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Comparison of Web-based vs PC/Mac Gradebook

We believe that web-based gradebooks are superior to PC/Mac-based gradebooks. (even PC/Mac gradebooks with an Internet parent access component). If you're considering a PC/Mac gradebook, here are a number of factors to consider.

Web-based Gradebook Advantages

• Easy for teachers to use from anywhere via the Internet
  It's convenient for teachers to work with a web-based gradebook from different locations: classroom, library, home, etc. Once they login, their data is available.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook teachers must carry around floppies, save to a network drive, or have some other method of carrying their data as they move. Not only is this inconvenient, it's also prone to data loss.
  
  
• School staff can collaborate on student issues
  Web-based gradebooks store data in a central SQL database, so authorized school staff can easily see student data. In preparation for a parent meeting, the principal can review all of a student's current grades, attendance, behavior, etc. The counselor, resource teacher, and others can monitor student progress. Teachers can view behavior logs across multiple classrooms to manage a particularly difficult student (forewarned is forearmed).
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook this collaboration is difficult because individual gradebook files are scattered throughout the network, and it's difficult to get an overall picture of a particular student.
  
  
• Run school-wide reports
  Since web-based gradebook data is centralized, sophisticated queries can be run to support data-driven decision making. Need to run school-wide eligibility reports? Need to find all the 3rd graders struggling in language arts? Looking for students with behavior or attendance problems? You can easily run these reports. If SchoolInsight is also used, these reports can also include demographic breakdown.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook this analysis is not possible because individual gradebook files are scattered throughout the network.
  
  
• Easy to load rosters/schedules
  When implementing a gradebook, it's highly desirable to initialize ALL teachers' rosters/schedules (so each teacher does NOT need to type in their data). It raises teacher satisfaction and eases gradebook adoption. Since web-based gradebook data is centralized, ALL teachers' rosters/schedules can be centrally imported.
  
  If you use SchoolInsight in addition to TeacherEase, the gradebook setup for all teachers is completed automatically.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook, the student management system generates dozens or hundreds of files. EACH TEACHER must find and import their respective files. This manual process is error-prone, frustrating, and a headache.
  
  
• Timely feedback modifies student behavior
  When teachers enter scores into a web-based gradebook, those scores are immediately available to parents and students -- with no extra work by the teachers. Timely feedback allows parents to immediately react to their child's academic behavior. Johnny didn't hand in his homework last night, so he can't go out tonight. Jane failed a quiz because she's struggling, so Mom tutors her. When Juan aces a test, he gets additional privledges this weekend. IMMEDIATE feedback modifies student behavior -- delaying the feedback won't change student behavior.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook, teachers must click a button to publish grades to the Internet. Student grades will ALWAYS be out-of-date because EVERY teacher must remember to click the button EVERY time they enter grades. Because much of the data is stale, parents won't login frequently and student behavior won't change. As a result, PC/Mac-based gradebooks cannot significantly improve student performance.
  
  
• Timely feedback improves student performance
  As timely feedback from the web-based gradebook helps to modify student behavior, student performance improves 5-8% and missed work drops by 40% (view study).
  
  As described above, PC/Mac-based gradebooks don't similarly affect student behavior and academic performance because the data is stale and the feedback is delayed.
  
  
• No installation is required on teachers' computers
  Teachers use a browser to access the web-based gradebook -- the technology staff doesn't load software on each teacher computer. Similarly no installation is required for patches/upgrades. If the school upgrades the computers, the gradebook will NOT need upgraded. TeacherEase uses only standard HTML, so it runs on old/slow computers -- preserving your existing technology investment.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook, software must be loaded and reloaded as patches and upgrades arrive. If the computers are upgraded, often a new version of the gradebook must be purchased (and multiple software versions supported).
  
  
• Teachers can't accidentally erase their gradebook
  Since TeacherEase Gradebook is centrally managed, backups are run regularly. Even if a teacher accidentally deletes their gradebook, it can be retreived from a recent (or not so recent) backup.
  
  With a PC/Mac-based gradebook, teachers are vulnerable to local hard disk crashes and user error.
  
  

PC/Mac-based Gradebook Advantages

• Can be used without access to network
  The only advantage of PC/Mac-based gradebooks is that they don't require access to the network. So the teachers can work if the network is down.

Effects of TeacherEase on Student Performance

Web-based versus PC/Mac gradebook software

Hosted Services versus Installed Software

"TeacherEase has brought us into the 21st century. Teachers are more productive. Parents are more involved. Students are working harder. Everybody wins".
- Larry Bequeath
Superintendent
Tonica School District
Tonica, IL