Grading periods in SchoolInsight can indicate the length of a class and divide it into distinct marking periods. They also play a role in taking attendance, showing grades on the report card, and reporting grades to the state. There are three types of grading period:
- Regular grading periods are used to measure the periods of time during which the class is taken, and they may divide the class into smaller segments of time. They are the only grading periods with dates. The most common regular grading periods are quarters and trimesters.
- Exam grading periods are used as a placeholder for a mid-term or end-of-term exam, which usually makes up a certain percentage of the class’s grade.
- Summary grading periods are used to give a cumulative grade, composed of multiple regular/exam grading periods. The only summary grading periods are Sem #1, Sem #2, and Final. When a summary grading period exists on a class, it is the only grade that gives a student credit for course completion and counts toward yearly GPA, it is the only grade reported to the state, and it is often the only grade reported on the transcript.
As an example of how these grading periods can work together on a single class, a first-semester high school class may comprise Q1 (regular), Q2 (regular), Sem #1 Exam (exam), and Sem #1 (summary).
ISBE uses terms to indicate the length of the class and how many grades are reported over the year. ISBE’s terms vary slightly from SchoolInsight’s, so it is important to be aware of how your classes’s grades will be translated into terms when you report them in the Student Course Assignment and Teacher Course Assignment Entry files.
Which grading periods are reported in ISBE course assignments?
Three simple rules determine which term(s) will be sent to the state in the Teacher Course Assignment and Student Course Assignment files:
- If a class has a Final grading period, the class will only send the Y1 term.
- If a class has semester grading period(s) but no Final, the class will only send S1 and/or S2.
- If a course has no summary grading periods, each regular grading period will be sent individually.
In other words, summary grades trump regular grades, and longer summary grades trump shorter summary grades. For example, a course with four quarters will be sent in four separate stages, requiring a grade in Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4. However, a class with four quarters and a final will be sent as a single row of data using the term Y1. In that case, ISBE will not expect a grade until the end of the year.
Confirming the correct terms are being exported
A common mistake is to send the initial Student Course Assignment/Teacher Course Assignment Entry with only regular grading periods, when the school really intends to report summary grades. Sending the correct data at the beginning of the year is critical, as fixing incorrect data could require wiping out everything you submitted earlier.
The grading periods must exist in two places in order to be successfully reported to the state:
- The grading period must be added to the class
- The grading period must be added to an official report card
Upon confirmation that the grading period has been added to the correct places, as a final verification, you should preview the state export file.
- Go to School District Admin Main > Import/Export > ISBE Files > Export ISBE File
- Choose the file type Student Course Assignment or Teacher Course Assignment Entry
- Uncheck “Show only invalid records”
- Adjust any other necessary settings
- Preview
- Look through the list, paying attention to the Term column
- Upload Directly to ISBE if everything looks correct
Relationship Summary
The table below shows how a class with the following grading periods will be reported to ISBE. Entries with an asterisk (*) indicate that they will be sent instead of (rather than in addition to) any grading periods below them.
|
SchoolInsight Grading Period |
ISBE Term |
|
*Final (summary) |
Y1 |
|
*Semester #1 (summary), Semester #2 (summary) |
S1, S2 |
|
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 |
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 |
|
T1, T2, T3 |
T1, T2, T3 |
|
Fall, Spring, Summer |
S1, S2, S3 |
The following grading periods are not reported to ISBE:
- Winter
- T4-T8
- Full-Year