• Elementary Teacher Resources

  • Gradebook Training

    Complete the Gradebook Training course in Canvas. Follow these steps to enroll. 

    Step 1: Log into Webdesk.pisd.edu

    Step 2: Open the PISD Canvas app
    pisd canvas app

    Step 3: Now that you're logged into Canvas, open this link: Elementary Gradebook Course or Secondary Gradebook Course

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  • Create Outlook Email Groups

    Create an email group of parent email addresses in Outlook using the Student Demographic Grid Report.

    Make Parent Email Groups

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  • Email Parents from the Gradebook

    Email your parents from each of your gradebook tabs. 

    In the message screen that opens, be sure to type directly in the message area (do not copy and paste from another application).  If you copy and paste the message is often blank when it sends.  NOTE:  There is no history or tracking of the messages sent using this feature.  Use at your own discretion.

    gradebook message feature

     

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  • View Inactive Students on your Class Roster


    To vew inactive students, click the blue arrow at the top of the roster.  Select Show Inactive Students.  The student's name will appear in light gray at the bottom of the class roster.

    Show Inactive Students Screen Clip

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  • Overwriting Calculated Averages

    1. Click on the grade in the Average Column to be overritten.
    2. To enter a different numeric value, click on Override Grade and enter the value in the cell.
    3. To enter an Incomplete (I), No Grade (NG), Don't Print (DP), Recent Arrival for ESOL (P), or an Exempt (E) click on Override Code and select the appropriate value from the drop-down list.
      • DP is used to prevent final grades from printing on a student's report card.
    4. Click Save.

    Special Notes:

    • Any Category or Nine Week grade can be overwritten.
    • Overwritten grades will appear bold in the average column.
    • Any overwritten grades should be document in a gradebook notepad.
    • Use this process to enter the nine week average for a student new to the campus or to your class.

  • Entering ESOL and Modified Curriculum Identification Codes

    (For Math, Reading, Language Arts, Sci/Health, and Social Studies)

    Follow the instructions below to add the letter M or ESOL grade modification code to a student's grade for report cards and progress reports.

    1. Select the class in the Gradebook Grid.
    2. Click the drop-down arrow next to Assignments and select Grade Reporting Items.
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    3. In the Grade Modification column, click the grade cell for the identified student.
    4. Enter a number 1-3 as appropriate for each student.  To see a list of valid codes, press the Space Bar.  Click on the desired code.
      • 1 = Modified Curriculum Only
      • 2 = ESOL Only
      • 3 = Modified Curriculum and ESOL
    5. Repeat this process for other students that are graded using modified curriculum.

  • Elementary Specials - How to Enter Assignment Grades

    Art, Music and PE teachers, follow the steps below when creating assignments in the gradebook.

    Creating Assignments

    1. Create a new assignment in the gradebook.
    2. Choose a Category
      • 3rd: Grades
      • 4th: Daily Work
      • 5th: Daily Work
    3. Enter the Max Value of 4
    4. Enter the Weight of 1.
    5. Click the Save and Close button.

    Entering Grades

    Grades are entered as either E, S, N, or U.

  • Finding Assignment Grades for Students with Schedule Changes

    Do you have a student with a recent schedule change and you are missing the assignment grades?  The following steps must be completed by the student's previous teacher (prior to the schedule change).

    Option 1 - Print the Student Assignment Report

    1. Go to Reports in the gradebook.
    2. Expand Grading and select the Student Assignment Report
    3. Select the class, nine weeks, and select the desired student from the students box.
    4. Click the Print button.
    5. Give the student's grades to the new teacher.

    Option 2 - View the Grades in the Gradebook

    1. Go to the gradebook tab that the student used to be in (the one that should have the old grades)
    2. Show Inactive Students on your class roster
      1. Click the blue arrow at the top of your class roster.
      2. Select the options "Show Inactive Students".
      3. The inactive students in your gradebook will appear in light gray at the bottom of the class roster.
    3. Find the student's name at the bottom of the class roster.
    4. Write down the grades to give to the new teacher.

  • Changing Student Schedules

    Teachers are responsible for changing student schedules after the first week of school.  Schedule changes do not sync with TEAMS from that point forward. 

    1. Make sure you are on the home screen in the gradebook. If not, click on the Home button to return to the gradebook home screen.

    2. In the message board section, click the link to Change Student Schedule. A new window will be opened. 


    3.   Login by entering your Network Username and selecting your campus from the drop-down menu.
      Pinnacle Student Scheduler Login image

    4. Select the student’s name from the drop-down list and follow the on-screen instructions to add or change a student’s schedule.

    NOTES:

    • Class rosters are updated immediately after a schedule change occurs. The students will automatically be sorted on your class roster. The students will remain on the old teacher’s roster until the following day.
    • If you change a student's homeroom class, please be sure to also change Art, Music, and PE to the correct section number to match homeroom.
    • The schedule will download from TEAMS one time for newly enrolled students.

    Additional Note for Special Ed Teachers
    If you do not have any class tabs in the gradebook, you will need to wait until the overnight processing of the schedule change for your class tab to be created. You may also email gradebook@pisd.edu if you need the class tab created sooner.

  • Taking Attendance

    Elementary - Taking Attendance Guide

    Entering Attendance in Pinnacle

    1. From the Home screen, click on Quick Attendance.
    2. Select the Homeroom class by using the class tabs at the top of the screen.
    3. The attendance date will default to the current date.
    4. If students are absent, select AUA to the right of each student’s name by clicking on the absence code one time.
    5. If all students are present, click the All Present button.  This will mark all students except those you've already selected as AUA as Present (PSH).
    6. After you have marked a student absent of if you have clicked the All Present button, your attendance has been recorded for the current date. A green check mark will be displayed on the class tab.
    7. Click the Home button on the navigation toolbar if you would like to continue working in the gradebook.
    8. If you are finished with the gradebook, click the Sign Out link in the upper right corner of the screen.

    Guidelines

    The State of Texas requires that you take attendance. District policy requires you to report attendance at 10:00 AM. Early Childhood Schools, please check with your building principal for your official time

    Attendance Corrections

    The front office secretary will make the appropriate changes to a student’s attendance record by changing the absence to the correct absence reason code.  Once these changes have been made, the system will automatically update the attendance information in your Attendance Grid.