The Assessment gradebook is a dynamic dashboard that helps you track student learning in the PYP. It transforms traditional grading into a powerful analytical tool, helping you monitor growth, identify learning patterns, and make informed instructional decisions.
In this article, you will learn how to:
Navigate and understand the gradebook layout
To open the gradebook:
Go to your Class from the homepage
In the left menu, click Gradebook → Assessment gradebook
Once inside, you’ll see a table bringing together all your assessment data. Here’s what you will see:
Student roster: The first column lists all active students. Archived students are hidden by default but can be included using filters.
Assignment columns: Each column in the gradebook represents a task or assessment you’ve created. Within these columns, you can view:
Assignment details – the name of the task, along with its creation date or due date.
Assessment tools – methods used for evaluation, such as scores, rubrics, or checklists.
Evaluation status – whether the evaluation for task is pending, completed or shared.
Grading category – if the task has been tagged under a category (e.g., homework, projects).
Task type – such as formative (FA), summative (SA), or other types.
Student performance – the teacher’s evaluation for each student on the selected assessment tools.
Calculated grades: These are summary columns that display totals, such as 'Overall score' and 'Local grade' (e.g., A+, B). The scores and grades displayed here are based on your school's grading system.
Note: Overall scores for grading periods and categories are calculated only if the corresponding setting has been enabled in the grading setup by the admin.
Customize your gradebook view
Use the toolbar at the top of your gradebook to tailor your view.
Grading period selector
Switch between grading periods of the current academic year to view relevant assessments. By default, it opens to the current period.
Note: This is the most critical filter, as it determines which assignments and calculated grades are visible. However, the grading period you select is not retained — when you navigate away and return to the Gradebook, it will always open to the ongoing grading period.
The subject filter
Use the subject filter to view data for a specific subject. By default, it opens to 'All subjects'. You can select a subject to see only its tasks and calculated grades.
Note: Overall score and historical data are only available when a specific subject is selected. These will not appear in the 'All subjects' view. Further, the subjects filter will only appear if a class is tagged with multiple subjects.
The filters menu
Click the funnel icon to open advanced filtering options:
Assignment types: Filter by task types like 'Quick task', 'Learning experience', or 'Worksheet'.
Assessment tools: Filter your view to show only assignments evaluated with a specific tool, or choose to display all tools.
Grading categories: Filter tasks based on the assessment categories they are tagged to. These help you analyze student performance by task type (e.g., comparing exam performance vs. classwork).
Note: The availability of this filter depends on your other selections. It will only appear if the selected grading period has categories defined by your administrator, and it is not available if you have selected a cumulative grading period.
Students: Narrow your view to specific students for a focused analysis. The archived students, if any, are unselected in this list by default.
Display options
In addition to filters, you can tailor your gradebook layout using display options. Click the three-dot menu → Configure gradebook views to open a settings panel with two tabs: Configure columns and Display settings.
Configure columns
Control which data columns are visible and their order:
Use checkboxes to toggle the visibility of individual columns.
Use the six-dot icon next to a column name to drag and drop it into your preferred position.
Display settings
Customize how individual assignment columns are presented:Assessment details: Show or hide the assignment type, grading category, and due date.
Highlight cells: Enable color highlights to visually track submission and evaluation progress across the Gradebook. You can choose to highlight late submissions, tasks not submitted, overdue submissions, or pending submissions.
Sort assessments by: Arrange assignments by due date, creation date, or name.
Category view: Group tasks by category or show category names alongside assignments.
Other options: Show tasks that are excluded from the final calculation, and include tasks carried over from a student’s other classes.
Tip: Filters and display settings are retained when you navigate away and return to the gradebook. They also carry over across all your classes.
View and interpret grades
The assessment gradebook gives you real-time insights into how students are progressing individually and as a class. Here's how to make sense of what you see:
Understand the grading setup
To view how scores are being calculated, click the three-dot menu → Grading setup.
This panel shows a read-only view of how grading has been configured for your subject by your administrator (unless you have edit permissions).
Each subject and grading period has its own setup, so be sure to switch to the relevant tab to see the correct configurations.
Grading categories: Lists the assessment categories (e.g., 'Speaking', 'Writing') defined for the selected grading period, along with their weightage in the final score calculation.
Note: This is a read-only view unless your school admin enables editing. To learn more about how the grading setup works in PYP, refer to this article.
Interpret grades for a reporting period
Use the gradebook to analyze student performance across individual assessments, grading categories, and overall reporting periods. You can access detailed score breakdowns and historical insights - all within a few clicks.
1. View evaluations for a specific assessment
Click on any cell in the gradebook to open a panel on the right. Here, you can:
View evaluations for all assessment tools attached to the task, such as scores, rubrics, checklists, comments, and learning goals.
Read any comments entered by the teacher for the student.
This view allows you to quickly confirm how the student was evaluated for a specific assignment.
2. View breakdown for category or term-level scores
Click on a calculated grade, such as a Category total or Overall score, to open a detailed breakdown panel. You’ll see:
A complete list of all tasks that contributed to that score
The score received in each task
How those scores were combined (e.g., weighted average)
Depending on your school's grading setup, the overall score may be calculated either directly from individual assignments or via category-level aggregation. The breakdown panel will reflect the method being used.
3. Understand how grade conversions are applied
Clicking on the Local grade column opens a panel that displays:
The conversion scale used to determine the local grade.
This ensures clarity and consistency in how student achievement is interpreted and reported.
Interpret grades for a cumulative grading period
Alongside individual reporting periods, you can select a cumulative period (such as ‘Semester 1’ or the full academic year) to see how assessments from multiple reporting periods contribute to the final score and grade.
Cumulative grades are calculated automatically based on the weightages set by your school admin. For example, a 'Semester 2' score may be based on a 20% weightage from 'Exam' and 80% from 'Term 3'.
When you select a cumulative period, the gradebook displays:
Summary columns for each contributing period: These show the overall score and grade for each reporting period included in the cumulative calculation, giving you visibility into how each term impacted the final score.
Overall score: The student's final score for the cumulative period, based on the defined weightages.
Local grade: Your school’s local grade (e.g., A+, B), derived from the cumulative score.
This view is particularly useful for end-of-semester reviews, report card generation, and student-led conferences.
Evaluate assignments and share grades with students and family
The assessment gradebook helps you efficiently manage evaluation, sharing, and task-level actions - all without leaving your current view. You can apply grades in bulk, open detailed panels, and use the assignment popover to take quick actions.
1. From the assignment popover – Click the assignment name in the Gradebook header to open a quick-access pop-up for grading and evaluation actions.
2. From the three-dot menu – Click the three-dot icon next to the assignment name to access options for evaluation and assignment management.
Note: Only teachers with Gradebook edit permissions can perform these actions. Options appear disabled with a tooltip if your access is view-only.
Evaluate student work
You can record grades in the assessment gradebook in different ways - apply them in bulk, navigate quickly across cells, or open detailed panels for deeper evaluations.
1. Quick grading options
For times when you need to enter the same grade for all students or edit grades quickly without viewing the full submission, click the three-dot menu next to the assignment name or beside the assessment tool. Two options are available:
Assign same grade to all students
Open quick evaluation
Assign the same grade to all students
Quickly apply the same evaluation across the entire class. You can also override grades for students who have already been graded by checking the box in the bottom left corner. Click ‘Grade all’ to confirm and apply the grades in bulk.
Open quick evaluation
This opens the evaluation panel, where you can switch between students using the left panel. Use the tabs at the top to navigate between assessment tools, and click ‘Save evaluation’ when you're finished. Students whose grading is done will be marked with a green check.
2. Keyboard navigation for grading
Keyboard shortcuts enable you to navigate the gradebook and apply ratings efficiently. The shortcuts vary depending on the tool type:
Number scores:
Click the score cell and type the number directly
Use the drag handle to copy to other students
Dropdown ratings
Use dropdowns to enter scale-based scores like A+, B, or F
Press ‘Enter/Return’ to open the dropdown
Use arrow keys to navigate, then press ‘Enter/Return’ to select
Alternatively, type the grade in the box
Use drag-and-release to apply the same grade to other students
Comment boxes:
Press ‘Enter/Return’ on a comment cell to open the textbox
Type feedback and press ‘Enter/Return’ to save
Use drag-and-release to apply the same comment across multiple students
Additional shortcuts which work across rating types:
Copy/paste: Use Ctrl + C / Ctrl + V (Windows) or Cmd + C / Cmd + V (Mac)
Undo: Use Ctrl + Z (Windows) or Cmd + Z (Mac)
3. Right panel for detailed grading
You can also view, edit, or add grades at the individual student level:
Click the ‘expand’ button on a student’s cell to open the right-side panel.
This shows the full evaluation details for that assignment, including rubric levels, scores, and comments.
You can update ratings directly from here and use the navigation arrows (or keyboard keys) to move between students or assignments.
4. Open the ‘All submissions’ page
Open the ‘All submissions’ page directly from the assignment popover.
From here, you can open attachments, provide annotations, and complete evaluations. Once saved, the results automatically reflect in the Gradebook.
Share evaluations
After grading, you can decide how and when results contribute to overall scores and when they are visible to students and families. Your grading progress is always saved automatically, but you retain full control over when the final evaluation is confirmed and when it becomes visible to students and families.
You can manage evaluation statuses in two ways:
1. From the assignment popover
Use the assignment popover to update or modify results:
For one or more students:
Open the assignment popover and expand the student accordion to view all students linked to the task. Each student’s row shows their submission status and current evaluation status.
Click the evaluation status to open a drop-down menu. From here, change the student’s evaluation status.
Note: These changes are applied immediately for the selected student(s) and do not affect others.
For all students:
Click on the evaluation status against the total number of students to open a dropdown and change the status.
2. From the three-dot menu
Use the three-dot menu next to the assignment’s name to make changes to the evaluation status for the entire class.
Status types and available actions
1. Evaluation pending (default status)
Gradebook impact: Scores are saved but do not contribute to category totals or overall scores.
Visibility: Only teachers can see the provisional grades in the gradebook. Students and families see no results yet.
Available actions:
Mark all as evaluated: Finalizes results so they contribute to teacher-side gradebook calculations.
Mark all as evaluated and share with students and families: Finalizes and makes results visible in one step.
2. Evaluation not shared yet
Gradebook impact: Scores now contribute to category and overall scores for teachers.
Visibility: Students and families cannot see the individual scores or updated overall grade yet.
Available actions:
Share evaluation with students and families: Publish results and change status to Evaluation shared.
Mark evaluation as pending: Reverts if further grading changes are needed.
3. Evaluation shared
Gradebook impact: Scores contribute to category totals and overall scores.
Visibility: Both teachers and students/families see the same results in the gradebook.
Available actions:
Mark evaluation as pending: Temporarily unshare results to make updates, then re-share once ready.
Communicate using the gradebook
The gradebook also helps you keep communication lines open. To send a quick message, hover over a student’s name and click the message icon to contact them or their family.
Tip: If you’d like to access more information about the student, click the profile icon next to their name to access their profile page.
Create and manage assignments
The gradebook is built primarily for tracking progress, but it also lets you manage assignments without switching screens. From here, you can create new tasks or make quick adjustments without leaving your current view.
Create an assignment
From the ‘+’ Menu in the Gradebook, you can create new assignments from scratch or import existing ones from your units, the School Library, or the Toddle Library.
Note: For detailed guidance on creating each assignment type, you may refer to our resources on creating a Quick task & Learning experience, and or a Worksheet.
Manage existing assignments
From the main Gradebook view, there are two ways to manage assignments:
From the assignment popover
From the three-dot menu
Both options let you quickly edit assignments and perform key actions without leaving the Gradebook.
Common actions available in both:
Edit assignment – Update the assignment’s title, instructions, or other details.
Change task type – Switch the assignment’s type (for example, from a Quick Task to a Learning Experience).
Note: The task type for a Worksheet cannot be changed. Switching to a Quick task hides any fields specific to the original task type and removes linked rubrics, learning goals, or evaluations (including scores and rubric-based assessments). This action cannot be undone.Send a reminder – Notify selected students to complete or submit their work.
Tag standards and practices – Link standards or practices to the assignment for curriculum alignment.
Delete – Remove the assignment and its data from the Gradebook. Deleted assignments can be restored from the Bin.
Additional actions:
From the assignment popover –
Make quick updates to the dates an assignment opens on, is due on, or closes on.
From the three-dot menu –
View assignment – Opens the full assignment page with all instructions, resources, and linked tools visible in context.
Edit assign settings – Modify settings such as due dates, submission windows, grading tools, and visibility options.
Copy to other classes – Duplicate the assignment in another class without recreating it from scratch.
Download gradebook data
This feature allows you to export your gradebook data for offline analysis or official records. Click the three-dot menu → Download.
It opens a panel where you can customize your export:
Select grading period(s): Choose one or more grading periods you want to include in the report. The ongoing grading period is selected by default.
Select the assessment tools: Choose the assessment tool(s) you want to include in the download.
Click the ‘Download’ button to save the data as an Excel file on your device.
Frequently asked questions
Q1: Why is my task not visible on the gradebook?
If you have created an assignment but do not see it in your gradebook, it may be for one of the following reasons. Here’s a quick checklist to find out why:
Check if it's still a draft: An assignment must be published to appear in the gradebook.
How to fix: Go to the Assignments tab, and from the left panel, open ‘Drafts’ to find your assignment.
Check your active filters: A filter you've applied for subject, assignment type, or grading period might be hiding the task from your current view.
How to fix: Review the filters at the top of the gradebook and clear any that might be excluding the assignment.
Confirm it has an assessment tool: For a task to appear in the gradebook, it must have an assessment tool, like a score, rubric, checklist, or linked learning goal.
How to fix: Edit the assignment and add at least one assessment tool.
Check if it’s scheduled for the future: Assignments set to be released at a later date will only appear in the gradebook once they are open for student submissions.
How to fix: This is expected behavior. To confirm the scheduled release date, go to the Assignments tab and open ‘Scheduled’ from the left panel. The task will appear in the gradebook automatically on the date and time submissions are open to students.
Check if it's included in the final grade calculation: Your display settings may be hiding assignments excluded from the final calculation.
How to fix: Go to Configure gradebook views > Display settings and enable the option to show these excluded assignments. These tasks are marked with a ‘⊖’ symbol.
Q2: What happens to a student's progress when they are moved from one class to another for the same subject?
When a student is moved to your class from another class tagged to the same subject, all their progress and assignments from their previous class are automatically transferred and will appear in your gradebook.
You will see a small transfer icon next to the title of any assignment that was created in another class. This symbol indicates that the task originated in a different class but is now part of your gradebook for that student. You typically won’t be able to modify their grades if you do not have access to the class they were created in!
If you wish to hide assignments created in another class from your view, go to Configure gradebook views > Display settings, and disable the option for ‘Show tasks from other classes’.
Q3: What happens when scores or grades are overridden?
Teachers can override calculated scores or grades, provided they have the necessary permissions from the school administrator.
When a score or grade is overridden, the cell displays a flag on the top-right corner distinguish it from system-calculated values.
You can revert at any time by opening the right panel. The original calculated grade (marked in yellow) will be available for selection.
Q4: What does the exclamation mark in the Gradebook mean?
Exclamation marks in the Gradebook indicate that certain information or configurations need your attention. These icons appear in different contexts depending on the issue.
1. Next to a student’s evaluation
An orange exclamation mark appears when a student resubmits their work after it has already been evaluated.
This helps teachers quickly identify submissions that may need to be reviewed again.
2. In the term total column header
An alert icon appears when the total grade visible to students and family members is different from what you see as a teacher.
This occurs when some assignment grades have not yet been shared.
We hope this article helped you find what you were looking for. Discover more in our other guides!