Release final grades in Brightspace

The final grade column in a Brightspace grade book is hidden from students by default. Instructors can release final grades in Brightspace when they are ready for students to see them. This is often done at the end of an academic term, but it can also be done at any point during the term to create a running course grade. It's important to note that these are not official final grades, which must be submitted at the end of the term using the Minnesota State eServices website.

Before releasing final grades

Calculated versus adjusted

In every Brightspace grade book, there is a Final Calculated Grade and a Final Adjusted Grade column by default. Only one of these columns can be released to students. The Final Calculated Grade column displays the student's mathematical score using the selected grading method, points-based or weighted. The Final Adjusted Grade column allows instructors to make adjustments to those mathematical scores manually (e.g., giving students on the bubble credit for improvement).

Display options

Instructors can control how final grades are displayed to students in the Brightspace grade book by choosing to display the points grade, weighted grade, grade scheme symbol, and the grade scheme color.

Select the down arrow to the left of the column header and then select Edit from the dropdown menu.
Under Display Options...Student View...Show, check the grade indicators that your students will see. Select the options under Managing View...Show that you will see.
Select the Save and Close button.

Grade scheme symbols

Minnesota State requires that only the following grade scheme symbols be used when assigning final grades: A, B, C, D, F, P, and NC. Note that the grade scheme symbol must be visible to instructors and students in the Brightspace grade book for the import to Minnesota State eServices function to work properly.

Releasing final grades

Step 1 - Check grade calculation settings

Select the Settings button in the upper right corner of the grade book window.
Select the Calculation Options tab.
Under Final Grade Released, select either Calculated Final Grade or Adjusted Final Grade.
If you are ready to release the grades to students, select the Automatically release final grade checkbox. If you are not ready, leave it unchecked.
Under Grade Calculations, decide what to do with ungraded items in your grade book. You can drop them from the grade calculation or treat them as zeros.
Select Automatically keep final grades updated just in case you make any changes to your grade book.
Select the Save button.
Select the "Close" button to return to your grade book. Note that you will be taken to the Manage Grades tab of your grade book. Select Enter Grades to return to the spreadsheet view.

Step 2 - Release the grades

If your grades are not released already, indicated by an eyeball icon without a line through it next to each student's final grade, then do the following:

Select the down arrow to the left of the column header and select Enter Grades from the dropdown menu.
Select the uppermost checkbox on the left to select all of your students.
Select the Release/Unrelease icon. Note that there will now be a checkmark in the Released column on the far right.
Select the Save and Close button to return to your grade book. You will now see an eyeball icon without a line through it next to the grade in either the Final Calculated Grade column or the Final Adjusted Grade column.

External links

Release final grades in Brightspace

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