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Take Attendance

Use PowerGrade to take attendance for all your classes. Take attendance for a specific class by choosing Windows > Attendance (or clicking the Attendance icon at the top of the class page).

Editing Attendance Codes

Non-editable attendance codes no longer appear in uppercase and editable attendance codes no longer appear in lowercase. All attendance codes whether editable or not, may appear in either case. When on the attendance page, if a cell with an attendance code appears as non-selectable, this means that it is non-editable. Additionally, you can view which attendance code are editable (Teachers Can Assign), by viewing the Attendance Codes page.

If you want to change an attendance record that appears non-editable, contact the attendance secretary at your school.

How to View Attendance

To mark a student tardy, absent, unexcused, or any other attendance option for a day in the past or upcoming weeks, click the Back or Forward icon in the Attendance dialog. Click the cell until the correct code appears.

  1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section "Open Classes."
  2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The attendance page appears. The attendance page will depend on whether the class selected uses meeting attendance mode or interval attendance mode. Meeting attendance will allow only one column per period while interval attendance provides multiple columns per period depending upon the length of the period and the specified interval time. The specified interval time as well as what attendance mode is used by the class is set on the server.

Meeting Attendance

    Interval Attendance

  1. Use the following table to enter information in the fields:

    2. Field

    Description

    [Attendance Mode]

    Indicates the mode by which attendance is being taken, such as by class meeting or interval.

    Meeting Attendance
    Meeting Day/Interval refers the amount of meetings a section meets. For example, if a section expression is 1-3 (A-B) and the section uses meeting attendance, you can expect to see three attendance columns for each day of the week. (m, m, m, t, t, t, w, w, w, th, th, th, f, f, f).

    Interval Attendance
    Given a section expression of 1(A), a period length of 90 minutes, a server specified interval duration of 60 minutes and a section that uses interval attendance mode you can expect to see two attendance columns for each A day in the week. The first column is for interval 1 (the first 60 minutes of the class) and the second is for interval 2 (after 60 minutes has gone by). The column heading for Day/Interval will show the day abbreviation and the interval number such as "M1", "M2", "T1", "T2", etc. Keep in mind that interval attendance does not assume that a student is present or absent. An attendance code must be entered for each student in each column.

    Note: The columns of the spreadsheet are set by default. However, if you want to widen the columns, simply place your cursor on a divider within the header row and click and drag.
    [Date Range] The specified date range indicating which days appear on the attendance page. To change the date range, go File > Preferences > Display and enter a new date range under Attendance & Assignments.
    [Student Name] A list of students enrolled in the class appears.
    [Date]

    The dates for all days in the term appear. Use the Back and Forward icons to view and locate additional dates.

    Note: Attendance cannot be taken for non-selectable cells. Most often cells that are non-selectable represent an out-of-session day. However, non-selectable cells may also appear when a student has enrolled late in the term or has been expelled from school. By default the non-selectable cells appear in dark gray. However, if you want to change to color, go to File > Preferences > Attendance and select a new color using Non-selectable Cell Background Color.
    [Attendance Codes]

    Use this pop-up menu to select the appropriate attendance code. Present, indicated by a blank, is followed by those attendance codes created by your school, which teachers can assign.

    Note: You can also CNTRL-click (Mac 0S9) or right-mouse click (Win/OS X) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.
    Modify Comment

    Use this button to enter or modify attendance comments. For more information, see either "How to Add Attendance Comments" or "How to Edit Attendance Comments."

    Note: You can also SHIFT-click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.
    Delete Comment

    Use this button to delete attendance comments. For more information, see the section "How to Delete Attendance Comments."

    Note: You can also SHIFT-click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.

  2. Close the attendance page when done viewing.

How to Take Attendance

To mark a student tardy, absent, unexcused, or any other attendance option for a day in the past or upcoming weeks, click the Back or Forward icon.

  1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section "Open Classes."
  2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The attendance page appears.

  3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code:
    • Single click to select an individual cell.
    • Command click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
    • Shift click to select contiguous cells between two points.
    • Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.

    Note: Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all Selection methods may be available to you.

  4. Use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu to select the appropriate attendance code.

    Note: You can also CNTRL-click (Mac 0S9) or right-mouse click (Win/OS X) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.

  5. Click Save. Once you enter attendance records and save them to PowerGrade, they are automatically sent to the PowerSchool server, where they become part of the students’ permanent records.

How to Add Attendance Comments

  1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section "Open Classes."
  2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The attendance page appears.
  3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:
    • Single click to select an individual cell.
    • Command click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
    • Shift click to select contiguous cells between two points.
    • Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.

    Note: Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all Selection methods may be available to you.

  4. Click Modify Comment. The Enter Attendance Comment page appears.

    Note: You can also SHIFT-click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.

  5. Enter your comment in the text field. For example, if a number of students were tardy due to the bus being late, you could enter a comment stating “Students late due to bus delay.”
  6. Click Save. When a comment is added to an attendance code, the attendance code appears red, as opposed to black (no comment). When attendance comments are entered for days that a student is present, which is indicated the cell appearing blank, a red dash appears in its place.

How to Edit Attendance Comments

Attendance codes that appear red have an attendance comment(s). When attendance comments are entered for days that a student is present, a red dash appears in its place.

Note: If saved attendance records are locked by by your attendance administrator, you can no longer edit the comment associated to that record.

  1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section "Open Classes."
  2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The attendance page appears.
  3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:
    • Single click to select an individual cell.
    • Command click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
    • Shift click to select contiguous cells between two points.
    • Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.

    Note: Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all Selection methods may be available to you.

  4. Click Modify Comment. The Enter Attendance Comment page appears.

    Note: You can also SHIFT-click (Mac) or right-mouse click (Win) to use the [Attendance Codes] pop-up menu, which contains Modify Comment. Before doing so, be sure to select a cell. If a cell is not selected, an alert message appears.

  5. If the date(s) you selected have the same comment, the comment appears in the text box. If the date(s) you selected do not have the same comment, the text box appears empty.

  6. Do one of the following:
    • Select the Append option to add on to the existing attendance comment.
    • Select the Overwrite option to replace the existing attendance comment.
  7. Enter your comment in the text field. For example, if a number of students were tardy due to the bus being late, you could enter a comment stating “Students late due to bus delay.”
  8. Click Save.

How to Delete Attendance Comments

Attendance codes that appear red have an attendance comment(s). When attendance comments are entered for days that a student is present, a red dash appears in its place.

Note: If saved attendance records are locked by by your attendance administrator, you can no longer edit the comment associated to that record.

  1. Choose an available class from the Classes menu. The class page for the selected class appears. For more information on accessing classes, see the section "Open Classes."
  2. Choose Windows > Take Attendance (or click the Attendance icon). The attendance page appears.
  3. Select the date(s) for which you want to enter an attendance code comment:
    • Single click to select an individual cell.
    • Command click to select multiple non-contiguous cells.
    • Shift click to select contiguous cells between two points.
    • Click and drag to select multiple contiguous cells.

    Note: Selection methods are based on the operating system you are using. Not all Selection methods may be available to you.

  4. Click Delete Comment. A confirmation message appears asking you if you are sure you want to delete the comment.

  5. Click Yes.


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