37 Best Gradebook Software Tools & 5 Practices for Lasting Success

As a teacher, you have a lot on your plate. Grading can quickly become overwhelming and chaotic, especially if you have a large class or multiple classes. Too often, with each passing day, the pile of ungraded assignments grows more extensive while the time to get through it diminishes. Gradebook software can streamline your grading process, save you valuable time, and improve your classroom management so that you can focus on what matters most: your students. This article explores the benefits of gradebook software, AI in the Classroom, for teachers and offers proven practices to help you get started.

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What Is Gradebook Software?

Gradebook software is the most effective way for teachers to track and report on student performance. Gradebook software streamlines the grading process for educators, giving them more time to focus on their students instead of on tedious paperwork.

The Features of Gradebook Software and How They Benefit Teachers

Gradebook software is an effective tool because of its many features. When teachers use gradebook software, they can:

Personalize the grading process for each student
Automate repetitive tasks
Easily communicate with students and parents

Here’s a closer look at the benefits of gradebook software features:

Individualized Grading

With gradebook software, teachers can create custom grading scales for each assignment, lesson, or unit. This means you can tailor the grading process to fit individual student’s needs and accommodate things like IEPs or special projects.

Automation

Gradebook software automates many time-consuming tasks that bog down teachers. For example, you can set up formulas and rules to calculate grades and averages so that you don’t have to do it manually. You can also create templates and rubrics for assignments to help streamline the grading process.

Communication Tools

Many gradebook software programs have built-in tools to help teachers communicate with students and parents. These can include:

Messaging features
Customizable report cards
Automated emails to alert families about student progress

9 Advantages of Gradebook Software

Book and Laptop Laying - Gradebook Software

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 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, various factors require different grading methods, including:

Courses
Subjects
Grade levels

Teaching approaches demand different grading methods. Gradebook software allows teachers to customize grading schemes based on their 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.

The flexibility of gradebook software enables educational institutions to communicate student performance effectively, whether it’s creating:

Progress reports
Report cards
Specialized analytics

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 and progress. By analyzing the data, teachers can identify:

Trends
Patterns
Areas where students may be struggling

Data-Driven Approaches for Student Success

This early detection enables timely intervention and targeted support to help students succeed. This data-based approach helps educators adapt their teaching strategies, improving instruction and student outcomes. 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 and 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 unique preferences and needs.

Personalized Learning With Gradebook Software

As we mentioned earlier, using gradebook software, teachers can quickly 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 Home-School Collaboration and Student 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 must handle a multitude of administrative tasks daily. These tasks range from managing student records and tracking attendance to generating report cards and transcripts.

Streamlined Administration With Online Gradebook Systems

Integrating an online gradebook system automates these often time-consuming tasks, lightening the 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 and enriching learning pathway. Gradebook software is a crucial communication hub, especially within a holistic School Management System. It actively encourages collaboration by providing a centralized platform for sharing:

Grading details
Student progress updates
Assessment information

This promotes communication among:

Teachers
Administrative staff
Parents
Students

Taking it a step further, teachers can engage in collaborative efforts, such as:

Curriculum development
Aligning assessments with learning objectives
Sharing best practices

This collaborative approach ensures consistency in grading standards and elevates the overall quality of education. Students have increased opportunities to achieve their academic goals along this path.

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. First and foremost, it places students accountable for their performance by offering clear and continuous access to their grades.

Improved Accountability and a Culture of Excellence

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 and 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

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, as they 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.

Regardless of physical classroom access, teachers could continue to:

Manage grades
Communicate with students
Provide feedback

An online gradebook is flexible enough to ensure that education can continue uninterrupted, even in unforeseen circumstances.

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5 Most Common Features of Gradebook Software

1. Self-Enrollment: Letting Students Do the Work for You

One of the most significant features of online gradebook software is self-enrollment capabilities. This feature allows students to sign up for classes themselves instead of having the teacher do it. When students can self-enroll, they can log in to the gradebook and access their information immediately.

This eliminates the risk of a student needing to be registered in the system. It also relieves teachers of remembering every student’s password or, even worse, entering it manually. A program like this can keep track of all that information in one place.

2. Self-Painting Grades: Give Students Some Responsibility

Another common feature within gradebook software is self-painting grades. This allows students to enter their grades from:

Tests
Quizzes
Homework assignments

Of course, the teacher has to approve these grades before they are finalized, but this feature dramatically reduces the time teachers spend entering grades. This helps keep them more focused on teaching and less on paperwork.

3. Easily Exportable Grades: Integrate with Other Platforms

Along with importing grades easily, most programs can also export them easily. The grades may be exported directly into a spreadsheet or another grading platform, depending on your grade book. Sometimes, it can be used to send grades straight to parents.

4. Customizable Reports: Make Grade Reporting Easier

Another feature to look for in gradebook software is customizable reports. This allows teachers to make changes and add fields within the program to make grading easier. This is especially helpful in cases where teachers want to report grades in a different format specific to their school or district.

5. Different Grade Levels Within One Program: Helpful for Teachers with Multiple Classes

Gradebook software with different grade levels can be helpful in some cases. For example, if you teach multiple classes, you could save time by having all the students in those classes within one program. This can make it easier to keep track of grades and ensure students are on the right track as they move through different levels.

37 Best Gradebook Software

Person Using Mobile - Gradebook Software

1. EssayGrader

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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 a class
Bulk upload of essays

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2. Edmodo Teacher Gradebook

This tool is almost an all-in-one tool for online education. Gradebook is one of its many features. Edmodo is an education software company that acts as a communication platform between school students and teachers.

The software features an intuitive interface that resembles popular platforms like:

Facebook
Twitter

This familiarity helps increase student engagement. Edmodo is also a friendly platform for knowledge transfer, enabling teachers to hold online discussions and polls, track student behavior, etc.

3. Thinkwave Teacher Grading System

Thinkwave is one of the free online gradebooks that keep track of students' grades and report progress to parents. The software has created an in-house tool to create customs reports such as:

Transcripts
Progress & attendance reports
Report cards and more

This functionality is helpful to all the customers. Thinkwave is one of the best grading software for teachers.

4. Engrade Parent's Gradebook

Engrade, a subsidiary of McGraw-Hill Education, is an e-learning solution that provides online learning management systems and educational assessment products. This solution encompasses two modules:

Engrade instruct for managing online curriculum & interactive learning
Engrade information for delivering web-based assessments

The software provides a wide range of features other than a gradebook. The solution offers the ability to tailor assessment categories and to employ easy lesson planning and attendance planning.

5. Schoology Homeschool Gradebook

Schoology, like other gradebook tools we have seen earlier, is a tool where features are far beyond the usage of gradebooks. Schoology is one of the free online gradebooks but only limited to basic versions accessible by:

Students
Teachers
Parents

The tool is a social networking service and a virtual learning environment for schools and higher education institutions. Online classes can also be managed based on the tools provided by cloud-based software. This type of software is also known as a learning management system that allows users to create, manage, and share academic content.

6. GradeCam

GradeCam offers a simplified and streamlined workflow for teachers. It authorizes the school administrates to:

Scan
Analyze
Share the assessment report

It is a widely used platform because it automates the process, tracks records, and shares them without special equipment.

7. GradeWeb

Gradeweb suite is a SaaS software. It provides online support with customizable features. The software includes features for handling vital administrative tasks, such as:

Grade calculation
Attendance tracking
Report card management

It efficiently manages all essential administrative tasks.

8. Alma Electronic Gradebook

Alma is a cloud-based management system catering to the education industry and businesses. The software is comprehensive enough that it claims to streamline the whole learning process, including:

Grade reporting
Board-wide communication
Lesson planning and more

Integrated SIS and LMS Functionality in Alma

The software combines student information systems (SIS) and learning management systems (LMS). Like other gradebook software, Alma can calculate based on terms the teachers define. Teachers can enter the percentages for grades or scores or use a grade scale per their system.

9. Markbook Standards Based Grading Gradebook

Markbook is a class management system that is helpful in many aspects, including:

Student recordkeeping
Reporting

The solution is available in two versions:

Paid Offline Version: Available for Windows
Cloud-Based Version: Works on both Windows and macOS and is available exclusively through an annual subscription basis.

10. JupiterEd Gradebook Viewer

The software is a cloud-based product focused on improving students' academic tasks. Jupiter Ed is a comprehensive product that is a:

Learning Management System (LMS)
Student Information System (SIS)

The solution offers four different modules:

Higher Ed
K-12 public
K-12 private
Individual teachers with few variations for each solution

The feature of the gradebook remains the same for all the software modules. JupiterEd is one of the best grading software for teachers.

11. TeacherEase

TeacherEase is a gradebook for teachers that is free and available. It supports both traditional and standards-based grading systems. Teachers can easily:

Save time
Monitor student performance
Communicate with parents through this online gradebook

Comprehensive Tracking and Reporting with Alma

Allows teachers to keep attendance and behavior-based log records. Data from the gradebook is always up-to-date without any additional effort by the teacher. Printable progress reports are also available for parents without internet access. It provides ease of accessibility.

12. LearnBoost

LearnBoost is another free online gradebook and roster software for teachers. The clean and simple user interface makes it easy for anyone without technical knowledge. It allows teachers to:

Manage their classroom
Keep track of student grades
Maintain attendance
Conduct examinations
Create and manage lesson plans
Maintain schedules
Tagging different standards to their respective lesson plans and others

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This tool can be an asset for any teacher when used effectively.

13. The Happy Housewife

This free online gradebook for homeschooling provides worksheets that are awesome and easy to use. It provides a summary overview of all the grades in each of the following:

Course
Attendance record
Quiz
Test
Booklist
Course list
Curriculum
Resources

A printable report card is automatically generated at the end of the assessment. This online gradebook also provides:

Printable book list
Field trip lists
Extracurricular activities report

14. iGradePlus

iGradePlus is a free online gradebook designed for homeschool use. It offers:

Affordability
User-friendly interface
Easy-to-use
Security
Reliability

The customizable and comprehensive features make this online gradebook a practical solution for various instructors and teachers. Some of the features offered are:

School management
Grade management
Attendance
Behavior tracking
Extensive student and parent communication features

It is a fantastic website for teachers, students, and especially parents. A free trial and free version are available.

15. Class Mate Gradebooks

Class Mate gradebook is an online gradebook software that helps teachers to:

Calculate
Manage
Organize student grades

Everyday tasks can be performed easily on the program’s main screen. This free gradebook software download has all the features you would need:

Attendance tracking
Seating charts
Conduct grades
And others

16. Easy Grade Pro

Easy Grape Pro, free gradebook software download:

Provides a range of tools to help you save time entering student data
It provides you with a wealth of student information all in one place
Assists you in generating professional progress reports for your students

17. MyAttendanceTracker

MyAttendancetracker is an online website grades tool that helps teachers track and record their student’s attendance and grades without hassle. The online gradebook provides web-based tracking, allowing you to access the tool from anywhere you can access the internet. All this is provided for free!

18. Jumprope

Jumprope is a true standards-based online gradebook. It helps in collecting and organizing website grades skillfully. Customization of the system based on:

Users’ philosophy
Grading scale
Vocabulary
Curriculum template
Standards

Jumprope provides a solid way to:

Collect
Track
Report student-based achievements

19. Zipgrade

Zipgrade is an excellent grading app for teachers that allows you to grade multiple-choice tests in minutes. You must scan the test with the smartphone, and the app will take care of the rest. This online gradebook is accessible to download.

20. Gradebook Pro

Gradebook Pro is an intuitive and powerful grading app for teachers. This online gradebook is an efficient classroom management tool. It allows teachers to record:

Attendances
Scores
Student performances
Behavior tracking and others

This teacher grading software is a complete solution with no in-app purchases.

21. TeacherPlus by Rediker

TeacherPlus Web Gradebook by Rediker is another paid online gradebook designed for schools using Rediker’s AdminPlus SIS. Teachers are free to access their gradebooks at any time from many supported devices.

A User-Friendly Mobile Solution

TeacherPlus offers native iPad and Android apps for seamless mobile operations. I like TeacherPlus Gradebook for its seamless integration and user-friendly interface. Designed to work neatly with the AdminPlus student information system, this online gradebook is a good example of how technology can improve the educational experience without adding complexity.

22. Alma

Alma is an all-in-one cloud software that streamlines the whole learning process, from grade reporting to lesson planning and school-wide communication. A SIS and LMS rolled into one. Like other reviewed solutions, the Alma online gradebook can calculate grades based on teacher-defined weights. Instructors can enter grades as scores or percentages or use a grading scale.

23. Jupiter Ed

Jupiter is a comprehensive cloud-hosted product focused on improving students’ academic accomplishments and operating K-12 and higher education institutions efficiently. The software allows you to:

Assess students online
Review results
Track progress in real time
Communicate information to parents and other stakeholders

The online gradebook software module enables the teacher to:

Record standards-based assessments
Manage attendance
Maintain behavior logs
Grade assignments based on rubrics

24. GradeBookWizard

GradeBookWizard is another feature-packed online gradebook and attendance control solution for teachers. Same as with other products in this domain, educators can use GradeBookWizard to release:

Instructions
Assignments
Grades
News
Handouts
Information for parents

Security, Standardization, and Data Management

All these can be accessed via secure logins. At the institution level, GradeBookWizard enables standardization of grading criteria across classes. Student records are stored in a centralized location, so changes are automatically applied to the entire database. Grades can be exported in various file formats for better compatibility.

25. Planbook.com

Planbook.com offers a comprehensive web-based system on an annual subscription basis, which includes:

Planbook and a Gradebook with administrator tools
Teacher tools
Student tools

26. AutoGradr

AutoGradr is an innovative platform designed to streamline the grading process for educators. It offers efficient and accurate assessment tools. It enhances productivity by automating repetitive tasks, allowing teachers to focus more on student engagement and instruction.

27. Gradekeeper

Gradekeeper is intuitive grading software designed to streamline classroom management by offering the following:

Automated grade calculations
Customizable reports
Easy data entry

These features empower teachers to efficiently track student progress and enhance educational outcomes with minimal effort.

28. Classroll.com Class Edition

Classroll.com Class Edition is an intuitive software designed to streamline classroom management. It offers:

Real-time attendance tracking
Grade management
Communication tools

These features enhance teacher efficiency and boost student engagement. Ideal for educators seeking teaching experience that is:

Seamless
Organized
Interactive

29. OpenEduCat

OpenEduCat is an open-source ERP system for the Educational Institute for Efficient Management of Students, Faculties, Courses, and Classes. OpenEducat is one of the frontiers in the educational institutes' ERP solution, and its vision is the reason for its success in the educational solution area.

OpenEduCat is a comprehensive open-source ERP for Universities, Colleges & Schools, for efficient management of:

Students
Faculties
Courses
Classes

Core features consist of modules necessary for running your educational institute. Key features of OpenEduCat are necessary for the smoother functioning of educational institutes. Use the online application to schedule classrooms. Get detailed info on advanced features like barcode-enabled library management software.

30. Itslearning

Itslearning is much more than a cloud-based Learning Management System (LMS). The learning platform comes straight out of the box with powerful tools made specially for teaching and learning, such as:

Complete curriculum management
Educational resources
Web conferencing
Easy integrations
Full mobility with just a single sign-on

We take data security very seriously and provide above-industry-average uptime.

31. Canvas LMS

The Canvas LMS platform allows schools to build a digital learning environment that meets their institution's unique challenges.

Simplifies teaching
Elevates learning
Eliminates the headaches of supporting and growing traditional learning technologies

Initially, Canvas LMS was used to varying degrees across the district, Gillies explained. Schools across PUSD needed a better way to streamline communication and course content delivery with a districtwide consensus on taking full advantage of this tool.

During remote learning, Quizzes in Canvas LMS were beneficial for formative assessments, and the Gradebook allowed teachers to document students:

Assignments
Quizzes
Test scores

All in one, consistent place. External tool integrations with Canva, Nearpod, and Google Drive allowed PUSD teachers to seamlessly promote independent learning, voice, and choice from their LMS.

32. QuickSchools

QuickSchools offers a comprehensive school management solution that you can use without training from day one. QuickSchools provides everything you need, from entering report cards to tracking attendance.

The best part is that all this information is securely hosted in the cloud! QuickSchools is an SIS that works for and with YOU! It is easy to use, beautiful to look at, yet elegantly mighty, even for schools and districts with thousands of students.

33. EduHappy

EduHappy is a comprehensive School Management System (SMS), Student Information System (SIS), and Learning Management Systems (LMS) designed to manage multiple schools under the same account. Its features include virtual classrooms with online meetings and management of:

Students
Teachers
Academic year, terms, and semesters
Grades and classrooms
Courses and lessons
Grading and weighted assignments
Exams and schedules
Attendance

It also manages the school's finance and accounting, including:

Fees
HR and payroll
Expenses
Transportation

EduHappy offers unlimited licenses with a one-time payment.

34. SCL

SCL is one of the finest School Management Systems in its category, with premium, high-end educational and management modules. It provides a unique user experience with a comprehensive yet simple interface that makes any user feel at ease while using the application across any platform.

35. Classter

Classter is a global pioneer in the field of Education Technology, offering an all-in-one Cloud-based SaaS that bundles:

Student Information System (SIS)
School Management System (SMS)
Learning Management System (LMS)

The platform offers an end-to-end, modular information management solution for any educational institution. Fully integrated with:

Office 365
Google G-Suite
Other 3rd party systems, from ERP and government databases to SMS services and BI tools.

36. SchoolCues

SchoolCues is a low-cost, all-in-one school management software that simplifies school administration in small schools. We offer several modules to help schools stay organized and go paperless, including:

Admissions and Enrollment
Online Payments
Student Information System
Gradebook
Communications
Picture Gallery
Alumni Management

Our modules are also available on our SchoolCues app for IOS and Android. It's time to go mobile!

37. Classter

Classter Brings It All Together. Teachers track grades and plan lessons. Administrators get quick insights. Students can handle everything from one place, and parents stay updated. Classter makes school life smoother and more connected.

How To Differentiate Between Good and Bad Gradebook Software

Good Gradebook Software Is Affordable

When evaluating gradebook software, pricing is paramount, especially if you’re part of a school or district with a tight budget. While some programs are more robust than others, they shouldn’t break the bank. There are plenty of affordable options available that can help educators without putting a massive dent in school finances.

Good Gradebook Software Is User-Friendly

Good gradebook software should be easy to use for both students and teachers. The easier it is to use, the less likely a teacher will avoid using the program and simply go back to paper and pencil!

Good Gradebook Software Has Good Customer Service

Good gradebook software should have good customer service in case something breaks down or gets corrupted. This is especially true when you are dealing with parent information. Getting that data back could be difficult or impossible if something were to happen.

Bad Gradebook Software Is Too Expensive

If a program is incredibly costly, it may not be worth the investment for your school. That’s why it’s essential to research and look around for different programs offering more features at a better price.

Bad Gradebook Software Lacks Good Student/Teacher Portals

If the gradebook program has a portal for teachers and students to use, it can make grading and classwork easier. A teacher should be able to keep track of their grades and communicate with students easily.

Bad Gradebook Software Breaks Down Often

It’s common for programs to crash, but this should not happen daily. If the problem is big enough to require frequent repairs, it can become challenging to focus on anything else!

Teachers Perceptions of the Impact of Online Grading Systems

Grading programs are not just digital versions of the old paper gradebooks. They are integrated into student information systems that promise to make grading more accessible for teachers. In reality, grading software creates a false sense of security that helps neither teachers nor students.

Why Teachers Use Grading Programs

Grading software appeals to teachers because it automates tedious tasks, like calculating averages and generating report cards. Most importantly, it helps teachers organize and categorize student assignments so they can report student progress to students and parents.

Data-Driven Success

Sifting through the various elements of a grading program to get to the final calculation allows teachers to avoid a detailed examination of how they assess students and how these scores impact what students learn. Nevertheless, this functionality comes at a price.

The Appeal of Grading Software

The appeal of grading software is how it automates grading tasks that can take hours, if not days, to complete. For example, with grading programs, I can create a detailed syllabus with a grade breakdown, and then the program will calculate scores for me. I can customize the weighting of different categories and even create my own. With grading software, I can assign scores to students’ work, and the program will automatically generate report cards and progress reports to communicate my findings to students and parents.

This process is incredibly satisfying to teachers because it relieves some of the pressure of the arbitrary nature of academic grading. Students and parents alike can see how many different assignments go into a grade, and they can understand that other types of student work are weighted differently. The process seems objective and transparent, but it is far from being so.

The Drawbacks of Grading Software

Grading programs do not make grading more objective. The opposite is true. While grading software does help teachers organize their grading practices, it can create a false sense of security that allows neither teachers nor students. The more complex a grading system becomes, the less objective it becomes.

The Complexity of Grading and Equity

No one truly understands how grades are calculated, and the more categories and subcategories there are, the more likely students are to need clarification on the system. Grading software can also make it difficult to implement more equitable grading practices that truly reflect what students know and can do.

5 Guiding Principles for Good Gradebook Software Practices

1. Fairness: Match Expectations With Outcomes

Gradebooks should be fair. When we refer to gradebooks needing to be fair, we mostly discuss the connection between expectations and what students see in the gradebook. For fairness to be achieved, “it is essential to communicate [grading] policies to students clearly and effectively so that they understand how their academic performance will translate to their course grade” (Hirsch, 2021).

Your expectations for the course overall, as well as for each assignment, need to be clear so that you can explain the rationale behind a particular grade.

How to Make Gradebooks Fair

Since fairness is mainly tied to expectations matching outcomes, developing rubrics is a great strategy. Rubrics clearly communicate what students must do to achieve certain levels of success. Rubrics also inherently have explanations built into the performance levels, making providing rationales for specific grades easier.

Consistency and Transparency in Grading Policies

Including your grading policy in your syllabus and sticking to it as much as possible promotes fairness in your assessment practices. There will always be exceptional circumstances requiring an instructor to adjust a grading policy. Still, the more closely you adhere to the policy you created before the course began, the easier it is to provide a rationale.

How Fairness Helps Students

Many of us have been in a situation where a student asks why they got a particular grade on their assignment, and being on the other end of a grade dispute can be frustrating or discouraging. With fair grading practices, students can often be reasoned with when those concerns are raised. By pointing to specific reasons in your syllabus, assessment instructions, and rubrics, it becomes easier for students to see the “why” behind their grade.

2. Accuracy: No Mismatched Grades Allowed

Gradebooks should be accurate. When students open the Grades page in Canvas, does their percentage and letter grade match what they’re earning in the course? If so, that gradebook would be considered accurate. There are several steps to take within Canvas itself to ensure gradebook accuracy.

How to Make Gradebooks Accurate

To make your gradebook accurate, you must ensure that your Canvas settings match your grading policies. Here are some items you might want to consider:

Make sure your grading scheme is accurate. Canvas has default grading schemes, so choose the one most accurately represents how I evaluate student performance.
Set up assignment groups. If you’ve ever noticed those extra columns just called “Assignments” in my Canvas gradebook, those columns are tied to the assignment groups in the course. You might need to delete or add assignment groups, especially if I use weighted grades for my course.
Make use of zeroes or excused grades. Students can sometimes get the wrong impression about their grades when I leave a gap in the gradebook. If students were supposed to complete an assignment and didn’t, putting that zero in (even temporarily) will catch their attention.

If I have policies where I drop the lowest grade for students, I might use the excused grade feature. I can also use the “Message Students Who” feature to inform students when I’ve made these changes.

How Accuracy Helps Students

Students need to be able to make informed choices about their next steps in the course, primarily informed by their current grades in the class. By making your gradebook accurate, students will be more transparent about where they stand and can take the appropriate steps to improve or maintain their current grade in the course.

3. Consistency: Keep It Updated

Gradebooks should be consistent. For a gradebook to be consistent, it needs to be updated regularly and promptly. Students are often looking for feedback on one assignment so they can make adjustments before their next assignment, so if a lot of grading happens all at once, making adjustments becomes more difficult.

How to Make Gradebooks Consistent

The best thing you can do to ensure your gradebook is consistent is to create a realistic timeline for returning student work and stick to that timeline. Realistic is the keyword here; think about how much feedback I plan to leave for my students and use that to help inform how long it might take to evaluate an assignment.

If life happens and I need to make adjustments, I will communicate those changes to students so they can move through my course with the most up-to-date information.

How Consistency Helps Students

When the gradebook is updated regularly, students can use that information to make choices that will improve academic performance. Dr. Deanna Geddes with Temple University researched the impact of checking online gradebooks on students in their first year of business programs at the university.

Through her research, she found that there was “an academic benefit from students monitoring their classroom performance by accessing online grade books” (2009). However, students only receive these academic benefits if they review current and timely grades.

4. Transparency: What’s Under the Hood?

Gradebooks must be transparent. Gradebooks are transparent when students understand:

What is being graded
How it’s being graded
What each grade means

This applies to individual assignments (rubrics or other grading criteria) and the course (grading policies and schemes). Grading philosophies can vary from:

Person-to-person
Course-to-course
Institution-to-institution

This variation highlights the importance of consistently explaining grading practices to students (Quinn, 2013).

How to Make Gradebooks Transparent

Aside from developing artifacts like rubrics before assigning work to students, you can make your gradebook transparent by taking the time to clean up your gradebook. While keeping your gradebook current, look for any unpublished assignments you don’t intend to use and remove those from my current Canvas course. If I have additional assignment groups, those should also be removed.

How Transparency Helps Students

We want to empower our students:

To take ownership and responsibility of their learning and education
To be self-sufficient
To raise meaningful questions when needed

When gradebooks aren’t transparent, it can feel as though everything in their course is “random” and they don’t have any control over their learning, performance, or grades. By equipping students with the knowledge to make informed decisions, students can take ownership of their learning experiences, even when they may misstep.

5. Student-Centered: It’s About Them, Not You

Gradebooks must be for students. Instructors are often the ones working with grades most often:

Grading assignments
Posting grades for students to view
Creating rubrics or other grading criteria

Despite the amount of time instructors spend grading, the result is that the grade shared with students should be for students. In other words, grades should communicate to students:

What skills they’re developing
How they’re progressing
How they’re performing

The way grades are discussed in the course should be centered on the learner in ways they can understand.

How to Make Gradebooks For Students

As an instructor, it is crucial to provide meaningful feedback so that students know not only why they received the grade they did but also where there is room for improvement or where they’re already doing a really great job.

Feedback and Student-Centered Grading

For grades to be student-centered, there needs to be feedback beyond the grade in the gradebook for students to review. Taking the time to reflect on student experiences can help you improve your gradebook from term to term. If students share with me that they are confused, frustrated, annoyed, etc., rather than getting defensive, my practices might be worth adjusting so students no longer feel this way.

How Student-Centered Gradebooks Help Students

Within the academic setting, students who understand the grading process their instructors use develop feelings of self-efficacy. They can see that the grade they’d like to achieve is within reach by taking specific measures or adjusting their approach to my course.

They can see that they’re not being asked to do something far outside their abilities. They can move through a course believing in their ability to achieve their goals, and they can be motivated by opportunities that will be available to them based on their grades after leaving your course:

Scholarship opportunities
Applying to grad school, etc.

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