignments, enter the number of low scores to
drop.
Note:
This option is available only for the Category Points
factor type.
Weight
Enter the percentage weight for the factor type in the final
grade. The total weight at the bottom of the list changes with
each number you enter.
Note:
To sort the list of final grades alphabetically, press and hold OPTION (Mac) or
ALT (Windows) and click Cancel. A window asks if you want to sort the final grade
setups. Click Yes, and repeat Step 2 to return to the Final Grades Setup window.
4. Click Accept to save your changes. The spreadsheet appears, and any grades already
entered have been recalculated to reflect the weighting.
Note:
A message appears if you have weighted the factors and their sum does not
equal 100%. Click OK to return to the Final Grades Setup window and adjust the
weights.

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Scores
After setting up categories, grade scales, final grade weighting, and assignments, you can
begin entering and working with scores for individual students or a group of students. Scores
are the individual grades that students receive on assignments and tests.
This section includes the following topics:
Types of Scores
Types of Score Entry
Standard Score Entry
Fill Scores
Mass Fill Final Grades
Manually Override Final Grades
Clear Manual Final Grades
Insert Scores
Edit Scores
Delete Scores
Types of Scores
In PowerGrade, you can work with different types of scores, such as citizenship grades and
letter grades.
Citizenship
Record citizenship grades on the class spreadsheet. This entry becomes available for parents
to view when they use PowerSchool to check their child's progress.
Each final grade column, such as Q1 or Q2, has a citizenship grade column next to it with a
default grade already on the spreadsheet. To change citizenship grades, click in the column
until the appropriate citizenship grade appears. Continue clicking to rotate through the codes.
Custom Score Codes
Use PowerSchool to customize classroom codes to fit your needs and grading practices. Set
up special codes either to indicate that a student has not turned in an assignment or to give an
assignment a grade of zero until the absent student completes it. For more information on
creating custom codes, see the section “Scores Preferences.”

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Exempt Scores
Use the PowerGrade Exempt code to record that a student is exempt from a specific
assignment or test. Alternatively, enter an equal sign (=) followed by the code if you created a
special code for exempt scores when you set your preferences. In either case, you can change
the score later if the student completes the work or if the grade is changed to a zero.
Letter Grades
Record letter rather than number grades. For example, you may want to display a letter grade
of “B” in your gradebook, though it must count as 85% when calculating final grades. For more
information on this process, see the section “Grade Scales.”
Special Scores
You can use PowerGrade Preferences to create unique grade codes, or use the system's
default grade codes. For more information on setting preferences, see the section “ Scores
Preferences.”
Unrecorded Scores
Enter the PowerGrade default code U or UN to display a grade as unrecorded. Alternatively,
enter an equal sign (=) followed by the code if you created a special code for unrecorded
scores when you set your preferences. In either case, you can change the score later if the
student completes the work or if the grade is changed to a zero.

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Types of Score Entry
The most common way of entering scores is by standard entry. PowerGrade performs the
calculation regardless of which method you use to enter scores.
The methods for entering scores include:
Standard score entry
Fill scores
Mass fill final grades
Manually override final grades
PowerGrade performs the calculation regardless of which method you use to enter scores.

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Standard Score Entry
The most common way of recording scores for an assignment is to place the cursor in a cell on
the class spreadsheet and manually enter the score. Depending on your preferences, a bell
may sound when you enter the first and last scores for a specific assignment. As you enter the
scores, the class average appears at the bottom of the assignment column.

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Alternatively, enter scores using the Fill Scores function. For more information, see the section
“Fill Scores.”
To enter scores, an assignment must exist for the selected class.

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How to Use Standard Score Entry
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click in the assignment column for the first student for whom you want to enter scores.
3. Enter the score.
4. Press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows) to move to the next field. Repeat step 3 to
enter more scores.
Note:
After entering several grades, you can use the Home and End keys to move to
the selected student's first and last assignments. In addition, you can repeat the
previous score for the next student on the roster by pressing the single quotation mark
key (').
Fill Scores
Use the Fill Scores command to quickly and easily enter the same score for all students or for
only those with unrecorded scores. For example, if all but two students in a class receive the
same assignment score, use the Fill Scores function to enter that score for the majority of the
students.
To fill scores, an assignment must exist for the selected class.

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How to Fill Scores
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Enter any scores for the assignment that differ from the score that most students
received. For example, if two students received a score of 9 on an assignment and the
rest of the class received a 10, enter the scores for the two students.
3. Choose Utilities > Fill Scores. The Fill Scores window appears.

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4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Assignment
The assignment name appears.
Fill Value
Enter the score to fill.
Fill only unrecorded
scores
If you entered scores in step 2, select the checkbox to “Fill only
unrecorded scores.”
Note:
If you do not select this checkbox, PowerGrade
overwrites previously recorded scores.
5. Click OK to save your changes. The class spreadsheet displays the new scores.

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Mass Fill Final Grades
Use the Mass Fill Final Grades function to manually and quickly assign final grades for the
entire class without having to enter the score for each student record.

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How to Mass Fill Final Grades
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Mass Fill Final Grades. The Fill Final Grades window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Final Grade
Use the pop-up menu to select the term name for which you
are entering final grades.
Grade
Use the pop-up menu to enter the final grade.
Percent
Enter the percent of the final grade.
Points
Enter the points of the final grade
Pts Poss.
Enter the number of points possible.
4. Click Save to save your changes. The class spreadsheet displays the final grades.
Note:
A message appears if an invalid value is entered. Re-enter your information and
click Save.
Manually Override Final Grades
After you enter final grades or use the Mass Fill Final Grades function to assign final grades for
the entire class, you can manually override the final grades.
To do so, final grades must exist for the selected class.

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How to Manually Override Final Grades
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Double-click the final grade you want to override. The Final Grade window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Student Name]
The student's name appears.
[Term]
The term for the final grade appears.
Manually override
this grade
Select this checkbox to override the grade. You cannot
proceed without selecting this checkbox.
Grade
Use the pop-up menu to select the final grade.
Percent
Enter the percent of the final grade.
Points
Enter the points of the final grade
Pts. Poss.
Enter the number of points possible.
Credit
In support of California AEP reporting for Continuation
Education, PowerSchool provides teachers with the ability to
assign variable credit to students in their classes. If the “Allow
teachers to assign variable credit” checkbox in PowerSchool is
enabled, this field appears. When variable credit is entered in
PowerGrade, it is uploaded to the server when the class is
saved and will be used in permanently stored grades.
Enter the variable credit.
4. Click Save to save your changes. The class spreadsheet displays the final grade.

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Clear Manual Final Grades
Use the Clear Manual Final Grades function to clear manually entered grades. This overrides
the final grade calculation formulas.
To clear final grades, final grades must exist for the selected class.

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How to Clear Manual Final Grades
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Clear Manual Final Grades. The Clear Final Grades window appears.
3. Choose the term for which you want to clear all grades from the Grade pop-up menu.
4. Click Save. The class spreadsheet appears.

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Insert Scores
Use the Insert Score function to insert a score in a column of grades. Typically, you need to do
this when you forgot to enter a score for an individual student. To edit scores, see the section
“Edit Scores.” To delete scores, see the section “Delete Scores.”

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How to Insert a Score
To insert scores, an assignment must exist for the selected class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Select the score directly below the score you want to insert.
3. Choose Utilities > Insert Score. A message appears.

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4. Click Yes if you are sure you want to move the scores down by one row. The scores
now appear in the next row of the spreadsheet.
5. Enter the score in the blank cell. Close or save the class spreadsheet when you finish
entering scores.
Edit Scores
To edit scores, either modify an individual score or override final grades. To override a final
grade, see the section “Types of Score Entry.”

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How to Edit a Score
To edit scores, assignment scores must exist for the selected class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click the score you want to edit.
3. Enter the new score.
4. Press RETURN (Mac) or ENTER (Windows). The new score appears on the class
spreadsheet.
Delete Scores
There are two ways to delete scores in PowerGrade: either perform a standard deletion that
removes the grade, or shift the rest of the scores in the column up by one row. Use the latter
function only if you want to shift the remaining scores. Typically, you would want to do this if
you duplicated a score while performing data entry. To insert scores, see the section “Insert
Scores.” To edit scores, see the section “Edit Scores.”

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How to Delete a Score
The Delete Score command is similar to the Insert Score command. However, rather than
inserting a blank for a new score, Delete Score removes a grade and shifts all the other scores
up by one row. For example, use this feature when the list of recorded scores indicates that
you entered one student's score twice.

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To delete scores, assignment scores must exist for the selected class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click the score you want to delete.
3. Choose Utilities > Delete Score. A message appears.
4. Click Yes if you are sure you want to delete the score. The scores now appear one row
up on the spreadsheet.
5. Enter the score in the blank space at the bottom of the column (optional).

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How to Use Standard Deletion
Use the Standard Deletion function to replace a grade with a zero. To delete scores,
assignment scores must exist for the selected class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click the Score you want to delete.
3. Press Delete. No score appears.

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Log Entries, Notes, and Comments
PowerGrade offers several methods of keeping notes on classroom occurrences. There are
student log entries, parent notes, private notes, score comments, and even a comment bank
you can use to create a note using just one keystroke.
This section includes information on the following topics:
Student Log Entries
Comment Bank
Parent Notes
Private Notes
Score Comments
Student Log Entries
Use the student log to create a record regarding a student's behavior. Many schools use these
logs for disciplinary actions so that by the time the student arrives at the office, the log entry is
on the PowerSchool server. There, the principal, secretary, or other school administrators can
read the entry. You can also use the student log to record positive achievements. Before
submitting your first entry, discuss how the log is being used in your school with your
PowerSchool administrator.
Regardless of your reason for creating the entry, the system immediately sends a student log
entry to the PowerSchool server, where it is stored in the student's permanent record. After
you submit a log entry, only a principal or other designated school administrator can remove or
edit it. Likewise, only a principal or other designated school administrator can view the entry
after you enter it. It is no longer available to you for reference or editing.
Note
: To see your log entries in the future, copy and paste them into the private note under the
student's roster number.
How to Submit a Student Log Entry
Use the Submit Student Log command to make an entry in a student's permanent log.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Submit Student Log Entry. The Submit Log Entry window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Student
Use the pop-up menu to select the student for whom you
want to make a new log entry.
Date
The current date appears.
Note
: If you are retroactively creating the entry, enter the date
using the format mm/dd/yyyy.
Subject
Enter the subject for the new entry.
Log entry
Entry a description of the student's log entry.
Note
: This log entry becomes part of the student's permanent
record.
4. Click OK to save your changes. The log entry is sent to the PowerSchool server, and no
record of the log entry remains on your computer.

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Comment Bank
Use the comment bank to quickly enter information in parent notes. You can create your own
comment bank codes and use comment bank codes created by your school in PowerSchool.
When working with the comment bank, keep in mind the following points:
It is suggested that you use numbers from zero to nine for comment codes, but you can
use any series of numbers and letters up to eight characters in length.
To edit or delete a comment, first double-click the comment in the Comment Bank
window.

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If you forget which code triggers the comment, choose Windows > Comment Bank.
You can resize the Comment Bank window. The next time you open your comment
bank, the window is the same size and in the same place on the window.
Comments are available for all classes, not just the class that is open when you create
a comment.
Your comments should be general so that you can use them for any student. You can
create incomplete sentences that you can finish as you write your notes for an
individual student.
Build your comment bank over time. It is not necessary to create all comments at once.
Both parents and school administrators can view parent notes.
Use the comment bank to create notes to parents.

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How to Create a Personal Comment Bank
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Comment Bank. The Comment Bank window appears.
3. Select Personal Comments at the bottom of the window, if necessary. The Personal
Comments window displays the code and comment. You can select the comment and
print it from this window.
4. Click Add. The Comment Bank window appears.

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5. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Code
Enter the code.
Comment
Enter a description for the comment.
Web Link
Click Web Link to enter a URL and description for the
comment. For more information, see the section “Web Links.”
6. Click OK to save your changes. The Comment Bank window displays the new
comment.

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How to View School Comments
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Windows > Comment Bank. The Comment Bank window appears.
3. Select School Comments at the bottom of the window. The School Comments window
displays the school code and comment descriptions.
4. Click Print to print the school comment bank (optional).

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Parent Notes
Creating parent notes is another way to record a student's progress or behavior in your class.
Parents can read the log entry when they access PowerSchool. PowerGrade sends the note to
the PowerSchool server. In PowerSchool, parent notes are called teacher comments. If you do
not delete the note or comment from your local PowerGrade application before grades are
stored, it becomes part of the student's permanent record.
You can use any combination of the following methods to create parent notes: enter text, paste
text copied from a student log entry, or use the comment bank. The comment bank can save
quite a bit of time when creating parent notes because you can enter the notes used most
often. Build a comment bank before you begin entering parent notes.

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How to Create a Parent Note
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Double-click the number next to the student's name to enter a note for that student.
The Student Note window appears. By default, the “Parent note” tab is selected.
Note
: If the “Parent note” tab is not selected, click the tab.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Student Name]
The pop-up menu indicates the selected student's name. To
select another student in the class for which you want to

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Field
Description
open the Student Note window, use the pop-up menu.
[Parent Note]
The system displays a note for the parents to view in
PowerSchool.
Enter a note in this field or copy and paste a note from the
student log entry. You can also insert a comment from the
comment bank by double-clicking the Comment Code.
Note
: Predefined comment codes must be enclosed by
brackets, [ ]. If not, a message appears indicating that the
code format is incorrect and it must be corrected before
proceeding.
Comment Type
Use the pop-up menu to select a personal or school
comment. If you select Personal Comment, double-click the
appropriate code to enter a comment from your comment
bank. If you select School Comment, double-click the code
you want to insert. Only the comment code number
spreadsheet appears, and all the in the note. However,
parents view the full text of the comment without the code.
Comment Code
The comment code you selected appears.
Comment
The comment description for the selected comment code
appears.
Insert Web Link
Click Web Link to enter any URLs and explanatory text that
might be helpful to parents. Parents can view this information
in PowerSchool. For more information, see the section “Web
Links.”
Clear parent notes
Click Clear parent notes to delete any associated comments.
Note
: The Clear parent notes function clears all parent notes
for all students from your PowerGrade data file. It is not
limited to just the student whose note is open. This function
does not clear private notes.
4. Click OK to save your changes. The number next to the student appears in red to
indicate a note.
Private Notes
Private notes are for your eyes only; no one can view your private notes unless they have
access to your PowerGrade data file.

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How to Create a Private Note
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Double-click the number next to the student's name to enter a note for that student.
The Student Note window appears.
3. Click the “Private note” tab. The Private note tab appears.

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4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
[Student Name]
The pop-up menu indicates the selected student's name.
To select another student in the class for which you want
to open the Student Note window, use the pop-up menu.
[Private Note]
Enter a description of the private note.
Clear private notes
Click “Clear private notes” to delete any associated
comments.
Note
: The “Clear private notes” function clears all private
notes for all students from your PowerGrade data file. It is
not limited to just the student whose note is open. This
function does not clear parent notes.
5. Click OK to save your changes. The number next to the student appears in red to
indicate a note.
Score Comments
Use the Score Comment function to make a note about a student's work on an individual
assignment. Parents using PowerSchool Parent Access to check their child’s progress can
view these notes.
After selecting an assignment score, you can attach a score comment. For example, indicate a
reason that a student submitted a late assignment.

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How to Enter a Score Comment
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Click the grade to be annotated.
3. Press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows), then press N. The Score
Comment window appears.
4. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Student
The student's name appears.
Assignment
The assignment name associated with the score appears.
Web Link
Click Web Link to enter a URL and description for the score
comment. For more information, see the section “Web Links.”
Note
Enter a comment.
Note
: Parents can view this note in PowerSchool.
5. Click OK to save your changes. The score appears in red to indicate a comment.

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Reports
PowerGrade's reporting functions help you create customized reports with minimal effort. All
five types of reports require you to follow the same steps. You can also use the Export function
to export data from PowerGrade to a spreadsheet application and the Charts function to set up
charts and graphs for student information and assignments.
Before creating a report, determine which of the types of PowerGrade reports you will use.
Then, work with reports to create or modify them. Use PowerGrade's Charts function to create
chart-type reports.
This section includes information on the following topics:
Types of Reports
Create Reports
Preview Reports
Edit Reports
Print Reports
Samples Reports
Export Spreadsheet
Custom Export
Charts
Types of PowerGrade Reports
There are five types of reports you can create using PowerGrade:
Individual student reports provide assignment scores and final grade information for
one student at a time.
Roster reports create class rosters using the parameters you define. Choose what
information to include on the roster.
Spreadsheet format reports help you create a spreadsheet-style report of all
assignments, assignment categories, grades, and other class information.
Missing assignments reports display which students lack which assignments.
PowerGrade adds a cutting guide so that you can cut out each student's report.
Attendance grid reports list all students and provide an area to take attendance quickly
and easily. For example, Physical Education teachers use this report since they are not
at a computer during roll call.

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Create Reports
When you create a report, you are creating a report template that can be used repeatedly. For
example, create a Roster report, and run the report each year to keep a record of the students
in your class.
You can create up to 30 reports. If you create more than that, PowerGrade drops the first
report on the list and adds the newest one. For more information on editing or deleting a
report, see the section “Edit Reports.”
The Create Report window displays the following tabs: “Basic report info,” Options, Header,
Footer, and Which Students. When you create a report, you select the type of report on the
“Basic report info” tab. Set up the parameters on the remaining tabs to customize the report.
The following is a brief description of the parameters found on the report setup tabs:
Basic report info: Use this tab to select and name the type of report you are creating.
Options: Use this tab to define how scores appear on the report. For example, select to
display grades instead of percentages. You can also customize display options for
assignments and final grades.
Header: Use this tab to identify how to present information at the top of the report.
Footer: Use this tab to set up how to present information at the bottom of the report.
Which Students: Use this tab to select the group of students to include on the report,
such as all students currently enrolled in the class.
All tabs except the Options tab are the same for all five types of reports. For a description of
the variations of the Options tab for each type of report, see the section “Options Tab.”

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Create Reports – Basic Report Info
Use the “Basic report info” tab to identify the name and type of report you are working with.

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How to Use the Basic Report Information Tab
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Create. The Create Report window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Name of this report
Enter a report name.
Type of this report
Use the pop-up menu to select the type of report. For more
information, see the section “Types of PowerGrade Reports.”
Individual student
Roster
Spreadsheet format
Missing assignments
Attendance grid
Font & size
Select a font type and size.
Inkjet printer
Select this checkbox if you are printing the report on an inkjet
printer.
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save your changes.

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Create Reports – Options
The information you define on the Options tab depends on the type of report you are creating.
The following information is a brief description of the Options tab for each of the report types
available.
How to Define Options for the Individual Student Report
After you select “Individual student report” on the “Basic report info” tab, define its parameters
on the Options tab. For this report, use the Options tab to select what type of information to
include about each student.
1. On the “Basic report info” tab, choose “Individual student report” from the “Type of this
report” pop-up menu.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
For each score show
Select the appropriate checkboxes to select the data you
want to appear for each score. You can select any
combination of options:
Date
Score
Points possible
Percent
Grade
Category: To display the category, click the Category
field, and choose “Full category name” or “Category

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Field
Description
abbreviations” from the resulting pop-up menu.
Note
Other options
Select any combination of the following checkboxes:
“Group scores and summarize by category”
“Show final grade”
“Show category totals only (no assignments)”
[Which assignments]
Select an option to indicate whether the report should
“Include all assignments” or “Include only assignments
contributing to this final grade.” If you choose the latter, click
in the field until the appropriate term appears.
Note
: An asterisk (*) indicates the current term.
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save the report template.
How to Define Options for the Roster Report
Use the Options tab for this report to set up columns for the class roster.
1. On the “Basic report info” tab, choose “Roster report” from the “Type of this report”
pop-up menu.
2. Click the Options tab.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Width of Blank
Columns
Enter the width of blank columns (inches) if you want extra
columns on the roster (optional).
Height of Column
Title Area
Enter the height of the column title area to identify the
number of lines (optional).
# Blank Lines at
Bottom
Enter the number of blank lines at the bottom of the roster if
you want extra lines (optional).
# Blank Columns
Enter the number of blank columns if you want extra columns
to the right of the roster (optional).
Column
Click a Column. The Column [#] window appears.
1. Enter the column title that you want to appear on the
roster.
2. Enter the column width if you want to change the
default.

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Field
Description
3. Click OK. The Options tab displays the new column.
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Define Options for the Spreadsheet Format Report
The Options tab on this report lets you specify parameters for assignments.
Note
: You can skip any of the steps below and accept the defaults for each option.
1. On the “Basic report info” tab, choose “Spreadsheet format report” from the “Type of
this report” pop-up menu.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Show each student's
name
Select the appropriate checkbox(es):
Name: The report displays each student’s name.
ID: The report displays each student's ID.

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Field
Description
Show each
assignment's
Use the pop-up menu to choose how you want the
assignment to appear on the report. For example, if you want
to display the assignment name, choose “Full name.”
Select any of the following checkboxes:
Date: The report displays the date of the assignments.
Category: The report displays the assignment
category.
“Pts. possible”: The report displays the number of
points possible.
Width of asmt
columns (inches)
Enter the width of the assignment columns in inches.
Width of printed area
Use the pop-up menu to choose the width of the printed area
in inches.
Note
: This refers to the size of the printed table. The default
value is 6 inches, which provides for 1.25 inches of margin on
a standard 8
ý
- by 11-inch sheet of paper.
Only assignments in
this date range
Select this checkbox to include assignments from a specific
date range on the report.
Enter the start and end dates for the date range using the
format mm/dd/yyyy.
Only assignment in
this category
Select this checkbox to include only assignments in a specific
category. Use the pop-up menu to select the category.
Show student
names/IDs only on
1st page
Select this checkbox to show student names or IDs only on
the first page of the report if it is two or more pages.
Show category totals
Select this checkbox to show category totals for a specific
term. Click the field until the term appears. An asterisk (*)
indicates the current term.
Show assignment
averages in footer
Select this checkbox to show assignment averages for the
class in the footer.
Print assignment key
Select this checkbox to print the assignment answers.
Show final grades
Select this checkbox to display final grades and set up the
following:
Select the appropriate option to display either final
current grades only or final grades from specific

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Field
Description
terms. If you choose to display grades from specific
terms, use the pop-up menu. If needed, click Clear to
reset the field, and then reselect the terms.
Select the remaining checkboxes to indicate what to
display for each final grade. You can select as many
or as few of these options as needed.
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Define Options for the Missing Assignment Report
Use the Options tab for this report to specify the range of assignments to scan and how they
appear on the report.
1. On the “Basic report info” tab, choose “Missing assignments report” from the “Type of
this report” pop-up menu.
2. Click the Options tab.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields.
Note
: This report will be printed only for those students who have at least one missing
assignment.

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Field
Description
How missing
assignments are
listed
Use the pop-up menu to select how the missing assignments
are listed on the report.
Note
: Comma-separated assignments conserve space on the
paper.
Date range to include Enter the start and end dates for the date range to include on
the report. Use the format mm/dd/yyyy.
Unrecorded scores
count as missing
Select this checkbox to indicate that unrecorded scores
count as missing.
These scores count
as missing
Enter any codes that render an assignment missing. These
can include customized codes to indicate items such as work
not handed in or incomplete grades.
Separate the codes with commas.
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
How to Define Options for the Attendance Grid Report
Use the Options tab to select how to arrange the information on the report.
Note
: You can skip any of the steps below and accept the defaults for each option.
1. On the “Basic report info” tab, choose “Attendance grid report” from the “Type of this
report” pop-up menu.
2. Click the Options tab.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Show each student's
Select the checkbox to display each student's name, and
enter the appropriate width of the name in inches.
Select the “Use nickname if present” checkbox to display the
student's nickname, if the student has one.
Select the ID checkbox to display each student’s ID number,
and enter the appropriate width of the ID number in inches.
Width of day columns
(inches)
Indicate how wide you want the date columns to appear by
entering the width of the columns in inches.
Width of printed area
Use the pop-up menu to choose the width of the report’s
printed area. The default value is 6 inches, which provides for
1.25 inches of margin on a standard 8
ý
- by 11-inch sheet of
paper.
Fill grid with actual
attendance
Select this checkbox to fill the grid with actual attendance
values.
Date range to include Select a specific date range to include in the report. Select
one of the following:
The current week
The coming week
[Specific date range]: Enter the start and end dates for
the date range using the format mm/dd/yyyy.

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Field
Description
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
Note
: You can save and use this report template for any of your classes. Data and
results vary depending on students' progress.
Create Reports – Header
The header is the information that appears above the report data. PowerGrade automatically
inserts some basic information that most teachers find useful. If you do not want to include this
information, select the default text and press Delete.
In addition to using text in the header, you can also use comment codes. Comment codes tell
PowerGrade what information to pull from your data file. By inserting a comment code in the
header, you are telling PowerGrade to find that field in the specified records and to insert the
data from the field in the report. It is a merge process similar to that used in word processing.
If you insert <student number>, PowerGrade finds the data in the student number field of the
specified records and inserts it in the printed report. Take a moment to review the data codes
you can include on your report; they may be different than those in the example. If you would
like a code that is not included on the list, contact your PowerSchool administrator.

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How to Use the Header Tab
1. On the Create Report window, click the Header tab. The Header tab appears.

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2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Insert Comment
Code
Use the pop-up menu to select the comment code. When you
select the code to include on the report, it appears in the
footer field.
When working with comment codes:
Use the student attendance codes to insert the
number of absences or tardies. When you insert this
code, it appears as either <# absences> or
<#tardies>. The final report displays the attendance or
tardies for the entire year. To display this information
for a specific term only, enter a colon followed by the
term after the code.
The following example inserts the number of tardies
for the second quarter: <#tardies:Q2>.
Use the final grade codes to insert information
concerning final grades. When you insert this code, it
appears as <FG Grade:>, <FG Points:>, <FG Pts
poss:>, <FG Percent:>, or <Citizenship:>. The final
report displays the specified final grade of the current
term. To display this information for a different term,
enter a colon followed by the term after the code.
The following example inserts the final grade for the
second quarter: <FG Grade:Q2>.
Use the category codes to insert information
concerning categories of assignments. When you
insert this code, it appears as <CAT points:>, <CAT
pts poss:>, <CAT percents:>, or <CAT grade:>. Then,

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Field
Description
enter the name of the category after the code to
appear, such as <CAT Points:Homework>. The final
report displays the specified category information for
the current term. To display this information for a
different term, enter a colon followed by the term after
the category name.
The following example inserts the category points for
homework in the second quarter: <CAT
points:Homework:Q2>.
[Header field]
Use the pop-up menu to select the specific codes. Enter any
text that you want to appear on the report. There is no limit to
the number of comment codes you can use.
Note
: Delete any default text, codes, or information that you
do not want in your report. Verify that the cursor is placed
where you want your new text to start.
Font & size
Select a font type and size.
[Justification]
Use the pop-up menu to select the justification:
Left
Center
Right
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
3. Click OK to save your changes.
Create Reports – Footer
The Footer tab is the same as the Header tab, except that the information is inserted below
rather than above the report data. Create a footer using comment codes just as you create a
header.

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How to Use the Footer Tab
1. On the Create Report window, click the Footer tab. The Footer tab appears.

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2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Insert Comment
Code
Use the pop-up menu to select the comment code. When
you select the code to include on the report, it appears in the
footer field.
When working with comment codes:
Use the student attendance codes to insert the
number of absences or tardies. When you insert this
code, it appears as either <# absences> or
<#tardies>. The final report displays the attendance or
tardies for the entire year. To display this information
for a specific term only, enter a colon followed by the
term after the code.
The following example inserts the number of tardies
for the second quarter: <#tardies:Q2>.
Use the final grade codes to insert information
concerning final grades. When you insert this code, it
appears as <FG Grade:>, <FG Points:>, <FG Pts
poss:>, <FG Percent:>, or <Citizenship:>. The final
report displays the specified final grade of the current
term. To display this information for a different term,
enter a colon followed by the term after the code.
The following example inserts the final grade for the
second quarter: <FG Grade:Q2>.
Use the category codes to insert information
concerning categories of assignments. When you
insert this code, it appears as <CAT points:>, <CAT
pts poss:>, <CAT percents:>, or <CAT grade:>. Then,

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Field
Description
enter the name of the category after the code to
appear, such as <CAT Points:Homework>. The final
report displays the specified category information for
the current term. To display this information for a
different term, enter a colon followed by the term after
the category name.
The following example inserts the category points for
homework in the second quarter: <CAT
points:Homework:Q2>.
[Footer field]
Use the pop-up menu to select the specific codes. Enter any
text that you want to appear on the report. There is no limit to
the number of comment codes you can use.
Note
: Delete any default text, codes, or information that you
do not want in your report. Verify that the cursor is placed
where you want your new text to start.
Font & size
Select a font type and size.
[Justification]
Use the pop-up menu to select the justification:
Left
Center
Right
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
3. Click OK to save your changes.
Create Reports – Which Students
Use the Which Students tab to select the students you want to include on the report. This
feature is very useful when you want to send a report to just those students who are failing a
class.
This tab is the same for all reports; use the instructions below when creating any of the five
report types. Always select the report type on the “Basic report info” tab. Then, continue
setting up the report by utilizing the additional tabs.

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How to Use the Which Students Tab
1. On the Create Report window, click the Which Students tab.
2. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Produce this report
for which students?
Determine which students appear on the report. Select one of
the following options:
“Select which students at the time I request the
report'
“All students currently enrolled in the class”
“All students enrolled in any class in this class group”
“All students enrolled in all current classes”
Screen for students
matching these
criteria
Select the Final Grade Percentage checkbox to filter for a
specific final grade percentage. Enter the percentage and the
appropriate grade range in the fields.
Click the Final Grade Percentage field until the term appears;
an asterisk (*) indicates the current term.
Enter the low and high scores of the range to be included in
the report.
Sort order
Select a sort option from the pop-up menu. The sort options
include:
Alphabetical
Random
“By student number”

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Field
Description
As-is
“By final grade pct:”
“By assignment score:”
Birthday
Note
: If you select an option ending with a colon, a
secondary window appears, such as Assignments. Select an
option, and click OK.
[Sort order]
Select one of the following options:
Ascending Order: Sorts lowest to highest
Descending Order: Sorts highest to lowest
Delete
Click Delete to delete the report. A message appears
confirming you want to permanently delete the report. If so,
click Yes. If not, click No.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.
Preview
Click Preview to view a copy of the report.
Note
: This function is available on all tabs.

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3. Click OK to save your changes.

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Preview Reports
After you create a report template, preview it to display the results of your report. Use this
function before printing any report to ensure that the correct information appears and that it is
formatted properly. For more information on printing a report, see the section “Print Reports.”
There are two methods for previewing a report: while creating the report and from the
PowerGrade menu.
How to Preview a Report While Creating the Template
Preview the report while you are creating the template. Click Preview at the bottom of the
window before clicking OK. The resulting report displays your selections.
You can do any of the following:
Click the Zoom icon to increase the size of the report display.
Click the Forward and Back icons to move from page to page.
If you are satisfied with the results of the report, you can print it by clicking the Print
icon. For more information on printing reports, see the section “Print a Report.”
Click the Close icon to return to the spreadsheet. The report saves before
previewing.
Press and hold OPTION (Mac) or ALT (Windows) and click the Close icon to edit the
report. For more information on how to edit the report, see the section “Modify a
Report.”

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How to Preview a Report from the PowerGrade Menu
This method for previewing a report is helpful when you want to run a report using an existing
template.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Preview. The Report Names window appears.
3. Choose the report you want to preview from the menu and click OK. The report
template displays the most recent data. You can print the report or edit the template.

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Note
: If you are printing the “Individual student report,” select a student from the
Students window.
To print an individual student report for several students, press and hold COMMAND
(Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) as you click the names of the students you want to
include. If the names are consecutive on the list, click the first name, scroll to the last
name, and press Shift while you click the last name to select all the names.

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Edit Reports
After you create a report, you can edit or delete it.

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How to Edit a Report
Making edits to a report is similar to creating a report because you use the same options.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Edit. The “Basic report info” tab appears.
3. Select the report you want to edit.
4. Make the necessary changes to any field or option using the instructions in the section
“Create a Report.”
5. Click OK to save the report when you finish making changes.

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How to Delete a Report
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Edit. The “Basic report info” tab appears.

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3. Select the report you want to delete.
4. Click Delete. A message appears confirming you want to delete the selected report.
5. Click Yes. The system removes the report.

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Print Reports
After creating and previewing a report, print it as you would any document. This feature works
the same as the Print command in a word processor. There are two methods for printing a
report: from the Preview window or the PowerGrade menu.
How to Print from the Preview Window
The first way to print a report is to do so from the Preview window. Either create the report or
open a previously created report to the Preview window. Then, click the Print icon. The report
is sent to your printer.
How to Print From the PowerGrade Menu
Note
: This method for previewing a report is helpful when you want to run a report using an
existing template.

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1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Print. The Report Names window appears.
3. Select the report you want to print and click OK. The Print Setup window appears.
Note
: If you are printing an “Individual student report,” select a student from the
Students window.

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To print an “Individual student report” for several students, press and hold COMMAND
(Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) as you click the names of the students you want to
include. If the names are consecutive on the list, click the first name, scroll to the last
name, and press Shift while you click the last name to select all the names.
4. Click OK. The report is sent to your printer.

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Samples Reports
There are a variety of documents you can create using PowerGrade's reporting features. See
the following examples for letters and attendance grids created using PowerGrade.
Create letters to give positive feedback to parents or to warn parents of falling grades. You can
create either type of letter at any time in the term.
How to Create a Positive Feedback Letter
The following example generates a report only for those students receiving a total grade
percentage of 90-100%. However, you can choose a different range.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Create.
3. On the Create Report window, select “Individual student report” on the “Basic report
info” tab.

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4. Enter a name for the report, such as Positive Feedback Letter.
5. Click the Options tab to select how you want the scores to appear and which
assignments to include.
6. Click the Header tab, and enter comment codes and text for the opening in the report
header.
7. Click the Footer tab, and enter comment codes and text for the closing in the report
footer.
8. Click the Which Students tab, and enter the low and high ends of the appropriate
range, such as 90-100%.
9. Click OK. The class spreadsheet appears.
10. Choose Reports > Preview. The report appears.
How to Create a Warning Letter
In the following example, only those students with a 60% or lower total grade percentage are
included on the report. You can choose a different range.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Create.
3. On the Create Report window, select “Individual student report” on the “Basic report
info” tab.
4. Enter a name for the report, such as Warning Letter.
5. Click the Options tab to select how you want the scores to appear and which
assignments to include.
6. Click the Header tab, and enter comment codes and text for the opening in the report
header.
7. Click the Footer tab, and enter comment codes and text for the closing in the report
footer.
8. Click the Which Students tab, and enter the low and high end of the appropriate page
range, such as 0-60%.
9. Click OK. The class spreadsheet appears.
10. Choose Reports > Preview. The report appears.
How to Create a Blank Attendance Grid
A blank attendance grid is helpful for substitute teachers. You can print the report and have the
substitute teacher use it to take attendance. Alternatively, use the blank attendance grid to
take attendance when you are not at your computer, such as during a field trip or Physical

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Education class. When you return to your computer, you must record the attendance in
PowerGrade.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Create.
3. On the Create Reports window, select “Attendance grid report” on the “Basic report
info” tab.
4. Enter a name for the report, such as Blank Attendance Grid.
5. Click the Options tab to select how you want the columns to appear and what
information to include in each.
6. Click the Header tab, and enter comment codes and text for the opening in the report
header.
7. Click the Footer tab, and enter comment codes and text for the closing in the report
footer.
8. Click the Which Students tab, and select the students to appear on the roster.
9. Click OK. The class spreadsheet appears.
10. Choose Reports > Preview. The report appears.

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Export Spreadsheets
Using the Export Spreadsheet function, you can export the entire spreadsheet from
PowerGrade to a spreadsheet application.
To export student information, see the section "Custom Export."

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How to Export a Spreadsheet
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Export Spreadsheet.
3. Open the folder in which you want to store the file.
4. Enter the file name.
Note
: Do not change the “.txt” file name extension.
5. Click Save.
6. Open the file using your spreadsheet application.
Note
: The file has a “.txt” extension. You may need to choose All Files from the “File
type” pop-up menu.

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7. Select the option to select delimiters.
8. Click Next.
9. Select the first column, and click the option to select the data format for the column.
10. Repeat step 9 for the remaining columns.
11. Click Finish. The spreadsheet displays the class roster data. Format it as you would any
spreadsheet. Set it to print in landscape format or reduce the scaling if it does not fit on
the page.
To print the report, choose File > Print. Save the new document as a spreadsheet file type
when you close it.
Custom Export
Using the Custom Export Spreadsheet function, you can export selected student information
from PowerGrade to a spreadsheet application.
To export the entire spreadsheet, see the section "Export Spreadsheets."

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How to Export Student Information
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Custom Export. The Export window appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Student Fields
A list of fields that can be exported appears. To export a
specific field, drag a student field to Export Fields. Repeat
this step for all fields included in the report.
To remove a field, drag a field from Export Fields to Student
Fields. Repeat this step for all fields you want to remove.
Export Fields
The list of fields selected for the export appears. To reorder
the export fields, drag them either up or down in the Export
Fields area to the correct position.
Field
Use the pop-up menu to choose the appropriate field
delimiter. The delimiter separates the fields (or columns) on
the report:
Tab
Comma
Other: Enter the character you want to use to separate
the fields.
Record
Use the pop-up menu to choose the appropriate record
delimiter. The record delimiter separates one record (or row)
from the next one on the report:

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Field
Description
CR: Carriage return
CRLF: Carriage return line feed
Other: Enter the character that will separate the
records.
Column titles on 1st
row
Select this checkbox to display the column headings on the
first row of each page of the report.
4. Click Export to export the data. The Save window appears.
5. Select the folder in which you want to store the file once you set up the export data.
6. Enter the file name.
Note
: Do not change the “.txt” file name extension.
7. Click Save.
8. Open the file using your spreadsheet application.
9. Note: The file has a “.txt” extension. You may need to choose All Files from the “File
type” pop-up menu.
10. Select the option to select delimiters.
11. Click Next.
12. Select the first column, and click the option to select the data format for the column.
13. Repeat step 11 for the remaining columns.
14. Click Finish. The spreadsheet displays the class roster data. Format it as you would any
spreadsheet. Set it to print in landscape format or reduce the scaling if it does not fit on
the page.
To print the report, choose File > Print. Save the new document as a spreadsheet file type
when you close it.

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Charts
PowerGrade provides charts to visually identify students’ progress on assignments. Select
from more than a dozen chart formats, including pie charts and three-dimensional charts. Use

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charts to track a student's score or a group of students’ scores on an assignment. You must
first have at least one assignment entered to view charts.
To compare information among students or assignments, open multiple charts that display
different information. For convenience, you can close all the charts with a single click of a
button.

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How to Open a Chart
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Charts. The chart data palette and “Students and Assignments”
windows appear.
Note
: To close the chart, click OK on the Chart window.
3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Field
Description
Window Selector
This pop-up menu displays any open chart windows.
Chart Type
Choose the type of chart you want to use. Different chart
types are appropriate for different purposes and types of
data. Try different charts until you find one that best fits your
needs.
[Display options]
Select the appropriate option to label data using students'
numbers or students' names.
[Assignments]
All assignments for the selected term appear. Select one or
more assignments to chart.
Note
: To select more than one, press and hold COMMAND

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Field
Description
(Mac) or CONTROL (Windows), and click the ones you want
to include. If they are listed consecutively, click the first one
you want, scroll to the last, press Shift, and then click the last
one you want.
[Students]
All students for the selected class appear. Select one or more
students to chart.
Note
: To select more than one, press and hold COMMAND
(Mac) or CONTROL (Windows), and click the ones you want
to include. If they are listed consecutively, click the first one
you want, scroll to the last, press Shift, and then click the last
one you want.
4. Click New Chart. The chart appears.
5. Do one of the following:
To open another chart simultaneously, repeat steps 3-4. After reviewing the charts,
click Close on the “Students and Assignments” window.
To modify the chart, see the section “How to Modify Charts.”
To save the chart, see the section “How to Save Charts.”
To print the chart, choose File > Print.
To close the chart, click OK on the Chart window.

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How to Edit a Chart
Format charts to prepare them for printing or saving.

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1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Charts. The chart data palette and “Students and Assignments”
windows appear.
3. Open a chart. For more information, see the section “How to Open Charts.”
4. Use the toolbar buttons to insert objects, such as lines, text, and boxes:
inserts a text box, in which you enter text
inserts a line
inserts a box or rectangle
inserts a rounded rectangle

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inserts an oval
inserts a polygon, or free-form object
!
Note
: When you click a button, the description of the button and brief instructions
appear in the next field.
Most objects require that you click and drag your mouse in the chart to draw the object.
5. Modify the chart objects, if necessary. Use menu commands to perform certain
modifications, such as adding color, changing object properties, or undoing a mistake.
Note
: To resize objects, use the square handles that appear around the object. Drag
the handles to size.
Note
: Only one object can be selected at once. Click an object again to modify.

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6. Do one of the following:
To save the chart, see the section “How to Save Charts.”
To print the chart, choose File > Print.
To close the chart, click OK on the Chart window.

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How to Save a Chart
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Reports > Charts. The chart data palette and “Students and Assignments”
windows appear.

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3. Open a chart. For more information, see the section “How to Open Charts.”
4. Choose File > Save on the Chart window. The Save As window appears.
5. Enter a name for the file in the Save As field.
6. Choose a location from the Where pop-up menu.
7. Click Save. The chart saves to the selected location.
8. Click OK on the Chart window to close the chart.
To open the chart, choose File > Open from the Chart window. Navigate to where you saved
the chart, then click Open. The chart appears.

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PowerSchool Server
Though you will mostly work with the PowerGrade application, you might have to work with the
PowerSchool server. For example, you might need to synchronize your PowerGrade data file
with the PowerSchool server if their respective data sets do not match. In case your computer
does not work, retrieve scores from the PowerSchool server. For more information, see the
section “Exchange Information With the PowerSchool Server.”
Always back up your data file to the PowerSchool server; there may be times when you need
to retrieve data from the last backup. For more information, see the section “Backups.”
Discuss these procedures with your PowerSchool administrator before performing them. He or
she can provide important information about the status of the PowerSchool server at your
school and useful tips on performing the procedures.
Exchange Information With the PowerSchool Server
Using the Rebuild Data From Server window, you can restore and synchronize a variety of data
between PowerGrade and the PowerSchool server.
How to Restore Data From the Server
If classes or class rosters are not synchronized with the PowerSchool server, use the “Rebuild
Data from Server” command to refresh attendance, class rosters, settings, and class lists. This
is also useful after substitute teachers take attendance using PowerSchool Substitute instead
of PowerGrade. Synchronize your data file to correspond with the data on the server. You are
encouraged to make a backup of your data before performing this task.
Note
: Some of these settings are performed for all classes. Other settings are performed for
individual classes and may need to be repeated for each class.
1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class spreadsheet for the
selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section
“Open Classes.”
2. Choose Utilities > Rebuild Data From Server. The Rebuild Data From Server window
appears.

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3. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:
Note
: You can press the COMMAND key and click any one of checkboxes to select or
deselect all.
Field
Description
Administrative
Settings
Select this checkbox to verify that the attendance codes, grade
scale, and final grade setups in this class match those on the
server.
Class List
Select this checkbox to verify hat the classes you have in your
Classes menu are the ones that are supposed to be listed.
Class Roster
Select this checkbox to verify that all of the students who are in
your class are the ones that are supposed to be there and
update students’ custom fields.
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
Notes
Select this checkbox to replace parent and private notes with
those currently on the PowerSchool server.

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Field
Description
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
Preferences
Select this checkbox to replace the current PowerGrade’s
preference settings with the previous settings on the
PowerSchool server.
Scores
Select this checkbox to replace the current categories,
assignments, scores, final grades and citizenship with those
currently on the PowerSchool server.
As a safety precaution, be sure to save your PowerGrade data
once again prior to restoring scores from the server.
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
Class Setups
Select this checkbox to replace the current class’s final grade
setup and grade scale with those currently on the PowerSchool
server. Scores option will be selected automatically if this
option is checked.
If selected, the Scores checkbox also appears selected. The
Class Setups checkbox cannot be selected independent of the
Scores checkbox.
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
Student Photos
Select this checkbox to replaces all photos with the latest
photos on the PowerSchool server.
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
Attendance
Select this checkbox to replaces attendance for this class with
the attendance currently on the PowerSchool server.
Note
: This setting only runs for the selected class.
4. Click OK. If you did not save since you last made changes, a message appears asking if
you want to save.
5. Click Save. PowerGrade retrieves the data from the PowerSchool server for the
selected class and sends it to your data file. If you selected the Scores checkbox, a
message appears.

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6. Click Yes to confirm that you want to overwrite the existing data. PowerGrade retrieves
the data from the PowerSchool server for the selected class and sends it to your data
file.
Backups
A backup is a copy of your entire PowerGrade data file. A backup makes a copy of not only
scores and assignments, but also your preferences and other personal settings. The
PowerSchool server stores the backup files in a folder named PowerGrade Backups. Back up
your PowerGrade data file at least once per day.
Saving your work in PowerGrade is not the same as making a backup of PowerGrade. Saving
your work sends data to the PowerSchool server after you shutdown PowerGrade. You can
access assignments and scores immediately and directly from PowerSchool.
A backup is a duplicate copy of your entire data file on the PowerSchool server. It includes
assignments, scores, and preferences. If you diligently make daily backups of your data, you
can retrieve the data if your data file in PowerGrade becomes lost or damaged.
To remember to back up PowerGrade when shutting down the application, follow these three
steps: Save, back up, and quit.
How to Make a Backup
Note
: You are encouraged to discuss this task with your PowerSchool administrator before
backing up for the first time. Make sure you back up the correct file.
1. Choose File > Make Backup.
2. PowerGrade sends your entire data file to the backup folder on the PowerSchool
server. In general, PowerSchool stores the last five backups made.
Note
: If you do not know the name and location of the data file currently open, choose
File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). Then click
the PowerSchool tab.
3. When a message appears indicating the backup was successful, click OK.

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Alternatively, make a backup of your PowerGrade data file to save on your local computer.
Save the file to a location such as a floppy disk drive or your hard drive. Enter the filename
extension “.data” (Mac) or “.4DD” (Windows). These backup file locations are also subject to
corruption; therefore, it is wise to make two backups each day: one to a local drive and another
to the PowerSchool server.
How to Retrieve the Last Backup
Backups are crucial in the event that your computer crashes or your data file becomes
damaged. By making a backup of your data file, you can direct the PowerSchool server to
restore your backup data. Before doing so, discuss the task with your PowerSchool
administrator; though this is not a difficult procedure, you should minimize the risk of losing
important records and information.
Note
: If your computer crashes, it is possible that you also will lose the PowerGrade
application used to read the data file. In that case, reinstall PowerGrade before retrieving the
backup data file. For more information on installing PowerGrade, see the section “Installation”
and contact your PowerSchool administrator. After installing PowerGrade, return to the
following instructions to restore your backup file.
1. Choose File > Retrieve Last Backup. The system prompts you to save the file.
2. Open the local folder where you want to store the backup file.
3. Enter the name for the backup file.
Note
: This must be a different name than that of the original data file so that you do not
overwrite it. Be sure to include the “.data” (Mac) or “.4DD” (Windows) filename
extensions at the end of the file name. For example, name the file Backup Data
File.data.
4. Click Save.
Note
: You must quit PowerGrade and restart with the restored data file after it is saved
in your local computer.
5. Choose File > Quit. If prompted to save your changes, click Save.
PowerGrade closes, and you are ready to open the backup data file. Since there are now two
local data files, follow the specific instructions below for opening the correct copy of the file.

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How to Open the Backup File
1. Immediately after starting PowerGrade, press OPTION (Mac) or ALT (Windows). The
Open Data File window appears.
2. Locate and select the backup data file.
3. Click Open. PowerGrade opens using the backup data file.
4. Delete or rename any unused data files to avoid confusion, especially during future
backups. If the file PowerGrade is currently using is the file you delete, do not make
changes or entries to the spreadsheet or settings. These changes are lost when you
delete the file. If necessary, rename the remaining data file.
Note
: If you do not know the name and location of the data file currently open, choose
File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). Then click
the PowerSchool tab.
Continue working with PowerGrade. The application might prompt you to enter a data file the
next time you start it. If so, select the data file and click Open.

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Frequently Asked Questions
This section answers many frequently asked questions concerning PowerGrade. The answers
to these questions assume that you have a basic understanding of the terms used.

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Backups
How do I back up my PowerGrade data?
Choose File > Make Backup. This command sends a copy of your data file to the PowerSchool
server. The PowerSchool server generally stores the last five backups you made. Note that
making a backup to the PowerSchool server is different than just saving your work. A backup
to the PowerSchool server saves not only the grades and assignments, but also items such as
customized settings, preferences, and notes. If your computer crashes, retrieve students’
grades from the PowerSchool server; however, if you do not make a backup of your data file,
all the personalized settings are lost.
Alternatively, make a copy of your PowerSchool data file on your computer for use as a
backup. Use the extension “.data” (Mac) or “.4DD” (Windows) on the data file. To make a
backup, copy your PowerGrade data file to another location: the PowerSchool server, a
network server, an external disk, or any combination of these.
It is a good idea to keep several backups; you might want to use both of these methods to
back up your data file after every PowerGrade session. If you are not sure how to make a
backup or which is your data file, contact your PowerSchool administrator.
How often should I make backups of my PowerGrade data?
PowerGrade, like all software, must be backed up frequently. The recommendation is to back
up once a day.
Where are backups stored?
The backups are stored on your PowerSchool server in a folder named PowerGrade Backups.
If you need to retrieve a backup file from the server, see the section “Exchange Information
With the PowerSchool Server.” To retrieve a backup stored locally, see the section “Backups.”

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Data File
What is a data file?
Your data file is where the system stores all your gradebook data and customized settings. It
records everything you save in PowerGrade. Whenever you save your work in PowerGrade, all

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assignments, grades, and log entries are saved to your computer and on the PowerSchool
server, if connected. However, any PowerGrade customizations are not sent to PowerSchool;
preferences and other individual settings save only to your local computer.

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Extra Credit
How do I set up extra credit?
Create an assignment with zero points possible so that it does not count against students who
do not have a score for it. When students turn in extra credit, enter the score for this
assignment. The points count towards their grades; however, since you set up the assignment
with zero points possible, not having a score for this extra credit assignment does not count
against students' final grades.

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Multiple Teachers Sharing One Computer
Can multiple teachers share a computer to keep grades?
Yes, though it is especially important to back up data files when teachers share the same
computer. On Macintosh computers, the data file ends with .”.data,” while data files on PCs
end in “.4DD”. Simply make a copy of this file and place it in a safe backup location, such as
on the PowerSchool server, a network server, or an external disk. There are two ways to
manage multiple PowerGrade users on a single computer:
Method 1
The recommended method is straightforward and most likely to prevent one teacher from
opening the files of another. Install and set up a completely separate, independent copy of
PowerGrade for each teacher. If two teachers, Mr. Johnson and Ms. Taylor, share a computer,
create one folder named PowerGrade_Johnson and another named PowerGrade_Taylor. Store
their respective copies of PowerGrade in their own folders and put icons for each on the
desktop. Each teacher double-clicks the icon to open the appropriate PowerGrade data file.
Method 2
This method needs only one PowerGrade application and one folder on the computer, but
users must pay attention when opening the program. Load a single copy of PowerGrade on the
computer with each teacher having a data file. Immediately after starting PowerGrade, press
OPTION (Mac) or ALT (Windows). PowerGrade displays a window asking the user to select a
data file. Select the appropriate data file and click Open. If you do not press and hold the key,
PowerGrade remembers and opens the last data file used, which may or may not be yours. It is
important to set PowerGrade passwords for each user when using this method.
Also, remember that users share the same report templates. This should not be a problem
since users are not required to use templates they do not need but can create new ones, if
necessary.

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What is the difference between a PowerGrade password and the PowerSchool
connectivity key?
Enter your PowerGrade password to open your PowerGrade data file. You choose the
password and set it yourself so that no one else, such as a student, can open the file and view
or change data. Set a PowerGrade password by choosing File > Preferences; then click the
General tab.
The PowerSchool connectivity key allows the PowerGrade program at your local computer to
communicate with the PowerSchool server at your school. Your PowerSchool administrator
most likely chooses and sets this password. Do not set or change the PowerSchool
connectivity key unless instructed to do so by your PowerSchool administrator.

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Printing
Can I print an individual student report for several students at one time?
Yes. Press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) as you click the names of the
students you want to include on the report. If the names are consecutive on the list, click the
first name, scroll to the last student name you want, press Shift, and then click the last
student's name.
Is there an easy way to preview a report before printing?
Yes. Open PowerGrade to the class. Choose Reports > Preview Report. Select the appropriate
report. Alternatively, if you are editing the report, click Preview at the bottom of the window to
preview the report you are editing.

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PowerGrade Preferences
How can I change the color of the font and background of my spreadsheet?
Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). Change a
number of settings related to the spreadsheet, including the font and background color.
What is the “Apply to other classes in group” option? How do I group classes together?
When adding an assignment to a class, you have the option to select the “Apply to other
classes in group” checkbox. If you do this, the system adds the assignment to both the current
class and the other classes in the same class group.
To put classes in a group, open PowerGrade to the class. Choose Windows > Class
Information. Enter a class group name. You create a class group when you enter the same
name into two or more classes. Spell the group name the same for all classes in the same
group; otherwise, PowerGrade creates separate groups.

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Can I have PowerGrade warn me before I change a score?
Yes. Open PowerGrade to the class and choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences
icon on the class spreadsheet). Click the Notification tab and make the selections. Your
selections apply to all classes.

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Multiple Data Files
Can I use multiple PowerGrade data files?
Yes. The most common reason for doing this is to allow multiple teachers to share a single
copy of PowerGrade. For tips on using multiple data files, see the section “Can Multiple
Teachers Share a Computer to Keep Grades?”

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PowerGrade Version Number
How do I know that I am using the most current version of PowerGrade?
When PowerGrade starts, the version is noted just below the PowerGrade logo. Compare that
version number with the updated version number on the PowerSchool Customer Support Web
site at
https://support.powerschool.com/
or on PowerSchool Teacher. If you have an older
version of PowerGrade, contact your PowerSchool administrator regarding PowerGrade
updates.

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Work Remotely
How do I use PowerGrade at home?
To use PowerGrade from home or another remote computer, you need a copy of the
PowerGrade application on your remote computer. Remember that the PowerGrade
application is not the same thing as your PowerGrade data file. Either copy the PowerGrade
application from your computer at school or download it from the PowerSchool Customer
Support Web site at
https://support.powerschool.com/
when you are remote. For installation
instructions, see the section “Installation.”
Note
: The PowerGrade application is too large to fit on a floppy disk, so you need some other
method of transporting the program. A removable memory drive works well. If this is not
available, log in to the Web from your remote computer and download the application from the
address above. If you have questions about how to do this, contact your PowerSchool
administrator.

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Before leaving school:
1. In PowerGrade, choose File > Save to ensure that the PowerSchool server has the most
current class information.
2. Choose File > Preferences and document the settings in the Scores tab. If you did not
change the default settings, you can skip this step.
Note
: The Scores information is important for proper display of scores on the
spreadsheet. If the Scores information on the two computers are not identical, it is
possible for question marks (“???”) to display instead of entered scores. To display
scores instead of question marks, change the Scores information to match the settings
on the school computer.
3. Choose Windows > Final Grades Setup and document the settings. If you did not
change the default settings, you can skip this step.
When working at home or on another remote computer:
1. In PowerGrade, choose File > Preferences and enter the information documented from
the school computer. If you did not change the default settings, you can skip this step.
2. Choose a class from the Classes menu.
3. Choose Windows > Final Grades Setup and enter the information from the school
computer. If you did not change the default settings, you can skip this step.
4. Choose Utilities > “Restore Scores from Server” and click Yes to restore scores to the
local computer. The information that now appears on the class spreadsheet is the same
as what displayed on the school computer before leaving school.
5. Choose File > Save.
If you change any information on the class spreadsheet while working at home, such as
adding, editing, or deleting assignments or scores, be sure to choose File > Save so that the
PowerSchool server is updated.
If you change any information on the Scores tab on the Preferences window while at home,
you must make these changes to the Scores tab on the Preferences window on your computer
at school.
Upon returning to school:
1. In PowerGrade, open a class that you modified while working remotely.
Important
: Do not change any information on the class spreadsheet before performing
the next step.
2. Choose Utilities > “Restore Scores from Server” and click Yes to restore scores to the
local computer. The changes or additions made on the remote computer appear on the
spreadsheet.
3. Choose File > Save.

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What if I want to work from home but do not have Internet access?
First, copy the PowerGrade application from your computer at school and install PowerGrade
on your home or remote computer. For installation instructions, see the section “Installation.”
Once the PowerGrade application is loaded on your remote computer, copy your PowerGrade
data file from your computer at school to a floppy disk. The data file extension is either “.data”
(Mac) or “.4DD” (Windows).
Unless you have a very large number of classes or you accumulated a large number of classes
in the data file, it should fit on a single floppy disk or another portable disk format. If it does
not, compress the data file before copying it. Alternatively, send the file via email to an account
that you can access from your remote location. Your PowerSchool administrator can assist you
with this process.
When you get to your remote computer, copy the data file into your PowerGrade folder. Do not
keep more than one data file, since you may confuse them and inadvertently record the wrong
scores. When you finish working remotely, either take the portable disk or send the data file via
e-mail back to school, and copy the new data onto your data file there.
Note
: It is very important to always keep track of your most current data file. If you confuse
them, you could inadvertently overwrite the scores. Make backups frequently, and date them.

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Assignments
How do I change an assignment name, points possible, or category after it is set up?
Open PowerGrade to the class. Choose Windows > Assignments. Select the appropriate
assignment. Change the necessary options. Click Accept.
How do I delete an existing assignment?
Open PowerGrade to the class. Choose Windows > Assignments. Select the appropriate
assignment. Click Delete at the bottom of the window. Click Yes if you are sure you want to
permanently delete the assignment.
How do I move all scores in an assignment column up or down one place?
To move scores down one position and insert a blank score, select the cell where you want a
blank score inserted. Open PowerGrade to the class. Choose Utilities > Insert Score. Click Yes
if you are sure you want to move the scores. A new blank score is now available, and all other
scores shift down one position.
To move all scores up one, open PowerGrade to the class and select the score to be removed.
Choose Utilities > Delete Score. Click Yes if you are sure you want to move the scores. All
scores shift up one position.

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How do I override the final grade that a student is receiving?
Open PowerGrade to the class. Double-click the final grade in the spreadsheet to open the
override window. Enter the changes. Click Save.

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Scores
How do I enter an exempt score?
Enter a score code that you defined as Exempt on the Scores tab of the Preferences window.
Choose File > Preferences to view or modify exempt score codes.
How do I return a score to unrecorded?
Enter a score code that you defined as Unrecorded on the Scores tab of the Preferences
window. Choose File > Preferences to view or modify unrecorded score codes.
Some teachers use NHI to indicate that a student has not handed in an assignment. For
example, if you want to calculate NHI as zero points earned, then enter NHI in the Zero column
of the Scores tab. In the spreadsheet, enter =NHI, and that score appears as NHI. The points
earned is zero.
Note
: The codes are not case-sensitive.
You can also use this feature to create other special scores. For example, if a student is sick
and you want to make that student exempt from any work assigned during those days, enter
Sick in a blank field in the Exempt column. Then, enter =SICK on the class spreadsheet. That
score appears as Sick and is calculated as exempt.
Can I indicate that a student was absent and have that score count as 0 until he or she
makes it up?
Yes. Enter Absent in the “Count as Zero” column on the Scores tab of the Preferences window.
Choose File > Preferences to view or modify unrecorded score codes.
On the class spreadsheet, enter Absent and that score not only appears as absent on the
spreadsheet and reports, but the system also calculates the score as zero points earned.
How do I record letter grades instead of numerical scores?
PowerGrade gives you the option of using letter grades rather than numerical scores for
papers, projects, and other assignments. To use this function, open PowerGrade to the
appropriate class. Choose Windows > Grade Scale. Enter the number in the Value field for
each grade on the scale. The value is the percentage of points possible for the assignment that
will be assigned to the student for that letter grade.
For example, if you want to be able to record a letter grade of B and you want a B to earn 85%
of the points possible for the assignment, enter 85 on the grade scale for the value of B. The

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grade appears as a B in the gradebook, but the system calculates the grade as 85% for the
final grade.

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Terms
I do not want my spreadsheet to display assignments from Quarter 1. How do I do that?
Choose File > Preferences (or click the Preferences icon on the class spreadsheet). Click the
Display tab and specify the appropriate range of dates. This applies to all of your classes.

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Troubleshoot PowerGrade
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Troubleshoot PowerGrade
This section will help you troubleshoot many of the common problems that may occur when
using PowerGrade. These solutions assume that you are familiar with PowerGrade and
PowerGrade Help. For more information, see the section “Frequently Asked Questions.”

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Attendance
My attendance does not match the secretary’s.
If your network is down, PowerGrade cannot communicate with the PowerSchool server. When
this happens, PowerGrade can lose synchronization with the PowerSchool server.
Solution
: When the network is available again, choose Utilities > “Synchronize with server.”
Select the Attendance checkbox, and then click OK. PowerGrade and the PowerSchool server
are now synchronized.

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Classes
One or more of my classes does not appear under the Classes menu.
Either...
The class is not offered in the current semester.
Solution
: Close the class you currently have open. Choose File > Open Class. Choose the
appropriate class, and then click OK.
...or...
A class has been added to your schedule after the start of a semester.
Solution
: Choose Utilities > “Synchronize with Server.” Select the “Class roster” and “Class
list” checkboxes, and then click OK. PowerGrade downloads the correct and current class
roster and class list from the PowerSchool server.
...or...
Your computer date does not match the date on the PowerSchool server.
Solution
: Reset the date on your computer. If this does not work, ask your PowerSchool
administrator to verify the date on the server.

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Some of my students do not appear on the class roster.
Solution
: Choose Utilities > “Synchronize with Server.” Select the “Class roster” checkbox,
and then click OK. PowerGrade downloads the correct and current class roster from the
PowerSchool server. You must do this for each class.

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Grades
My final grade for a student is not calculating correctly.
PowerGrade calculates final grades based on your preferences on the Scores tab and on how
you weight assignments, categories, and final grades.
Solution
: Review the sections “Scores Preferences” and “Weight Grades." Make the
necessary changes to your scores preferences and grade weights.
My students’ final grades in PowerGrade do not match those on the PowerSchool server.
If your network is down, PowerGrade cannot communicate with the PowerSchool server. When
this happens, PowerGrade lose synchronization with the PowerSchool server and the grades
you entered have not been sent to PowerSchool.
Solution
: When the network is available again, open PowerGrade to the appropriate class and
choose File > Save. Your changes are sent to PowerSchool, which is then synchronized with
PowerGrade.

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Passwords
My PowerGrade password does not work.
...or...
I forgot my password.
Solution
: Contact your PowerSchool administrator, who will contact PowerSchool Technical
Support for a one-time password. When you get the new password, reopen PowerGrade.
Choose File > Preferences and enter a new password that you will remember. It can take more
than a day to get the one-time password from PowerSchool Technical Support.

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Printing
My spreadsheet report only prints halfway across the page.
Solution
: Choose Reports > Edit Reports. Select the appropriate report. Click the Options tab.
You can modify the width of the printed area on several reports. If you are printing on a
standard 8 -inch by 11-inch sheet of paper with a portrait orientation and you want a 1.25-inch
border, select a width of 6 inches. If you are printing on a standard 8 -inch by 11-inch sheet of
paper with a landscape orientation and you want a 1-inch border, select a width of 9 inches.

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Glossary
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Glossary
Term
Definition
Body
Part of a report containing written text that provides information to
the reader of the final report. The body is located below the header
and above the footer.
Browser
A computer application that accesses and displays files on the Web.
Central Processing
Unit (CPU)
Part of the computer that executes stored program instructions. This
is what reads software applications, floppy diskettes, CD ROMs, and
hard drives, and allows the user to see the data or application
interfaces.
Configure
To design, arrange, or set up (such as a computer or report) for a
specific use.
Course
Math, English, Art, History, Biology, Computers, and Accounting are
examples of courses.
Current Grades
Grades for today’s term.
Customize
To set up according to personal or individual specifications and
needs.
Database
A set of related data stored in fields on a server. Data is entered by
users and can be accessed through preconfigured and custom
reports.
Desktop
A metaphor used to portray file systems. Such a desktop consists of
pictures, called icons that show cabinets, files, folders, and various
types of documents.
Demographics
The characteristics of a (student) population, such as name, address,
phone, parent/guardian names, and test scores.
Explorer
Microsoft’s Web browser application, which is also known as
Internet Explorer or IE.
Export
To send a file or other data from one computer application to
another.
Field
A place in a database where one piece of information is stored.
Examples of fields include first name, last name, date of birth, phone,
and GPA.
Floppy Diskette
A device used to store data. The same diskette can be used on
different computers to work with the same data at various locations.

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Term
Definition
Footer
Printed matter or information, such as a title, date, or page number,
positioned at the bottom of a page. In PowerSchool, this is the
information below the report listings.
Hard Drive
The part of a computer that stores data. It is similar to a floppy
diskette, but it has the capacity to store much more data. The hard
drive is located in the central processing unit.
Hardware
Equipment that makes up a computer and a network: monitor,
keyboard, mouse, server, printer, and central processing unit.
Header
Printed matter or information, such as a title, date, or page number,
positioned at the top of a document. In PowerSchool, this is the
information above the report listings.
Homepage
The start page of a Web site. Its main purpose is to greet visitors,
provide information about the site, and direct them to other sites with
more related information.
Import
To transfer a file or other data from one computer to another.
Internet
A matrix of networks that connects computers around the world.
Also known as the World Wide Web.
Log Entry
A permanent part of a student's record. It is most often used to
record disciplinary problems, but it can also be used to record good
behavior or other events.
Macintosh
Used to describe computers manufactured by Apple Computer, Inc.
Object Report
A report style used to create official documents by merging an object
report template with PowerSchool data. An object report consists of
several parts: line objects, box objects, transcript-listing objects, and
text objects. Each of these is created separately and in multitude to
make up the document.
Parameters
A detailed, exact statement of particulars, especially a statement
prescribing report format and data. Also known as specifications.
Password
A sequence of characters required to access a computer system. A
password can be letters, numbers, other characters, or a
combination of all three. Some passwords are case-sensitive.
PC
Acronym that stands for personal computer.

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Term
Definition
PDF
Acronym that stands for Portable Document Format. PDF is the file
format for presenting documents in a manner that is independent of
the original application software, hardware, and operating system
used to create them. Saving a document in PDF format allows
anyone to view or print it using Adobe's Acrobat Reader application.
PowerGrade
The grade-keeping portion of PowerSchool Student Information
System (SIS). Teachers use PowerGrade in the classroom to record
grades, take attendance, create log entries, and make notes for
themselves and for parents. PowerGrade sends data to the
PowerSchool server every time teachers save their work.
PowerSchool
A Web-based student information management system.
PowerSchool is used to record term grades, attendance, courses,
graduation requirements, and log entries.
Pop-up menu
A menu on a window. The contents appear only when the user clicks
the up-down arrow, whereupon other options appear in a list. The
user can then choose an option from the list.
Report
A set of data pulled from the PowerSchool database. The user tells
PowerSchool what data to pull, and PowerSchool generates a
summation of the data for viewing or printing, according to the user's
specifications.
Report Listings
Data included on a report. Most often, report listings are grades or
calculations pulled from the PowerSchool database.
Section
One class of the same course. For example, your school may have
one Chemistry course, but three sections of it to accommodate all
the students who want to take this subject.
Security
A method of keeping information confidential. PowerSchool has
several layers of security to ensure privacy of records.
Select
To highlight an option or make a choice. Clicking an item with a
mouse usually selects it.
Server
A computer that provides a service for other computers (called
clients). Servers and their clients are connected to each other via a
network that allows messages to pass back and forth. The
PowerSchool server runs continuously, waiting for requests to arrive
from PowerGrade, school administrators, teachers, or parents, and
responds to those requests at any hour of the day or night.

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Term
Definition
Software
Computer applications that control how hardware functions and
direct its operation. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PowerGrade are
types of software.
Specifications
See Parameters.
Student Number
The number used to identify a student at your school and on the
PowerSchool server. Each student number is unique and specific to
an individual student. It can be assigned by the school or by the
PowerSchool server.
Student Number
Field
The field on the PowerSchool database that stores the student
number for each student. This is probably the most important field in
the PowerSchool database.
Template
A document or file having a preset format; used as a starting point
(for a report) so that the format does not have to be recreated each
time it is used.
Term
A specified period used for keeping grades, such as quarter,
semester, or trimester.
Title
The name of a report or other document.
Web site
A set of interconnected Internet pages, usually located on the same
server and including a start page. The site is prepared and
maintained as a collection of information by a person, group, or
organization.
World Wide Web
A matrix of networks that connects computers around the world.
Also known as the Internet or the Web.

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