Copyright: Copyright © 1997 Class Mate Grading Tools   Wednesday, April 15, 1998 15:37:43


Contents

1 Getting Started

 Program Installation

 What is Class Mate

 Using the Programs Main Screen

 The Sample Class

 Program Maintenance

2 Classes and Students

Registering Students

Creating a New Class

Setting or Editing Class Options

Assigning Letter Grades

Assigning Category Weights

Adding Students to a Class

Setting up Grading Periods

Classes with Multiple Subjects

Creating Seating Charts

Setting Program Options

3 Assignments, Grades, and Grading

Adding Assignments

Entering Grades

Entering Grades by Assignment

Entering Grades by Student

Grade Status

Transfer Grades

Extra Credit Grades

Maximum Grade

How Grades are Calculated

Dropping the Lowest Grade(s) from a Category

Applying a Curve to an Assignment

T-scores

Conduct Grades

Entering Attendance Grades

Student Comments

4. Reports

Printing Reports

Custom Letterheads

5 Preparing Documents

Preparing Documents

How Class Mate Handles Documents

Setting up to use Documents

Class Mates Mail Merge Files

Information on Mail Merge and the Word Templates

6 Exporting Data

2 Exporting Data

2 Creating a new Export Job


Installing Class Mate
Program Installation

To start the Class Mate Setup program in Windows 3.x:

Insert the installation disk into your floppy drive.

Choose File/Run from the Program Manager.

Type A:\Setup (or B:\Setup) in the Run dialog, and press OK

To start the Class Mate Setup program in Windows 95:

Insert the installation disk into your floppy drive.

From the Start Menu, choose Settings/Control Panel.

Choose Add/Remove Programs and then press the Install button.

Windows 95 will guide you through the installation process.

To report any problems setting up or using Class Mate, or to make suggestions for future versions, write or fax to:

Class Mate
10844 Sombra Verde
El Paso, TX. 79935
Fax (915) 592-4987

E-mail Sombra2@ix.netcom.com


What is Class Mate
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 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 student's average, even before recording it.

Other features include assignment point weighting, attendance tracking, conduct grades, student comments, seating charts, data export, T-scores, documents, mail merge, and many others. There are also a number of reports available to the teacher or student.

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


Using the Main Program Screen
Using the Programs Main Screen

The main program screen displays all information on the currently open class. Open a class by choosing Class/Open from 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, category averages, all assignments within the categories, the grades, scores and grade status. Scrolling horizontally also displays the class average for each assignment, the current category weight for that student, and assigned category 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. See also setting up gradeing periods.

The three notes buttons in the top right corners of the Class List, Student Assignments List, and the Grades List, allow you to enter notes concerning the class, the selected student, or the selected assignment respectively. The total length of a note may up to two thousand characters (about two pages). Use these areas for any miscellaneous information you wish to record. When entering attendance, the note button in the grades list allows a note for the student selected in the grades list on the date specified. Use this note area to record extra information about absences or tardiness when necessary. Attendance notes are only available if an attendance grade has been recorded for the selected student on the given date. Attendance notes are limited to one hundred and twenty eight characters.

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

Press the right mouse button anywhere on the mail screen to activate a popup menu for frequently used options.


The Sample Class

Using the Sample Class is the fastest way for you to learn to use Class Mate.

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 preset 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 Assignment button), changing an assignment (double click on any assignment), deleting assignments, entering grades, changing grades, un recording 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 Grade book 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 one 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 letter grades that are associated with numeric grades. See the topic Setting or Editing Class Options.

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.


Program Maintenance
Maintaining Class Mate

As with any program that stores critical data, you should backup your data regularly. Use the File/Backup feature of Class Mate to create a backup diskette. If your data files ever become damaged or corrupted, use File/Restore to return to your backup copy. Backup and restore also make it easy for you to work with two computers if you use computers both at home and school.

If you are using the document tracking features of Class Mate, the file docs.tps will be backed up whenever you create a backup diskette. This file contains information on the names and location of the documents on your computer. When you use restore, this file is not automatically restored. Since you may use backup and restore to share information on more than one computer, it is likely that the documents you create or the application you use to create them with may not exist on both computers, or that the path names will differ. You can restore this file manually if it ever becomes necessary.


Registering Students

Before adding a student 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.) 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 ID’s should have the same number or characters. (i.e., use 0001,0002...0010, instead of 1,2,...10)

The student alias or PIN is the value that will print on reports to identify a student. By default this will be the same as the student ID. When you print reports, you will be given the option of hiding the student names, so that you can post the report for students to review. In cases where it is inappropriate to list the student ID on a posted report, you can change the student PIN to a value that is known only to the student.

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. If you delete a student who is still in a class, you will see **NOT ON FILE** for the students name. You will have to re register the student before you can make any changes, such as dropping or deleting him from the class.


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 time. Press the Save button to add the new class. The Unique ID field is used for data export to identify this class to external programs. Unless you are exporting to administrative software, you may probably leave this field blank.

The Class Editscreen will automatically open to begin setting up the class.


Editing a Class

The Class Edit Screen allows you to assign letter grades, grade categories, grading options, add students, pre set grade periods, and multiple subjects. When done editing the class, press the Done button to record the changes. If further editing becomes necessary, select Class Edit and the appropriate tab.

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 from 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 new 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.


Assigning Grade Symbols
Assigning Letter Grades

To assign or edit the letter symbols given to numeric grades, choose Edit from the File or Class Menu. In the Symbols Section fill in the numeric ranges and corresponding letter grades that will apply to this class. You can use up to fifteen ranges. Leave unused ranges blank.


Assigning Category Weights

Before adding assignments, grade categories 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% (excluding extra credit categories). 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).

There are two options you can set on the category tab that change the way grades are calculated if you don’t want to use the default method of category weighting. These options are ‘Use Category Weighting’ and ‘Use Assignment Point Weighting’. Combining these options gives the following results.

1.	Category Weighting = OFF, Point Weighting = OFF: If you select this combination all assignments are counted equally in determining the overall average, regardless of category weight definitions or assignment point values.

1.	Category Weighting = ON, Point Weighting = OFF: All assignments count equally in determining the category average. Category averages are weighted to determine the overall average. (This is the default method)

1.	Category Weighting = OFF, Point Weighting = ON: The overall average is determined by weighting the assignments according to their point values. Category weighting is ignored.

1.	Category Weighting = ON, Point Weighting = ON: The assignments are weighted by their point values to determine the category average. The categories are then given their weighted values to determine the overall average.

NOTE: Changing these options can give vastly different results with the same set of grades. If you use Assignment Point Weighting, keep in mind that when you set up each assignment, you must give it a point value that is used to determine it’s relative weight in comparison to other assignments in the class or category (depending on whether Category Weighting is also used). An assignment with a value of 100 will count 20 times as much as a 5-point assignment in the class or category.

Even if you don’t use category weighting, you must still create at least one category, and its defined weight must not be zero. If you want assignment weighting only, you can still set up multiple categories in order to break up your assignments into groups such as classwork, homework etc. Each category must be given a weight other than zero, even if category weights are not in use.

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.

See the section on Extra Credit Assignments for help with setting up extra credit categories.


Adding Students to a Class

To add a student to the open class, chose 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. Alternately 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 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. You should delete a student from a class only if you will not need to keep records on grades or attendance. Otherwise you should drop the student as described above.

When the All Subjects Option is checked, adds, drops, or deletes will automatically apply to all subjects in a class.

See Also:

Registering Students.


Setting up Grading Periods

You can view results for any time within the class period ‘on the fly’ by turning the period option on, and setting the period dates above the Assignments List. You may also pre set period dates and period names for a class and press the Pick button to select between the pre set periods. Pre set periods also have the advantage of printing the period name (i.e. First Six Weeks) on reports, and all pre set periods are recapped on the Progress Summary Report. To pre set periods choose Class/Set Up from the main menu. Click the period tab the press New to define a period. Enter the name and the start and end dates for the period, and press OK.

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. 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 next to the ‘period to’ date 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 even the most complex grading schemes by manipulating the assignment due dates and the Period Dates.


Adding Multiple Subjects
Adding Subjects

If you give multiple grades to the same group of students, you can set up multiple subjects for your class. This is typical of many elementary school systems, but can be used for other purpose such as when a class requires a separate lecture and lab grade.

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, these items may be edited and may vary for each subject. You may have up to ten subjects per class.


Creating Seating Charts

You can create, print and save seating charts for your classes (up to 64 seats per chart). Select Students/Seating Chart from the main menu.

1. Change the rows & columns to reset the desks in you room.

2. Select a desk by clicking on in with the mouse.

3. Use the arrow keys to move the selected desk around to more accurately represent your classroom. Move desks together to make a table, etc.

4. Press the Random button to populate the desks at random, or the Order button to populate by whatever order is currently selected in the Students List (name, Id or rank).

5. Cut and paste using the scissors and clipboard icons, drag and drop from the Students List, or just type in new names to change your chart.

6. Press print to print your seating chart and Save to save it to disk.

7. Press OK to return to the main screen.


Program Options
Options

The Options menu contains a number of features you can change to your preferences

Program Set up: From the Options/Program Set Up selection in the main menu, you can define or change the program default settings. In the General tab, enter the information for the teacher name, address, and title. The teacher name and title appear on all reports. Address information is for data export only. The Reports tab lets you pick options on what will print on reports as well as setting up custom letterheads. The Documents tab is where you set up options for creating documents.

See the sections on Creating Custom Letterheads, Preparing Documents, and Data Export for information on how to use these options.

Set Numeric Format: Use this option to change the format for showing numbers and dates on screens and reports.

Show Drops: When this option is on students who have been dropped will appear on screens and reports. Their grades will also be used in calculating class and assignment averages.

Zero if Late: If on, an assignment will count as a zero if no grade is recorded and it is past due.

Use Language Translation: If you want to use foreign language words and phrases on reports, you can turn this feature on and then edit the Language section of the Clasmate.ini file with the words you want to use. Clasmate.ini is a text file and can be edited with any text editor such as Notepad. The Language section is in the format CLASS=Class, where the first part is the English word or phrase that usually prints, and the second part is the word you want to replace it with. To change the word class to Spanish, for example, edit the line to read CLASS=Clase. As much room as possible was left on reports to accommodate longer words than their English counterpart, but this varies from report to report. Use abbreviations or alternate words if necessary when space requires.


Adding Assignments

From the main screen select the category (or an assignment within that category) in the Assignments List. Press the New Assignment 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. Enter the assignment name and due date. For extra credit assignments, check the extra credit box. If you want this assignment to be omitted when printing progress and missing assignment reports when no grade is entered, check the ‘don’t report if missing’ box. The Maximum Points field is used to determine the grade % when the score for the assignment is entered, and the relative weight to count the assignment when assignment point weighting is in use. This field also determines the amount the assignment will contribute if it is defined as an extra credit assignment. See the section on Extra Credit Assignments to see how extra credit assignments are counted.

Press OK to add the assignment.

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 create multiple assignments at one time, set the repeat field to the number of assignments you want created, and the start field to the number to use for the first assignment. If you name the assignment Lesson, and set repeat to 10 and start to 1, you will get 10 assignments: Lesson 1, Lesson 2 … Lesson 10.

The Maximum Points field is used to determine the grade % when the score for the assignment is entered, and the relative weight to count the assignment when assignment point weighting is in use. This field also determines the amount the assignment will contribute if it is defined as an extra credit assignment. See the section on Extra Credit Assignments to see how extra credit assignments are counted.

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


Entering 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. When entering a score, you can enter the number of points missed on the assignment as well as the number of points earned. To enter the number of points missed, enter a negative number. The number will be converted to the raw score when you press enter to accept the entry, based on the maximum points for that assignment. If an assignment is set up as 20 points maximum, and you enter a score of -3, the score will be converted to 17, and the grade will be 85.0%. Entering a -3 or a +17 will yield exactly the same result.

There are two methods of entering grades into Class Mate, by assignment or by student. When entering grades by either method, any number may be entered in the grade field. Press the Waive Button (or press keypad star) to indicate that this grade will not be counted (excused) in computing averages for this student. Change a grade by retyping a new grade over the old grade. To record a zero or null grade, a zero must be entered in order for it to be recorded. To unrecord a grade, press the Unrecord Button while the grade is selected.

You can enter a null grade by pressing the keypad plus key then the zero key. A null grade is equivalent to a zero grade in all calculations except that they are not used in calculating the assignment average (therefore having no effect on T-score calculations), and the T-score of a null grade is undefined. A null score differentiates between a zero meaning ‘no correct responses’ and a zero meaning ‘assignment not turned in’ (a null). Their primary purpose is to eliminate distortion of T-score calculations caused by zero grades due to missing assignments, but you can also use them to indicate the meaning of a zero grade even if you don’t use T-scores.

Once a grade is recorded, there will be a checkmark icon next to the assignment or an X icon if the grade has been waived.

Related Topics:

 Entering Grades by Assignment

 Entering Grades by Student


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 assignment 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 saving with the Cancel Button.

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


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.


Grade Status

The grade status on screen is indicated by the icon appearing next to the assignment name in the Assignments List or next to the student name in the Grades List. On reports the grade status is indicated by a letter symbol to replace the icon.

In general, a green colored icon means the grade is counting and a red one for when a grade is not counting. A ? indicates that no grade has been entered for this assignment and the grade is not being used in calculating the student’s average (The numeric grade will appear as a zero). A check mark indicates the grade has been recorded (this changes to a + for extra credit assignments). , An X indicates the grade has been waived for that student and is not counted. When the Zero if Late option is on, 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 an !, A grade dropped by using the Drop Lowest Grade feature is designated as a d. A grade recorded as a null grade will display a check mark with an x next to it.


Transfer Grades

If a student transfers into a class and has a 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 student’s final 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.


Extra Credit Grades
Extra Credit Grades:

There are two methods available for entering extra credit assignments. The first is to designate an assignment in an existing category as extra credit. The maximum points field determines the amount of extra credit the grade will count for. When calculating the average, the points earned are added to the numerator, but the points available are not added to the denominator. If an extra credit assignment is worth 100 points, giving a student a 50% on this grade will be the equivalent of adding 50 points to any other grade in the same category (that is also worth 100 points if assignment weighting is in effect). How much this contributes to the final grade depends on the category weight (if using category weighting), assignment point weighting and the number of assignments.

Another method is to create an extra credit category. Define the category weight as the total number of points that the category may add to the final average at any time. All assignments within the category are averaged, and that percentage of the defined weight is added to the calculated student average.

Extra credit grades have no effect on T-score calculations.


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 unrecorded grades for the current class or current class period. If 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.


How Grades are Calculated

If Assignment Point Weighting is in Use

Averages are computed by adding the maximum points field for each counting assignment, and dividing by the cumulative scores for the assignments. The maximum points field for the assignment determines how much to weight each assignment.

IF Assignment Point Weighting is not in Use

The grades (% score) for the assignments are added, then divided by the number of assignments.

IF Category Weighting is in Use:

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

IF Category Weighting is not in Use:

All assignments are accumulated and averaged by the chosen assignment point weighting method, regardless of their category or category weight.

IF a Category Contains no Grades:

If category weighting is in use, all other categories are incremented proportionally to determine each categories current weight. For example, a class is created with three categories, homework (25%), tests (50%), and a final exam category (25%). Since the final exam category will have no grades until the final day of the class, the other categories will count as follows: homework (33.3%) and tests (66.7%). The 2:1ratio between tests and homework is maintained.

IF a Transfer Grade is Entered:

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 and are not used in any grade period calculations.

Note that the class average calculation does not include students without any grades recorded.


Dropping the Lowest Grade(s) from a Category
Dropping the Lowest Grade(s) 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. Extra credit assignments will not be dropped. Press OK to drop the grade(s).

A dropped grade status will have a ‘d’ for the status, 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 don’t curve zero grades option specifies that grades entered as a zero are not curved. The don’t 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 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 an ‘!’. You can not edit or add new grades to a curved assignment unless you restore it first.


T-scores

To have the program calculate T-scores, select Show T-scores from the Options menu. When this option is in use, T-scores are calculated for each assignment and a T-score average is calculated for each student. A T-score is a standard score based on the average and standard deviations for an assignment. Many experts in educational measurement consider them to be more meaningful in evaluating a student’s performance than standard grading methods. By definition a T-score has a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10. While a detailed explanation of evaluating T-scores is beyond the scope here, most texts on educational measurement and testing offer a through description.

When the T-score option is active, extra columns are created on the screen to show the students T-score for each assignment as well as the student’s T-score average. The Class Summary Report will also show the students T-score average. On the Progress Report, the assignment T-score replaces the raw score that is normally shown. Sorting students by rank defaults to the T-score ranking when T-scores are in use.

Zero grades due to missing assignments can distort T-scores. See the section on entering grades for information on entering null scores. Also keep in mind that in calculating the student T-score average, a null score is undefined and has no effect. For students with a large number of null grades, their T-score average will not be useful for comparison to other students T-scores.


Conduct Grades
Entering Conduct Grades

You can enter a conduct grade for a student and optionally have it print on Progress Reports. There can be one conduct grade for each pre set grade period, and one for the class overall grade. When you enter a conduct grade, it will be recorded for whatever period options are currently in effect. If the period option is off, the grade will be recorded as the overall grade. To enter a conduct grade, select Grade/Enter Conduct from the main menu. You can enter up to an eight-character grade or code. Change a conduct grade by entering a new one or blanking the field.


Entering Attendance Grades

To record attendance select the attendance tab. The Assignments List will change to reflect the dates of the class, and the column heading 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 for the selected date 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.


Sudent Comments
Adding Student Comments

You can create comments for students in your class and optionally have them print on the Progress Report and Progress Summary. You can have up to 50 standard comments to choose from, or type in custom comments for each student. To enter or edit comments choose Student/Show Comments from the main menu or click the Comment. tab. Select a student in the Names List and type in or select a comment from the standard comments list. Press Save as Student Comment to record the comment for this student, or Copy to all Students to make this the comment for all students. If you select a comment from the standard comment list with the right mouse button, it will be appended to the end of the existing comment instead of replacing it. To add a new comment to the standard comments list, type it in and press the Save as Standard Comment button. To delete a standard comment, select it and press the Delete button.


Printing Reports

Select Reports from the main 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.

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. You are given the option of including student comments and attendance detail when printing progress reports. Distributing this report regularly to your students enhances their awareness of their standing in the class. When printing progress reports, you can indicate that only assignments for the last x days are listed if you wish to limit the report size.

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 period, and the overall averages. You are given the option of including student comments and attendance detail when printing progress summaries

Grade Book: This report is a standard grade book of all grades printed in chronological order. The class average for each assignment is also shown.

Missing Assignments: Lists all assignments with either nothing entered or a null grade for each student in the class. If a class has multiple subjects, all subjects are included in the report.

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 subject.

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


Custom Letterheads
Using Custom or Preprinted Letterheads on Reports.

Preprinted Letterheads. If you want to print reports on a preprinted letterhead, select Options/Program Set Up/Reports to change the settings for using a letterhead. Select which reports will use letterheads, and how many inches printing will need to be moved down when using a letterhead. Most Class Mate reports start printing at one half inch from the top of the page. If your letterhead is 1 3/4 inches high, you will need to set the increase top margin field at 1.25 inches. Adjust this setting for the best appearance.

Custom Letterheads: You can use a graphics file (BMP, JPG, WMF, PCX, or GIF) that will print as a report letterhead and/or background (BMP files load fastest.). To use a graphics file, create or copy the graphics file onto your computer. From Options/Program Setup, use the Browse button to select the file as the letterhead file. Set the top margin indent as described above.

Creating Custom Letterhead Files

A letterhead file is any graphics file of the above formats, with it’s dimensions set at 8½ by 11 inches so that the image will not appear stretched or distorted when printed on standard paper. (Other sizes can be used, but the 8 ½ by 11 ratio should be maintained). Each class you set up can have it’s own letterhead, or you can use the same file for all of your classes. The easiest way to create a letterhead file is to use a scanner to scan in a preprinted page, save it, and designate it as the letterhead file for a class. You can also create a letterhead file using a graphics programs such as the Windows Paint program, with or without the help of a word processing program.

There are three example letterheads stored in the clasmate directory, LHhanks.bmp, LHthird.bmp, and LHenglsh.bmp). The basic layouts of these files were created with a word processor. The text was typed in first. The logos and clip art images were inserted into the document, and then everything was sized and positioned. Once the final layout was composed, the entire page was selected and copied to the Windows clipboard. The image in the clipboard was then pasted into a blank graphic preset to 8 ½ by 11 using Windows Paint and saved as a .BMP file. The Hankslh.bmp file shows how a very light image can be inserted into the body of the page as a watermark Each letterhead took approximately 30 minutes to an hour to complete. If you decide to create your own letterhead, make sure you have all of the clip art, school logos, etc. available before starting.


Preparing Documents

Class Mate simplifies the preparation and management of documents that you create by tracking them and providing templates. A word processor is usually what you will use to prepare documents, however other programs such as a spread sheet program like Microsoft Excel or Lotus 123 can also be used. Sample templates for common documents such as tests or lesson plans are provided for you to customize, or you can create you own templates for these documents and even create new document types. For use with advanced word processors or other programs, Class Mate creates ‘mail merge’ data files each time a document is created or opened. Mail merge data files can be used to speed up making a new document by having information already filled in, or to create form letters to your students or their parents.

The common document types that Class Mate tracks are Syllabuses, Lesson Plans, Student Notes, Assignment Descriptions, and Tests. Additionally, it will track Letters and ‘Other’ documents that you would like ‘attached’ to your classes. You can create ‘custom’ document types by specifying an application and a template file, and registering it with Class Mate.

Documents are tracked differently depending on the type of document. Syllabuses and Lesson Plans are limited to one document per class. For Student Notes, you can create one document for each student in each class. For each assignment you define, you can have one Assignment Description and/or Test. There is no limit to the number of Letter, Other, or Custom documents you attach to a class.

As well as attaching documents you create within Class Mate, you can also manually attach documents that already exists on your computer, such as a test that is provided by an outside source on diskette. Once attached, a document is always at your finger tips when its class is open. You can copy documents from class to class, or use the same document for more than one class.


How Class Mate Handles Documents

For each registered document type, you specify an application used to open the document and a template file used to create new documents. A template file may be as simple as a blank document created with that application, or may be a more complex document that contains its own pre-formatted text, macros, or mail merge fields. When you select a document type, Class Mate checks to see if the document already exists. If not, one is created by making a new copy of the template file in same directory where the template file is located, and assigning it a unique name. The application is then called to open the document for editing. When you subsequently call for that same type of document, the document is automatically opened. Class Mate uses the currently selected student or assignment for documents specific to students or assignments. You must select the student or assignment before creating or opening a document.


Setting up to use Documents

Choose Documents/Set Up from the main menu, and click the Set Up tab. Fill in the name and address fields. For the Word Processor Command Line field, type in or use the Browse button to find the complete path and file name for the default program you will use to create documents. Read the following sections to help you decide which templates to use.

Setting up the Sample Templates

There are two sets of sample templates provided for the common document types. One set is in Windows Write format (.wri) and the other is Microsoft Word for Windows 6.0 or above (.doc). If you use another word processor, most Windows word processors will convert one or both of these formats for you, or you can create your own templates. The Write templates are your best bet if you are not sure which ones to use and don’t have Word for Windows.

The template files are installed to the \docs sub directory of the Class Mate program (c:\clasmate\docs).

If you will use Windows Write or Windows WordPad Templates:

The template file names are as follows:

1. Sylb.wri	Syllabus Template 	2. Lpln.wri	Lesson Plan Template

3. Asgn.wri	Assignment Template	4. Test.wri	Test Template

5. Stud.wri	Student Notes Template	6. Letr.wri	Letter Template

7. Othr.wri	Other template (blank document)

The Write templates are set as the default when the program is installed.

If you use Microsoft Word for Windows:

The file names are the same as above with a .doc file extention.

To use the Word templates as the default, choose Documents/Set Up from the Main Menu. Select the Set Up Tab. Select Microsoft Word in the Use Templates for option box. Press the Browse button and find the Microsoft Word program file (Winword.exe) in the directory Word was installed to. Press Done.

If you use any other Word Processor:

If you use an alternate word processor such as Word Perfect, you will need to try both sets of templates to decide which one gives the best results. Almost all Windows word processors will be compatible with the Write (.wri) templates. Newer programs will convert the Word templates depending on the version you are using, but may not support all of the features used.

Select Documents/Set Up from the main menu and click the Set Up tab. In the Word Processor Command Line field, type or click Browse to find the path and file to your word processor, and accept this as the new default application. Click the Templates tab and select the Syllabus template. Press the Open button. If your word processor can read Write files, the file will open normally and you will see the Syllabus template. You may be asked what type of file you are converting from (.wri).

Next set up the Word templates as the default as described in the above section on Microsoft Word. Repeat the process above to open the Syllabus template, and note if the document opens correctly.

In general the Word templates are provided only as samples for use with Microsoft Word. The Word templates support the more advanced features of Microsoft Word such as Headers and Footers and Mail Merge. The Test Template also contains ‘auto text’ entries and custom buttons to help you compose tests and quizzes. After selecting which templates to use, choose Documents/Set Up. Select the Set Up tab, and select the set you have decided on in the Use Templates for option box.

If your program won’t convert either format, or you are using a DOS word processor you can use Write or Wordpad to save the Write templates as type text (.txt) files, and convert from these.

Customizing the Templates

Once you decide which templates to use it is a good idea to customize them to your preferences. Start Class Mate and choose Documents/Set Up. Click the Templates tab to view the registered templates. Select a Template to edit and press Open. Change the template to reflect your preferred format for this type of document. Remember that each document you create will start with the text and formatting of the template file. It is worth spending some time perfecting the template and typing in any information that will repeat for other documents of this type, such as your name or your schools name. If your word processor supports mail merge, read the section on Class Mates mail merge files so you can optionally incorporate this feature into your templates. You can use any of the formatting or features available in your word processor with your templates, and this will automatically be reflected in your documents.

When you finish editing the template, save it and close the program to return to Class Mate. Remember that if you change the file name or extension when editing or converting it you must edit the template information so that Class Mate finds the correct template.

Creating Your Own Templates

A template can be created for any of the common document types, or new types you create, by any program that creates a ‘document’ file. Word processors are the most common programs used to prepare documents, however other programs that create specialized documents such as spread sheets may also be used. For example if you like to use a program specifically designed to create tests or quizzes, you can use this program to create a template file, and set up Class Mate to use that template and application each time you create a new test. If you have a good calendar or daily planner program that creates separate calendar files, you may want to use that program to manage your lesson plans. As long as your program supports a command line argument to open a document, Class Mate will track and open the correct document when that class is open.

To create a new template, start the word processor or other application that will be used for this document, and create a new document (usually with a File/New command). You can customize the new template by entering any repetitive information that will appear in all documents of this type, and by formatting the layout and style of the template. Save the new template to your Class Mate /docs sub directory. If you are going to use this template to replace one of the common document type templates supported by Class Mate, it is recommended you use the same file name as the sample templates for that type document, with the programs own default file extension.

Start Class Mate, select Documents/Set Up, and click the Templates tab.

If you are replacing an existing template:

Select the template to replace in the template list, and press the Edit button. Type in or use Browse to find the complete path names for both the template file and the application file. Press the OK button.

If you a creating a custom template:

Enter a template description. Type in or use Browse to find the complete path names for both the template file and the application file. Select the template type in the Document Type option box, and Press the OK button. Except for ‘custom’ document types, there can be only one template per document type.


Class Mates Mail Merge Files
Class Mates Mail Merge Files.

If your word processor doesn’t support mail merge, or if you haven’t used it before, the following information is optional. Every word processor implements mail merge a little differently, and it is not a necessary feature for using the document tracking features of Class Mate. If it works well with your word processor, and you want to use it, it can make your documents a little easier to produce by automatically inserting some information without typing.

Each time you create or open a document from within Class Mate, two text ‘database’ files are written to your /docs sub directory. The structure of the files is based on the export jobs designated as the ones to use when using documents. See the section on data export for a discussion of data export and export jobs. You designate which jobs will be exported in the Options/Program Set Up screen. These files contain information about your class and students, and may be used by any program you prepare documents with that supports mail merge or data import from text files. Each file contains the ‘Field Names’ for that file and subsequent records contain the data that merges with your documents. You use mail merge by inserting the field names in you templates, and the actual information is automatically inserted by your program.

When attaching the text files to templates or documents you create, you may be asked to supply the field separator and/or record terminator used in the data file. This information is set up in the export job definition screen (Class/Export Data).

By default the two export jobs are set as Documents (Classinfo.txt) and Documents (Stuinfo.txt).


Information on Mail Merge and the Word Templates

All of the Microsoft Word templates are mail merge type documents, and are connected to the either the ClasInfo.txt or StuInfo.txt data source files. As stated earlier these files are rewritten each time a document is created or opened. This means that the content of the document will change if the data source files changes. This is usually no problem if the documents are opened from within Class Mate and is even desirable if you want the document updated with current information each time you use it. If you use the same test for two different classes, for example, the class and assignment name will be correct for whichever class is open at the time you use it. If you open the file directly from your word processor, however, the names will be those current at the last time you created or opened a document from within Class Mate.

If you don’t have a reason for leaving a document as a mail merge document, it is a good idea to convert it to a normal document once it is completed. This will ‘lock’ the content of the document, and it will no longer use the data files. To do this in Word choose Tools/Mail Merge, press the Create button, and select Restore to Normal Word Document. You should read your word processors documentation on mail merge for a better understanding of how mail merge can help you prepare documents.

All of the templates with the exception of the Letter template use the ClasInfo.txt file as their data source. The Letter template uses the StuInfo.txt file as its source so you can easily create form letters to your students or their parents. You can insert any of the fields in your template or document, or you can use the fields as Query Options. For example, you could compose a form letter and send it to only those students whose average falls below 70, or rank in the top ten.

The other templates use information from the ClasInfo.txt data source to allow you to have your documents partially filled in when you create them, by inserting mail merge fields into the templates. They contain the ‘boilerplate’ text and pre formatting to help you create documents more easily and to give your documents a constant look. You can customize the templates to reflect your preferences for each type of document.

The Test Template for Microsoft Word

The Test template has custom buttons, auto text entries, and styles to help you prepare tests. These custom features are stored in the Microsoft Word template file ClasMate.dot. There are buttons to insert a new Test Section, a Multiple Choice question, a True or False question, or an Essay question. Using the buttons will automatically number and format your test. For other type questions such as ‘fill in the blank’, use the multiple choice button, type in the question and delete the answer field

When you insert a Multiple Choice question you will see a place to type the question, and a place to type the first answer. When you hit Enter after typing the first possible answer, a new answer field will appear below the first one. Repeat this for as many responses as your question requires. The Essay question button leaves two blank lines to fill in the answer by default. To add additional lines press the tab key and hit enter for each blank line required.

The Test template automatically numbers questions starting with the number one each time a new test section is inserted. If you need your test to be numbered consecutively because answers are being placed on a scan card, don’t use the Test Section button, and type your section instructions manually if necessary.

If you don’t see the toolbar with buttons for inserting test questions when a test document is open, choose View/Toolbars from the Microsoft Word menu, and make sure the toolbar from clasmate.dot is checked.


Exporting Data

Class Mate offers a powerful feature of allowing you to define your own export jobs as a means of sharing data with other programs or creating mail merge data files. Exported data can be used for a simple task such as just creating a text list of student names, to sharing data with database programs such as Microsoft Access, Excel, Lotus 123, or even a schools administrative software. There are a wide variety of data fields that can be included in export jobs as well as support for both fixed and variable length file structures, defining field and record delimiters, where to place exported data files, and weather to generate a header record. These settings are dictated by the abilities of the program importing the data, but most PC based software that allows for data import will accept variable length fields delimited with quotation marks and separated by commas.

To begin to export data choose Class/Export Data from the main menu. You will see a list of export jobs that have already been created. You can edit or delete an existing job, or press Export to begin exporting data. All exported data will reflect the settings currently selected in the main screen. These include the period option, the period dates, the currently selected student, and the currently selected assignment. In many cases the predefined export jobs will be sufficient to handle all of your export requirements. You can edit the predefined jobs, or create new export jobs.


Creating a new Export Job
Creating a new Export Job:

To define a new export job, press the new button.

1.	Give the new export job a job name. The program sets the job number.

1.	If you want this job to always export to the same file, use the browse button to set the path and name for the export job. If not you will be prompted for a file name when exporting.

1.	Set the Data Format, Record Terminator, and Field separators according to the needs of the importing program. (The defaults will work for most PC programs.)

1.	Set the Records to Export options. You can select that the exported file will contain records for only the current student only, or one record for each student. The Export Type options lets you choose between exporting grade and attendance summary information or attendance detail information. If you select Daily Attendance Grades, there will be one record generated for each date in the specified range and you will be prompted to enter the date range at the time the job is exported. Select Class/Student Summary if this export job is to contain grade data versus attendance detail data

1.	Select whether a header record of field names is to be created (required by mail merge and most database programs).

1.	If the export type is attendance, choose whether to exclude records for students in attendance.

1.	If there are multiple subjects for the class, choose if additional records will be generated for each subject.

1.	Select the records to export, by selecting a record from the list of available fields, then the arrow button to add this record to the list of included fields. (Daily attendance grade fields will only be meaningful if the attendance type is defined under records to export.).

1.	Select how the export job is to behave if the export file already exists.

Note: For fixed length files, you can edit the field name and the field width in the included field list. With the field selected, press the enter key and type the new value. Changing the field width has no effect for variable length (DOS) files.

Example 1: A simple student list:

Create an export job with the student full name field as the only included field. Make this job fixed length, with no field delimiters or record separators, and with no header record. Export the file. Use any text editor (such as notepad) or a word processor to open the file. Use this as a way to create simple documents to track things about students such as a file with textbook numbers assigned to each student. Type in the numbers next to the student names.

Example 2: A mail merge data file.

Create an export job with the class name, student full name, student average student last name, and any other data you wish to include in the mail merge letter. Choose the default values for the file, record, and field types and select one record per student with a header record.

In a word processor that supports mail merge, set this file as the data source for a new mail merge document. Type a letter intended for students with a failing average, inserting the merge fields where you would normally type the class name, student name etc. Set the queue options of the mail merge to generate a letter for students whose average falls under a certain value. Print the merged letters.