Creating Assignments When Using Standards

Creating Assignments in a standards-based gradebook within Teacher Access enables you to easily track assignments and the corresponding Due Dates. You can also attach Subjects and Academic Standards to assignments in order to grade students based on these areas. Additionally, you can add attachments to the assignments if students need other documents to complete the assignment, such as a reference table or hard copy of the assignment.
Teacher Access enables you to set up and maintain student Assignments in your gradebooks. If you plan to give a score for an activity, whether it is a test or class participation, then you must record an assignment for it. All assignments with a due date that falls within the date range for the Grading Period are counted toward the final score for the grading period.
As you set up an assignment, you must assign it to a Category. Categories are set up by the administrative office and only office staff members can modify them. However, if the wrong category is assigned when the assignment is set up, you can change the value to another office-created code. You may have a category for a semester or term exam. The process for creating a semester or term exam assignment is the same as creating any other assignment. If you are creating an assignment for a semester or term exam, typically you would not attach any subjects or academic standards to the assignment.

You can add assignments at the beginning of the school year or semester, or any time after within the appropriate grading period. You must add the assignment before the end of the grading period when the score will be counted. For example, if you plan to give a quiz during a grading period, you can set up the assignment at the beginning of the school year, the day of the quiz, or after the quiz has been given and scores are ready to be entered.

You can set up an assignment for a single class or for multiple classes. For example, if you teach multiple sections of the same physics course, you can apply one assignment, such as a test, to all the sections. You can set up an assignment at the beginning of the year to score class participation, and then apply that assignment to all the classes you teach. You can apply the assignment to all appropriate classes as you create it, or copy it to other classes at a later time.

Assignments can be viewed in Student Access and Family Access if your administrative office authorizes this capability. If the administrative office has enabled assignment viewing, then Skyward recommends setting up assignments as soon as possible so students and parents can view them.

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

Before you begin

  • Verify you are in the correct school year by checking the information at the top left of the screen.

Audio Transcript

Creating assignments in a standards-based gradebook enables you to easily track assignments and the corresponding due dates. We’ll begin by navigating to the Gradesheet feature within the Gradebook module. If prompted, we can select the tile for the class we wish to add an assignment to. Let’s select the Add Assignment option. The Assigned Date and Due Date default as the current date but can be updated if needed. For this example, we can say this assignment was assigned today but is not due until next week. Next, we’ll identify the Category that this assignment should fall within and enter the Assignment Name. We can determine if this assignment should be attached to a Subject and a Standard. For this example, we’ll choose the Reading Subject and the Reading Standard. We’ll enter the Max Score for this assignment and update the Weight if needed. Once we verified that the information is correct, we can click Save. Now that you know how to properly enter assignments into a standards-based gradebook, you can ensure your students’ assignments are recorded properly.

Creating assignments in a standards-based gradebook enables you to easily track assignments and the corresponding due dates. We’ll begin by navigating to the Gradesheet feature within the Gradebook module. If prompted, we can select the tile for the class we wish to add an assignment to. Let’s select the Add Assignment option. The Assigned Date and Due Date default as the current date but can be updated if needed. For this example, we can say this assignment was assigned today but is not due until next week. Next, we’ll identify the Category that this assignment should fall within and enter the Assignment Name. We can determine if this assignment should be attached to a Subject and a Standard. For this example, we’ll choose the Reading Subject and the Reading Standard. We’ll enter the Max Score for this assignment and update the Weight if needed. Once we verified that the information is correct, we can click Save. Now that you know how to properly enter assignments into a standards-based gradebook, you can ensure your students’ assignments are recorded properly.



  1. Select Menu > Teacher Access > Gradebook.
  2. Select Gradesheet under Features.
    Alternatively, you can add an Assignment by navigating to Menu > Teacher Access > Gradebook and then selecting Assignments under Features. The screen for adding an assignment is the same regardless of your starting point.
    If you have not opened a gradesheet in your current session, you see the Gradebook Class List, which displays a Tile for each class you teach.

    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. Click the tile for the class you wish to set up an assignment for.

    You see the Gradesheet for the class you selected.

  4. Click Add Assignment near the top right of the screen.

    Alternatively, you can clone an existing assignment by clicking the column header of the assignment you wish to clone. Then click Assignment Details on the Assignment Options drop-down menu. On the General tab of the Assignment Details screen, click Clone Assignment near the top right of the screen. The Add Assignment screen defaults with the values set up for the original assignment, which you can modify as necessary. You must change the category or assignment name if you are keeping the due date the same. However, if you change the due date, the category and assignment name can remain the same.

    You see the Add Assignment screen.

  5. 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 Assignment Details heading, verify the Assigned Date or enter the correct date if necessary.

      This defaults to the current date, but can be modified as needed.

      For example, if you are creating all of your assignments for term 1 at the beginning of the term, you would update the assigned dates to the dates you anticipate giving the assignments to the students.

    2. Verify the Due Date or enter the correct date if necessary.

      This defaults to the current date, but can be modified as needed.

      The due date must fall within the Grading Period when the assignment score should be counted.
    3. Enter the Category or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list.
    4. Enter the Assignment Name.

      For example, you could enter Ch. 1 Quiz.

    5. Enter the Assignment Description.

      For example, you could enter Chapter 1 Quiz. The description you enter will display in both Family Access and Student Access.

      If you are creating an assignment using subjects, continue to the next sub-step.

      If you are creating an assignment using only academic standards, skip to sub-step g.

    6. In the Subjects / Standards area, enter the Subject or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list, if appropriate.

      The name of the area and the fields that display depend on how subjects and standards are configured for each specific gradebook.

      This field only displays if the box for Use Curriculum Subjects in Gradebook is checked administratively in the District Year Configuration of the Gradebook module.

      If you also wish to attach academic standards to the assignment, continue to the next sub-step.

      If you do not wish to attach academic standards to the assignment but wish to attach multiple subjects, skip to sub-step h.

      If you do not wish to attach academic standards to the assignment and do not wish to attach multiple subjects, skip to sub-step k.

    7. Enter the Standard or click the Down Arrow icon to choose from the drop-down list, if appropriate.

      This field name depends on how standards are configured for each specific gradebook. If standards are configured at multiple levels, you may need to select the parent standard and child standard for each assignment.

      If you wish to attach multiple subjects or standards, continue to the next sub-step.

      If you do not wish to attach multiple subjects or standards, skip to sub-step k.

    8. Click Add Subject / Standard to attach multiple subjects or standards to the assignment.

      This option name depends on how subjects and standards are configured for each specific gradebook.

      If you add multiple subjects or standards, the Max Score field displays to the right of the Standard field and the box for Display Parent Assignment displays under the Subjects / Standards area. Continue to the next sub-step.

      If you do not add multiple subjects or standards, skip to sub-step k.

    9. Enter the Max Score to the right of the Standard field for each subject or academic standard.
      This field only displays if you have multiple subjects and academic standards attached to one assignment. If the box for Allow Teachers to Override Default Max Score is checked administratively in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module, the max score for each subject or standard defaults to the max score set in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module or the value in the Maximum Score Default field on the Score Settings tab of the Gradebook Settings screen for the class.

      If the box for Allow Teachers to Override Default Max Score is not checked, the first subject or standard will default with the max score in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module, and you must distribute the points in the Max Score field for each subject and academic standard as necessary. The sum cannot exceed the max score that defaults in sub-step m.

    10. Uncheck the box for Display Parent Assignment if appropriate.
      When unchecked, the view-only parent assignment that is automatically created when adding an assignment with multiple subjects and standards will not display on the Gradesheet and progress reports.
    11. Uncheck the box for Post to Family / Student Access if appropriate.

      This option only displays if the box for Allow Teachers to Hide Assignments in Family / Student Access is checked in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module.

      When this box is checked, the assignment will display in Family Access and Student Access. All assignments will affect the students' grades if scored, even if the assignment itself is not displaying.

    12. Check the box for Use Grade Mark Scoring if appropriate.
      This box only displays if it has been set up administratively on the Grade Bucket attached to the Calculation Group within the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module.

      If the box is unchecked, you must enter a point value when scoring the assignment, such as 95 out of 100. If the box is checked, you must enter a grade mark when scoring, such as A.

      If you checked the box, the Score Display Type field no longer displays.

    13. Verify the Max Score or enter the correct score if necessary.

      If you only added one subject or academic standard, this defaults to the value specified in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module, unless you entered a value in the Maximum Score Default field in the Score Settings tab of the Gradebook Settings screen for the class. Updating the value when adding a new assignment only changes the max score for the assignment you are creating.

      If you added multiple subjects or academic standards to the assignment and the box for Allow Teachers to Override Default Max Score is checked administratively in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module, this defaults to the sum of the max score values attached to the subjects or academic standards and can only be modified by adjusting those values.

      If the box for Allow Teachers to Override Default Max Score is not checked, the max score defaults to the value defined in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module.

    14. Verify the Weight or enter the correct weight if necessary.

      This defaults to the value entered administratively in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module, or 1.0 if no value was entered in the configuration. You can only override this value if the option has been set up administratively.

      For example, if you have an assignment with 10 questions and want the assignment to be worth double the usual amount, you can adjust the weight to 2.00 and the assignment will be worth 20 points toward the students' grades.

    15. Choose the appropriate Score Display Type from the drop-down list.

      This field only displays if the box for Use Grade Mark Scoring is unchecked.

      This value defaults to the option of Score (unweighted), which will display points earned.

      The Score (weighted) option will display points earned multiplied by the weight set for the assignment. Typically, the weight is 1.00, but could be worth double by entering 2.00 in the Weight field.

      The Percent option will display the points earned divided by the points possible and multiplied by 100 to produce a percentage.

      The Grade Mark option will display a score based on the percentage assigned to the grade mark. For example, if the student earned 100%, the score displayed would be an A+.

    16. Verify the box for Online Assignment is unchecked.

      This field only displays if the box for Allow Online Assignments is checked in the Entity Group Configuration of the Gradebook module.

    17. Select the appropriate radio button for the Assigned To field.

      If you selected All Students, skip to sub-step s.

      If you selected Student Groups, the Student Groups field displays. Continue to the next sub-step.

    18. Enter one or more Student Groups or click the Magnifying Glass icon to choose from the drop-down list.

      You can click outside of the selection box once you have made your selections.

    19. Under the MTSS Details heading, check the box for Track MTSS Data if appropriate.

      The MTSS Details area only displays if the box for Allow Teachers to Link Gradebook Assignments to MTSS is checked in the Entity Configuration of the MTSS module.

      When checked, the Intervention Plan Strategies and Checkpoint Calculation Type fields display. Continue to the next sub-step.

      If you did not check this box, skip to sub-step u.

    20. Enter one or more Intervention Plan Strategies or click the Magnifying Glass icon to choose from the drop-down list, if appropriate.

      You can click outside of the selection box once you have made your selections.

    21. Choose the appropriate Checkpoint Calculation Type from the drop-down list.
      If you select (Score / Max) x Target, the system will use the students' assignment scores divided by the assignment maximum scores and then multiply it by the numeric value of the Target Goal.

      If you select (Score / Max) x Strategy Goal, the system will use the students' assignment scores divided by the assignment maximum scores and then multiply it by the numeric value of the Strategy Goal.

      If you select Assign Percent, the system will use the students' assignment percent values.

      If you select Assign Score, the system will use the students' assignment scores.

    22. Under the Classes To Sync To heading, check the box for any additional classes you wish to add the assignment to.
      You can only sync the assignment to classes that use the selected category, subject, academic standard, student groups, assigned date, or due date. For each class, you see information such as the Course, Section, and period to help you make your decision.

      If the assignments are synced, any changes you make to an assignment are applied to all classes with this box checked.

  6. Choose one of the options near the top left of the screen to save your work.
    OptionDescription
    Save & Add Attachment Saves the assignment and you see an option to add attachments. If you add an attachment to an assignment that is synced to other classes, the attachment is automatically added to the assignments of the synced classes. For example, you might upload a reference table your students will need to access in order to complete an assignment. This ensures all students have access to the necessary material to complete the assignment, even if they lose their hard copy. You can add any notes or materials to the assignment as necessary.
    Save & Select Questions From Bank Saves the online assignment and the Select Questions From Bank screen, which enables you to select questions from your question bank for the assignment.
    Save & Add New Question Saves the assignment and the Add New Question screen displays, which enables you to add multiple choice, true/false, matching, short answer, or essay questions for the assignment. Typically, this is used for online assignments, but you can also use this option to track assignments that are not online.
    Save & Clone Saves the assignment and the Add Assignment screen displays with the assignment details you entered. Refer to step 5 as necessary.
    Save & Add Another Saves the assignment and the Add Assignment screen refreshes so you can create another.
    Save & Enter Scores Saves the assignment and the Score Entry tab of the Assignment Details screen displays, which enables you to score the assignment.
    Save Saves the assignment and you return to the Gradesheet, which displays the assignment you created.