Calculating Course Marks in eSchoolPlus

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The eSchoolPlus System includes three options to calculate course marks. This topic describes these options and provides comparison information to help you select the option that is appropriate for your school.

For information on how standards-based competency marks can be calculated, refer to Calculate Competency Marks Using Standards-Based Gradebook.

If you want to:

Then:

Calculate a mark based on Gradebook scores

Use a Gradebook Average.

For a mark type, you can specify the period of time (marking period, semester-to-date, or year-to-date) for the assignments to include in the average. The teacher selects whether the calculation uses category weights or total points and can select the categories of assignments for an average. The average is calculated when the teacher loads marks from Gradebook to report cards in Teacher Access Center or an administrator runs the eSchoolPlus Load Gradebook Averages option.

Calculate a mark based on marks received for other mark types administratively

Use a Mark Average calculated by Mark Averages Calculation.

The mark is calculated by dividing the sum of the numeric values of the marks earned by the sum of the weight of the marks. The definition for how the average is calculated is defined in the Average Setup. A building administrator runs the eSchoolPlus Mark Averages Calculation option to calculate the average.

Calculate a mark based on marks received for other mark types when loading marks from Gradebook

Use a Mark Average calculated by Load from Gradebook.

The mark is calculated by dividing the sum of the numeric values of the marks earned by the sum of the weight of the marks. The definition for how the average is calculated is defined in the Average Setup, but teachers can change the weighting rules for the average, if allowed. The average is calculated when the teacher loads marks from Gradebook to report cards in Teacher Access Center or when an administrator runs the eSchoolPlus Load Gradebook Averages option.

The following charts explain general information about the options for averaging marks in eSchoolPlus and Teacher Access Center. It does not detail all features and procedures required to set up a mark averages calculation.

Gradebook Average

Description	The mark is calculated based on assignment scores from Gradebook. The average may span multiple marking periods based on whether the mark type receives a Gradebook average for marking period, semester, or year-to-date. For example, the Semester 1 average may be calculated as the semester-to-date average for all categories in Gradebook. Thus, the average would include scores from both marking period 1 and marking period 2. The teacher can select whether the calculation uses category weights or total points and can select the categories of assignments to include in an average. For more information on the processing for this option, refer to Calculating Gradebook Averages for Mark Types that Receive Results by Marking Period, Term, At End of Course, or Year-to-date.
Example Calculation	This calculation allows teachers to choose to calculate based on weighted category averages or total points. In the following equations, Category is abbreviated to Cat and Assignment is abbreviated to Asmt. Weighted Category Calculation: (Weight Cat 1 * Cat 1 Average) + (Weight Cat 2 * Cat 2 Average) / Weight Cat 1 + Weight Cat 2 Where Category Averages are calculated as: (Weight Asmt 1 * Points Score 1) + (Weight Asmt 2 * Points Score 2) / (Weight Asmt 1 * Possible Points 1) + (Weight Asmt 2 * Possible Points 2) Total Points Calculation: Points Score for Cat 1 + Points Score for Cat 2 / Possible Points for Cat 1 + Possible Points for Cat 2
Why would you use this option	Use this type of average if you want the mark to reflect the student's progress to date based on assignments. For a mark type that receives Gradebook results from multiple marking periods, the average will not equally weight marking periods, but will reflect a running average to date. For example, if there are more possible homework points in marking period 2 than there are in marking period 1, the student's progress in marking period 2 will have a greater impact on the student's average. Refer to the additional notes for this average type.
What if building issues alpha marks	The calculation converts the numeric average to a mark from the level table. If you want to use a numeric scale other than the scale used for the level table's Average Using values, you can define a Gradebook scale to determine how to return an alpha mark for the numeric value.
Setup	System administrator defines the mark types and indicates whether mark types receive a mark from Gradebook for the specified report card period. For example, a report card period could be marking period, semester, or year-to-date. If using the level table to return marks, system administrator defines the Average Using values to reflect a 100-point scale for marks. If Gradebook scales are required, system administrator defines Gradebook scales to convert numeric average to mark. Make sure one gradebook scale is set as the default scale so that students have a default scale assigned to them. In Gradebook Setup, teacher selects the categories to include in the mark averages calculation for a mark type and associates assignments with categories. Teacher selects to calculated based on total points or weighted categories. By default, all categories that the teacher selects to use are included in the marks that are defined to receive a Gradebook result. The teachers can choose to override the default and select the categories to include in the mark averages calculation for a mark. Additionally, teachers can change the weight for a category for a mark.
How calculation is run	Average calculated when teacher loads marks from Gradebook to report cards in Teacher Access Center or administrator runs eSchoolPlus Load Gradebook Averages option.

Additional Notes

When a mark type is defined to receive results that will span marking periods, a student's mark will reflect the progress to date for the categories included in the mark. For example, if a building has set up the semester mark to receive results for the semester and the semester starts 8/1/2015 and ends 1/12/2016, then the average is calculated for assignments that were due from 8/1/2015 - 1/12/2016. If the teacher has defined more assignments or more possible points in one marking period than another, this can result in the assignments for one marking period having a greater effect on the student's average.

Weighted Category Average Example

A class has 2 categories that are included in the MP mark: HW (homework) and QZ (quizzes). The HW category has a weight of 1 and QZ has a weight of 2. The student has the following scores:

HW1 score of 10 out of 10 points available, weight = 1

HW2 score of 0 out of 10 points available, weight = 2

HW3 score of 40 out of 60 points, weight = 1

HW4 score of 8 out of 10 points, weight = 1

QZ1 score of 7 out of 10 points, weight =1

QZ2 score of 18 out of 20 points, weight =1

MP Sum of category averages = (HW Average x 1) + (QZ Average x 2)

MP Sum of weights = 1 + 2

HW Total score: ((10 x 1) + (0 x 2) + (40 x 1) + (8 x 1)) = 58

HW Total points: ((10 x 1) + (10 x 2) + (60 x 1) + (10 x 1)) = 100

HW Average = 58 / 100 or 58%.

QZ Total score: ((7 x 1) + (18 x 1) = 25

QZ Total points: ((10 x 1) + (20 x 1) = 30

QZ Average = 25 / 30 or 83%

MP = (58 x 1) + (83 x 2) / 3

MP = 224 / 3

MP = 75

Total Points Example

A class has 2 categories that are included in the MP mark: HW (homework) and QZ (quizzes). The student has the following scores:

HW1 score of 10 out of 10 points available, weight = 1

HW2 score of 0 out of 10 points available, weight = 2

HW3 score of 40 out of 60 points, weight = 1

HW4 score of 8 out of 10 points, weight = 1

QZ1 score of 7 out of 10 points, weight =1

QZ2 score of 18 out of 20 points, weight =1

MP = Sum of all weighted scores / Sum of all possible weighted points

Sum of scores: ((10 x 1) + (0 x 2) + (40 x 1) + (8 x 1) + (7 x 1) + (18 x 1)) = 83

Sum of possible points: ((10 x 1) + (10 x 2) + (60 x 1) + (10 x 1) + (10 x 1) + (20 x 1)) = 130

MP = 83 / 130

MP = 64

Mark Average Calculation Using eSchoolPlus Mark Averages Calculation

Description	The mark is calculated by dividing the sum of the numeric values of the marks earned by the sum of the weight of the marks. Average calculated by an administrator. For more information on the processing of the calculation, refer to Overview of Mark Averages Calculation.
Example Calculation	(Weight Mark 1 * Mark 1) + (Weight Mark 2 * Mark 2) / Weight Mark 1 + Weight Mark 2
Why would you use this option	This average is useful for calculating a mark that is based on the marks a student received for other mark types over multiple marking periods. For example, a semester or final mark that is calculated by averaging marking period and exam marks. You can select to have this type of average calculated using raw Gradebook values. When a mark is loaded from Gradebook, a raw value for the mark is stored. The raw value is the numeric average calculated to 4 decimal places. For example, if a student's report card record stores a 79 for the MP mark, the student's raw value may range from 78.51 to 79.9999 depending on whether averages are set to round or truncate. If there is no raw Gradebook value for a mark or there is an override entered for the mark, the calculation will use the value of the mark as specified in the level table. If you calculate an average that uses a label to weight the average of marks instead of a mark value, you must use this type of average. For example, if the Semester grade is the calculated as: (2 * (Average MP M1 and MP M2)) + (2 * Exm M2) / 4
What if building issues alpha marks	If the average setup is defined to use the raw Gradebook value, then the calculation uses the numeric average value stored in the student's mark reporting record. If the setup does not use the raw Gradebook value or no raw Gradebook value exists for a student's mark reporting record, then the calculation converts the mark to a value as defined in the level table's Average Using fields. Then after the average is calculated for a mark, the calculation returns the mark with the level table's Average Using value closest to the calculated average. If you need to convert the calculated numeric averages using different ranges then the Average Using values, define Mark Substitution records and define the average setup to return marks based on Mark Substitution.
Setup	System administrator defines average setups. If the average setup uses mark substitution, system administrator defines mark substitution. System administrator assigns average IDs to courses. Teacher enters marks in Report Cards for the mark types used to calculate the mark.
How calculation is run	Average calculated by running the eSchoolPlus Mark Averages Calculation.

Example

The SEM (Semester) mark uses an average setup defined by the building administrator. The calculation for the SEM mark for marking period 2 is defined as:

Use	Mark Type	Marking Period	Weight
Mark Type	MP - Marking Period	M1	1
Mark Type	MP - Marking Period	M2	1
Mark Type	EXM - Exam	M2	2

The student receives the following marks and the average value of the mark is equal to the mark:

MP	M1	87
MP	M2	82
EXM	M2	74

Sum of weighted marks = ((87 x 1) + (82 x 1) + (74 x 2)) = 317

Sum of weights = 1 + 1 + 2 = 4

SEM = 317 / 4

SEM = 79

Mark Average Calculation Using Load from Gradebook

Description	The mark is calculated by dividing the sum of the numeric values of the marks earned by the sum of the weight of the marks. The calculation is similar to the Mark Averages Calculation, but in this case, the system calculates the average when the teacher loads grades to TAC Report Cards or when the administrator runs the eSchoolPlus Load Gradebook Averages option. For more information on the processing for this option, refer to Calculating Gradebook Averages for Mark Types that Receive Results from Average Setup.
Example Calculation	(Weight Mark 1 * Mark 1) + (Weight Mark 2 * Mark 2) / Weight Mark 1 + Weight Mark 2
Why would you use this option	This average is useful for calculating a mark that is based on the marks a student received for other mark types over multiple marking periods. For example, a semester or final mark that is calculated by averaging marking period and exam marks. Use the Load from Gradebook option to calculate averages if either of the following apply: Teachers are allowed to override the weights for the mark averages calculation Marks should be returned based on a student's Gradebook scale, instead of the level table. The Mark Averages Calculation option does not support those actions. If you set up an average using this method and you allow teachers to override average weights, then teachers can change the weights of the marks included in the average setup using Gradebook Setup. The teacher can exclude a mark from the average by assigning the mark a weight of zero. You can select to have this type of average calculated using raw Gradebook values. When a mark is loaded to Gradebook, a raw value for the mark is stored. The raw value is the numeric average calculated to 4 decimal places. For example, if a student's report card record stores a 79 for the MP mark, the student's raw value may range from 78.51 to 79.9999 depending on whether averages are set to round or truncate. If there is no raw Gradebook value for a mark or there is an override entered for the mark, the calculation will use the value of the mark as specified in the level table.
What if building issues alpha marks	If the average setup is defined to use the raw Gradebook value, then the calculation uses the numeric average value stored in the student's mark reporting record. If the setup does not use the raw Gradebook value or no raw Gradebook value exists for a student's mark reporting record, then the calculation converts the mark to a value as defined in the level table Average Using fields. Then after the average is calculated for a mark, the calculation returns the mark with the level table's Average Using value closest to the calculated average. If you need to convert numeric averages using different ranges than the level table's Average Using values, define Gradebook Scale records and have teachers assign the scale to students.
Setup	System administrator defines the mark type to receive Gradebook results based on an average setup. If a Gradebook scale is needed, system administrator defines the Gradebook Scales. The administrator can select to make a scale the default for all students. System administrator assigns average IDs to courses. If building configuration allows teachers to override weights, teacher can use Gradebook Setup to adjust the calculation by overriding the weights used or exclude a mark from the average by entering a weight of zero.
How calculation is run	Average calculated when teacher loads marks from Gradebook to report cards in Teacher Access Center or administrator runs eSchoolPlus Load Gradebook Averages option.

Additional Notes

If you include marks in the average setup that are not loaded from Gradebook, then you must make sure teachers enter those marks before running Load from Gradebook. For example, you can calculate a SEM mark based on an MP mark loaded from Gradebook and an EXM mark that is entered on TAC's Report Card page. In this scenario, if the EXM mark is issued in marking period 2 and the SEM mark is loaded in marking period 2, teachers must enter the EXM marks in Teacher Access Report Cards prior to loading marks from Gradebook. Otherwise, the exam mark would be processed as a blank mark when the teacher runs Load from Gradebook.

Example

Refer to the example for the Mark Average Calculation Using eSchoolPlus Mark Averages Calculation.

Tip

To check the average calculated for a mark type that receives results based on an average setup, use the Gradebook Average Setup Calculation Worksheet provided in the online help. In the online help's Content panel, select Mark Reporting > Learn About Calculating Marks > Gradebook mark averages calculation Worksheet (PDF).