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LOGIN TO POWERTEACHER

  1. Open Firefox.
  1. Go to the following URL.
  1. Type your username and password.
  1. Click the SIGN IN button.

VIEW MAIN POWERTEACHER WINDOW

Screen Shot #1

PERSONALIZE POWER TEACHER

CHANGE PASSWORD

  1. At the Start Page, click PERSONALIZE in the Navigation (left side of screen).
  1. Click CHANGE PASSWORD.
  1. Type Old Password, New Password, Verify New password, then click the SUBMIT button.

CHANGE DEFAULT STUDENT SCREEN

  1. At the Start Page, click PERSONALIZE.
  1. Click DEFAULT STUDENT SCREEN.
  2. Open the drop down menu and choose the student screen you want to see when you view a student’s information.
  3. Click the SUBMIT button to SAVE.

VIEW STUDENT DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

  1. At the START PAGE, click the STUDENT BACKPACKicon for the class.
  1. The Student Information screen appears.
  1. The student list will appear on the left navigation.
  1. Click the name of a student to open the student’s information.
  1. Once a student is selected there are several screens of information available to the teacher.

  1. To switch to another screen open the SELECT SCREENSmenu.
  1. Choose the screen to view.
  1. You can switch between screens at any time.

STUDENT ALERTS

  1. To view student ALERTS, at the START PAGE, click the STUDENT BACKPACK icon for the class
  1. Select a student.
  1. If the student has ALERTS they will appear on the Demographics screen.
  1. You can hover over the alert to view the type of alert.
  1. To return to the Start Page click the big PowerTeacher logo.

TAKING ATTENDANCE IN POWERTEACHER

SINGLE DAY ATTENDANCE

  1. Login to PowerTeacher.
  1. Choose SINGLE DAY (Chair icon).
  1. Change the ATTENDANCE CODE to reflect the absence. The drop down menu you see will be different!

  1. In the Attendance column, click the mouse in the field next to the student’s name.
  1. The ABSENT CODE will appear.
  1. Click the SUBMIT button when finished.
  1. The changes will save and you will be redirected to the PowerTeacher Start Page.
  1. The DOT next to the chair will be GREEN. This means you have taken attendance

for that class.

MULTI DAY ATTENDANCE

  1. Login to PowerTeacher.
  1. Choose MULTI DAY (table icon).
  1. Change the ATTENDANCE CODE to reflect the absence.

The drop down menu you see will be different!

  1. Click the mouse in the DATE BOXnext to the student’s name.
  1. The ABSENCE CODE will appear.
  1. Click the SUBMIT button when finished.
  1. The changes will save and you will be redirected to the PowerTeacher Start Page.
  1. The DOT next to the chair will be GREEN. This means you have taken attendance for that class

START THE POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK

  1. On the START PAGE, click the GRADEBOOK ARROWbutton.
  1. The Gradebook will begin to load.

The image below is an example of a Gradebook with categories, assignments and grades.

LOCK POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK

  • If you attempt to launch another gradebook session, the system detects that a gradebook session is already open and locked and will not launch a second instance.
  • To LOCK the Gradebook, open the File menu and choose Lock Gradebook.
  • To UNLOCK the Gradebook, enter your PASSWORD and choose UNLOCK.
  • To QUIT the Gradebook from the lock screen, click QUIT. If there are unsaved changes in the gradebook, you are prompted to save the changes, or exit without saving the changes.

QUIT GRADEBOOK

  1. Navigate to the PowerTeacher Gradebook menu by clicking the PowerSchool logo.
  1. Open the File menu.
  1. Choose EXIT.
  1. OR simply click the X in the top right corner of the screen.
  1. The Gradebook window will close.
  1. PowerTeacher is still running in a separate window.
  1. Navigate to PowerTeacher window.
  1. Click SIGN OUT (top right corner of window).

ZOOM IN OR OUT OF A WINDOW

  • The zoom feature provides users the flexibility to zoom in to see more detail of a window or zoom out to see more of the window at a reduced size.
  • From the GRADEBOOK MENU BAR, do one of the following:
  • Choose ViewZoom > Increase to zoom in. Increments are based on the preset zoom levels.
  • Choose ViewZoom > Decrease to zoom out. Increments are based on the preset zoom levels.
  • Choose ViewZoom and a zoom level.

POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK HELP

  • Before you begin using POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK HELP, check your browser preferences tomake sure your browser is set to open in a new window.
  • If you do not set your browser toopen in a new window, the help window launches in the existing open window, replacingPowerTeacher.

Launch Help

  • At the Start Page or Gradebook Page click the click the

HELP text (top right corner).

TEACHER NOTIFICATIONS IN GRADEBOOK

  1. At the Gradebook, click the NOTIFICATIONS button.
  1. The Teacher Notification’sWindow opens.
  1. The NOTIFICATION CATEGORIES are on the left side of window.
  • Birthdays: Student’s Birthday by month.
  • Added: New students enrolled in your classes.
  • Dropped: Students withdrawn from your classes.
  • Login: Alerts when an Administrator uses PowerTeacher Administrator to view a teacher’s gradebook.

VIEW ADMINISTRATOR LOGIN EVENTS

  • Administrators can have assigned privileges to log in to your Gradebook in read-only mode in order to view the current Gradebook.
  • The teacher will see which administrator account has accessed your Gradebook in the Teacher’s Notification.

How to View Administrator Login Events

  1. At the Gradebook, select a class from the Classes pane.
  1. Click the NOTIFICATIONSbutton on the navigation bar.
  1. The Teacher Notifications dialogappears.
  1. Select LOGIN on the navigation panel.
  1. Select a time frame in which to view administrator login events from the pop-upmenu. A list of administrator login events displays.
  1. Click the CLOSE button to exit from the Notifications window.

TAKING ATTENDANCE IN POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK

  1. At the Gradebook screen, select the class.
  1. Click the ATTENDANCE button.
  1. The ATTENDANCE OPTIONS BOX appears.
  1. Click the LINK to open the selected ATTENDANCE VIEW. For example: Single Day or by Seating Chart.
  1. The screen will change depending on your selection.

IMPORTANT: A new window will open no matter which link you choose. PowerTeacher gradebook will remain open in a separate window.

  1. From the ATTENDANCE SCREEN, MARKATTENDANCE.
  1. To return to the Gradebook, click the PowerTeacher icon in the task bar.

SET GRADEBOOK PREFERENCES FOR ALL CLASSES

GRADING PREFERENCES

  1. At the Gradebook screen, open the TOOLS menu and choose PREFERENCES.
  2. Click the GRADING tab.
  3. For when calculating a grade the value should be: Rounded or Truncated.
  4. Choose the decimal places.
  5. Choose the Final Grade and Attendance Columns to display.
  6. Choose the Assignment Score Display in Scoresheet.
  7. Click the OK button to SAVEthe changes.

STUDENT PREFRENCES (Change the sort order and display)

  1. At the Gradebook screen, open the TOOLS menu and select PREFERENCES.
  1. Click the STUDENT tab.
  1. Select a sort option from the Sort Students By pop-up menu.
  1. Select the checkboxes to further define the sorting options.
  1. Click the OK button to save the changes.
  • The students are sorted per your selection on the Scoresheet.

SPELL CHECK PREFERENCES

Turn Spell Check On Or Off

  1. At the Gradebook open the TOOLS menu bar and choose PREFERENCES.
  1. The PREFERENCES window appears.
  1. Click the Spell Check tab. Spell Check preference information appears.
  1. Do one of the following:
  • Select the Enabled background checking checkbox to turn automatic spellcheck on.
  • Deselect the Enabled background checking checkbox to turn automatic spell check off.
  1. Click the OK button to save your changes.

VIEW STUDENT INFORMATION IN GRADEBOOK

  1. Select a class from the Classes pane.
  1. Click the STUDENT TAB.
  1. The Student Info window displays the class roster, which includes basic information for each student.
  • To open a specific student’s information double click on the student’s name. The STUDENT DETAIL window appears.

VIEW STUDENT ALERTS

  1. Select a class from the CLASSES PANE.
  1. Click the STUDENT INFOTAB. The Student Info window appears.
  1. Click the student's name or click the arrow next to the student's name. The Student Detail window appears.
  1. Click the Discipline, Guardian, Medical, or Other icon to

view the alert text. The Alert window appears.

  1. Click OK to close the Alert window.
  • To close a STUDENT’S TAB, click the X in the top left

corner of the student tab.

SETUP CALCULATION METHODS FOR POWERTEACHER GRADEBOOK

CALCULATION METHODS

  • There are 2 calculation methods: (1) Total Points and (2) Category Weights.

TOTAL POINTS

  • The TOTAL POINTS option is the most straightforward method of calculating final grades for the grading period.
  • The gradebook calculates student’s grades based on the number of points they earned, divided by the number of points possible.
  • After calculating the scores, the gradebook then refers to the grade scale to determine the letter grade equivalent.

DISCARD LOW SCORES

  • When choosing to calculate final grades by total points, the teacher has the option to drop low scores.
  • When an assignment is discarded, the points the student earned are subtracted from his or her personal total, and the number of points the assignment is worth is subtracted from the total points possible.
  • Since final grades are calculated as soon as you enter scores in the gradebook, you might wait to discard the lowest score until the end of the term. That way, you’ll see an accurate picture of final grades, based on all scores, during the term.
  • If the teacher is using Total Points they still have the option to use the

Categories to group assignments but the teacher will not enter a weight percentage for each category.

CATEGORY WEIGHTS

  • The CATEGORY WEIGHTS calculation method uses assignment categoriesand teacher designated percentages to calculate final grades.
  • For example: tests account for 20%, Quizzes 20%, Projects 25%, Homework 35%.

CREATE CATEGORIES

  • Categories are not class-specific, eliminating the need to create the same categories multiple times for each class.
  • To save you time, the Gradebook contains four pre-defined categories: Homework, Project, Quiz, & Test.
  • These categories and any you create will be available to all of the classes you teach.
  1. Launch PowerTeacher Gradebook.
  1. Click the GRADE SETUPbutton.
  1. Locate the CATEGORIES box in the bottom left corner of the window.
  1. Click the PLUS symbol to add an ASSIGNMENTCATEGORY.
  1. The CREATE ASSIGNMENT CATEGORY box appears.
  1. Type a NAME for the AssignmentCategory.
  1. Type an ABBREVIATION for the Category.
  1. Choose a COLOR.
  1. Enter the POINTS POSSIBLE.
  1. Select SCORE TYPE.
  1. Make sure there is a check mark in the INCLUDE FINAL GRADE box.
  1. Select the PUBLISH ASSIGNMENT setting and date.
  1. Type a Description for the Category (Optional).
  1. When finished click the OK button.
  1. The Assignment Category will appear in the Category Pane (bottom left).
  1. Repeat the steps again to create another ASSIGNMENT CATEGORY.

DELETE A CATEGORY

  1. On the CATEGORIES pane, select the CATEGORY you want to delete.
  1. Click the MINUS (-) button. The Delete Categories confirmation dialog appears.
  1. Click OK or Close to close the dialog.
  • IMPORTANT: If the category has assignments or is used in weighting, the Alert window appears, displaying the message, "Unable to delete category because it has associated assignments." Click OK to close the window.
  1. The CATEGORY is deleted from the Categories pane.

EDIT A CATEGORY

  1. At the Gradebook, go to the CATEGORIESPANE.
  1. Right-click on the CATEGORY and choose EDIT.
  1. The Edit Assignment Category dialog appears.

Alternately, from the gradebook menu bar, choose ToolsCategories. Choose the category to edit on the Categories dialog.

  1. Edit the information as needed.
  1. Click the OK button to SAVEchanges.

FILTER BY CATEGORIES

  1. Select a CLASS from the Classes pane.
  1. In the Categories pane, do one of the following:
  • Select ALL to view all categories.
  • Select one or more categories.
  • NOTE: To make multiple selections, press and hold COMMAND (Mac) or CONTROL (Windows) as you make each of your selections.
  1. Select Filter Selected from the pop-up menu. The selected category appears.
  1. Select Filter Off from the pop-up menu to remove the filter.

GRADEBOOK SETUP-TOTAL POINTS

  1. Start PowerTeacher Gradebook.
  1. Select the CLASS.
  1. Click the GRADE SETUP button
  1. Double click on the Reporting Term.
  1. The Grade Setup for the Reporting Term will appear.
  1. Choose TOTAL POINTS.
  1. Click the SAVE button.
  1. Repeat the steps for eachClass and Reporting Period.

GRADEBOOK SETUP-CATEGORY WEIGHTS

  1. Start PowerTeacher Gradebook.
  2. Select the CLASS.
  3. Click the GRADE SETUP button.
  4. Double click on the Reporting Term.
  5. The Grade Setup for the Reporting Term will appear.
  6. Choose CATEGORY WEIGHTS.
  7. Click the SAVE button.
  8. Repeat steps for eachClass and Reporting Period.

SET THE WEIGHTS FOR THE CATEGORIES

  1. At the Gradebook, locate the REPORTING TERM in the upper pane. Double click on the grading period.
  1. The CALCULATION METHOD box opens.
  1. Choose CATEGORY WEIGHTS.
  1. Click the ADD CATEGORY button to add a Category.
  1. Select the Categories. Click the box to the left of each Category.
  1. Click the OK button.
  1. Next, enter the weights for each category.Double click in the weight column and enter the weight for each category.
  1. Click the SAVE button.
  1. Click the X to CLOSE the Category Pane.

COPY GRADESETUP TO OTHER CLASSES or REPORTING PERIOD

  • In PowerTeacher you have the option to copy a Grade Setup to ALL CLASSES or ALL REPORTING PERIODS.
  • The must setup the Grade Setup one time and then copy it to other CLASSES or REPORTING PERIODS.
  1. At the Gradebook, click the GRADE SETUP button.
  1. Select the CLASS which has the desired grading scale.
  1. Locate the REPORTING PERIOD. Double click on the Reporting Period.
  1. The Grade Setup will appear below.
  1. Right click on the Reporting Period.
  1. A menu will open. Choose either Copy Gradebook Setup to a Reporting Period or Copy Gradebook Setup to an Entire Class.
  1. When finished click the SAVE button.

CHANGE GRADE SETUP FOR A CLASS OR REPORTING PERIOD

  1. At the Gradebook, select the Class.
  1. Choose the Reporting Period.
  1. Double click on the Reporting Period.
  1. The Grade Setup will appear at the bottom of the screen.
  1. Make changes to the Grade Setup.
  1. When finished click the SAVE button.

VIEW GRADE SCALE

  • PowerTeacher Gradebook uses a default grade scale that is setup by and managed by Cabarrus County Schools Accountability Department.
  1. Select a CLASS.
  1. Click the GRADES SETUP TAB.
  1. Click the GRADE SCALES button. The Grade Scale window displays basic information.

ASSIGNMENTS

INCLUDE IN FINAL GRADE

  • When setting up assignments, you can use the INCLUDE IN FINAL GRADE CHECKBOXto indicate whether an assignment should be included in calculating final grades.
  • The value setfor a category is used as a default for all assignments within that category, but may beoverridden on an assignment-by-assignment basis.
  • If an assignment is included in calculating final grades and impacts the final grade, it must be published in order for parents and students to view it.

WEIGHTING

  • Assignment setup may involve weighting; however, weighting is not required.
  • Weighting gives particular assignments, whether points, percentage, or letter grades, more value than others when determining final grades.
  • The weight value is used to multiply the points earned and the points possible.

EXTRA CREDIT

  • You can determine the extra credit points on the Assignments window.
  • PowerTeacher gradebook takes the total sum of Points Possible and Extra Points to determine the maximum points available on the assignment.
  • When entering the score on the Scoresheet or Score Inspector, you cannot enter a value greater than the maximum score that appears on the Assignments Detail window in the Max field.

STANDARDS BASED GRADES (Optional)

  • You can assign any number of standards to an assignment, and score each standardseparately. Reporting on standards is also available.

SCORESHEET WINDOW

  • In the SCORESHEET WINDOW, you can createscoreassignments, vieweditfinal grades for students enrolled in a class.
  • The SCORESHEET WINDOWis comprised of the following three modes:

ASSIGNMENTS / SUMMARY:
ASSIGNMENTS MODEis where assignments are created, scores entered, and the overall course grade is calculated. Teachers enter in assignment details and student scores and comments that appear in the parent portal.
ACTIONS:
  • Create assignments
  • View/edit assignment details
  • Enter/edit assignment scores and attributes
  • View mean/median/mode summary scores
  • View total absent and tardy marks for a student for the selected reporting term.

FINAL GRADES / SUMMARY:
FINAL GRADEMODEdisplays all students’ final standards and course grades, along with the category totals, for the selected reporting term. Changes made in Assignments mode and Student View mode display immediately in Final Grades mode.
This is a great mode to review student's final grades before report card time.
ACTIONS:
  • View additional final grade items and details
  • Enter/edit final grades for the class
  • Revert to calculated grade
  • Enter final grade comments
  • View mean/median/mode summary scores
  • View total absent and tardy marks for a student for the selected reporting term.

STUDENT VIEW / SUMMARY:
The STUDENT VIEWMODElists all assignments on the left. Teachers can select any student to get a concise look at all of a student’s assignment, course grades, and standards final grades across all reporting terms. This mode was designed for analyzing a student’s performance, reviewing the calculated standards grades, and making final grades determinations. This mode is also great for parent/teacher or student/teacher conferences.
ACTIONS:
  • View/edit scores for all assignments for a single student for the selected term
  • View all previous reporting term scores
  • View all comments for a single student for the selectedterm
  • Override the final score for a student
  • View average scores for all students in a selected group
  • View mean/median/mode summary scores, as well as standards calculations for a single student or averagesfor all selected students
  • View total absent and tardy marks for a student for the selected reporting term.

VIEW SCORESHEET