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How can I evaluate my students on learning standards as a teacher?

Prerna Singh

Last edited 15 days ago by Anukruti Singh.

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Toddle allows you to configure the relevant standards for your course and evaluate students on them. All evaluations are captured in the Standards gradebook, helping you track student progress over time. Based on the gradebook visibility settings, students and families can view these ratings from their end as well.

This article will cover:

Configure standards for the course

Use standards in class tasks

Evaluate students on standards

View evaluations in the Gradebook

See what students and families can access

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Configure standards for the course

The first step in setting up standards-based grading is to tag standards to the course you’re teaching. Your school admin would have already created a bank of standards, and you can select the relevant ones to include in your course. Note that standards cannot be created or modified from within a course. If you have the Course editor role, you’ll be able to tag these pre-set standards to your course.

By default, courses will not have any standards mapped. To begin tagging, navigate to the ‘Standards’ tab from the left panel of your course.

Click on the ‘Configure’ button to begin selecting and tagging the relevant standards to your course. These standards will then become available to tag on assessments and rubrics across all classes linked to the course, and will form the basis for student evaluation.

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As you click the ‘Configure’ button, you will see a screen with a list of all standard sets configured in the school. From this list, select any one standard set to view its associated learning outcomes.

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On the next screen, select or deselect standards by checking the boxes next to each one. Use the ‘Filter’ icon to narrow down standards by grade levels, subject areas and power standards, etc. You can also click the ‘Column settings’ icon to show or hide fields such as System ID, Parent ID and grading type.

After selecting the standards, click ‘Save’ to apply them to your course.

💡To understand how standard sets are created at the org level and to get an in-depth view of the various attributes of a standard,

refer to this article.⁠

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Once you tag and save standards from a set, the Standards tab will display the saved standards when you revisit the screen. You can update your selection at any time by clicking ‘Configure’ again to add more standards from other sets or remove previously selected ones.

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Use standards in class tasks

Once tagged to a course, these standards can be used to evaluate students across all linked classes in two ways- by tagging them as learning goals in assignments, or by creating standards-based rubrics within assignments.

Tag standards as learning goals

When creating or editing an assessment or a learning experience in a class, you can tag one or more learning standards as learning goals in it.

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When you click on the ‘+’ icon against ‘Learning goals’, you’ll see all the standards that have been configured for your course. Use the checkboxes to select the ones you want to assess students on.

Once you’ve selected the relevant standards, click ‘Select’ to tag them to the assessment.

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These will now appear under the Learning goals section within the task editor.

To evaluate students on the selected standards, enable the ‘Rate on the learning goals tagged above’ toggle. This will activate rating options for each tagged standard when you grade student work. We will explain the evaluation workflow further in the article.

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Create standards-based rubrics

You can use standards to build rubrics in your learning experience or assessment. These rubrics help evaluate student work based on defined criteria and grade scales.

To do this, click the ‘+’ icon against the ‘Assessment tool(s)’ and select ‘Standard-based rubric’. You can create a new one or choose an existing template from your school library. Let’s see the workflow of creating a new standard-based rubric.

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When creating a new standards-based rubric, you will be prompted to select a standard set (from those added to your course) and a corresponding grade scale(alpha or numeric). Note that each rubric can be based on only one standard set and one grade scale (alpha or numeric).

💡A grade scale defines how student performance is recorded, whether through letter grades like A–F, numeric values like 1–4, or proficiency labels like Beginning, Developing, and Proficient. A standard set can be tagged to one or more grade scales. To learn more about grade scales and how to create or manage them, refer to

this article⁠

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Once inside a set, select one or more standards you want to include. These will form the criteria against which student work will be evaluated.

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Once the rubric is created, you’ll see the selected standards listed as criteria, along with the mapped grade scale descriptors (if added by the admin).

In addition to the selected standards, the chosen grade scale also impacts the structure of the rubric and how student evaluation will take place. Based on the selected grade scale, the rubric will display ratings as either letter grades or numeric values. Let’s look at both options:

Alpha grade scale :

If you have selected an alpha grade scale, ratings appear as letter grades (e.g., A–F or proficiency levels) in the rubric. Against each criteria row, each cell in the rubric will display:

Abbreviation-e.g., A+, B, C+(shown in the cell)

Label -e.g., Exemplary, Emerging (shown in the rating drop-down when assigning a score)

Descriptors- detailed descriptions of the performance level appear inside the rubric cell, if added by the admin.

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Numeric grade scale :

If you have selected a numeric grade scale, ratings appear as a numerical score (e.g., 1 to 7). Against each criteria row, each cell in the rubric will display:

Numeric value- The score (e.g., 1, 2, 3…) visible in the rubric cell and dropdown.

Descriptors- Additional text that describes performance expectations for each score, if added by the admin.

In rubrics created based off numeric grade scale, you can also:

View the points per row (rightmost column). This value is auto-calculated based on the highest numerical rating defined in that row.

View the Maximum score across all criteria at the bottom. The Maximum score at the bottom of the rubric will auto-update based on the sum of all individual row max scores. The score dynamically updates if rows are added/removed.

You can also use the Maximum score toggle to control whether a total score is calculated for the rubric. The toggle is enabled by default.

Note: When enabled, the rubric calculates a total score based on the selected ratings, which is reflected in the Assessment gradebook, category scores (if enabled), and the student’s overall score. When the toggle is disabled, the rubric is used only to rate students against learning standards, without impacting overall score calculations.

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You can further customise the rubric in the following ways:

Hover over any row to reorder the row, or add/remove standards from the same set.

Add new rows manually using the ‘Add row’ button.

Edit rubric descriptors directly in the table. You can click into any cell to update the text or add new descriptors as needed.

Use the ‘Display’ option at the bottom to choose what details to show in each cell of the rubric - standard code, description, and/or grade label.

Save the rubric as a template for future use by clicking ‘Save as template’.

Click the three-dot menu on the top right to download or remove the rubric.

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💡 Note: If a standards-based rubric is added to the assessment, the learning goals linked to it will also appear under the Learning goals section. However, these cannot be rated directly.

💡 Note: When using a standards-based rubric with a numeric grade scale, you cannot add ‘Score’ as an additional assessment tool, since only one score-based tool can be used per assessment. Conversely, if you choose ‘Score’, you cannot add any standards-based rubric, whether it uses an alpha or numeric scale.

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Use standards in portfolio posts

You can also tag standards in a portfolio post as learning elements.

While creating a portfolio post, click the target icon and choose ‘Learning goals’.

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Select Standards and choose a standard set to add from the list of mapped standard to your course/subject.

Choose one or more standards from the list using the checkboxes.

Click ‘Select’ to tag them to the portfolio post.

Tag one or more students to the post.

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Let’s now explore how you can evaluate students on standards.

Evaluate students on standards

You can evaluate students on standards in multiple ways:

Tag standards as learning goals in assignments or portfolio posts and record evaluations

Use standards-based rubrics in assignments to evaluate student work

Add evaluations directly in the Standards gradebook

Evaluation using learning goals

Assignments

If standards are tagged as learning goals in class assignments, they will appear under the ‘Rating on learning goals’ section in the evaluation page. You can rate students using one or more of the grade scales mapped to those standards.

💡 These ratings will be visible in both the Standards and Assessment gradebooks, but they won’t contribute to the overall score. The task must be marked as evaluated for the ratings to appear in the gradebook.

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2. Portfolio posts

If standards are tagged as learning goals in a post and one or more students are tagged to it, you can evaluate those students under the Rate on learning goals section.

In the evaluation view, all tagged standards appear in a table view, with columns for each of the mapped grade scales (for example, A–F scale, Mastery scale, or Numeric scale). You can assign or update ratings across one or more scales for each skill as needed.

You can choose to rate students individually or in groups using the toggle at the top of the screen. When group rating is enabled, the same rating will be applied to all selected students. Once the post is published, ratings are visible in the Standards gradebook.

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Evaluation using a standard-based rubric

If the assessment uses a standard-based rubric, you’ll see the tagged standards listed as criteria. You can evaluate each student against these using the rubric descriptors associated with the selected grade scale.

💡Note that when evaluating using a standards-based rubric, students can only be rated on the single grade scale selected while creating the rubric

When using an alpha grade scale-based rubric

You’ll see performance labels such as A+ (Exemplary), B+ (Proficient), or C (Developing) in the rubric. To evaluate, select the cell corresponding to the level you want to award to the student for each criterion.

💡 This evaluation is reflected in both the Standards and Assessment gradebooks, but it won’t contribute to the overall score of the term. The task must be marked as evaluated for the ratings to appear in the gradebook.

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When using a numeric grade scale rubric

The rubric will show numeric values (e.g., 1 to 7) with corresponding performance descriptors(if added). To evaluate, select the cell corresponding to the level you want to award to the student for each criterion. As you make these selections, the total score for the rubric will automatically update and appear in the top-right corner of the evaluation panel (e.g., 21/28).

💡These scores feed directly into the Assessment gradebook, contributing to category scores (if enabled), and are factored into the overall score of the term. The task must be marked as evaluated for the scores to appear in the gradebook.

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Evaluate using the Standards gradebook

In addition to evaluating students through class tasks, you can assess students directly against learning standards from the Standards gradebook. These evaluations are recorded as observations, allowing you to assign grades, add qualitative feedback, and attach supporting evidence.

There are three ways to add observations directly in the gradebook:

Quick add observations

Add observations in bulk

Add an observation individually

Quick add observations

Quick add observations lets you enter grades directly in the gradebook grid without opening a separate modal, making it faster to rate students across multiple standards in one pass.

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Here’s how you can use this method:

Open the Standards gradebook for your class.

Click Quick add observations in the top-right corner. The gradebook enters quick add mode and a banner appears at the top confirming this.

Use the filter icon in the toolbar to narrow down the view by grades, units, students, tags, or status (including archived students).

Use the date and time picker to set when the observations are being recorded. By default, this is set to the current date and time, but you can adjust it to save observations for any specific date and time in the past or future within the selected grading period.

Click any cell in the grid to open a grade dropdown and select the appropriate rating.

Use the Show current grade in the cell toggle to display each student’s most recent grade alongside the entry field as you work.

Once done, click Save observations to exit quick add mode and save all entries.

Note: While in quick add mode, all the standard keyboard shortcuts are available to help you work faster — including copy (Cmd/Ctrl + C), paste (Cmd/Ctrl + V), undo (Cmd/Ctrl + Z), and drag handles to copy ratings across adjacent cells.

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Bulk add observations

There are three ways to add observations in bulk:

1 - Bulk grade all students on a standard

To apply the same grade to all students for a specific standard, hover over the standard row to reveal the bulk grade icon and click it.

In the modal that opens:

Review the standard and criteria shown at the top.

Select the grade you want to apply to all students.

Click Grade all students to save.

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2 - Bulk grade all standards for a student

To apply the same grade across all standards for a specific student, hover over the student’s column header to reveal the bulk grade icon and click it.

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In the modal that opens:

Review the criteria shown at the top.

Select the grade you want to apply across all standards for that student.

Click Grade all standards to save.

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3 - Add observations via standard(s) selection

To add observations across standard(s) at once, use the checkboxes on the left to select one or more of them.

Note: You may not be able to select some standards for evaluation as this depends on how the learning goals are structured and configured for grading.

1. In the floating bulk action bar at the bottom:

Review the Students selection. By default, all students that are currently showing in the gradebook are selected.

Click Add observations to continue.

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2. In the modal that opens, for each student and learning goal combination:

Review the Current grade column to view the most recent evaluation and the history.

Under Grade, select the appropriate level from the available grade scale.

Use the Description field to add qualitative feedback or observational notes.

Click the ‘+’ icon under Attachments to upload one or more files as supporting evidence from your local device.

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3. At the top of the window, you can also see the date and time for the observation. By default, ratings are recorded for the current date. However, you can record evaluations at any point within the selected grading period.

Once you have added the required details, click Add to save the observations for all selected students and learning goals.

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4. You can also make use of the following features to add ratings efficiently:

Keyboard-first navigation – Navigate and enter ratings using only your keyboard for a faster grading experience.

You can press ‘Enter’ (on Windows) or ‘Return’ (on Mac) on any cell within the ‘Grade’ column to open a dropdown and view the rating options for it.

Within the dropdown, use the up and down arrow keys to move through the options and select your desired rating by pressing ‘Enter’ or ‘Return’. To undo recent changes instantly, use Ctrl + Z (or Cmd + Z on Mac).

Quick copy-paste across cells – Use keyboard shortcuts or drag handles to easily replicate ratings across multiple cells.

Using keyboard shortcuts

Select a cell with the rating you want to copy, then press Command + C (on Mac) or Ctrl + C (on Windows).

Select the target cells and press Command + V (on Mac) or Ctrl + V (on Windows) to paste the value.

Using the drag handles

If you hover over the bottom-right corner of any selected cell, you’ll see a small drag handle appear. You can use this to drag horizontally or vertically and quickly copy the selected rating into all adjacent cells within the range you’ve highlighted.

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Add an observation individually

To add an observation for a specific student and learning standard, click the arrow icon in the student’s cell to open the side panel.

1. In the side panel, click the ‘+’ icon to record a new evaluation.

2. In the Add observation window:

Select the appropriate Grade.

Add a Description if required.

Upload supporting evidence using Add attachments.

Review or adjust the date and time, if needed.

3. Click Add to save the evaluation.

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Edit an existing observation

From the evaluation history panel, click an existing observation entry.

Select the edit (pencil) icon.

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Update the grade, description, or attachments as required.

Click ‘Update’ to save your changes.

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Overriding a Standard rating

In some cases, you may want to manually set a grade for a standard. You can do so by overriding the grade directly in the gradebook.

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When a grade is overridden:

The selected value is applied as the final grade for that learning goal.

A triangle indicator appears in the grade cell to show that the grade has been manually overridden.

Note: Adding a grade as an observation records it as part of the student’s evaluation history. A grade is considered overridden only when it is manually entered.

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