Traditional Grading

In this guide, you will learn

• About traditional grading strategies, grade scales, and weight categories
• How to record student grades
• How to manage a student's final grade

Spark’s Traditional Grading strategies allow you to assess student performance using percentages or points. Whether your school uses a percentage-based scale (e.g., 92%) or a points-based system (e.g., 18 out of 20), Spark makes it easy to assign grades, apply custom scales, weight assignment categories, and track final grade averages.

Overview of Traditional Grading Strategies

There are two types of traditional grading strategies you can use in Spark:

• Traditional Percentage Grading – You enter a percentage score for each assignment. Spark calculates final averages based on these percentages and applies a customizable letter grade scale.
• Traditional Points Grading – You enter the number of points a student earned out of a total possible. Spark converts the total points earned into a percentage and applies the grading scale.

You can select either strategy when creating a Grade Record.

Grade Scales

Grade Scales define the range of scores teachers can assign and how those scores convert into letter grades.

• Create or select a scale when setting up a grade record, or add one later.
• Customize grade thresholds (e.g., A = 90–100%, B = 80–89%, etc.).
• Reuse your custom scales across multiple grade records and classes.

Assignment Weight Categories

When using traditional percent-based grading, you can organize assignments by category (e.g., tests, quizzes, homework) and assign weights to each. This allows different types of assignments to carry different levels of importance in the final grade calculation.

Note: traditional points-based grading does not use weights, as the total number of points for each assignment automatically weighs each assignment.

Examples:

Math Class

• Tests: 60%
• Homework: 20%
• Quizzes: 10%
• Class Participation: 10%

English Class

• Essays: 40%
• Reading Quizzes: 30%
• Class Discussions: 20%
• Homework: 10%

You can set up weight categories when creating or editing a Grade Record.

Recording Student Grades

You can record grades in two ways:

Grading an Assignment Submission

If you’ve created assignments in the Assignment Calendar, you can grade their submissions directly:

1. Find the assignment and open.
2. Go to the Submissions and Grades tab.
3. Click + Select Grade Record.
4. Choose the correct Gradebook and Grade Record from the dropdowns.
5. Create a new graded item or select from an item already entered in the grade record.
6. Select the weight category if applicable.
7. Next to each student, enter the score (percentage or points) and click the checkmark to save.

The grade will automatically appear in the selected Grade Record.

Entering Grades Manually

You can also enter grades directly into a Grade Record:

1. Click into the Grade Record.
2. In the Table View tab, click the + to add a new graded item, or go to the Graded Items tab and click + Add Graded Item.
3. Name the graded item and save.
4. Enter each student’s score next to their name in the table view, or add the score in the Student View.

This is ideal for grading activities not linked to the assignment calendar.

Managing Final Grades

Spark automatically calculates final grades based on the scores and weights entered; however, final grades can be manually entered if desired.

How Final Grades Are Calculated

Spark calculates final grades differently depending on the grading strategy you choose: percentage-based or points-based.

Traditional Percentage Grading

When using percentage grading, Spark calculates final grades using a weighted average of assignment categories:

• Assignments are grouped into categories (such as Tests, Homework, etc.).
• Each category is assigned a weight that reflects its importance in the final grade.
• Spark averages the scores within each category and applies the weights to determine the final grade.

This method gives you control over how much each type of assignment contributes to a student’s overall grade.

Traditional Points Grading

In points-based grading, each assignment has a point value, and Spark calculates the student’s grade based on the total points earned divided by the total points possible.

• No separate weighting is applied.
• The point values themselves determine the weight of each assignment.
• Larger assignments automatically carry more weight in the final grade.

This approach makes it easy to grade assignments of varying importance without setting up separate weight categories.

Viewing Final Grades

In a Grade Record:

• Go to the Student View tab and select the student at the top.
• Their current average will appear in the Final Grade section.

In a Gradebook:

• Click on a student's name in the Student dropdown to see their overall grades across grade records.
• You can also view credits and GPA recorded below.

Customizing a Student's Final Grade

You can manually override Spark’s calculated final grade if needed:

1. Click into the relevant Grade Record.
2. In the Table View tab, click on the score in the Results column, or to to the Student View tab, select the student, and go to the Final Results section.
3. In the Calculation Type dropdown, select Manual.
4. Enter the result, letter score, credits, and GPA.
5. Click Save.

This is helpful for incorporating factors like extra credit, teacher judgment, or special circumstances.