The 6 Best Online Gradebooks for Teachers

Make recordkeeping easier by using online gradebooks! I’m sharing suggestions for the 6 best online gradebooks that teachers can use with every class. Here are the pros and cons of each one.

ThinkWave

Pros

- The setup process is quick and easy, with a clean interface that makes it easy to navigate.
- Customizable reports offer a multitude of reporting criteria and data display styles.

Online distribution and collection of assignments, collaboration tools and communication features.

Cons

Although there are a variety of assessment and evaluation parameters, educators outside of the U.S. may find it difficult to adjust the options to their needs.

Students must be added to the database one at a time, you can’t just upload a .csv file.

Schoology

Pros

- Distribute and collect assignments online, as well as keep track of attendance.

Materials for lesson planning can be uploaded from a variety of sources, or even linked to the web.Customizable learning expectations for the United States, Canada, and a number of other countries.

Students and parents can self-enroll in a Schoology class with an access code.

Cons

Teachers have to wait for students to self-enroll before they can track their progress.

JumpRope

Pros

You can organize courses into units and add standards, and the platform offers informative tutorials on creating these.

Nice layout, with a clear overview of evolving grades and good attendance tracking.

Cons

The site runs on Adobe Flash, so it may be unsupported. However, there is an emerging 2.0 that promises to bring the latest technology and the latest best practices in the industry.

Allows no student/parent access and limited collaboration features.

(Discontinued) Edmodo

Pros

- An intuitive student interface reminiscent of social media platforms.
- There is an app store of free (and paid) apps that you can use to increase Edmodo’s functionality.
- Teachers can connect and collaborate with other teachers using the software.

Easy sharing of worksheets or handouts with smart document storage and dedicated shareable folders, as well as web-based distribution and grading of assignments.Learning tools such as engaging quizzes and student exit slips (“one thing I learned today”) available.

Cons

The gradebook can’t be accessed until students are enrolled. Similarly, learners have to self-enroll using a code before they can begin working on assignments.

Teachers outside of the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, and Australia cannot access the free apps.

Engrade

Pros

- Options to keep track of mastery, leave teacher feedback, develop seating plans, and more.
- It includes apps for making quizzes, wikis and flashcards for your students.

You can create accounts so students can monitor their progress, as well as retrieve and submit assignments.Engrade is a simple gradebook, so if you still have teachers on paper systems it makes the transition to digital extremely easy.

Cons

- May not be supported on older browsers and operating systems.

This service does upload the information to a third-party server, so you have to get parental permission to do so.

LearnBoost

Pros

- Integrates with a number of online services including Google+, Facebook, WordPress and Twitter.
- The teacher portfolio allows you to upload and reuse your lesson plans and materials.

In addition to the built-in lesson planner, there is also a seating plan generator and attendance tracker.

Cons

Only U.S. standards/expectations are available, so teachers from other countries may struggle to align it to their needs.