Class Mate Contents

Overviews:

What is Class Mate

Using the Programs Main Screen

The Sample Class

How To...

Register Students

Start a New Class

Set up and Edit a Class

Assign Grade Symbols

Add or Drop Students

Assign Grade Catagories

Add a New Subject

Create a New Assignment

Enter Grades

Drop the Lowest Grades from a Category

Apply a Curve to an Assignment

Record Attendance Grades

Use the Grade Calculator

Set up Grade Periods

Print Reports


What is Class Mate

Class Mate is a teacher grading tool.  It automates the tasks involved in maintaining student records, and provides accurate and quick reporting of student and class grade averages.  The program supports multiple classes, multiple subjects, user defined grade categories, and will calculate grades for any time periods within the class starting and ending dates.  Class Mate allows the teacher to define grade categories and assignments, enter grades, and instantly view student and class averages as well as other data relating to student and class performance. The teacher can see the effect a score will have on a students average even before recording it.

The program is to use, with most tasks performed on one screen, with results instantly visible.


Using the Programs Main Screen

The main program screen displays all information on the currently open class..  Open a class by choosing Class/Open form the main menu and select the class to open.

The program screen is divided into three main areas, the Students List, the Assignments List, and the Grades List.  The tab key or the mouse can be used to switch between these three areas.

The Students List, on the left hand side of the main screen, displays a listing of all students, their grade average, the number of grades recorded for the student, and can be scrolled horizontally to also display the class rank and the student ID.Use the mouse (or arrow keys when the Students List is selected) to select the student whose information will be displayed in the Assignments List.

The Assignments List in the center of the screen displays  information for the student currently selected in the Students List.  It shows the grade categories and category averages, all assignments within the categories, the grades and grade status.  Scrolling horizontally also displays the class average for each assignment, the current category weight for that student, and the assigned weight.  While the Assignments List is selected you can create new assignments, change assignment names and due dates, and enter grades by student.  The assignment selected in the Assignments List is summarized in the Grades List.

The Grades List on the right side of the screen lists all students, grades and the grade status for the assignment currently selected in the Assignments List.  The Grades List is used to enter grades by assignment.

The Sort Option above the Students List determines how the students will be sorted in display lists and reports.

The Period Option and Dates Entry Controls above the Assignments List are to set the starting and ending dates of the grading period.  When the Period Option is turned on, all calculations, including those on reports, will only reflect those assignments which fall in between the two dates.  With the Period Option turned off all assignments will be considered.  The period dates and period option are saved between sessions.

The Options choice from the main menu provides four features.  Show Drops allows dropped students to display on screen and reports, and uses their grades in calculating class averages.  Auto Zero assigns a zero grade to assignments that are past due.  Sounds toggles sounds on or off, and Logo on Reports toggles whether or not the Class Mate logo prints on reports.

If a class has multiple subjects, you can switch between subjects by clicking the appropriate tab at the bottom of the screen.


Editing a Class

The Class Edit screen allows you to Assign Grade Symbols, Assign Grade Catagories,, Add Students,, , pre set grade periods, and set up Subjects.. The Class Edit screen will automatically open after you set up a new class. When done editing the class press the Done button to record the changes. If you need to change a class after it is created, select Class/ Edit from the main menu, and tab of the area you wish to change.

To delete a class select Class/Delete from the main menu.  Deleting a class will remove all records pertaining to the class and it may not be recovered.  Students are not deleted from the database when deleting a class unless you specify.

You can import students, categories, and assignments form a previous class to speed setting up the class.  To import, choose File/Import from the menu, select the class to import from, and select the options from the import screen.

If you import students, all students from the import class will be added to the open class.  Importing categories is allowed only if no categories for the destination class have been created, and you may not import assignments unless you are also importing categories.  When importing students, transfer grades are not inherited.


Starting a New Class

To start a new class, select New from the File or Class menu.  Fill in the course name, class starting and ending dates, and starting and ending times.  Press the Save button to add the new class.

The Class Edit screen will automatically open.


Opening a Class

To open a class, select Class/Open from the menu.  Select the class you wish to work with in the class list.  Once open the class set up information may be edited by selecting Class/Set Up.


Adding Students to a Class

To add a student to the open class, choose Add/Drop from the Student menu, or choose Class/Edit and click the Students tab.  Type in the student ID or press the Select button to choose from the list of registered students.  Multiple students may be added using the Select button.  The Add Date field will default to the class starting date, but may be manually changed.  If appropriate enter the starting grade information.  Press the OK button to add each student.  Alternatly, you can drag a student record and drop it on the Students List to add it to the class.

To drop a student from a class, proceed just as adding a student; however, enter a drop date.  Once a drop date is entered the student will no longer appear in the class window and any grades will not be used in calculating class averages, unless the Show Drop Option is turned on.  All grades will however be preserved and a student can be re-added by removing the drop date.

To permanently delete a student from a class, proceed as to add, and press the delete button.  Any grades recorded will be removed.

When the All Subjects Option is checked, adding, dropping, or deleting students will automatically apply to all subjects in the class. If not they will only apply to the currently open subject.

See Also:

Registering Students


Register Students

Before a student may be added to a class, the student must be registered.  From the Student Menu choose Register.  Type in a unique ID for the student.  The Student ID may be up to 11 characters long, and may be comprised of letters and/or numbers.  The ID should be the same identifier used by the school to identify students (i.e. Social Security Number, Student Number, etc.) If you want Class Mate to generate a unique id for you, press the Auto Id button. The last name and first name fields are also required before a student may be registered.  All other fields are optional. Note:  Since letters are allowed in the student ID, an alphabetic sort is used when sorting by ID.  To sort correctly when using numbers all IDs should have the same number or characters. (i.e., use 001,002...010, instead of 1,2,...10)

Once all required fields are entered, select the OK button to complete registration.  The student may now be added to classes.

To permanently delete a student from the database, enter the Student ID or press the Select button to select the student from the student list.  Press the Delete button to remove the student.  To manage the size of your student database, you should occasionally delete students that will no longer be needed to add to future classes.. When deleting a class you will be given the option of deleting any students who are not enrolled in other classes.

See Also:

Adding Students to a Class


Assign Category Weights

Before adding assignments, grade categorys must be created.  Select Class\Edit from the menu, and select the category tab.  For a new category, press the New button.  Enter a category name (i.e., Homework, Classwork, Tests, Final Exam, etc.), and a category weight that will be the percentage the category will contribute to the total grade.  If the category weight is zero, the grades will not be used in calculating student averages.

You may use as many categories as necessary, but the total weights of all categories may not exceed 100%.  If all grades will count equally, set up just one category (i.e., All Grades) and assign its weight at 100%. Until a grade is recorded in a category, the weights of all other categories are proportionally incremented to equal 100% when calculating averages.  Category names and weights may be edited at any time.

The category weight shown in the Assignments List and on the Student Progress Reports will not necessarily agree with the final weight for that category.  It will reflect the current weight the category is actually contributing towards the total grade. (see How Grades Are Calculated).


Enter Grades

Grades may be entered as either a grade % (in the grade column), or a raw score (in the score column). Either way the other is automatically calculated. When entering, the value in the maximum points field for that assignment is used in calculating the grade % or score. If you calculate grade % manually when you grade assignments, you can always leave the maximum points value set at 100. In this case the grade and score will be identical.

There are two methods of entering grades into Class Mate, by assignment or by student. When entering grades by either method, any number between may be entered in the grade field, but a warning will be sounded if the grade is higher than 100.  This capability of entering grages greater than 100 is intended to allow for extra credit etc.  Press the Waive Button (or press keypad star) to indicate that this grade will not be counted (excused) in computing averages for this student.  Grades can be changed by retyping a new grade over the old grade.  to record a zero grade, a zero must be entered in order for it to be recorded.  To un-record a grade, press the Unrecord Button while the grade is selected.

Once a grade is recorded, there will be an x the grade status column next to the grade, or a w if the grade has been waived.

See also:

Entering grades by Student

Entering Grades by Assignment

How Grades are Calculated


Grade Status

The grade status is indicated in the column to the right of the grade in both the Assignments List and the Grades List.  It also prints on reports.

When blank, it indicates that no grade has been entered for this assignment, and the grade is not being used in calculating the students average (The numeric grade will appear as a zero).  An x indicates the grade has been recorded, and a w indicates the grade has been waived for that student and is not counted.  When the Zero if Late option is on, an a indicates the zero grade is being automatically counted since the grade is past due. If the assignment has been curved, the status appears as a !, A grade dropped by using the Drop Lowest Grade feature is designated as a d

While entering grades but before recording them (by pressing the Save button), an n indicates a new grade, a c indicates a changed grade, a w indicates a grade to be waived, and a u indicates the grade is to be unrecorded.


Generate Reports

Select Reports from the menu to see a list of available reports, and select the report you wish to print.  All reports will apply to the currently open class, and the current period (if the period option is on). For classes with multiple subjects, you will be prompted to choose the subject(s) you wish to print the report for.

The available reports are:

♦	Student Progress Report:.  This report prints a complete recap for each student selected.  It includes all grades, and category averages, and shows the students class ranking.  Distributing this report regularly to your students enhances their awareness of their standing in the class.

♦	Student Progress Summary:  This report is more practical to print for classes that have multiple subjects, or if you want to recap all pre set grade periods. It shows the average for each subject (if any) for each pre set grade periods, and the overall average(s).

♦	Gradebook:  This report is a standard gradebook of all grades printed in chronological order.  The class average for each assignment is also shown.

♦	Class Summary:  The class summary shows the current average for each student in the class and shows the current grade distribution.

♦	Subject Summary:  If the class has multiple subjects, this report shows each students average for each student

♦	Assignment Summary: Similar to the class summary, but shows only grades for the currently selected assignment.

♦	Worksheet:  The worksheets provide an easy way for you to tabulate grades before transferring them to Class Mate.

♦	Student Address List:  This option prints a list of students, their addresses, and their phone numbers by class, assuming you entered this information when registering the students.

♦	Class Grade Distribution: Plots the student averages for the class.

♦	Assignment Grade Distribution: Plots the grades for the currently selected assignment

♦	Attendance Summary:  This report recaps monthly attendance grades entered for a class.

♦	Attendance Worksheet:  Provides a form for recording attendance grades for monthly periods.


Transfer Grades

If a student transfers into a class and a has previous grade that you wish to use in calculating the final grade you may enter this information in the Add/Drop student window.  Select Class/Edit from the main menu and click the Student tab.  Enter a grade in the Transfer Grade field.  Next, enter the weight to be applied to this grade in the Transfer Grade Weight field.

The transfer grade and weight will be used in calculating the students average for the class and the weight of all other grade categories will be reduced accordingly.  Transfer grades are only considered when viewing the final grade (when the Period Option is turned off).  The transfer grade will appear in the Assignments List as a separate grade category, but can only be edited in the Student Add/Drop window.

See Also..

Adding Students


Add Assignments
Add Assignments and Delete Assignments

From the Main screen select the category (or an assignment within that category) in the Assignments List.  Press the New Button or choose Grades\New Assignment from the menu.  The Add Assignments Window will open with a default name and due date.  Make sure the assignment is in the correct category.  You can rename and set the due date now or at a later time.  Press OK to add the assignment. You can use the calendar to select the correct due date. The blue dates on the calendar are those falling between the class start and end dates.  Once created, the assignment may be edited by double clicking on the assignment or pressing the Enter Key while the assignment is selected.  Assignment names and due dates may be changed at any time, and you can even move an assignment to a different category.

To delete an assignment select the assignment in the Assignment List and choose Grades/Delete Assignment from the main menu.


Entering Grades by Assignment

To enter grades by assignment, select the assignment in the Assignments List.  The Grades List at the right hand side of the screen will display each student as well as the current grade (if any) for that student.  Enter or change grades in the Grades List as necessary and complete each entry with the Enter key.  When all grades for the assignment are entered, press the Save button to record the grades.  You may cancel all entries at any time before recording with the Cancel button. You can also enter grades into the Grades List directly from the Grade Calculator.

Entering Grades by Assignment is usually the easiest method when first recording grades for a new assignment.


How Grades are Calculated

Grade averages are calculated by first averaging all grades within each category.  The category averages are weighted by the current category weight to determine the overall average.  If category weights add up to less than one hundred, or if a category does not yet contain any grades, the other category weights are incremented proportionally.

For example, a class is created with three categories, homework, tests, and final exam, and each category is weighted at 33.3% of the overall grade.  Since the final exam category will have no grades until the final day of the class, the other categories will each contribute 50% to the students average until the final exam grade is entered.

If a Transfer Grade and weight are entered when adding the student to the class, the transfer grade is given its assigned weight and all other category weights are proportionally decremented.  Transfer grades are only used when the Period Option is turned off, so they are used only to determine the students final grade.

Note that the class average calculation does not include students with no grades.


Entering Grades by Student

To enter grades by student, first select the student in the Students List.  Select the assignment(s) in the Assignments List, and enter the new grade(s).  Enter as many grades as you wish for the selected student, and then press the Save Button to record the grades.  If you wish to cancel the grades you have entered you can press the Cancel Button at any time before you save the grades.

As each grade is entered, the new average will be displayed for that student in the box above the Assignments List, so you can use this method to see the effect hypothetical grades will have on a students average, and then cancel the changes.


Maximum Grade

The maximum grade calculation that appears above the Assignments List is the grade the selected student would make if he or she were to score 100% on all un recorded grades for the current class or current class period.  As new assignments are added this number will increase.  Once all assignments are defined, this is the best grade the student can achieve for the class or period.


Assigning Grade Symbols

To assign or edit the letter symbols given to numeric grades, choose Edit from the File or Class Menu.  In the Symbols Section press New to add a new range and corresponding letter grade that will apply to this class.  You can use up to fifteen ranges.


Using the Grade Calculator

To use the Grade Calculator, press the Grade Calculator button on the main class screen.  This feature will automatically calculate the correct grades for your assignments.  First enter the number of questions or items, for the assignment or test.  Next enter either the number of correct or incorrect answers in the appropriate field.  The grade is calculated.  To transfer grades directly to the Grades List, click on the student you wish to receive the grade, and press the Give Grade button.  Repeat this process until all your grades are entered.  Be sure to press the Save button to record the grades.


Setting up Grade Periods

If your classes only require you to report a grade at the end of the class, then you will not need to use the Period Option, leave it set to off.  If you are required to give report cards at specific intervals during the class you can set the Period Dates to calculate averages for any period, and turn the option off at the end of the class (or any other time) to give the final average, or any other year to date average.

You can pre-set and name periods (First Six Weeks, etc.) while editing or setting-up a new class. If periods are pre-set, press the Pick button by the dates area and you can select from the list of pre-set periods to change the dates.

For Example:

Your class runs from 9/15 through 5/22, with report cards due on 9/20, 11/1, 1/10, 2/14, 4/16 and 5/22.  Additionally on 5/22 a final exam is given, and you must issue the final grade.  The final exam is only counted towards the final grade and is not counted in the sixth period.

♦	During the first grade period, set the Period Dates from 9/20 to 11/1 and turn the Period Option on.  (You could also just leave the period option off for this period since the are no other grades.)

♦	During the second period set the dates to 11/2 to 1/10 and turn the Period Option on.  Repeat this process for periods three through five.

♦	For the sixth period set the dates at 4/17 to 5/21 (not 5/22). This will isolate the final exam from the last period.  (Make sure no other assignments are set due on the same day as the final.

♦	Turn the option off to get the final grade after the final exam.

You can use a similar technique to isolate a midterm exam if you were required to give a separate midterm average.

The Period Option and Period Dates are saved between sessions, so once you set them you can probably leave them alone until the start of the next period, but you can change them at any time if you need to look at a previous period  You can turn the Period Option off at any time to view or print the current year to date averages.  The Assignments List and all Reports will always include only those assignments that fall within the period dates.  With a little ingenuity you can handle event the most complex grading schemes by manipulating the assignment due dates and the Period Dates.

Remember also that Category Weights can be changed at any time, and assignments can easily be moved from one category to another.  You could set up a Dummy category with a weight of zero and transfer assignments in and out of this category to make assignments invisible in calculating averages for a particular period or purpose.


Droppont the Lowest grades from a Category

If you wish to drop the lowest grade(s) from a category, select any assignment within that category as the current assignment, and pick Grades/Drop Lowest from the main menu. You can designate whether this method is applied to only the current student or to the entire class. You may also specify that this be carried out for all subjects in a class with multiple subjects, and to only assignments in the currently viewed period, or for the entire class period. Press OK to drop the grade(s).

A dropped grade status shows as a d in the status column and on reports, and is not used in calculating averages.

To restore dropped grades for a category select Grades/Drop Lowest, then click the Restore all Dropped Grades option, and press OK.

Each time you repeat dropping the lowest grades for a category, the old dropped grades are restored and the new lowest grade(s) are dropped.


Applying a Curve to an Assignment

Once grades are entered for an assignment, you can curve the grades by choosing Grades/Curve Assignment. Select the method and the options for the curve. The do not curve zero grades option specifies that grades entered as a zero are not curved. The do not use zero as minimum grade option uses the lowest non zero grade when the minimum grade is used as the basis for the curve. Next choose the basis for the curve in the Formula Box. You can select either the highest grade, the average grade or the minimum grade as the basis for the curve. Once selected the current value for that item is displayed in the Equal to field. Change this value to what you want the new value to be. The result line will display the effect the curve will have on the grades. Press OK to apply the curve and return to the main screen. You can review the changes before saving or canceling them.

To restore a curved grade, choose Grades/Curve Assignment and press the OK button.

Once a curve is applied to an assignment its status will be shown as a ! in the status column and on reports. You can not edit or add new grades to a curved assignment unless you restore it first.


Entering Attendance Grades

To record attendance choose Grades/Enter Attendance from the main menu. The Assignments List will change to reflect the dates of the class, and the column headings change to allow attendance entries. Just as in entering grades, you select a student in the Students List to display his Attendance grades in the Assignments List, and select a date in the Assignments List to view all attendance grades in the Grades List. Attendance grades may also be entered by student (in the Assignments List) or by date (in the Grades List). Enter a grade by clicking on the grade column, or pressing the Enter key  to toggle between Absent, Late, and no entry. The type similarly column toggles between Excused and Un excused.


The Sample Class

Using the Sample Class is the fastest way for you to learn to use Class Mate. This Help Screen will automatically open whenever the Sample Class is opened. There are also help topics available for most of the tasks you will need to do while using Class Mate. Press the Contents button above to see a list of the help topics.

If you are a new user it is recommended that you spend some time familiarizing yourself with the features of Class Mate by making changes to the sample class. You should read and print this topic and the help topic Using the Programs Main Screen. The Sample Class is set up to demonstrate most of the features of Class Mate, such as multiple subjects and pre set period dates. You may or may not require these features when you set up your own classes.

Select a student in the Students List and his or her assignment grades will appear in the Assignments List in the center of the screen. Select an assignment in the Assignments List, and the scores for all students will appear in the Grades List on the right side of the screen. Practice setting up new assignments (press the New button), changing an assignment (double click on any assignment), deleting assignments, entering grades, changing grades, unrecording grades, and waiving grades. See How to Enter Grades. Print some sample reports by selecting Reports from the menu. The Student Progress Report and the Gradebook are reports that you will probably use extensively., Consider distributing Progress Reports to your students on a regular basis.

Turn the Period Option on, and change the dates in the Dates area to view just the grades and averages that fall between those dates. (Make sure the dates you enter fall between the Sample Classes starting and ending dates, 9/1/96 through 5/1/97). Change the Sort Option to see the different ways to display the students list. The dates and sort options will also be reflected in the reports you print. Turn the period option back off to view the students overall averages. Click on of the Subject Tabs to change to a different subject.

Very Important! Before you set up your own classes, select Class from the main menu and pick Edit while the Sample Class is open. Browse through the tabs on the class set-up screen to see how the Sample Class is set up. These forms will make much more sense to you when you have first seen them completed and can associate them with a class. Practice adding a new student to the class, and dropping or deleting a student. You can change the way the grade categories are weighted and the new averages will be reflected when you return to the main screen. You can add a new subject to the class here, and you can view or change the pre set grading periods or the symbols that are associated with numeric grades. See the help topic How to Set up and Edit a Class.

It is recommended that you do not delete or change the name of the Sample Class. If you are ever unsure of how to proceed with something while working with your own classes, try it first on the sample class.


Adding Subjects

To add multiple subjects to a class choose Class/Edit from the menu and click the Subjects tab.  Press the New button to add a subject name.  The new subject will automatically inherit all students, categories, and symbols from the currently open class.  Once created, however, these items may be edited and may vary for each subject.

You may have up to ten subjects per class.