Notes on using TGP II

     This is a collection of the most obscure (but still useful) features of TGP II.  All these features are described in much more detail in the manuals.


How to Enter and Edit Data

     All the information is organized in three simple worksheets:

1)  The Main Worksheet displays the assignments, scores, scales, total scores, and total scale.

2)  The Scratch Data Window displays “scratch data” for the students.  This is the place to record everything else about your students:  book numbers, citizenship, addresses, parent names, absences, anything.

3)  If you use the Category Grading system, you will also be able to use the Sub-totals Window, which displays category sub-total scores and scales.

     Every window displays the student names and ID’s.

     Before you can enter any data, you must tell the program that you want to enter data.  You do this by selecting “Add student” and “Add assignment” for each student and assignment that you want.  Entering information is then as easy as clicking in the appropriate box (double click on assignment title boxes) and typing in what you want to have there.

     To make things go even faster, you can use certain keys on the keyboard to move the selection around.  For example, the tab key will move you one column to the right, while the return key will move you down one row.  The keys are summarized below.  Note that the number keys that can be used are in “natural” positions on the key pad.  The enter key on the key pad has the same effect as the return key on the main keyboard.  Pressing the tab key when you are editing a student ID will move you to the first score.  Otherwise, all movement of the selection remains inside the “region” that you are in, and does not wrap around the edges.

Down:  <return>
            <option> <down arrow>
            <option> 2
            <enter>

Up:       <shift> <return>
            <option> <up arrow>
            <option> 8
            <shift> <enter>

Right:   <tab>
            <option> <right arrow>
            <option> 6

Left:    <shift> <tab>
            <option> <left arrow>
            <option> 4

Absences and Truancies

     Entering a score as an absence tells TGP to calculate the student’s total score based solely on the other scores.  Entering a score as a truant tells TGP to count the score as a zero.  Truancies are mainly provided as a convenient reminder for you.

Entering Numbers as Percentages

     To enter a student score or a letter grade cutoff as a percentage of the maximum points, type a percent sign (%) at the end of the number.  The program will automatically convert the percentage to a point value.  You cannot enter the maximum points for an assignment as a percentage.

Entering Scores as Grades

     You can enter grades into the student scores section of the worksheet.  To convert a grade to a point value, the program first searches for the name of the grade among the grades + modifiers that you specified in the Default Scale dialog window.  It then uses the grade breakpoints for the specific assignment and the default percentage breakpoints for the modifiers to find the score in the middle of the range of the grade that you entered.

Moving Students and Columns

     To move a student or column, first select it.  Then hold down the option key and click where you want to move it to.  This will work even if you scroll the selection out of view in your quest for the perfect position.

Inserting Students

     Since adding many students and then moving them afterwards can be a tiresome process, you can insert a student into the list at any position with the following procedure:

1)  Select the student at the position that you want to insert the new student.
2)  Hold down the option key.  This will change the “Add student” menu item to “Add student in front of selection.”
3)  Use the mouse to select this menu item.

     Holding down the option key and pressing cmd-1 will not work because the computer thinks that you are actually pressing cmd-(option-1) where option-1 is a special character.


Changing Column Widths

     You can change the width of any column in any of the three windows.

1)  For data columns (assignments, scratch data, sub-totals), click on the divider line in the column headers that you want to move and then drag.  To adjust all the columns widths to be the same, hold down the option key when you click.

2)  For the student name column, click on the divider line between the names and ID’s.  For the ID column, click at the far right of the ID column, but to the left of the solid line.

3)  For the total score column, click at the far left of the total score column, but to the right of the solid line.  For the grade column, click on the divider line between the total scores and grades.