FAQ - Gradekeeper Web App
These Frequently Asked Questions are intended to help you get started with using the Gradekeeper web app. For a more complete introduction, you can view the user's guide from within the web app by clicking the ? icon on the right side of the toolbar in the web app.
What are the advantages of using the Gradekeeper web app?
There are many advantages to using the Gradekeeper web app.
There is nothing to install on your computer, and you will always be using the current version of the web app. If your school does not allow you to install software on your school computer, you can still use the Gradekeeper web app from your web browser. You can use the web app from any computer that has internet access, including Chromebooks and Linux computers.
The Google edition of the Gradekeeper web app can also open classes from Google Classroom. This allows you to extend the capabilities of Google Classroom with attendance, seating charts, student comments, and advanced grade computation options, and to generate detailed progress reports.
The Gradekeeper web app is also very easy to use, does almost everything the desktop apps do, and even does some things the desktop apps cannot do, like save a PDF of your gradebook or student reports.
Do I need to save my classes online?
The Gradekeeper web app cannot save your classes on your computer. For security reasons, web apps do not have the same access to your file system that installed apps do. So you will need to save your classes to one of the cloud services supported by the Gradekeeper web apps, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive.
Why should I have to pay for Dropbox?
You do not need to pay to use Dropbox. You can choose a Dropbox Basic plan. That plan is free and gives you 2 GB of storage, which is more than enough for your Gradekeeper classes.
How can I sign into my Dropbox?
In the Gradekeeper web app, click the Dropbox icon on the upper left. You will be asked to enter your Dropbox email address and password to allow Gradekeeper to access its folder in your Dropbox. If you do not yet have a Dropbox account, you can click the link at the bottom to create an account.
Once you have signed into your Dropbox, the open dialog will show the classes in the Gradekeeper folder in the Apps folder in your Dropbox. Save your classes to that folder, and you will be able to open them from the Gradekeeper web app. Note that you cannot open Gradekeeper classes from the Dropbox app. You must open them from Gradekeeper.
Why does the web app say I'm not signed into Dropbox after I authenticated?
After authenticating, the Gradekeeper web app saves a Dropbox token in your web browser's local storage that allows it to access your Dropbox. Some ad blockers and tracking blockers will prevent the web app from doing this. You may need to whitelist the web app to allow the Gradekeeper web app to save information in local storage.
If you are using Safari as your web browser, you may need to go into Preferences, choose Privacy, and uncheck the box to prevent cross site tracking, as this setting often interferes with authentication to Google and other services.
Why is one of my Dropbox classes a conflicted copy?
Gradekeeper cannot merge changes made to the same class from different places at the same time. If you open the same class from different places and save it, Dropbox will notice and make a "conflicted copy" of the class. You will need to open both copies and decide which one you want to keep, or manually merge difference changes.
Why don't my classes appear in the file list in the open dialog?
The Gradekeeper web app will only list files having the .grk file extension. The desktop version of Gradekeeper adds that extension automatically. The Gradekeeper web app can only open classes saved with the current version of Gradekeeper. You can download and install the desktop version at no additional cost. Just download and save. The desktop version of Gradekeeper can open files saved by older versions, so you will not need to start over.
I accidentally deleted one of my classes. Can I recover it?
You can recover deleted files or earlier versions of files saved in your Dropbox. Visit your Dropbox using a web browser and open the Apps folder and then the Gradekeeper folder. Click the three dots above the file list next to the upload button. Your file list will now include any classes that were recently deleted. Click the three dots to the right of the file you want to recover and choose to restore the file.
To recover an earlier version of a file that was recently changed, click the three dots to the right of the file name and choose Version history. You will be shown a list of versions of the class. Move your mouse to the right of the file size and you will see a button to Restore that version of the file.
How do I save my changes?
To save the currently open class, click the save button (the disk icon) in the toolbar on the right side. This will save the class to your Dropbox. If you are not currently linked to Dropbox, the web app will offer to download the class to your computer.
The web app will automatically save any changes to the currently open class when you create a new class, open an existing class from your Dropbox, or make a copy of the current class. The web app cannot automatically save when you upload a class from your computer though.
The web app also cannot automatically save your changes when you close the browser tab or window or try to leave the app for another web site. The web browser will ask you to confirm that you want to leave the web app, but it is up to you to save your changes before leaving the web app.
Why can't I save my classes on my computer?
Because the Gradekeeper web app is running in your web browser, it is subject to the security restrictions that all web browsers follow. Web browsers do not allow web pages to modify files on your computer because this would allow sites to install viruses or other malware on your computer.
Saving your classes to Dropbox has many advantages as well. You will have access to your classes from anywhere you have internet access. Your classes will be fully backed up, in case anything happens. You can recover deleted classes and even older versions of classes.
How do I create a new class?
You can create a new class by tapping the + button on the left side of the toolbar. The new class dialog will appear. Enter a filename, subject name, school name, and teacher name for the new class. Then tap the Create button. You will then see the options view, where you can set up your school year, assignment categories, letter grades, etc.
How do I import students into a class?
You can import a list of students from a text or csv file. To import students, open the text or csv file using either the upload button (to open a file from your computer) or the open button (to open a file from your Dropbox). The students will be imported into the currently open class.
Each line of the text file may have a student ID and a student name, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy
Each line of the csv file should have an optional ID and a student name in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy"
The student name can be a single item, as shown above, or two separate items, first name, then last name.
You may also include an email address following the student name. Gradekeeper will determine the format of the text or csv file and import the students appropriately.
How do I import a new assignment and scores?
You can import a new assignment and its scores from a text or csv file. To import an assignment, open the text or csv file using either the upload button (to open a file from your computer) or the open button (to open a file from your Dropbox). The assignment will be imported into the currently open class.
The first line or lines of the text file must include the name of the assignment and, optionally, its category and points possible. If no category is specified, the first category will be used. If no points possible is specified, 100 will be used. For example:
<tab><tab> Chapter 7 Test
Each line of the text file must include a student ID and/or student name, and a score, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy <tab> 94
Each line of the csv file must include a student ID and/or student name, and a score, in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy","94"
The student name can be a single item, as shown above, or two separate items, first name, then last name. The student name will be used to match a student in the gradebook and give that student the specified score for the new assignment. The student ID and/or name must exactly match a student in the gradebook or the score will be ignored.
Gradekeeper will determine the format of the text or csv file and import the assignment and scores appropriately.
How can I create several classes with the same students?
There are a couple of ways to do this.
Click the copy button (the overlapping rounded squares) in the toolbar. The copy class dialog will appear, asking you for the new filename and subject name.
You can also use the text import feature to make classes with the same students. Create a text file with a list of your students. Open the text file using either the open button or the upload button. Create a new class, then open that text file. This imports those students into the class. Repeat this process for each additional class you want.
How can I email a student progress report?
First, you should set up your email server information. Choose the Options tab on the lower right in the window.
If you have a Gmail account, click the Sign into Google button and authenticate to Google. If you are using the Google edition of the web app, email reports will always use your Gmail account. If you are using the Microsoft OneDrive edition of the web app, email reports will always use the email account associated with your OneDrive account.
If you are using the Dropbox edition and you do not have a Gmail account, click Generate SMTP Token. This will open a new tab at the SMTPJS web site. Gradekeeper uses the SMTPJS service to send email reports. Click the green button to Encrypt your SMTP Credentials.
Enter your SMTP server address, your username, your password, and the port number. Most SMTP servers will require SSL, so leave that checked. Leave the domain field empty. Click the green button to Generate security token. A window will open showing your security token. Copy and paste this token into the token field back in the web app.
Next, you will need to enter email addresses for each student. Click the term grade for each student. This shows the edit student dialog. Enter one or more email addresses for each student. If you enter more than one email address in a field, separate them with commas.
To send email progress reports, click the email button on the right side of the toolbar. The email dialog will appear. Choose whether to send reports to all students, or to one specific student. Choose which email addresses to use, or enter a new email address. Click the send button.
How can I print a student progress report?
Click the Reports tab at the bottom of the window. Click the print button on the right side of the toolbar. If you are using Chrome or Firefox, a window will appear with a PDF of the student reports for all students. Move your mouse to the top of that window and a toolbar will appear. Click the print button on that toolbar to print.
Safari will show the window with the PDF of the reports, but there is no way to print directly from that window. Move your mouse towards the bottom center of the window and a small toolbar will appear. Click the download button. This will download the PDF to your computer. You can then open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview and print it.
Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer will not open a window with the PDF of the reports. Instead, when you click the print button on the toolbar, they will immediately download the PDF to your computer. You can open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader and print it.
How can I edit students or assignments?
To edit an assignment, click the assignment header for that assignment. The edit assignment dialog will appear. Enter a date, name, category, and points possible for the assignment. You can choose to delete the assignment by clicking the delete button.
To create a new assignment, click the assignment header in an open column. The edit assignment dialog will appear. Enter the date, name, category, and points possible for the new assignment. If you are entering the same assignment in more than one class, you can start typing the assignment name. A menu will appear showing matching assignments recently edited or entered. Choose the assignment you want to fill in the name, category, and points possible.
How can I edit a score?
Click the cell for the score you want to edit. The score will be outlined. You can type in a new score. You can fill down that score down that column by clicking the Fill Down button in the toolbar (two down arrows). You can fill that score across that row by clicking the Fill Across button in the toolbar (two right arrows).
You can add a footnote to a score by right clicking the score when it is not being edited. A menu will appear listing the possible footnotes. The current footnote, if any, will be highlighted. Choose a footnote, or choose to remove footnotes from the score. Scores with footnotes will be color coded according to the colors in the footnote options.
How can I take attendance?
To take attendance, choose the Attendance tab at the bottom of the window. The attendance grid will automatically scroll to the current date. Click on a cell and enter an attendance code for a student. The total number of absences and tardies will be updated when you hit return.
How can I make a new seating chart?
Choose the Seating Chart tab at the bottom of the window. Click the Assign Seats button at the top. The assign seats dialog will appear. Enter the number of rows and columns if they are different than what is displayed. Click the OK button. Seats will be assigned randomly.
If you want to make minor adjustments to the seating chart you can move individual students. Click the student you want to move and the seat will change color, then tap the seat you want to move the student to. Those two seats will be swapped.
Click an open seat to choose to make that seat hidden or unavailable.
How can I add or remove an assignment category?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom of the window, then choose the Categories tab at the top. You will see a list of categories. You can edit existing categories or weights or add a new category. Click the Drop picker to choose how many worst scores to drop from that category.
You can choose how grades are computed by choosing one of the options below the list of categories. The default is total points earned. This method totals points earned and points possible and divides to get a percent. You can choose to compute grades using category weights. This method does a weighted average of the percent correct within each category.
How can I set up my own letter grades and percents?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom, then choose the Letter Grades tab at the top.
You can edit the letter grades and the minimum percent required to earn that grade. You can also choose to display both percents and letter grades, only percents, or only letter grades.
How can I set up my school year?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom of the window, then choose the School Year tab at the top. You will see a list of terms in your school year and their current starting and finishing dates. You can edit the names of each term. Click a date to edit that date.
To change the number of terms in the school year, Click the picker showing the number of terms in the school year.
You can choose which dates your class will not be in session by clicking the holidays date picker at the top. This will show a calendar. Click each date that your class will not meet. These dates will not be listed in the attendance grid.
You can choose which days of the week your class meets by checking the boxes for each day of the week at the bottom.
These Frequently Asked Questions are intended to help you get started with using the Gradekeeper web app. For a more complete introduction, you can view the user's guide from within the web app by clicking the ? icon on the right side of the toolbar in the web app.
What are the advantages of using the Gradekeeper web app?
There are many advantages to using the Gradekeeper web app.
There is nothing to install on your computer, and you will always be using the current version of the web app. If your school does not allow you to install software on your school computer, you can still use the Gradekeeper web app from your web browser. You can use the web app from any computer that has internet access, including Chromebooks and Linux computers.
The Google edition of the Gradekeeper web app can also open classes from Google Classroom. This allows you to extend the capabilities of Google Classroom with attendance, seating charts, student comments, and advanced grade computation options, and to generate detailed progress reports.
The Gradekeeper web app is also very easy to use, does almost everything the desktop apps do, and even does some things the desktop apps cannot do, like save a PDF of your gradebook or student reports.
Do I need to save my classes online?
The Gradekeeper web app cannot save your classes on your computer. For security reasons, web apps do not have the same access to your file system that installed apps do. So you will need to save your classes to one of the cloud services supported by the Gradekeeper web apps, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive.
Why should I have to pay for Dropbox?
You do not need to pay to use Dropbox. You can choose a Dropbox Basic plan. That plan is free and gives you 2 GB of storage, which is more than enough for your Gradekeeper classes.
How can I sign into my Dropbox?
In the Gradekeeper web app, click the Dropbox icon on the upper left. You will be asked to enter your Dropbox email address and password to allow Gradekeeper to access its folder in your Dropbox. If you do not yet have a Dropbox account, you can click the link at the bottom to create an account.
Once you have signed into your Dropbox, the open dialog will show the classes in the Gradekeeper folder in the Apps folder in your Dropbox. Save your classes to that folder, and you will be able to open them from the Gradekeeper web app. Note that you cannot open Gradekeeper classes from the Dropbox app. You must open them from Gradekeeper.
Why does the web app say I'm not signed into Dropbox after I authenticated?
After authenticating, the Gradekeeper web app saves a Dropbox token in your web browser's local storage that allows it to access your Dropbox. Some ad blockers and tracking blockers will prevent the web app from doing this. You may need to whitelist the web app to allow the Gradekeeper web app to save information in local storage.
If you are using Safari as your web browser, you may need to go into Preferences, choose Privacy, and uncheck the box to prevent cross site tracking, as this setting often interferes with authentication to Google and other services.
Why is one of my Dropbox classes a conflicted copy?
Gradekeeper cannot merge changes made to the same class from different places at the same time. If you open the same class from different places and save it, Dropbox will notice and make a "conflicted copy" of the class. You will need to open both copies and decide which one you want to keep, or manually merge difference changes.
Why don't my classes appear in the file list in the open dialog?
The Gradekeeper web app will only list files having the .grk file extension. The desktop version of Gradekeeper adds that extension automatically. The Gradekeeper web app can only open classes saved with the current version of Gradekeeper. You can download and install the desktop version at no additional cost. Just download and save. The desktop version of Gradekeeper can open files saved by older versions, so you will not need to start over.
I accidentally deleted one of my classes. Can I recover it?
You can recover deleted files or earlier versions of files saved in your Dropbox. Visit your Dropbox using a web browser and open the Apps folder and then the Gradekeeper folder. Click the three dots above the file list next to the upload button. Your file list will now include any classes that were recently deleted. Click the three dots to the right of the file you want to recover and choose to restore the file.
To recover an earlier version of a file that was recently changed, click the three dots to the right of the file name and choose Version history. You will be shown a list of versions of the class. Move your mouse to the right of the file size and you will see a button to Restore that version of the file.
How do I save my changes?
To save the currently open class, click the save button (the disk icon) in the toolbar on the right side. This will save the class to your Dropbox. If you are not currently linked to Dropbox, the web app will offer to download the class to your computer.
The web app will automatically save any changes to the currently open class when you create a new class, open an existing class from your Dropbox, or make a copy of the current class. The web app cannot automatically save when you upload a class from your computer though.
The web app also cannot automatically save your changes when you close the browser tab or window or try to leave the app for another web site. The web browser will ask you to confirm that you want to leave the web app, but it is up to you to save your changes before leaving the web app.
Why can't I save my classes on my computer?
Because the Gradekeeper web app is running in your web browser, it is subject to the security restrictions that all web browsers follow. Web browsers do not allow web pages to modify files on your computer because this would allow sites to install viruses or other malware on your computer.
Saving your classes to Dropbox has many advantages as well. You will have access to your classes from anywhere you have internet access. Your classes will be fully backed up, in case anything happens. You can recover deleted classes and even older versions of classes.
How do I create a new class?
You can create a new class by tapping the + button on the left side of the toolbar. The new class dialog will appear. Enter a filename, subject name, school name, and teacher name for the new class. Then tap the Create button. You will then see the options view, where you can set up your school year, assignment categories, letter grades, etc.
How do I import students into a class?
You can import a list of students from a text or csv file. To import students, open the text or csv file using either the upload button (to open a file from your computer) or the open button (to open a file from your Dropbox). The students will be imported into the currently open class.
Each line of the text file may have a student ID and a student name, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy
Each line of the csv file should have an optional ID and a student name in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy"
The student name can be a single item, as shown above, or two separate items, first name, then last name.
You may also include an email address following the student name. Gradekeeper will determine the format of the text or csv file and import the students appropriately.
How do I import a new assignment and scores?
You can import a new assignment and its scores from a text or csv file. To import an assignment, open the text or csv file using either the upload button (to open a file from your computer) or the open button (to open a file from your Dropbox). The assignment will be imported into the currently open class.
The first line or lines of the text file must include the name of the assignment and, optionally, its category and points possible. If no category is specified, the first category will be used. If no points possible is specified, 100 will be used. For example:
<tab><tab> Chapter 7 Test
Each line of the text file must include a student ID and/or student name, and a score, separated by a tab. For example:
1234 <tab> Albright, Amy <tab> 94
Each line of the csv file must include a student ID and/or student name, and a score, in quotes. For example:
"1234","Albright, Amy","94"
The student name can be a single item, as shown above, or two separate items, first name, then last name. The student name will be used to match a student in the gradebook and give that student the specified score for the new assignment. The student ID and/or name must exactly match a student in the gradebook or the score will be ignored.
Gradekeeper will determine the format of the text or csv file and import the assignment and scores appropriately.
How can I create several classes with the same students?
There are a couple of ways to do this.
Click the copy button (the overlapping rounded squares) in the toolbar. The copy class dialog will appear, asking you for the new filename and subject name.
You can also use the text import feature to make classes with the same students. Create a text file with a list of your students. Open the text file using either the open button or the upload button. Create a new class, then open that text file. This imports those students into the class. Repeat this process for each additional class you want.
How can I email a student progress report?
First, you should set up your email server information. Choose the Options tab on the lower right in the window.
If you have a Gmail account, click the Sign into Google button and authenticate to Google. If you are using the Google edition of the web app, email reports will always use your Gmail account. If you are using the Microsoft OneDrive edition of the web app, email reports will always use the email account associated with your OneDrive account.
If you are using the Dropbox edition and you do not have a Gmail account, click Generate SMTP Token. This will open a new tab at the SMTPJS web site. Gradekeeper uses the SMTPJS service to send email reports. Click the green button to Encrypt your SMTP Credentials.
Enter your SMTP server address, your username, your password, and the port number. Most SMTP servers will require SSL, so leave that checked. Leave the domain field empty. Click the green button to Generate security token. A window will open showing your security token. Copy and paste this token into the token field back in the web app.
Next, you will need to enter email addresses for each student. Click the term grade for each student. This shows the edit student dialog. Enter one or more email addresses for each student. If you enter more than one email address in a field, separate them with commas.
To send email progress reports, click the email button on the right side of the toolbar. The email dialog will appear. Choose whether to send reports to all students, or to one specific student. Choose which email addresses to use, or enter a new email address. Click the send button.
How can I print a student progress report?
Click the Reports tab at the bottom of the window. Click the print button on the right side of the toolbar. If you are using Chrome or Firefox, a window will appear with a PDF of the student reports for all students. Move your mouse to the top of that window and a toolbar will appear. Click the print button on that toolbar to print.
Safari will show the window with the PDF of the reports, but there is no way to print directly from that window. Move your mouse towards the bottom center of the window and a small toolbar will appear. Click the download button. This will download the PDF to your computer. You can then open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader or Preview and print it.
Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer will not open a window with the PDF of the reports. Instead, when you click the print button on the toolbar, they will immediately download the PDF to your computer. You can open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader and print it.
How can I edit students or assignments?
To edit an assignment, click the assignment header for that assignment. The edit assignment dialog will appear. Enter a date, name, category, and points possible for the assignment. You can choose to delete the assignment by clicking the delete button.
To create a new assignment, click the assignment header in an open column. The edit assignment dialog will appear. Enter the date, name, category, and points possible for the new assignment. If you are entering the same assignment in more than one class, you can start typing the assignment name. A menu will appear showing matching assignments recently edited or entered. Choose the assignment you want to fill in the name, category, and points possible.
How can I edit a score?
Click the cell for the score you want to edit. The score will be outlined. You can type in a new score. You can fill down that score down that column by clicking the Fill Down button in the toolbar (two down arrows). You can fill that score across that row by clicking the Fill Across button in the toolbar (two right arrows).
You can add a footnote to a score by right clicking the score when it is not being edited. A menu will appear listing the possible footnotes. The current footnote, if any, will be highlighted. Choose a footnote, or choose to remove footnotes from the score. Scores with footnotes will be color coded according to the colors in the footnote options.
How can I take attendance?
To take attendance, choose the Attendance tab at the bottom of the window. The attendance grid will automatically scroll to the current date. Click on a cell and enter an attendance code for a student. The total number of absences and tardies will be updated when you hit return.
How can I make a new seating chart?
Choose the Seating Chart tab at the bottom of the window. Click the Assign Seats button at the top. The assign seats dialog will appear. Enter the number of rows and columns if they are different than what is displayed. Click the OK button. Seats will be assigned randomly.
If you want to make minor adjustments to the seating chart you can move individual students. Click the student you want to move and the seat will change color, then tap the seat you want to move the student to. Those two seats will be swapped.
Click an open seat to choose to make that seat hidden or unavailable.
How can I add or remove an assignment category?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom of the window, then choose the Categories tab at the top. You will see a list of categories. You can edit existing categories or weights or add a new category. Click the Drop picker to choose how many worst scores to drop from that category.
You can choose how grades are computed by choosing one of the options below the list of categories. The default is total points earned. This method totals points earned and points possible and divides to get a percent. You can choose to compute grades using category weights. This method does a weighted average of the percent correct within each category.
How can I set up my own letter grades and percents?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom, then choose the Letter Grades tab at the top.
You can edit the letter grades and the minimum percent required to earn that grade. You can also choose to display both percents and letter grades, only percents, or only letter grades.
How can I set up my school year?
Choose the Options tab at the bottom of the window, then choose the School Year tab at the top. You will see a list of terms in your school year and their current starting and finishing dates. You can edit the names of each term. Click a date to edit that date.
To change the number of terms in the school year, Click the picker showing the number of terms in the school year.
You can choose which dates your class will not be in session by clicking the holidays date picker at the top. This will show a calendar. Click each date that your class will not meet. These dates will not be listed in the attendance grid.
You can choose which days of the week your class meets by checking the boxes for each day of the week at the bottom.