Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the current version of Gradebook Power?

The current version is 8.01. Version 8.01 added Vista compatibility to the previous version 8.00. Previous Versions 7.03 and 7.04, and 8.00 worked with Windows 98/2000/XP. The main improvement from version 7.xx to 8.00 was the addition of the ability to send progress reports home as email.

2. The Gradebook Power license allows the user to legally have a copy of the program on their school and home computer. I want to be able to do work with my grades both at home and at school. How do I set that up?

The easiest way to set this up is to make your thumb drive or diskette the primary place that you save your student data. Backups of student data should be made regularly to both computers at home and at school. You create an identical copy of your student data on your computer and on a diskette or thumb drive, then switch the location where the program looks for the student data.
  1. On the first computer, use the Utility Menu selection to create a backup to the diskette. This creates an identical copy of the student data on the diskette and hard drive.
  2. Go to the Utility Menu - Advanced Features - Upper right corner. Change the Current Student data location from the hard drive location (usually C:\Grades\) to A:\ then click set new drive.
  3. From now on, when you back up, you should back up to the hard drive at C:\Grades\
  4. On the second computer, also change the current Student data location to A:\
  5. It would also be beneficial to you to go to Teacher Settings, check the box for Simultaneous saving to diskette and hard drive. Then click Save Settings.
3. How do I Send Progress Reports as E-Mail Attachments?

Follow these complete step by step instructions.

4. When I change to second semester, all of my files show students from last year, not from semester 1 of this school year. How can I get rid of last year's students and their assignments, and create the new files for the students I have this school year?

Obviously, the files from the second semester classes for last year were not deleted. They must be deleted first. Make sure you are in second semester with the previous year students.

Follow these steps to delete the old files, and get the new students to second semester for the current school year.
  1. Go to the utility menu, and delete the current (second semester - not full year) files.
  2. Your serial number is your password.
  3. Click Continue, and confirm that you are only deleting semester 2 files.
  4. Now we must get back to the first semester.
  5. The program must be in 1st semester, so the program has a source for the names.
  6. Go to the Utility Menu - Advanced Features Middle Right Side.
  7. Enter Option S1 then click perform option. Class names are displayed in the lower right.
  8. Click OK to leave this screen.
  9. The Title bar on the opening screen will indicate quarter 2.
  10. Go to the SetUp Menu - Next Semester
  11. Click the top radio button (Same Students - Second Semester), and the Continue button.
  12. The class and student names from Semester 1 will be read into memory.
  13. You are given the option to replace diskettes if necessary.
  14. Click OK to create the new second semester files.
  15. A message will appear indicating "Ready for Quarter 3.
  16. Click OK to leave this screen

5. How do I set up summer school with Gradebook Power?

Summer school is considered to be an extension of the regular school year. The summer school set up allows one term per semester. Attendance can be kept if the summer school begins after May 1. The summer school option is not currently displayed on the "Starting a New School Year" menu selection, but is supported as an advanced option.

Follow these steps to set up Gradebook Power for the summer of 2007.
  1. Choose the school year as 2006-2007.
  2. Select 1 for the number of terms per semester.
  3. Select 1 for the starting term number.
  4. Select Traditional Year from the list of options.
  5. Click Continue.
  6. Click OK to leave this screen.
  7. Go to the Utility Menu - Advanced Features.
  8. On the right side, enter option SUM and click perform option.
  9. Click OK to leave this screen.
  10. You are now ready to enter your class names for summer school 2007.

6. How do I send the individual reports as e-mail attachments?

Check the SetUp Menu - Teacher Settings - Other Settings Tab. In the lower right is a selection for Individual, Elementary and Summary Reports.

The radio button for report options allows the selection of Print only, Create text files, Create HTML files, and Create Email as HTML attachments. The selection will determine if the button is displayed, the button caption, and the action performed by the program when the extra report button is clicked. If the Print Only radio button is selected, the extra button at the bottom of the individual, elementary, and summary report screens will not be displayed.

Select the Email as attachments radio button. Email is sent as an HTML attachment because of the formatting needed to display columns, etc.

On the SetUp Menu - Student Names - Add/Revise/Review Tab page, a column is added at the far right for the student email addresses. email attachments will only be created for those students with an email address. Gradebook Power does not check the validity of the email address. Creating an email for an elementary school report requires that that email address be entered in the first class the student is enrolled in, similar to the attendance requirement.

When an individual report is displayed, click the send email button. An email will be created with the recipient address from the names column. The body of the test will include the student name, and the message "The attached HTML file can be viewed with your internet btowser. This file shows the current student grades for (insert current term number and date). Class (insert class name) Teacher (insert Teacher name). The attachment name is StudentReport.htm. The attachment is displayed identical to the individual report that can be printed.

Behind the scenes, only basic HTML code is added to the individual report. The report is created in the C:\Temp folder on the computer, and then added to queue of the default email program, waiting to be sent the next time you start your email program. Creating the email with Gradebook Power does not start your default email program. You must start your email program, and send the email messages that are waiting in the queue.

This example explained how a single email is created. Of course, selecting one class or all classes, would create an email for every student with an email address in the selected class or classes.