Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction
Computer technologies are changing the practice of research and
business, and very slowly the content and practice of education are
beginning to follow suit. For one, most schools in the country are adapting to
these changes by gradually shifting their manual transactions to computerbased systems allowing a smoother flow of operations. The hallmark of
computer-aided systems in education is that they attempt to revolutionize
conventional school routines such as enrolments into an efficient and
seamless process that saves time, cost, and accuracy of work.
Lesser human intervention in tasks involving numerous transactions
and distributed work has proven increased competency in Information
Technology and other communications-related industries. We see this as
growing evidence on IT industries leading to substantial improvements in
productivity by automating their routine activities. If this capability will be
incorporated to school works such as grading procedures, the arduous task
of records-keeping might be delegated to machines or tools which can
handle various automated and computing jobs and thus improve work
outcomes.
2

The aim of this study is to address concerns of instructors over the

management of grades computation and file handling of student profiles. A
good feedback mechanism relating to the learning progress of students in
terms of their performance in each subject ensures a good development
assessment. This will give both the teacher and the student the idea about
their growth and may promote a good teacher-to-student relationship. A fast
and accurate grading system can give a clearer perspective on the standing
of the students in the class as individuals and in the learning environment as
a whole.
The grading process is the practice of evaluating the academic
performance of students by assigning them ratings based on standard
grading

scales

programmed

in

the

education

curriculum.

Different

interrelated procedures such as student information listing, academic

grading, and class standing assessment build up grading processes called
Academic Grading System or AGS. AGS is used particularly in keeping and
retrieving information on a students grades profile and academic status.
Tracking their progress in subject courses and providing them responses on
the form of points-based, letter-oriented, or ratings measurements are the
features of AGS.
An automated grading system is a good example of computergenerated process. This can significantly reduced the workload and provide
accurate report of grades needed by the students and the institution in the

assessment of learning. In the case of San Isidro Elementary School, manual

computation and recording of grades are still exploited by teachers rendering
disputed and mishandled results. Computerization is a control system that
can manage these tasks and give accountability to the outputs.
In this study the proponents focused on addressing problems posed by
the existing grading system through seeking alternatives to the manual
routines and developing a software-based tool that will facilitate transition of
grading procedures from subsisting operations to computerized transactions.

1.1.

Project Context
This study is divided into two phases: the project feasibility and project

acquisition. The project feasibility phase is consisted by concept and design

plans outlining primarily the areas of work relating to the viability of the
project and conception of strategies and systems approaches such as
systems

philosophy,

analysis,

and

management.

Under

the

project

acquisition phase, lines of work are concerned to implementation and

procurement

strategies

that

will

materialize

model

plans

and

the

development of the system itself.

1.1.2. Defining Project Attributes
The project commenced with identifying first the key elements integral
to the formation of strategies and approaches to planning and drawing of
4

project architecture. To recognize the persisting problems of the existing

grading system in the target school, the proponents performed site visits and
continuous correspondence with project stakeholders which initiated the
concept planning. After investigations and problems outlining have been
made, the following factors have been defined:
a. The Three-Sphere Model. The proponents determined the relation to the
three-sphere model of project management which identifies the business,
organizational, and technological aspect of the project. Since the tool
developed for the school is a non-commercial system and will not be used
to gain profits or promote investments, the projects business factor
dwells only on the financial sense of settling cost requisites necessitated
in the development and maintenance of the system. Stakeholders
influence the changes and advancements to the improvement of planning
and designing in that they give the foremost inputs to the specifications of
the system and change requests which adjusted requirements. People
problems or the interests of the organization and key players also concern
the organizational factor. The approaches used to develop the system
imposed the technological side of the project.
b. The Needs Analysis. Documenting the requirements played a crucial role
to classify what areas of concern should be addressed and what
requirements from all project stakeholders affected the features of the
system. Observations were made and questionnaires were given to
quantify

requests,

weigh

demands,

and

perform

analysis

of

the

parameters which will control the bounds of the study. This is important to
avoid scope creep, project rollback, or major overhauling of project due to
rising adjustments and unattended and uncontrolled demands.
c. The Triple Constraints. This study is confined to scope, time, and cost
goals. The scope goal lists the work breakdown to achieve specific
enumerated tasks for each line of work, the time management goal
centers on schedules and deadlines to be met to complete the project,
and the cost goals estimates the budget and authorized changes to costs
and expenditures of the project.
d. The Project Deliverables. Stakeholders agreed to produce product-related
or process-oriented results in the form of project charter documents,
system flow analysis, work breakdown structure and schedule plans, and
minutes of the meeting on a regular basis.
1.1.3. Classifying Project Stakeholders
After the characteristics of the project have been defined, it is
necessary to delineate duties and tasks for each specific work goals per time
frame to divide responsibilities and obligations among stakeholders. The
human resource management area provides description of the division of
work to every personnel involved in the procurement of the study.
Name

Role in the Project

Responsibility

Florida

F.

Sumugat, Project Sponsor

Approves

all

principal of San Isidro

prerequisites

and

Elementary School

changes to the plan and

development of project
Provides

primary

information

and

consultation
Ricky S. Morales Jr.

Project Manager

Plans,

monitors,

and

executes project
Oversees development
Ma. Cherus Florenlee F. Project Moderator

Serves as back-channel

Sumugat

negotiator and provides

feedback

and

communication

to

project sponsor
Hanna Marie P. Atienza

Implementation

and Provides

Training Manager

implementation
and

training

plan

schedule

contained

in

changeover timetable
Gliezel V. Melchor

Support Staffs

Adds additional inputs

and support to revisions

Nova Lea E. Gimeno

of documents
Table 1.1 Project Stakeholders Charter

1.1.4. Conceptual Model of the Study

The core of this study centers on the designing and building of an
electronic

system

systematizing

grades

computation,

recording,

and

Analyzation

Data Introduction
Data Handling and Feedback
Data Processing
Data Generation

managing of files and its dissemination to concerned personnel. On the

designing phase, the proponents started on knowing the specific system
requirements desired by the school. These specifications are met by
Design Proposal
determining first the data flow of grades and adopting a framework
conceptualized how these data are introduced, generated, and handled by
the system. It is imperative that the system can transform raw data into
manageable and simpler inputs and that the design can produce proper and
acknowledged outputs in terms of digital and printable files. The digital files

should be stored properly and accordingly by the database of the system.

Data Gathering
The proponents adopted the Iterative Implementation/Continuous
Integration Approach otherwise known as Design Implementation Increments
made by Stephen McHenry in planning and designing the proposal. With this
approach, the overall functionality of the system is broken down into feature
sets. These feature sets conceived the structural architecture of the program
involved in the planning and analysis phase. The design is represented in a
conceptual framework that is essential in the conception and progress of the
study and researchers frame.
This section outlines the possible courses of action needed to present
the preferred approach of the project target used in the program system.
This framework best presents the steps involve in the analysis and planning
of the program design explaining how the system is constructed.

ound
Backgr
arch
System
ReseSpecifications

Existing I.T.
ess
Infrastructur
Proc elations
r
Intere
hi p
Figure 1.1 Conceptual Model of the Design of Computerized Grading System for San Isidro
Elementary School, structured by Stephen McHenrys Iterative Implementation.

The framework of this design starts in knowing the specifications of the

program desired by the project target. These requirements include research
on the target schools background and current standing, the existing system
they employ in data processing, and the interrelation of these processes. The
framework also covers the identification of common problems encountered
by the school regarding the existing systems that process their data.
1.1.4a. Parts of the Conceptual Framework
a.

System Specifications. Includes identifying existing problems regarding

the data processing and generation of the grades of the school. This
produces functionality that the system provides, which describes
functions the system performs, the logic that processes that data, what
data is stored and used by the system, and how user environment
works. This should result to a program that the school desires and how

b.

this program works and is implemented.

Data Gathering. This involves getting relevant and related data from
the school that will undergo design proposal. Data gathering was

assorted in three features, namely: Background Research, Existing I.T.

Infrastructure, and Process Interrelationship.
i.
Background Research: Includes schools profile, their current
status, and the common problems they encounter with their
existing grading system, and its effect on the proficiency and
ii.

iii.
c.

integrity of their data.

Existing
I.T.
Infrastructure:

Includes

units/terminals

the

(if

any)

and

existing

hardware

and

computer
software

components that can be a factor in designing phase

Process Interrelationship: Contains processes involved in the

existing grading system and their relation to each other.

Analyzation. Covers the data flow of grades, the proposed design of
the system itself, and determination of programming language used to

d.

structure the design.

Design Proposal. Contains the conceptualization and structuring to
form a design proposal. In the case of San Isidro Elementary School,
the proponents divided this phase into four main features:
i.
Data Introduction: The process of inputting data into the system.
ii.

This is defined in the inputs requirement.

Data Processing: Involves saving/deleting data, updating of data,

iii.

and editing of the data.

Data Generation: This includes the computation and evaluation

iv.

of the data.
Data Handling and Feedback: The process of keeping a sorted
registry of files and its management into categories. It also

involves the assessment of data.

1.1.5. Profile of San Isidro Elementary School

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The elementary school of San Isidro was established from the

mounting pleas of community dwellers to build a school in the area that will
address their problems on the attendance of their children especially during
rainy seasons. The common problem of the parents that time is the risk their
children have to take in travelling to the nearest elementary school of La
Curva especially the danger of floods and slippery roads along the way to
school. Through the headship of Mr. Basilio Gamboa, then Sitio Leader of
Barangay San Isidro (formerly named Sitio Canwaling), the requests of the
community was introduced to the late Mayor Johnny Santos Sr. and in 1963,
a primary school was built. The site of the school that time was located at
the pasture land of Mr. Gamboa. Two years later Mr. Mamerto Castillo
donated a portion of his land intended for the barrio site of Sitio Canwaling
including the present school site containing an area of 8,009 square meters.
Today the school has several physical and ancillary services including 13
instructional classrooms, 14 shared comfort rooms, two non-instructional
rooms, three reading centers, and one computer unit (as of 2009).
Table 1.2 Basic School Information
Name of school:

San
Isidro
Elementary School
Type of school:
Complete
NonA SWOT Analysis
from SIP
central Elementary
School
Year
established:
report of SIES for1963
2009 reports
School I.D. :
110272

that results in NAT 6 (National

District:
Grade levels offered:
Curriculum:

Population:

San Jose North District

Elementary Grades
Elementary
Basic
Education Curriculum
(BEC) as per DepEd
Order No. 43, series
of 2002
460

Achievement Test) and NAT 3 MPS (Mean Percentile Score) is below the
national standard of 75%. Results of oral and silent reading in comprehension
11

level are 85.34% and 89.65% below the national standard of 100%
independent reader. Fifty-eight percent of the teachers are beginners in
recognizing general learning process as well as unique processes of
individual learners. All teachers are in the level of beginner in demonstrating
skill in the use of ICT in teaching and learning process which may include
competencies in modern instructional materials like computers and quick
responses to development in learning. Such response to progress is
measured through traditional rating scheme utilized by the school. If this
type of feedback is addressed by the upgrading of the grading system, the
learning development of the students will be supervised simultaneously.
Part of the School Improvement Plan (SIP) for 2009-2012 of San Isidro
Elementary School is to raise the quality of education in the school by
initiating new approaches and skills to teaching and learning processes. They
believe that the computerization of their grading system will play a crucial
role in promoting their standing in academic performance.
1.1.6. Statement of the Problem
The design and implementation of electronic media in school
transactions have grown exponentially in the last years, spurred by the fact
that the growing rate in enrolment every year calls for a change in the
systems employed by schools to facilitate and weigh demand over workload.
Increase in student-to-teacher ratios has therefore increase the workload of
the teachers. With these emerging concerns, many schools today see the
12

promises of computerization to solve their problems on a tasks speedy

accomplishment without compromising the integrity and accuracy of the
results. The grading process is one of the tasks which need to be resolved in
San Isidro Elementary Schools. To address this issue, the proponents
determined first each factors affecting one problem after another which
contributes to the grading system of the school. These problems are as
follows:
a. Flexibility of records. An error in one entry on a manual class record
affects several entries on the list. If the teachers wish to change
something on the records, they will have to make numerous adjustments
on the listings just to cater one modification. On occasions when the
criteria for subjects are modified, changing the records and adapting them
to modifications can be tricky.
b. Assessment of entries. Teachers have to commit more attention to the
records if they wish to evaluate each item on the inventory. Each subject
has different category items such as quizzes and homework, and each
item has multiple entries before the subject grade can be computed.
Providing a class section has many students enrolled, it would be difficult
for the teacher to appraise the grades of each student on every subject
the teacher holds. Obscurity is demonstrated on manual auditing.
c. Time management. Because the school follows a growing trend on
enrolment, keeping the files up-to-date is difficult since their workload is
increased.

Submitting

records

and

other

reports

to

the

school

administration on time proves constraining for teachers holding too many

13

loads. Errors found on records also hamper the speedy accomplishment of

the grading process.
d. File handling. Keeping an inventory of files on papers can serve several
purposes, but on some occasions this practice can also get messy and
unmanageable. Stacks of reports are not handy and management of files
according to their nature demonstrates disadvantages. Records take time
to be sorted out efficiently and accordingly.
e. Integrity of data. Human error is one of the factors contributing to
compromised results. Grades reports are undermined by miscalculations
and erroneous recording. Control and influence over the result of
students grades are also at stake. Its long been argued that maintaining
work as objective as possible is disputable; no amount of personal
influence can be eradicated on every mans work and judgment since
people are subjective creatures. Impartiality is deemed as achievable only
by machines.
f. File Security. Manual records are prone to unauthorized access and
alteration. Unanticipated events can also undermine the safekeeping of
documents; precautions and safety measurements for records such as
storing in file cabinets, performing redundant works to secure accuracy,
and keeping of physical backup are not guarantee for security and can be
labor-intensive.
Through a simpler, efficient, and practical design of grading system,
the stakeholders hope that these problems will be dealt with by the
incorporation of a much improved and advanced system. In this light, delays

14

in processing and data submission accomplished by the old system will be

met. Time proficiency and data accountability are key indicators in
determining the success of the computerized grading system introduced to
the school.

1.2. Purpose and Description

This chapter covers explanations depicting the existing grading system
of the school, the implementation of new grading scheme by the education
department, the possible impact on the system design of the program, and
the systems performance and influence on data handling and data
generation of the school.
1.2.2. Project Narrative
The introduced system is designed according to the specifications
given by the target school. This design should administer above all simpler
method in the processing of raw data into appropriate output. The design
proposal is planned to cover a suitable, easy, and negotiable environment
framed in a user-friendly user interface. This user interface should
incorporate (1) DIDO (data in, data out) approach where users can
instantaneously produce output as they enter inputs and (2) real-time update
and date generation.

15

Regarding the new grading scheme of the K-12 program, the method
will include new rating method involving letters which represent levels of
proficiency as abbreviated. In the new grading system, letter A will reflect
the highest grade, letter P as second highest, and letter B as the lowest.
To rate the learning outcome of students, the teachers will be giving a grade
A (Advanced) to students with 90% and above rating, P (Proficient) to
students with 85%-89% rating, AP (Approaching Proficiency) to students
with 80%-84% rating, D (Developing) to students with 75%-79% rating,
and B (Beginning) to students with 74% and below rating. This new
method is presented on the Subject Grade and Final Grade processes.
1.2.3. Project Significance
Grading system helps students figure the amount of knowledge they
have gained. Grades can also help students in making decisions about their
career. Without grades, how would students know how much they have
learned? Students need to be tested and graded in order to determine how
much they have learned through their courses in school. Assigning student
grades at the end of a term can be a painless process for teachers who have
a clear grading system in place. A grading system is a breakdown of how a
teacher

(or

school)

categorizes

and

weighs

students

academic

performance to determine his standing in learning. Most of the public schools

in the country today still adopt manual computation and recording of grades,
which greatly consumes time, and yet errors are still encountered along the

16

way. The advent of information technology has made it easier to transact

with almost all sorts of data since computerization of data are effectively
handled and managed.
Features of a Grading System
A good grading scale is performance-based, including categories such
as quizzes, tests, group projects, essays and homework. According to the
University of Michigan's Center for Teaching and Learning, "items as 'effort,'
'attendance,' or 'frequency of participation,' although contributing factors to
student learning, do not actually reflect the extent to which students have
learned the course materials."
Benefits of Data Computerization
Students not only take more ownership for their work and learning
when a good grading system is in place, but they also learn to trust their
teachers. Additionally, the numbers make sense. Data is valid and can be
used to track student progress, pinpoint problems, and tweak curriculum to
meet student needs. The computerization of such grading schemes will
practically induce development, as this will provide immediate supervision to
the status of each student. Another way a systematized grading design can
be beneficial for students is that it influences students to exceed their
previous performance and promote healthy competition among students in a
class or around the school. Because a processed data can be produced in no

17

time by an application system, students can see right away the amount of
material they have learned.
The Future Researchers
For the future researchers, this study could be used for their reference
in having an automated and upgraded version of grading system if the future
researchers would like to formulate a system such as this.

The Proponents
Proponents would also be a beneficiary of the study since they would
value the importance of enhancing their skill and work performance while
inheriting knowledge throughout the study.
1.3. Objectives
This paper has four purposes: (1) to design an input-output form of
grading system, (2) eliminate the spreadsheet-type form of recording and
computing on the input level, (3) minimize time-consuming grading
workload, (4) synchronize all data into manageable, see-as-you-look type
of grading system, and (5) produce a printable output for documentation.
1.4. Scope and Limitations
The purpose of this chapter is to tackle the possible courses of action
and pertinent factors that may be considered and scoped out in the
development of this systems proposal. As much of the related aspects
18

including the target subject of this proposal, purported details about the
design of the proposed systems, and the restrictions that may be
encountered in this paper will be discussed.
1.4.1. Scope
The proposed computerized grading system of San Isidro Elementary
School covers these processes: (1) recording of student names and the
sections they belong to, (2) the course title (subject) and the units assigned
to each course, (3) the course I.D. (if any) and the schedule, (4) the
measuring parameters of each course (i.e., quizzes, assignments, etc.), (5)
the

percentage

breakdown

of

grades

and

the

formula

for

grades

computation, and (6) the name of the instructor. Concerning the design of
the proposed system, the user environment should incorporate a GUI
comprising (1) DIDO (data in, data out) approach where users can
instantaneously produce output as they enter inputs, and (2) real-time
update and data generation. The primary subject of the proposal will be
Grades 4-6 only, but changes may apply especially with regards to the
implementation of Education Departments letter-rating method. For the
moment, the system will be concerned only with numerical data inputs. The
system will be anchored on the present grading scheme of the school.

Measure of

Engli

Filipin

Scienc

Math

Achievement

sh

Periodical Test

25%

25%

25%

25%

Quizzes

15%

15%

15%

15%

HEKA

E.P.P.

Music

Arts

P.E.

25%

25%

25%

25%

25%

15%

15%

15%

15%

15%

SI

19

Class

20%

20%

20%

25%

30%

15%

15%

Homework

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

5%

15%

15%

Projects

10%

10%

10%

15%

10%

25%

10%

5%

5%

10%

10%

20%

10%

Interaction/Recitatio
n

Informal/Formal
Themes (Literary
Writing)

Experiments
Other

15%
15%

15%

10%

15%

15%

15%

30%

20%

30%

100%

100%

100%

100

100%

100

100%

100

100%

Performance
Total

Table 2 Grades Schedule of San Isidro Elementary School showing percentage

breakdown for all levels

1.4.2. Delimitations
The system design will not be capable for file transference to a network,
meaning that the inputs and its outputs will be limited only to the system to
which these data are entered. Furthermore, the system does not provide the
assurance that the processing of all data including the raw data recorded and
the output yielded by the system will be error-proof. The system will not also
provide a systems-restore point or data recovery in the event an unlikely
situation happened while using the system (i.e., a power-out or momentary
system failure). With regards to the implementation of the new letter-scheme
program of the Department of Education, this may affect the designing and
implementation of the proposed system. Grade 1 will not be covered on this
study because that level will be using the said letter-scheme. The grades
output will be limited only to the paper of the yielded printout and will not be
possible for printing on Form 137. A data overflow may also happen on the

20

processing of data and other technical failure may come along the way.
These restrictions are open for further discussion and improvement.

21