Helping Students Check Grades and Feedback
Use this guide when students ask about grades, missing work, resubmissions, or teacher feedback. The goal is to help students know where to look, what the icons mean, and what action to take next.
Help Students Know Where to Look
Students often check only the grade and miss the bigger picture. When supporting students, remind them that CTLS My Grades helps them track assignment-level progress and feedback, while StudentVUE/Synergy shows the official grade of record. Students should use both, but for different purposes.
Simple message for students: Use CTLS My Grades to understand what is happening with each assignment. Use StudentVUE to confirm your official course grade.
CTLS My Grades vs. StudentVUE
Use the comparison below when students are unsure whether to check CTLS or StudentVUE.
CTLS My Grades
Students should use My Grades to check assignment status, submitted work, missing assignments, graded items, and teacher feedback.
Teacher reminder: Direct students here first when they ask about a specific assignment, missing work, resubmissions, or feedback.
StudentVUE / Synergy
Students should use StudentVUE to view the official grade of record for the course.
Teacher reminder: Grades entered in CTLS may take up to 24 hours to appear in StudentVUE because of the overnight sync.
Student Resources Hub
These student-facing CVA resources are available to help students review the steps for checking grades and finding teacher feedback in CTLS. Teachers can share these links in announcements, messages, or feedback comments when students need a quick reminder.
Direct Students to Do This First
Use this checklist as a quick coaching sequence before troubleshooting a grade or feedback question.
What Do the Gradebook Icons Mean?
Open each card to see what the icon means and what students may need to do next.
Missing
Click to learn more
The assignment was not submitted before the due date. Direct the student to open the assignment, complete the work, and submit it in CTLS.
Finished
Click to learn more
The assignment was submitted and graded. Direct the student to review the grade and any feedback.
Submitted
Click to learn more
The work has been submitted and is waiting for teacher review. Remind the student that grading may not be immediate.
Resubmission
Click to learn more
The assignment has been reopened. Direct the student to make changes and submit the work again.
Assigned
Click to learn more
The assignment is available but has not been started. Direct the student to open the directions and begin.
In Progress
Click to learn more
The student has started the assignment but has not submitted it yet. Direct the student to finish and submit.
Feedback
Click to learn more
The assignment has feedback available. Direct the student to open and read the feedback before asking about the grade.
Where Students Should Look for Feedback
Feedback may appear in different places depending on the type of assignment. Use these sections to help students check the right area before they ask about a grade or resubmission.
Teacher Tip: Encourage students to read the feedback before messaging about the grade. The grade shows the result, but the feedback explains what to improve.
Assessment Feedback
For quizzes, tests, or assessments, students may see Instructor Feedback and feedback for individual questions.
What to tell students: Open the graded assessment from Coursework or My Grades and review both the overall instructor feedback and any question-level feedback.
Assignment and Attachment Feedback
For assignments, students should look for Instructor Feedback. Feedback may be written, audio, or video.
If the student uploaded a file, direct them to open the attachment under My Attachments. Teachers may annotate directly on the document, so students may need to view or download the file to see all comments.
What to tell students: Check Instructor Feedback first. Then open any returned attachment to look for comments, markings, or annotations directly on the file.
Discussion Feedback
Students may see public comments on the discussion board. These comments can be read by others in the class.
Teachers may also leave private Instructor Feedback. Direct students to scroll to the bottom of the page to check for private feedback that only they can see.
What to tell students: Review any public discussion comments, then scroll to the bottom of the page to check for private Instructor Feedback.
What to Say When Students Ask
Use these quick responses when students ask about grades, missing work, feedback, or resubmissions. Each response points students back to the correct place to check and gives them a clear next step.
"I don't know my grade."
Please check CTLS My Grades first. That will show your assignment status, grades, missing work, and any feedback I have left. Then check StudentVUE for your official grade of record.
"I submitted it, but StudentVUE still looks different."
Thank you for checking. Grades entered in CTLS may take up to 24 hours to appear in StudentVUE because of the overnight sync. Check CTLS for the most recent assignment-level update, and check StudentVUE again after the sync.
"Why did I get this grade?"
Please open the assignment in CTLS and read the feedback I left for you. Be sure to check Instructor Feedback, any attachment comments, and any notes connected to the assignment. After you review the feedback, send me a specific question if something is unclear.
"What do I do about missing work?"
Go to CTLS My Grades and look for assignments marked Missing or Assigned. Open the assignment from Coursework, review the directions, complete the work, and submit it in CTLS.
"My assignment was reopened. What do I do?"
I reopened the assignment so you can make changes and submit again. Please read the feedback first, revise your work, and then resubmit the assignment in CTLS.