The Plus (+) Assessment feature allows teachers to quickly enter data for assessments given outside of Otus (observation, exit, slip, etc.) and connect it to standards. This assessment is created directly in the assessments or standards gradebook.
💡 Tip from the Otus Team: The process for adding a plus assessment is the same for the assessments and standards gradebook.
➡️ Step 1: Navigate to the Gradebook Module
➡️ Step 2: Select the + symbol just above the First Name column
➡️ Step 3: Fill out the assessment information.
Assessment Title: type in the title of your assessment.
Type: choose from the various assessment types available.
Points: determine the number of points it is worth (only available in the points gradebook).
Link Standards: choose which standard(s) to link the assessment to (this is required in the standards gradebook, but optional in the points gradebook).
Submission Date: similar to a due date, the submission date is a date stamp for when the grade was entered into the gradebook. You can choose a future or past date if you wish.
Add to: choose the class or classes you wish to assign it to.
Include Score in Final Grade: toggle off if you don't want this assessment to be included in the calculation in the student's final overall grade (this is not an option for standards-based assessments).
❓ Need to edit your Plus Assessment, such as updating the submission date or title? Click here for more information.
➡️ Step 4: Add the grades.
Assessments Gradebook:
If you added this to the assessments gradebook, double-click to add the student's score.
You can score multiple students at once by selecting the checkmark to the left of the student names.
You can change the status by double-clicking On Time and choosing from Late, Missing, Excused, or Excluded.
Standards Gradebook:
If you added this to the standards gradebook, click the applicable column to grade each student.
You can give all students the same grade by selecting Grade All before making your selection.
❓ Need to access the assessment again to enter additional grades? Navigate to your assigned assessments, find the name of the + assessment, and click on it. That will take you back to that assessment to enter additional grades.
Otus Live Video - Standards Gradebook
Below is a video from our Otus Live series on how to add a plus assessment to the Otus Standards Gradebook.
+ Assessment FAQs
Do + Assessments appear on the student's or family's notification feed? No, + assessments do not appear on the student or family notification feed.
How do I assign a + Assessment to only specific students? You can do this through the Manage Assignees section after the + Assessment has already been created. Check out this article for more information.
Can I view the data for the + Assessment for all of my classes at once? Yes! If you add the assessment to all of your classes at one time, you can then view the aggregate data in Assessment Analytics. This also applies for administrators who are assigning a plus assessment to an entire grade level or multiple classes at once.
How do I unassign a + Assessment? Check out this article to learn how to unassign the assessment.
Can I clone a + Assessment? Since + Assessments are never actually in draft form, they are unable to be cloned. Creating a + Assessment is such a quick and easy process, therefore, making a new + Assessment with the same settings won't take long at all!
Can I assign a + Assessment to additional classes after it's been created? Additional classes can't be added to a + Assessment that has already been created. You will need to create a new + Assessment in the correct gradebook and select any additional class you'd like to be included from the dropdown menu.
I accidentally gave a grade to a student that I need to delete - how do I remove the grade without making it a 0? You can unassign and reassign the assessment to that student. That is done through the Manage Assignees section. Check out this article for more information.
How can I use + Assessment for extra credit? Make the assessment worth 1 point, then give the students a grade above 1 point for the amount of extra credit you'd like to give. This is only available for a points-based assessment.