Tool Search: Course Catalogs, Course Masters, User Account, Grade Book
This article explains the results of different setup configurations using Course Catalog, Course Masters, Courses, and the tool rights for Instruction.
Workflow
Managing courses can feel complicated, but once you understand how Course Catalog, Course Masters, and Courses work together, it becomes much easier. This guide explains what happens when you lock editing at the catalog level, how tool rights affect editing, and includes real-world examples and common mistakes to avoid.
Step 1: Start at the Course Catalog
Think of the Course Catalog as the 'rulebook.' Here, you decide what can and cannot be edited later. You can lock editing for Grading Tasks, Standards, Grade Calculation Options, Composite Grades, Composite Weights, Categories, and Assessments.
Other course-related information can be locked at the Course Catalog level for Course Masters in the Course Information, NCES Data, Description, and/or Custom Data Elements sections. In this article, we are specifically focusing on Grading Tasks, Standards, Grade Calc Options, Composite Grades, Composite Weights, Categories, and/or Assessments. Refer to the Course Catalog article for more information regarding the additional fields.
Step 2: Build in Course Masters
Next, head to Course Masters. This is where you create all the locked items—Grading Tasks, Standards, Grade Calc Options, Composite Grades, Categories, and Assessments. Once you’ve set them up, use the Push All Course Masters tool (or push individually) to send these items to courses.
Step 3: What Happens in Courses
When items are pushed from Course Masters, you’ll see a padlock icon next to them in courses. That means they’re locked and cannot be edited or deleted, no matter what tool rights a user has. However, users with the right permissions can still add new items at the course level.
Tool Rights
Grading & Standards > Course Masters Tool RightsGrading & Standards > Course Masters
Add and/or Delete Rights given here allow users to add new Categories, Grade Calc Options, Grading Tasks, and/or Standards to Course Masters. If these items are locked at the Course Catalog level, ONLY Categories, Grade Calc Options, Grading Tasks, and/or Standards that have been pushed from the Course Masters to Courses after the lock was set CANNOT be edited or deleted.
Scheduling & Courses > Courses Tool RightsScheduling & Courses > Courses
Add and/or Delete Rights given here allow users to add or delete new Categories, Grade Calc Options, Grading Tasks, and/or Standards to Courses. If these items are locked at the Course Catalog level, ONLY Categories, Grade Calc Options, Grading Tasks, and/or Standards that have been pushed from the Course Masters to Courses after the lock was set CANNOT be edited or deleted. Users with rights to add or delete new Categories, Grade Calc Options, Grading Tasks, and/or Standards to Courses here would still be able to add and delete at the course level.
Additional Access Rights > instruction Tools > Grading Tools Tool RightsAdditional Access Rights > Instruction Tools > Grading Tools
Rights given here are for all Instruction users. If a user has rights given here to Edit Grade Calc Options, Edit Composite Grades, and/or Edit Categories, they will be able to add new items to any area they are given rights to, even if there are locked items that were pushed to the courses. They would not be able to edit any locked items that were pushed from Course Masters to courses they teach, but they would be able to edit or delete any new items they have added themselves.
Examples and Common Mistakes
Real-World Examples
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| Locking Grading Tasks but forgetting to create them in Course Masters | Teachers open their courses and see no grading tasks. They can still add their own tasks if they have rights, but those tasks won’t follow your district standards. |
| Creating Standards but not pushing them | Teachers start grading without standards attached. Later, when you push them, teachers may need to redo grading setups. |
| The teacher wants to change a locked grading task name | They can’t. Instead, they can add a new grading task if they have the necessary rights, but the original locked task remains unchanged. |
| A course is inactive | Items will NOT be pushed to an inactive course |
Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
| Mistake | What Happens | How to Avoid It |
|---|---|---|
| Locking items but not creating them in Course Masters | Teachers see missing grading tasks or standards | Always create locked items in Course Masters before term starts |
| Forgetting to push after creating items | Courses don’t reflect updates; teachers may set up incorrectly | Use Push All Course Masters and check the Awaiting Push Report |
| Assuming locked items prevent all edits | Teachers can still add new items if they have rights | Communicate clearly what “locked” means and review tool rights |
| Locking Assessments expecting full lock | Teachers can still edit assessments | Remember: locking assessments only controls pushing, not editing |
| Changing Course Catalog locks mid-term | Causes inconsistencies across courses | Set locks before the term begins and avoid mid-year changes |
