Help Index
 GradeBook Converter Help Index

The following is a list of the major help topics.  For information on how to use Help, choose Using Help from the Help menu or press F1.

Introduction

Quick Start Tutorial


Introduction
 Introduction to the GradeBook Converter

The GradeBook Converter program allows existing users of GradeBook for Windows to transfer their current classes into School Maestro.  Your existing classes may be anywhere on your hard disk, on a network or on a floppy.  Converting a class leaves your original GradeBook class so that you may continue to use it, if desired.

Because of the much broader range of features for School Maestro, all GradeBook settings are not transferred.  The program will transfer all the student names and ID numbers, add the class to School Maestro under the desired instructor, school year, marking period, and subject, and add all the tasks, individual task weights, perfect scores and student scores including NA and NC scores.

Task categories are transferred assuming you have not renamed any in GradeBook.  Thus, you should not rename or delete any task categories in School Maestro prior to running the GradeBook Converter.  The letter grades that you are using, grading system, number of tasks discarded per category and the grading curve are not transferred.  After the class has been transferred, you can easily set these parameters by doing a Class, Edit in School Maestro.  You may rename any of the task categories by doing a Data, Task Categories, Edit Form or Edit Grid.

See Also:

Quick Start Tutorial


 Quick Start Tutorial

The GradeBook Converter program allows you to easily import your existing GradeBook for Windows classes into School Maestro.  Before running the converter, you should first run School Maestro and sign on as an instructor.  Don't delete or rename any task categories until after you have converted your GradeBook classes.  When you start the program, this brief tutorial will appear.  You can print this tutorial by doing a File, Print Topic.  Converting your GradeBook classes only needs to be done once.  After you have converted the current classes, you can delete the converter program CONVERT.EXE and its help file CONVERT.HLP from your \SMAESTRO subdirectory.  If you need to convert other files in the future, just run the School Maestro setup program again to reinstall the converter program.  The following steps will convert your existing GradeBook classes.

Select your GradeBook subdirectory:

The first step is to do a File, Select GradeBook Dir and select the location of your existing GradeBook for Windows class files - typically C:\GRADEBKW.

Select Classes you want to Convert:

The next step is to do a File, Convert GradeBook Classes and use the Existing GradeBook Classes Dialog Box to select the classes you want to convert.  It is a multiple selection List Box.  In addition to the class name for each class, the class file name is also listed.  Unless you have customized your term names in GradeBook, the file name will indicate the marking period and school year.  For ex. - Q195_2.DAT would be the second class added to the quarter 1 marking period in 1995.  Click the Convert Button after selecting the classes.

Select the Instructor:

School Maestro is available in a multiple instructor version.  You must select the instructor you want the class or classes assigned to.  Click the Select Button after selecting the instructor.

Select the School Year:

For each class that you have elected to convert, you need to select the School Maestro school year from the Select School Maestro School Year Dialog Box.  Click the Select Button after selecting the school year.

Select the Marking Period:

For each class that you have elected to convert, you need to select the School Maestro marking period from the Select School Maestro Marking Period Dialog Box.  Click the Select Button after selecting the marking period.

Select the Subject:

For each class that you have elected to convert, you need to select the School Maestro subject from the Select School Maestro Subject Dialog Box.  Click the Select Button after selecting the subject.

After selecting the subject, the class will be transferred into School Maestro.  You then need to start School Maestro and set the remaining parameters for each class.  For each class, first do a Data, School Year Select to make the school year you transferred the class to, the default.  Then do a Data, Marking Period, Select and select the marking period.  Then do a Class, Select and select the class that you transferred.

Do a Class, Edit for each class that you transferred.  Select the letter grades, grading curve cutoffs, how you want to calculate overall averages, how you want to calculate category averages, the category weights and discards per category, how you want to calculate extra credit and adjust the class dates as necessary.  Then do a Class, Tasks and adjust any of the task categories as required.  You can then do a Class, Edit Scores and verify that all your scores were imported.


Main GradeBook Converter Form

The Main GradeBook Converter Form is the main window of the program and contains the menu bar.  Program options are selected by clicking on File, and then the appropriate menu choice.  You may obtain help by clicking Help on the menu.


Existing GradeBook Classes Dialog Box

The Existing GradeBook Classes Dialog Box is used to select the GradeBook classes you want to convert to School Maestro.  All the classes are listed in the subdirectory that you have previously selected by doing a File, Select GradeBook Directory.  The List Box lists each file name as well as the class name.  Unless you have renamed your GradeBook terms, the file name will indicate the year and marking period that was being used in GradeBook.  For example - Q195_2.DAT would be the second class that was added to quarter 1 in 1995.

The List Box allows multiple selections.  You may convert as many of the classes as desired.  Typically, you would only want to convert the classes that you are currently using in GradeBook.  After selecting the desired class/classes, click the Convert Button.


Select GradeBook Directory Dialog Box

The Select GradeBook Directory Dialog Box is used to select the location that your existing GradeBook for Windows files are.  First select the drive using the drop down Drive List Box.  Then use the subdirectory list box to select the desired subdirectory.  Select a subdirectory by double clicking on it.  The currently selected subdirectory is listed above the list box.  When the existing subdirectory has been selected, click the Select Button.  The normal location for GradeBook for Windows files is C:\GRADEBKW.


Select Instructor Dialog Box

Before converting classes, you must run School Maestro and sign on as an instructor.  When converting classes, you must select which School Maestro instructor the class should be assigned to.  This is done using the Select Instructor Dialog Box.  Just select the desired instructor and click the Select Button.


Select School Year Dialog Box

For each class that you convert, you must select the School Maestro school year that you want to transfer it to using the Select School Year Dialog Box.  The class that is currently being converted is listed in the title bar.  Select the desired school year and click the Select Button.


Select Marking Period Dialog Box

For each class that you convert, you must select the School Maestro marking period that you want to transfer it to using the Select Marking Period Dialog Box.  The class that is currently being converted is listed in the title bar.  Select the desired marking period and click the Select Button.


Select Subject Dialog Box

For each class that you convert, you must select the School Maestro subject that it uses by using the Select Marking Period Dialog Box.  The class that is currently being converted is listed in the title bar.  Select the desired subject and click the Select Button.