Gradebook Categories

Gradebook categories are used to sort and group assignments. Instructors assign weights to categories to make some assignments worth more than others. This article explains how to create gradebook categories in TeacherEase, and how they impact student grades. 

• How do I create a gradebook category in TeacherEase?
• How categories affect student grades

How do I create a gradebook category in TeacherEase?

To create a gradebook category:

Go to Instructor Main > Gradebook > Setup > Categories

1. 1. Select a Class
   2. Create Category
   3. Enter values for
      • Category Title
        • Try single words like Homework, Tests, or Projects.
      • Weight
        • A number that indicates this category’s weight compared to others in your gradebook.
      • Number of Low Scores to Drop
        • The number of low assignment scores that will get dropped from each student’s grade
        • Recommended: The number entered should be small relative to the total number of assignments in the category
   4. Save

How categories affect student grades

Student grades are calculated as weighted averages of category grades. For example, a class has three categories that constitute 20%, 50%, and 30% of the student grades as displayed in the screenshot below.

Take a look at a student with these category grades:

Category	Category Weight	Category Grade
Homework	20	83
Classwork	50	93
Quizzes	30	88

To calculate a grade we need the total of category weights along with the sum of the products of each category weight and grade as highlighted below.

Category	Category Weight	Category Grade	Weight x Grade
Homework	20	83	1660
Classwork	50	93	4650
Quizzes	30	88	2640
Sum	100		8950

Finally, the student’s grade is the quotient of the two bolded values from the table above. The student’s total grade is 89.5 as illustrated in this screenshot from TeacherEase.