Grading is a time-consuming yet essential part of a teacher’s job. Whether you are grading a single essay or a whole class set, the process takes time—time that you could spend planning your next engaging lesson or focusing on your student’s individual needs. As classes become larger and larger and more and more work is assigned, grading becomes even more overwhelming. To make matters worse, the traditional grading methods do little to help teachers rein in the mounting piles of papers. But what if there was a way to streamline the grading process, reduce the associated stress, and improve your and your students’ experiences? Integrating AI in the classroom can offer innovative solutions for grading, potentially transforming how educators manage their workload. Digital grade books can help.
This blog will illustrate how digital gradebooks work, why they are valuable, and how they can help you improve your grading system to save time without lowering the quality of feedback.
One example of a digital gradebook that can enhance your grading system is EssayGrader.ai. This AI-powered grading software for teachers helps you assess student essays more efficiently, providing detailed feedback to improve student writing while saving you time.
What Is a Digital Gradebook?
A digital gradebook is a digital system that teachers use to record grades for:
- Homework
- Quizzes
- Tests
- Assignments
Most electronic gradebooks for teachers generate reports on student progress, which can be shared with parents or guardians. Although each electronic gradebook works differently, they all have the same goal–to make:
- Assigning
- Recording
- Tracking grades easier for teachers and students
Everything in One Place: Forget About Losing Papers and Files!
Imagine waving goodbye to those days of chasing scattered papers, lost assignments, and the frantic search for your student’s last test grade. With a digital gradebook, you’ve got all your student’s grades, assignments, and attendance records neatly organized in one place–no more paper avalanches or digital scavenger hunts. Also, I used this for those late-night grading sessions. No more lugging home my big binder!
Stay Super Organized: Classroom Management Made Simple
Ever felt like you’re juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle? Yeah, classroom management can feel a bit like that. But with a digital gradebook, you’re the ringmaster of the organization! You can track assignments, deadlines, and student performance with a snap of your fingers, all within the same Excel spreadsheet.
A digital gradebook can significantly enhance the efficiency of the grading process. It is recommended that educators explore digital gradebook options, particularly those designed for compatibility with Google Sheets.
Get Report Card Ready: Prepare for Reporting with Ease
A gradebook isn’t just a record-keeper; it’s like a magic crystal ball that shows you the bigger picture. You can spot trends and identify areas where your class is acing them and where they might need extra love. This significantly boosts you when report card and conference season come around.
Having standards and grades all laid out helped me fill out report cards quickly. Especially year after year! A digital gradebook facilitated the efficient calculation of averages and mastery levels for all standards.
Be the Communication Champ: Keep Everyone in the Loop
Raise your hand if parents or students have ever asked you about grades. With a digital gradebook, you’re not just a teacher but a communication ninja. You can share real-time updates with parents and keep everyone in the loop, fostering a teamwork vibe between home and school.
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9 Advantages of a Digital Gradebook Over a Traditional Gradebook
1. Efficient Grading Management and Time Allocation
Streamlining the grading process is one of the most immediate and significant benefits of a gradebook system. In the traditional paper-and-pencil practice, teachers spend hours manually calculating and recording grades, often leading to errors and wasted time. By automating grading and administrative tasks, gradebook software saves valuable time.
On this account, teachers no longer need to calculate grades or handle endless paperwork manually. This helps minimize grading errors and ensures accurate performance representation. It allows teachers to focus more on:
- Teaching
- Connecting with students
- Creating engaging lessons
- Improving the quality of their education
Administrative Benefits
Administrative staff also benefit from the following:
- Streamlined grade management
- Attendance tracking
- Grade report generation
This allows them to invest more time in operational development and collaborative planning.
2. Customizable Grading Schemes and Reporting
Student grading is not one-size-fits-all. On the contrary, different courses, subjects, grade levels, and teaching approaches demand different grading methods. Gradebook software allows teachers to customize grading schemes based on their specific teaching methods. This flexibility allows for a personalized learning experience for students.
Gradebook software empowers educators and administrators to generate tailored reports that cater to the institution’s unique educational requirements. Whether it’s creating progress reports, report cards, or specialized analytics, the flexibility of gradebook software enables academic institutions to communicate student performance effectively.
3. Insightful Grading Data for Educators and Administrators
In the past, educators relied on mere observations and periodic assessments to gauge student performance. Gradebook software elevates grading and assessment to a data-driven level, providing teachers with detailed analytics and insights into:
- Student information
- Progress
By analyzing the data, teachers can identify trends, patterns, and areas where students struggle. This early detection enables timely intervention and targeted support to help students succeed. This data-based approach helps educators adapt their teaching strategies, leading to:
- Improved instruction
- Student outcomes
Data-Driven Insights
Administrative staff also benefit from student gradebook software by accessing data and insights. This way, they can monitor student progress, and make informed decisions about:
- Curriculum improvements
- Resource allocation
4. Alignment with Unique Preferences and Needs
Gradebook software allows institutions and educators to customize their grading policies and teaching methods according to their preferences. This adaptability guarantees a seamless alignment with the following:
- Unique preferences
- Needs
As we mentioned earlier, using gradebook software, teachers can easily identify students’ strengths and weaknesses with great accuracy. With this valuable information, teachers can adjust their teaching methods to meet each student’s needs, leading to a better learning experience.
5. Convenient Access for Students and Parents, too
In a traditional educational system, students and parents depend on periodic report cards or sporadic teacher updates regarding student performance. With cloud-based gradebook software, grades are readily available, enabling students to track their progress at all times.
Enhanced Engagement
This transparency nurtures a sense of responsibility among students, motivating them to engage in their education actively. Parents or guardians also benefit, as they can stay informed about the student’s performance and promptly address any concerns.
This collaborative approach strengthens the home-school connection, fostering a more supportive learning environment.
6. Streamlined Administrative Tasks
Educational institutions have a multitude of different administrative tasks to handle daily. These tasks can range from managing student records and tracking attendance to generating report cards and transcripts. Integrating an online gradebook system automates these often time-consuming tasks, lightening administrative workload.
This automation enhances efficiency, enabling administrators to dedicate more time to other critical administrative duties. As a result, institutions can optimize resource allocation by assigning their administrative staff to areas where their expertise is most required.
7. Enhanced Communication and Collaboration
Effective communication and collaboration within an academic environment are paramount in:
- Creating a cohesive
- Enriching learning pathway
Collaborative Hub
Gradebook software is a crucial communication hub, especially within a holistic School Management System. It actively encourages collaboration among teachers, administrative staff, parents, and students by providing a centralized place for sharing:
- Grading details
- Student progress updates
- Assessment information
Taking it a step further, teachers can engage in collaborative efforts, such as:
- Curriculum development
- Aligning assessments with learning objectives
- Sharing best practices
Improved Outcomes
This collaborative approach:
- Ensures consistency in grading standards
- Elevates the overall quality of education
Students have increased opportunities to achieve their academic goals.
8. Improved Accountability, Accuracy, and Transparency
Accountability and transparency lie at the core of education, and the implementation of grading management software significantly amplifies them on multiple fronts. It places students accountable for their performance by offering precise and continuous access to their grades.
Enhanced Accountability
This heightened transparency motivates them to remain engaged in their educational journey and take ownership of their academic progress. Gradebook software improves accountability among:
- Educators
- Administrators
That’s because it establishes a digital record of grading history, making it easier to address any discrepancies or challenges that may arise. Such accountability fosters:
- A culture of fairness
- Transparency
- Ongoing improvement within educational institutions
Enhanced Accuracy
Regarding data accuracy, gradebook software can effectively minimize the risk of errors. This precision extends across various aspects, including:
- Report cards
- Transcripts
- Academic records
This level of precision instills confidence in teachers and parents, who can rely on the information provided by the system.
9. Flexibility for Remote Learning Settings
The flexibility of online gradebook software became even more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when remote learning became the norm. During this challenging period, it proved invaluable for educators, enabling them to adapt seamlessly to the demands of remote instruction.
Teachers could continue to manage grades, communicate with students, and provide feedback, regardless of physical classroom access. An online gradebook is flexible enough to ensure that education can continue uninterrupted, even in unforeseen circumstances.
How Do Digital Gradebooks Work?
Digital gradebooks make managing student grades easier for educators. Also known as online gradebooks, these platforms allow teachers to:
- Input grades
- Organize data
- Generate reports
Digital gradebooks store data on the cloud, meaning teachers and students can access information anytime and anywhere. This online platform automatically calculates averages, tracks attendance, and can integrate with learning management systems (LMS) or other educational platforms to further streamline the grading process.
EssayGrader Benefits
EssayGrader is the most accurate AI grading platform trusted by 60,000+ educators worldwide. On average, it takes a teacher 10 minutes to grade a single essay; with EssayGrader, that time is reduced to 30 seconds. That's a 95% reduction in the time it takes to grade an essay, with the same results. With EssayGrader, teachers can:
- Replicate their grading rubrics (so AI doesn't have to do the guesswork to set the grading criteria)
- Set up fully custom rubrics
- Grade essays by class
- Bulk upload of essays
- Use our AI detector to catch essays written by AI
- Summarize essays with our Essay summarizer
Trusted by Many
Our AI tool helps primary school, high school, and college professors grade their students' essays. On our platform, 60,000+ teachers graded over half a million essays.
Save 95% of your time grading school work with our tool to get high-quality, specific and accurate writing feedback for essays in seconds with EssayGrader's grading software for teachers. Get started for free today!
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Why a Digital Gradebook is Necessary in Today’s Classroom Setting
One of the best reasons for using online gradebooks is that teachers can easily view or check all students’ grades in one place. Teachers can quickly identify which student (from what year level and class) has not turned in any assignments, is falling behind in lessons, or is doing exceptionally well.
Eliminate the Need for Calculators
Gradebooks also allow you to see each student's running averages in class instantly. This way, you can see which students need your attention. The program calculates for you by a point system or percentages. You can say goodbye to the days when you would hunch on your back while squinting over the calculator late at night to calculate grades.
Digital Gradebooks Are Customizable
Gradebooks allow you to customize the way you grade. You have the option to use the point system or percentages. You can also calculate using straight averages or compare different categories based on their importance.
Digital Gradebooks Are Communication Tools
Gradebooks provide teachers with a great way to communicate with their students. We all know how receiving timely feedback can help students improve academically. When feedback is given in an educative and quick manner, it helps in a student’s learning process.
Gradebooks let teachers communicate with students privately about assignments and other school-related matters. This communication is seen only by the teacher and the student. When teachers can give their feedback on a student’s performance, the student can:
- Process corrections
- Improve their learning right away
Digital Gradebooks Help Students Prepare for the Future
One of the most significant reasons for using online gradebooks would for preparation. An online platform such as this provides students a great way to prepare for so many life activities in the future. Gradebooks can be used even by kindergarteners. By teaching children simple tasks such as logging into their gradebook accounts and completing tasks in the system, you can improve their proficiency in technology! Being proficient in technology-related tasks is becoming an essential part of education nowadays.
By exposing children to this platform at a young age, we can increase their exposure to technology to the point that it becomes second nature.
Top 12 Digital Gradebook Software for Teachers and Schools
Digital gradebooks are changing the way educators manage student assessments. By tracking various metrics for student performance, the software helps teachers save time, stay organized, and improve communication with students and parents. Here’s a look at the best digital gradebooks on the market today.
1. Essay Grader: An AI Essay Grading Tool to Save Teachers Time
EssayGrader is the most accurate AI grading platform trusted by 60,000+ educators worldwide. On average, it takes a teacher 10 minutes to grade a single essay; with EssayGrader, that time is reduced to 30 seconds. That's a 95% reduction in the time it takes to grade an essay, with the same results. With EssayGrader, teachers can:
- Replicate their grading rubrics (so AI doesn't have to do the guesswork to set the grading criteria)
- Set up fully custom rubrics
- Grade essays by class
- Bulk upload of essays
- Use our AI detector to catch essays written by AI
- Summarize essays with our Essay summarizer
Trusted by Many
Our AI tool helps primary school, high school, and college professors grade their students' essays. On our platform, 60,000+ teachers graded over half a million essays.
Save 95% of your time grading school work with our tool to get high-quality, specific and accurate writing feedback for essays in seconds with EssayGrader's grading software for teachers. Get started for free today!
2. ThinkWave: Intuitive and Easy-to-Use
ThinkWave is an online gradebook with an intuitive, simple, clean interface to ensure easy navigation. Teachers do not need to have different accounts for different groups. They can manage multiple groups within a single ThinkWave gradebook.
As a cloud-based gradebook, ThinkWave software doesn’t have to be installed in various systems. You can access your account from all devices from any location. It can be accessed through:
- Internet Explorer
- Google Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- MAC, an iOS or Android device
- Linux
3. Jupiter iO: All-Inclusive and Secure
Jupiter iO is an all-inclusive gradebook offered by Jupiter Ed, an education technology company operating since 2004. With continuous development and innovation, the company has been striving to make education more accessible for:
- Teachers
- Students
- Parents
- Administrators
Online Assessment
Jupiter iO provides teachers with options to:
- Assess students online
- Analyze results instantly
- Keep students informed of any grades and assignments
- Track student performance in real-time and personalize lessons for individual students
The cloud-based solution promises maximum data security and continuously improves students’ academic achievements by enabling anywhere-anytime learning.
4. JumpRope: A Standard-Based Approach to Grading
The JumpRope gradebook is designed to offer a standard-based solution that is adaptable to all different learning environments. A standard-based solution means student assessments can be aligned with one or many standards. Teachers can divide courses into units and add standards for better performance tracking.
An important feature is that it allows instructors to assess student's work habits and academic standards to generate and convey a complete picture of a student’s progress that can then be shared with the students and their parents. In addition to traditional formats, JumpRope generates transcripts compatible with graduation requirements. In addition to basic grading functions, JumpRope allows instructors to track:
- College applications
- Attendance
- Student data
- Behavior
5. iGrade Plus: Customizable and Affordable
iGrade Plus offers an online gradebook for individual teachers and a school management system for schools and districts. For its gradebooks, it offers a free and a premium subscription. As a web-based application, iGrade Plus can be logged in from any device or computer through all types of browsers, such as:
- Chrome
- Internet Explorer
- Firefox
- Opera
- Safari
- Mac OS-X
- Linux
Its easy-to-use interface has evolved since 2011, developing a highly efficient gradebook with an intuitive design. Teachers with a limited budget can subscribe to the free grade book, which provides a highly customizable solution for managing:
- Student grades
- Behavior
- Attendance for free
6. Schoology: A Learning Management System with Grading Capabilities
Part of the PowerSchool family of products, Schoology is a learning management system geared toward connecting:
- Students
- Teachers
Schoology works with districts to provide solutions across several schools and grade levels. It supports 60,000 schools and 20 million users. Schoology has over 200 educational tools to help educators:
- Grade
- Create lesson plans
- Enhance the learning experience
Pandemic Response
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Schoology highlighted its virtual learning options and provided resources for parents and teachers navigating online learning.
7. Jotform: A Flexible Tool for Organizing Student Data
Jotform is a highly flexible tool that helps educators organize lessons, collect student feedback, and host school events. Still, it also has features that allow you to use it as an online gradebook. By using the exam grade entry form, teachers can enter the following:
- Student’s name
- ID
- Grade
- Any relevant comments or feedback
Streamlined Workflow
Each form refreshes with a new page so educators can keep entering grades and providing student feedback. Once teachers have submitted the grades, they can download the data into a grade sheet and submit it to their internal systems or sort the data to pull information for specific students. Jotform makes it easier for teachers to:
- Meet with parents
- Discuss student performance
They can easily pull grades for a specific student and review their grade breakdowns within the rubric. This creates transparency for parents and teachers while allowing students to see where they can improve their grades.
8. QuickSchools: Basic and Easy-to-Use
QuickSchools offers a basic and easy-to-use gradebook for teachers. Educators can easily add student information and input grades as assignments come in. This tool also has systems for:
- Attendance management
- Homework assignments
When you need to send grades to students, you can provide official transcripts they can forward to prospective universities. QuickSchools plans are priced according to how many students you have rather than how many teachers will use it. The most comprehensive plan, which includes a gradebook, is called Athena. It’s $2.99 per monthly student, allowing teachers to create lesson plans and reports.
9. Rediker Software: Full-Service Functionality
Rediker Software offers a full-service school management system created to maximize communication and streamline how teachers enter grades and submit information. One key product of that system is the TeacherPlus Web Gradebook. This tool is available on any browser, making it easy for educators to use it regardless of the technology they invest in.
Comprehensive Platform
Teachers can upload grades, add new skills to assignments to highlight how various assessments help students and grant access to students and parents for increased transparency into the learning process. With other Rediker Software tools, teachers can:
- Create student seating charts
- View profiles of students
- Pull reports to evaluate student trends over time
This company has supported teachers for over 40 years and boasts more than 100,000 educators on its platform.
10. Chalk: Combines Lesson Planning with Grading
Chalk helps teachers manage Student scores easily. It is well known for its plan board, which helps combine students' curriculum with assessments to make it easy to create lesson plans and maintain student performance without using separate apps for each need.
Research shows that more than 54 % of teachers feel that juggling multiple teaching apps is their most time-consuming task. So, combining lesson planning with a student guidebook is what makes chalk great.
11. Engrade: Manage Student Learning in One Place
Engrade helps teachers create assignments, quizzes, and flash cards, one of my favorite teaching methods. It also enables teachers to save comments and manage student learning in one place. It is a simple gradebook with minimal features for teachers in its free version.
The Pro version is available for school districts, allowing reports and other advanced features for whole school enrollment.
12. Otus: Focus on Formative Assessments
Otus gradebook allows teachers to easily manage students scores with color indicators to differentiate the learners easily. It focuses mainly on the importance of formative assessments to improve student learning. Otus is significant for teachers who encourage standard-based assistance to track student progress not just on the big scale but also concentrate on:
- Minute topics
- Concepts
How to Select the Right Online Gradebook Software
Before comparing different digital gradebook options, create a list of your needs. What features are you looking for in a digital gradebook? To track individual student progress, look for software with customizable reporting features. If you’re moving to a standards-based approach, find a gradebook allowing easy tracking of learning progressions.
Make a list of must-have features and compare them to available options. This will help you narrow your choices and find the best digital gradebook.
Consider the Cost of Digital Gradebooks
Of course, you’ll also want to consider the cost of the digital gradebook. Most options will be subscription-based. You’ll pay a monthly or annual fee to use the software. Be sure to compare the prices of different options before making a decision. You should also consider whether or not there are any free options available.
Do a Trial Run to Test Digital Gradebook Features
Once you’ve found a few options that meet your needs, it’s time to run a trial. Most online gradebook software companies offer a free trial so you can test out the features before committing. This is a great way to see if the software is right for you.
Read Reviews to Learn About Digital Gradebook Options
You’ll want to read reviews of the different gradebook software options before deciding. This can help you understand what other teachers think of the software. It’s also a good way to learn about potential problems or issues you may encounter.
Save Time While Grading Schoolwork with EssayGrader's Grading Software for Teachers
EssayGrader is an AI grading platform that helps teachers quickly and accurately grade student essays. On average, a teacher takes 10 minutes to grade a single essay. With EssayGrader, that time is cut down to just 30 seconds. That's a 95% reduction in grading time, with the same results.
Why Use EssayGrader?
Teachers using EssayGrader can replicate their grading rubrics, so the AI doesn't have to do any guesswork to set the grading criteria. Teachers can also set up fully custom rubrics, grade essays by class, bulk upload essays, use our AI detector to catch essays written by AI, and even summarize essays with our essay summarizer. Over half a million essays have been graded by 60,000+ teachers on our platform.
Who Is Using EssayGrader?
Educators from primary school to high school and even college professors use EssayGrader to help grade their students' essays.
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