There are 2 basic lengths of courses at CHS: semester and full year. Semester 1 courses end at the end of quarter 2 and require both quarter and final grades during quarter 2, but only quarter grades during quarter 1. Semester 2 AND full year courses end quarter 4 and require both quarter and final grades during quarter 4, but only quarter grades during quarter 1 (if full year) and quarters 3 if either full year or semester 2.
These are instructions for Entering Quarter Grades in Aspen for COURSES NOT ENDING DURING THE QUARTER FOR WHICH YOU ARE PROVIDING GRADES. There are similar but different instructions for Entering Quarter Grades in Aspen for Courses that ARE ending during the quarter for which you are providing grades.
STEP 1. Go to Staff view. Click the Gradebook tab to open your course list. Select a course by checking the box and clicking the Scores side tab to open the grade-posting screen shown below (If the posting window is open, the pushpins will be green).
STEP 2. Select Post Columns – Term from the Grade Columns pick list and select quarter from the Term pick list.
STEP 3. Update the QT grade column with QT averages from your gradebook by doing the following:
A. Click on the Update Post Columns button.
B. When the Update Post Columns wizard opens, set Grade Term to correct QT, and Grades to update to Term Grades for all students. Click Next at the bottom of the window.
Set Grade Term to appropriate QT number.
Select Average: QT from the QT Grade drop-down list. (Note: Double-check to be sure that Average: appropriate QT is selected, not a single category or assignment column). Click Next at the bottom of the window.
Double-check the Confirmation window to ensure that you are updating the correct Quarter Grade column with the Average: QT grades from your gradebook. Click Finish at the bottom of the window.
STEP 4. When the import is complete your Scores view will look like this, with current averages for each student in the QT column with the pushpin:
IMPORTANT: Please remember that you must use the Update Post Columns procedure to enter QT1 grades in the QT1 grade column with the pushpin. If there are no grades in your QT pushpin grade column, no grades will post to the student transcripts. The column of black quarter averages that are visible in the QT column without a pushpin are for display only and will not post.
STEP 5. For students who entered late and who didn’t have sufficient opportunity to master the course material, replace the system-calculated grades with the grade symbol NG (No Grade). Students with NG grades should also be given Comment 400 – Newly enrolled in class – no grade given.
STEP 6. If necessary, adjust any calculated grades by double-clicking in the cell and entering your adjusted numeric grade. Then enter your comments in the RC1, RC2, and RC3 columns. (Remember, you can open the CHS comment code list any time by clicking in a comment column cell and typing CTL+L).
Comment codes are available in Aspen and a list of them are attached at the end of this knowledge base article under “Article Attachments.” You can simply enter the code for the comment you want, or you can press CTRL + L to select a comment from a pick list of comments.
STEP 7. Once everything is entered, you Post your grades. Posting moves your grades and comments from the Scores view of your gradebook to student transcript records in Aspen. Begin by clicking the Post Grades button:
When the Post Grades window opens, check that the Class name and Grade Term are correct, and that Grades to Post is set to Term grades for all students. Click the OK button to post your grades. After you post, the pushpins in the Scores window will turn red.
Make sure the Post Grades window says the correct QT and Term grades for all students. Click OK to post grades
STEP 8. (Optional) If you change grades or comments for a class, you must repost the gradebook. The window below will pop up when you choose Post Grades from the Options menu.
(Note: Reposting OVERWRITES ALL existing grades and comments on student transcripts with the current grades and comments from your gradebook. Be sure there are no unintentional changes to grades and comments before you repost).
Click OK to repost changes. (Note: Reposting will OVERWRITE ALL EXISTING GRADES AND COMMENTS!)
Note: You can repost as many times as you want to until the posting window closes.
If you have any questions about entering QT grades, please contact Andrew Moore in Room 1200, 617.466.5029 or moorea@chelseaschools.com.