MCPS Gradebook not Adding Up

[Anonymous]

Automated assignment tracking isn't a panacea and isn't always accurate. You don't know what has been programmed but not completed, completed but not graded, missing but excused, graded but completed in a different format that doesn't show up in Canvas, opened for redo, etc. Nothing is actually "right" in real time because no computer can follow these trajectories. Trying to micro-monitor grades inside ANY learning-management system is a recipe for unnecessary anxiety and inherently a losing proposition given the number of teachers, courses, and assignments that any student will have over even just a couple of years.

Encourage your student to make sure that they do not accidentally miss submitting something, to do their best work on everything they attempt, and to check in every couple of weeks with teachers who have complicated assignment trajectories to make sure they are staying on track. Then log out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why when I taught in MCPS I only entered grades on Friday. Otherwise I spent all my work week answering emails.

I would be delighted if teachers entered once a week at a set time. Surely you know that some of your former colleagues are entering a quarter worth of assessments this week.

[Anonymous]

^ many parents we know don't micro. They know there are different levels and defer to teacher. Teachers should know how to use the system. However, not all teachers do. Parents shouldn't need to be "checking-in" with teachers. If a student checks in and teacher is unresponsive or indifferent without providing the student with an explanation, parents may need to get involved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why when I taught in MCPS I only entered grades on Friday. Otherwise I spent all my work week answering emails.

I would be delighted if teachers entered once a week at a set time. Surely you know that some of your former colleagues are entering a quarter worth of assessments this week.[/quote]

Wonder who is holding them accountable? werent they supposed to enter within 2 weeks of assessment or assignment? Are they giving tasks only in last two weeks of quarter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why when I taught in MCPS I only entered grades on Friday. Otherwise I spent all my work week answering emails.

I would be delighted if teachers entered once a week at a set time. Surely you know that some of your former colleagues are entering a quarter worth of assessments this week.

Wonder who is holding them accountable? werent they supposed to enter within 2 weeks of assessment or assignment? Are they giving tasks only in last two weeks of quarter?

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for the responses. I don’t think it’s a math error on my side-I copy pasted the grade book data into excel because I couldn’t understand how my kid’s grade had suddenly gone from B to A and because all of their assignments were graded at near perfect scores and there were no missing assignments.

In the assignment view, my kid had 161/170 points, which is a 95 percent, but the Gradebook says my kid has a B with a 88 percent in the same assignment view.

So maybe it’s a sync issue and somehow my kid has bombed or is missing some assignments but right now-the system doesn’t add up from what I can see.

And no, I don’t want to micromanage or bring myself unnecessary anxiety if the system is prone to sync issues or incomplete info, but we’re new to MCPS and I also don’t want my kid told, “yes there was something wrong with how your grades were recorded, but it’s too late for the teacher to fix it, with the marking period end date coming up so soon…”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for the responses. I don’t think it’s a math error on my side-I copy pasted the grade book data into excel because I couldn’t understand how my kid’s grade had suddenly gone from B to A and because all of their assignments were graded at near perfect scores and there were no missing assignments.

In the assignment view, my kid had 161/170 points, which is a 95 percent, but the Gradebook says my kid has a B with a 88 percent in the same assignment view.

So maybe it’s a sync issue and somehow my kid has bombed or is missing some assignments but right now-the system doesn’t add up from what I can see.

And no, I don’t want to micromanage or bring myself unnecessary anxiety if the system is prone to sync issues or incomplete info, but we’re new to MCPS and I also don’t want my kid told, “yes there was something wrong with how your grades were recorded, but it’s too late for the teacher to fix it, with the marking period end date coming up so soon…”

Did you account for grade reductions for things that were late? Or things not yet due or graded?

Honestly I’d have my kid talk to the teacher. If the grade is lower than she is hoping she needs to know if and how to get it up. I feel like these are regular conversations my DD has with her teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for the responses. I don’t think it’s a math error on my side-I copy pasted the grade book data into excel because I couldn’t understand how my kid’s grade had suddenly gone from B to A and because all of their assignments were graded at near perfect scores and there were no missing assignments.

In the assignment view, my kid had 161/170 points, which is a 95 percent, but the Gradebook says my kid has a B with a 88 percent in the same assignment view.

So maybe it’s a sync issue and somehow my kid has bombed or is missing some assignments but right now-the system doesn’t add up from what I can see.

And no, I don’t want to micromanage or bring myself unnecessary anxiety if the system is prone to sync issues or incomplete info, but we’re new to MCPS and I also don’t want my kid told, “yes there was something wrong with how your grades were recorded, but it’s too late for the teacher to fix it, with the marking period end date coming up so soon…”

Did you account for grade reductions for things that were late? Or things not yet due or graded?

Honestly I’d have my kid talk to the teacher. If the grade is lower than she is hoping she needs to know if and how to get it up. I feel like these are regular conversations my DD has with her teachers.

Gradebook for me clearly marks things as "Late" next to the grade. If the OP isn't seeing that, that's not the issue.

But I also don't think that teachers are going to be happy about lots of kids going up to them and asking about their grades if everything isn't in the system yet and the system is just glitchy and it's not their fault. My kid doesn't have these "regular conversations" with their teacher. Maybe they should, but with 32 kids per class, seems like some teachers will get annoyed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of my kid's grades dropped, and I checked the grades for the individual assignments in gradebook, and they average to a higher grade than shown at the bottom of the Gradebook for this class.

What could explain this? I used the same weights for each assignment that were in Gradebook, but it's not adding up...if the individual assignment grades are correct, my kid's grade should be higher...

You can’t just use the number of points (denominator) each assignment is worth and add them up to one total. You need to add up all the practice/prep assignments separately, all the all task assignments separately, and the district assessment. You then need to weight the AT as 80 percent of the grade and each of the others as 10 percent of the grade. You also need to check and see if the teacher entered in an upcoming assignment/grade that hasn’t happened yet. Sometimes teachers put them in as 0 or 50 percent, and then change them after they administer the assignment or test. It can artificially deflate the grade.

If you’ve done all that, then ask the teacher. There are lots of errors and glitches. I know teachers get annoyed when you proactively reach out before the quarter ends, but trust me when I say it is a much more tedious process to fix the error after the fact than before grades lock.

[Anonymous]

Parent and teacher here. OP- is this an error/miscalculation you found or your child? If it was you, my advice is to teach your kid how to check their grades on their own. Mine did it every Friday and went from there. If you’re doing more work than your child, that’s on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my kid's grades dropped, and I checked the grades for the individual assignments in gradebook, and they average to a higher grade than shown at the bottom of the Gradebook for this class.

What could explain this? I used the same weights for each assignment that were in Gradebook, but it's not adding up...if the individual assignment grades are correct, my kid's grade should be higher...

You can’t just use the number of points (denominator) each assignment is worth and add them up to one total. You need to add up all the practice/prep assignments separately, all the all task assignments separately, and the district assessment. You then need to weight the AT as 80 percent of the grade and each of the others as 10 percent of the grade. You also need to check and see if the teacher entered in an upcoming assignment/grade that hasn’t happened yet. Sometimes teachers put them in as 0 or 50 percent, and then change them after they administer the assignment or test. It can artificially deflate the grade.

If you’ve done all that, then ask the teacher. There are lots of errors and glitches. I know teachers get annoyed when you proactively reach out before the quarter ends, but trust me when I say it is a much more tedious process to fix the error after the fact than before grades lock.

OP here. Thanks. Well, that would definitely explain it. I just added up all the points listed to make the denominator, because there's no indication in Gradebook that all the points aren't worth the same amount. What does "AT?" means...is AT the same as TA, which I do see as an acronym in my kid's Gradebook?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parent and teacher here. OP- is this an error/miscalculation you found or your child? If it was you, my advice is to teach your kid how to check their grades on their own. Mine did it every Friday and went from there. If you’re doing more work than your child, that’s on you.

To paraphrase:
1) You shouldn't be looking at your kid's grades.
2) If you do and you don't understand what you're looking at, it's your fault for having looked at them.

[Anonymous]

It's ridonc people who say don't look. Parents should be looking and no a kid is not soley responsible for what's there in grades. The TEACHER if they would enter regularly would have time to check before submitting grades by end of quarter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is why when I taught in MCPS I only entered grades on Friday. Otherwise I spent all my work week answering emails.

That's what teachers are not doing. Pick a damn day or two and get those in AND synched.

LOL @ the fact that you think teachers have time to collaborate. It's everyman for themselves and keep your head down to survive in schools.

[Anonymous]

The parent has already admitted that they don’t know how PP and AT grades work. An above poster explained it (though asking your child first would have been better). Sounds like we can end this thread without bashing any teachers as there is no indication that late entering has anything to do with this situation.