Create a GradeBook
Create a new GradeBook with your preferred settings.
Requirements
- Valid License: ✅ Required
- Must be GradeBook: ❌ Not required (works on any spreadsheet)
- Premium: ❌ Not required
Accessing the Feature
- Open Google Sheets
- Click Extensions → GradeBook → Create & View GradeBooks
- The Create a GradeBook sidebar will open
The Create a GradeBook Menu
GradeBook Structure
Configure how your GradeBook will calculate grades:
| Setting | Options | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GradeBook Type | Standard Weighting, Category Weighting, Total Points | How grades are calculated (see below) |
| Include sample students? | No, Yes | Whether to add example students for testing |
| Maximum assignments | 25, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 | How many assignment columns your GradeBook can hold |
GradeBook Types Explained
| Type | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Standard Weighting | Each assignment has its own percentage weight (for example, Homework 1 = 5%, Quiz 1 = 10%, Test 1 = 20%). All weights should add up to 100%. Best for flexible grading where each assignment has unique importance. |
| Category Weighting | Assignments are grouped into categories (like Homework, Quizzes, Tests). Each category has a weight, and assignments within a category are averaged (for example, Homework = 30%, Quizzes = 30%, Tests = 40%). Best for consistent grading policies across assignment types. |
| Total Points | Simple points-based grading. Total points earned ÷ total possible points = final grade (for example, 450 ÷ 500 = 90%). Best for simple, straightforward grading. |
Course Information
Enter details about your course:
| Field | Required? | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Course Name | ✅ Yes | The name of your course (e.g., “Math 101 - Period 3”) |
| Course Code | No | Optional course code |
| Period | No | Optional class period |
Teacher Information
Optional fields to include in your GradeBook:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Teacher Name | Your name as it should appear on reports |
| School Name | Your school’s name |
| Phone | Contact phone number |
Attendance
Choose whether to include attendance tracking sheets:
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| No | Creates a GradeBook without attendance sheets |
| Yes | Adds monthly attendance sheets for the date range you specify |
If you select Yes, you’ll choose:
- Start Month and Year: When your course begins
- End Month and Year: When your course ends
Create Your GradeBook
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| CREATE GRADEBOOK | Creates your new GradeBook with the settings you selected. The GradeBook will open in a new tab. |
The Create button is disabled until you enter a Course Name.
Recent GradeBooks
Quickly access GradeBooks you’ve created recently:
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Open GradeBooks Folder | Opens your GradeBooks folder in Google Drive |
| Load GradeBooks | Shows a list of your recent GradeBooks that you can click to open |
Tips
- Start with 100 assignments - You can always create a new GradeBook with more columns if needed
- Use descriptive course names - Include the period or section (e.g., “English 9 - Period 2”) so you can easily tell GradeBooks apart
- Sample students are for testing - Choose “No” for real courses. You can always use Reset Options to clear sample data if needed
Grading Methods: Choosing the Right One for Your Classroom
When setting up your GradeBook, selecting the appropriate grading method is crucial for accurate and fair assessments. Below is a guide to help you decide which GradeBook type best fits your teaching style and assessment strategy.
1. Total Points System
Best For:
- Teachers who prefer a simple, points-based system.
- Every assignment’s impact is determined solely by its point value.
- No need to assign category or assignment weights.
How It Works:
- The final grade is calculated by dividing total points earned by total points possible.
- Larger assignments naturally have more impact on the grade.
Example:
A student’s final grade is calculated as:
- Homework 1: 45/50
- Homework 2: 80/100
- Quiz 1: 18/20
- Test 1: 85/100
Final grade calculation:
\[\frac{(45 + 80 + 18 + 85)}{(50 + 100 + 20 + 100)} \times 100 = 84.4\%\, (\text{Final grade})\]2. Standard (Relative) Weighting
Best For:
- Teachers who want to weight each assignment individually without using categories.
- A flexible system where assignment weights are relative to each other.
- No requirement for weights to sum to 100%.
How It Works:
- Each assignment is assigned a relative weight.
- The weight determines how much influence the assignment has compared to others.
- The final grade is calculated based on the proportion of each assignment’s weight to the total weight of all assignments.
Example:
A teacher assigns the following weights:
- Homework 1: Weight 10, Score 90
- Quiz 1: Weight 20, Score 85
- Test 1: Weight 40, Score 88
Final grade calculation:
\[\frac{(90 \times 10) + (85 \times 20) + (88 \times 40)}{(10 + 20 + 40)} = 87.4\%\, (\text{Final grade})\]A higher weight means the assignment has a greater impact on the final grade.
3. Category Weighting (Fixed Category Weights, Relative Assignment Weights)
Best For:
- Teachers who want to weight both categories and individual assignments within them.
- A structured grading system where category weights must add up to 100%.
- Ensuring that some categories contribute more to the final grade than others while still allowing assignment-level flexibility.
How It Works:
- Categories (e.g., Homework, Quizzes, Tests) are assigned fixed percentage weights that must total 100%.
- Individual assignments within a category have relative weights, meaning assignments can vary in importance within the category.
- The final grade is based on weighted category averages.
Example:
A teacher assigns category weights that must total 100%:
- Homework: 30% of the final grade
- Quizzes: 20% of the final grade
- Tests: 50% of the final grade
Within each category, assignments have relative weights.
Student’s scores and weights
Homework (30% of final grade)
| Assignment | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| HW1 | 10 | 90 |
| HW2 | 20 | 80 |
Quizzes (20% of final grade)
| Assignment | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz 1 | 100 | 85 |
Tests (50% of final grade)
| Assignment | Weight | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Test 1 | 100 | 88 |
Step 1: Calculate weighted average for each category
Homework category average:
\[\left(\frac{(90 \times 10) + (80 \times 20)}{10 + 20}\right) = \frac{900 + 1600}{30} = 83.3\%\]Quiz category average:
\[\left(\frac{85 \times 100}{100}\right) = 85.0\%\]Test category average:
\[\left(\frac{88 \times 100}{100}\right) = 88.0\%\]Step 2: Multiply each category’s average by its category weight
Homework contribution:
\[83.3\% \times 30\% = 25.0\%\]Quiz contribution:
\[85.0\% \times 20\% = 17.0\%\]Test contribution:
\[88.0\% \times 50\% = 44.0\%\]Step 3: Final grade calculation
\[25.0\% + 17.0\% + 44.0\% = 86.0\%\, (\text{Final grade})\]Final Tip:
✅ If you want a simple system where all assignments contribute based on their point values, use Total Points System.
✅ If you want assignments to have relative weights without categories, use Standard Weighting.
✅ If you want to structure grades into categories that sum to 100%, while still having relative weights within categories, use Category Weighting.
By selecting the right grading method, you ensure fairness and transparency in assessing student performance.
Related Features
- Copy GradeBook: Create a copy of an existing GradeBook
- Views and Sorting: Customize how your GradeBook is displayed