Dropping Low Scores using Total Point and Category Weighting

The Drop Low Scores utility enables you to remove the lowest scoring assignments from a student's grade for the selected Grading Period, if doing so will improve the student's grade or if the student's grade for the grading period will remain the same. During this process you can drop low scores for each student in the class. You can choose the number of assignments you wish to drop based on specific Categories for gradebooks with a calculation type of Assignment Total Points or Category Weighting.

If you have previously dropped assignment scores, you can un-drop these to pull them back into the calculation. They may still be chosen as the lowest score to drop. You can also choose how many low scores will be dropped from the grade calculation.

Scroll past the video to access the step-by-step instructions.

Before you begin

  • The grade calculation for the grading period must be set to assignment total points or category weighting.

Audio Transcript

In this video, we will discuss dropping the lowest score for a grading period in the Gradebook. Let's select the Menu, Teacher Access, Gradebook and then Gradesheet. If you are taken into a particular gradesheet, you can go to the Class List option in the top right and then select the appropriate tile. Now let's select More in the upper right-hand corner, and then Tools. And then from here we can select the Drop Scores icon next to the grade bucket that we wish to drop scores for. You'll notice you can only drop scores for open grading periods. Now we'll need to decide if we want to drop from all assignments, or by category. If we drop from all assignments, we can then choose the number of assignments to drop and then choose a category we wish to exclude. So maybe we want students to let drop anything but a homework score. If we choose by category, we can specify for each category how many assignments students can drop and we can use the Add Category button to determine additional categories. We're going to use from all assignments option and then we're not going to exclude any categories for this example. Let's select Next. Now we'll see a list of students and the assignments that is going to be dropped. We can scroll and verify these assignments. We can also uncheck any students if we do not want an assignment to be dropped. Now we can select the Drop button and this final screen will show us the assignments that will be dropped, and we can select Close. Thank you for learning how to drop the lowest score for a grading period in the Gradebook.

Procedure

In this video, we will discuss dropping the lowest score for a grading period in the Gradebook. Let's select the Menu, Teacher Access, Gradebook and then Gradesheet. If you are taken into a particular gradesheet, you can go to the Class List option in the top right and then select the appropriate tile. Now let's select More in the upper right-hand corner, and then Tools. And then from here we can select the Drop Scores icon next to the grade bucket that we wish to drop scores for. You'll notice you can only drop scores for open grading periods. Now we'll need to decide if we want to drop from all assignments, or by category. If we drop from all assignments, we can then choose the number of assignments to drop and then choose a category we wish to exclude. So maybe we want students to let drop anything but a homework score. If we choose by category, we can specify for each category how many assignments students can drop and we can use the Add Category button to determine additional categories. We're going to use from all assignments option and then we're not going to exclude any categories for this example. Let's select Next. Now we'll see a list of students and the assignments that is going to be dropped. We can scroll and verify these assignments. We can also uncheck any students if we do not want an assignment to be dropped. Now we can select the Drop button and this final screen will show us the assignments that will be dropped, and we can select Close. Thank you for learning how to drop the lowest score for a grading period in the Gradebook.





  1. Select Menu > Teacher Access > Gradebook.
  2. Select Gradesheet under Features.

    If you have already opened a gradesheet in your current session, you return to the most recently opened gradesheet. To select a different class, click Class List near the top right of the screen.

  3. Verify you are in the correct school year by checking the information at the top left of the screen.
  4. Select the Tile for the class you wish to drop low scores for.
  5. Click More near the top right of the screen.
  6. Select Tools from the menu.
  7. Click Drop Scores to the left of the grading period you wish to adjust.

    The Drop Scores option only displays for grading periods that are still open.

  8. Complete the appropriate fields.

    Required fields are identified with an asterisk. You must complete required fields before you can save your work.

    1. Under the Student Assignment Details heading, check the Un-Drop Previously Dropped Assignments box if appropriate.
      If you are dropping scores for open grading periods with a calculation type of Category Weighting, skip to sub-step e.
    2. Select the appropriate radio button for the Drop Method.

      If you choose to drop scores From All Assignments, continue to the next sub-step.

      If you choose to drop scores By Category, skip to sub-step e.

    3. Enter the Number of Assignments to Drop.
    4. Under the Categories To Exclude heading, enter the Category To Exclude or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list.
    5. Under the Categories heading, enter the Category To Drop or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list.
    6. Enter the Number of Assignments To Drop.
    7. Click Next near the top left of the screen.
    8. Verify the assignments to be dropped are correct.
  9. Click Drop near the top left of the screen.
  10. Choose one of the options near the top left of the screen.
    OptionDescription
    Drop More AssignmentsRefreshes the Drop Low Score screen so you can drop additional scores.
    CloseYou return to the Drop Low Scores tab of the Gradebook Tools screen. A circle icon with the letter D displays next to the assignments that were dropped in the gradesheet to indicate the assignments will not be included in the calculation of the students' grades.