Customizing Gradebook to Display Section Number

In Gradebook, the default display for sections is name and expression. This creates 2 issues. First, if you teach multiple sections of the same course, it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the different sections. Second, some expressions are very long and cause the section view in Gradebook to be very messy.

Consider below, this teacher teaches two sections of Math 7. Yes, the teacher can check the expression for differences, but Gradebook allows you to display the section number which is often more useful.

Steps:

1. Click on Tools --> Preferences in the Menu Bar.

2. In the pop-up window, navigate to the Section tab, choose section number as the way to distinguish between sections and hit save.

The result is much easier to read and distinguish between sections.

Managing Categories in Gradebook

In Gradebook, categories will carry over from one school year to the next. As a result, your list of categories can eventually become extremely long and you may find that some categories are no longer needed and in the way. 

However, if you have used a category in the past, it cannot be deleted, but you can have moved it to the bottom of your list by editing the name to include "z-". For example, if the category name is ‘Health’, rename it to ‘z-Health’ and the category will sort to the bottom of the list. 

Steps:

1. Double click on the category name to open the edit window.

2. Add "z-" to the front of the name and hit submit.

Also, using a generic category like ‘Unit 1’ can be used in many classes thus reducing the number of categories needed.

Score Inspector Will Not Open or Other Weird Gradebook Preference Issues?

Sometimes the Gradebook properties file seems to get corrupted and it causes a glitch with the Score Inspector or other preferences you have in your Gradebook. For example, you click to open the Score Inspector and it doesn't.

Here is the solution:

1. Save you work and close your Gradebook
2. Open windows explorer
3. Click on you C:/ drive
4. In the search bar on the top right of this window, search for powerschool_gradebook.properties
5. Once found, delete this file.
6. Open Gradebook again and your score inspector will be working. It will also regenerate the properties file.

Using Preferred Name In Gradebook

Many times teachers wish they could display the preferred name of a student in their Gradebook, on Gradebook reports and in Report Card Comments.

There are a couple of set-up items first:

• In all your classes enter the Preferred Name of the students in the appropriate column of the Student Info Tab in Gradebook.

• Under Tools --> Preferences --> Student Tab make sure to check both boxes that make the Preferred Name now active in Gradebook and on all Gradebook Reports.

Once you have them entered using the <preferred name> Smart Text in your comments will make them appear on report cards.