Importing
Typically, importing is used to bring student names and other student record information into a gradebook, but it can also be used to import options, scores and more. You can import from Easy Grade Pro gradebooks and text files.
To import:
- Select Import from the File menu or use the Import tool
to open the Import window. The Import window has two tabs. Under the first, you’ll find the built-in formats. Under the second you’ll find user-defined and other editable formats. A format specifies the fields and structure of the data to be imported.
- (Optional) If the format that you need is not present, you can create one by first clicking the Other Formats tab and then clicking the New Format button. For help in creating a format, refer to the section Creating Formats for Importing and Exporting.
- Select a format, click Next. The formats include:
• Import from an EGP Gradebook. Use this format to copy students, options, assignments, a whole class, etc. from another Easy Grade Pro gradebook. The Import Gradebook window will appear where you can select the items to be imported.
• “Easy Import” of Students. Use this format to import students from most tab-separated or comma separated text files. Many database and spreadsheet programs use this format when creating text files. The Easy Import window will open where you can identify the fields in a record from the file. You must identify the first and last names but all other fields are optional. You must also name the format so that it can be added to the Import window where it can be reused directly.
• “Easy Import” of Scores. Use this format to import scores from most tab-separated or comma separated text files. The records may be in any order as long as each contains a score and an ID number (or student name) to be used for matching. The Easy Import window will open where you must identify the score and the ID number (or student name) fields.
• “Easy Import” of Standards. Use this format to import standards from most tab-separated or comma separated text files. The records may be in any order as long as each contains a standard ID and standard text. The Easy Import window will open where you must identify the these fields.
• Import Summary Comments. Use this format to import a list of summary comments from a text file. The file must have comments only. This will replace the list in the Student Comments view of the Summaries window.
• Combine Gradebooks. Use this format to combine one or more gradebooks from other teachers into a single master gradebook to be used for the printing of multi-class progress reports or other reports. Note: there is a 250 class limit for a gradebook which means that you can typically combine up to ten gradebooks.
• Other Formats. The formats that appear under the Other Formats tab can only be used to import students and student record data from text files. There is a small blue arrow above the list of formats which allows you to duplicate a format or create a plug-in of a format. A plug-in is a small file that makes it easy to distribute a format to other Easy Grade Pro users. See Using Plug-ins on page 138 for additional information.
- For some formats, the Import Preview window will appear so that you can verify the data and select the records (students) to be imported.
Be sure to check that the data in the columns properly match the column titles. If they match, click the Import Selected Records button. If a selected student has the same ID number as a student currently in the class, the import data will be used to update the student’s record information. The student will not be duplicated in the class. This behavior allows you to import additional data, such as email addresses and passwords, later as long as the file as student ID numbers for matching.