SchoolTool 21.3-R4: Elevating Standards-Based Grading and Boosting Course Selection Visibility

We’re excited to announce the latest SchoolTool release (21.3-R4) and share some exciting updates that will streamline your grading and scheduling processes. Here’s a closer look at the new features designed to enhance your experience. 

Streamline Your Grading with the New Standards-Based Submit Screen 

We’re excited to introduce a revamped feature for teacher grade books: the Submit Descriptor/Standard Marking Period Grades screen. This update improves upon the existing Submit Descriptor Report Card Grades screen with new functionality to enhance the grading process. 

Here’s how this new standards-based grading screen will elevate your grading experience: 

• Efficient Grading: Easily calculate and/or submit grades based on standards, ensuring they accurately reflect student mastery of learning goals. 

• Enhanced Commenting: Add detailed feedback with ease using the new comment feature, helping you provide valuable insights into student performance. 

• Access to Prior Grades and Comments: Track student progress by viewing previous grades and comments, enabling consistent and informed feedback. 

• Mass Actions: Perform bulk actions for groups of standards or students with just a few clicks, saving time and reducing administrative tasks. 

We believe this update will significantly enhance your grading experience, providing you with the tools needed to manage and communicate student progress effectively. Stay tuned for more updates and features designed to support your grading needs! 

Enhancements to the Grade Book for Standards-Based Grading 

In addition to the Submit Descriptor/Standard Marking Period Grades screen, we’re introducing a new way to view your Grade Book Editor grid: by Standard or by Assignment. This update provides flexibility and improves how you track student progress: 

• View by Standard: Get a clear picture of how students are performing against specific standards across assignments, helping you focus on their mastery of learning objectives. 

• View by Assignment: Alternatively, review progress based on individual assignments, allowing for a more detailed assessment of student performance. 

This new grid layout offers the flexibility to view student progress in the way that best suits your teaching needs, enhancing your ability to manage and assess performance. 

Additional Visibility for Student Course Selections 

Our latest release also includes a custom export field for course selections designed to provide additional visibility and reporting capability. Here’s how this feature will benefit you: 

• Identify Summer School Students: Quickly locate students who have chosen summer school courses, allowing for accurate planning and scheduling. 

• Separate Data for Accurate Reporting: Filter out summer school requests to focus on regular school year data when needed. 

Example in Action: 

One of the configuration options when using alternate enrollments for Summer School is to use a separate Summer School building and the same school level (MS, HS, etc.) that is attached to an existing building. Using this method, the Course Catalog used in the Summer School building is the same as the Course Catalog used in the regular school building as the Course Catalog is specific to the school level.  

 Using that configuration along with having students alternately enrolled in the Summer School would cause someone to enter Summer School selections so there is no confusion when running the SSB. 

Stay Connected for More Updates 

We’re excited about these new features and how they will support your work. We hope you enjoy the enhancements and look forward to more updates that will help you manage your school’s needs with ease. 

To stay informed about our latest product updates, be sure to subscribe to our SchoolTool Spotlight blog and regularly check our Product Updates webpage.