V-Planner "S" Sheets - Term Calculators

How to Use the Term Calculators

Latest Version - V Planner V4.3

First I should tell you that using the grade calculators is optional. I recommend using them if only to have a record of scores. The student's final grade can come from these various places that are on the S-Sheets:

1. grade calculators,
2. parts of the grade calculators,
3. term exams alone or combined with any previously mentioned item
4. "other" alone or combined with term exams or combined with any previously mentioned item
5. from semester term scores alone or combined with any previously mentioned item
6. and, if applicable, from the dreaded final exam - or a mix of any previously mentioned item.

What Term Calculators Do

The term calculators that are set up will calculate grades in activated grading columns. The term calculators will, with or without being set-up, show totals for attendance, points, and, if enabled, class hours for each term.

How to Set Up a Grade Calculator

Before I get off the topic, I will tell you how to set up a grade calculator. It's very simple, and you can either read this page or watch the video: Video - Setting up a Term Grade Calculator.

 

What if I do not need to weigh grades?

If you do not need to weigh grades, then set the first grade column in the term graders at 100%.

What if I change my mind and want to weigh grades?

If you decide that you want to weigh grades, then set up an additional grade columns in the term graders with the grade weights that you want to use. Remember - the term calculators do not change the grade scores that you have already added in the grading columns, the term calculators look at the scores and "calculate" based on your settings. Settings in the calculators can be changed without affecting your data.

How to Set Up the Term Grade Average Calculator

Unweighted Scores - Using One Grade Weight
Weighted Scores - Using Two or More Grade Weights

Pictured below is an empty unused term grader. I brought the column bar down on the screen-shot for reference.

Just a note- Terms are not set up at the term grader. See Setting up Terms or/and columns D and E.

 

Unweighted Scores - Using One Grade Weight

1. If all of the school work "counts the same" then in Column N and next to their word Term, type 100 (the percentage sign will automatically appear)
2. Next to the term number, give this grade column a name.

Please notice that as soon as you type "100" in Column N, you have activated the grade column. The grade columns have 4 rows each and with activated, all four row will have the same background color.

3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each term grader that you need to use.
Note One student should use the same number of term graders for all of his/her subjects.
For instance, do not use 2 term graders in math and then set up 4 term graders in spelling.

The "Errors" That the Term Grader will Show You Right Away

The Pending message is also mentioned in Err 3

Right away, the term grader will tell you that the average is "Pending." In this case, that only means that there are no grades in Column F (because 100% is in Column N) . As soon as you place a grade in Column F the word "Pending." will go away, so don't worry about it.

Be sure to select "Using" from the drop-down in Column U.

Of course the "Pending." error will still be there because there are no grades, so don't be surprised by it. The word NO will appear because - 1. there is an error present and 2. the term grader is in use with errors. Don't worry about it, if everything else is okay, the NO will go away once grades are added.

 

Weighted Scores - Using Two or More Grade Weights

1. Naturally you have to decide how many grade weights to use and the value of the grade weights, but once you have decided (and you can come back and change the weights later) type the weights in the row next to the word "Term" in each term grader that you plan to use.

Rule 1 The grade weights must add up to 100%. If they don't you will see an error. Below is a screen-shot of what this error looks like. Error is circled in red (!!)

30% + 60% + 5% + 1 % does not equal 100% - fix it.

2. Add names to each active grade column.

That's all that must be done to set up the basic term graders and grading system. Assuming that you have set up the Terms ( See Setting up Terms or/and columns D and E. ) then the grade cards and transcripts will function.

The Extra Grade Cells - "Term Exam"

I added an extra block of cells to each term grader. This block is completely optional! The grades (there is room for two) placed in these special cells will weigh against the entire term average. I will explain what that means with an example:

High School Joe is taking Biology. His class has several grading areas - his labs, his tests, certain daily work, and one big whopping test that occurs 4 times during the course - that's a quarterly test - a Term Exam.
You can set up the term graders in any way to allow extra weight to this Term Exam. You can add an additional grade column and give it a large portion of the required 100% or if you are using 4 grade terms for High School Joe for all of his subjects, then I recommend using the Term Exam cell for his quarterly test. Next I will post a screen-shot of this example. Please notice in the example the impact of using the "Term Exam." In words, the impact is that the Term Exam takes 40% of the entire term average. See the 60% under the AVE? - 60% is the value of Labs, Tests, and Other in the term average. That is what it means "to weigh against" -- One item - the term exam - is taking 40% of the term average.

Just for Example's Sake here is a Term Grader with the "Exam" entered into a grade column instead of the special Term Exam cells.

A screen-shot of NOT using the Term Exam, but instead using the grade columns.

For the example, I had to change the grade weights to account for the addition of the 40% "Exam" weight. Compare this to the first example of using the Term Exam, you can see there is not much difference.

How to Fill out the Extra Cells

Keep in mind that these cells are optional and that any grade place in the extra cells will weigh against the entire term grade average.

1. Decide if you need to use one or both
2. Decide the grade weight
3. Type the grade weight in the cell(s) on the right side of the word "Weight" (see image above)
4. When the time comes, enter the grade (see image above)
5. You can change the names "Term Exam" and "Other" to something else.
6. Extra points added or taken away are optional

Donna Young
March, 2012