Points Based/Standards Referenced Gradebooks
No. Points-Based gradebooks uses the calculation of average and average only.
When it comes to the type of gradebook you choose, nothing. The gradebook selected should be Points-Based Gradebook, but it is how your report card fields are setup to pull assignment data is where the difference lies.
When a field in the report card is linked to pull from a gradebook by Standard, standards need to be connected to any and all assignments that should be part of the score. Assignments with the linked standard will calculate and average altogether into the designated field.
When a field in the report card is linked to pull from a gradebook by an Area, teachers just select the area of the report card (less specific, more broad). Assignments linked to the area will calculate and average altogether into the designated field.
Standards Based Gradebooks
Yes. If the use of decimals is part of teacher's Standards Based Gradebook practice, then you will want to make sure the Elementary Report Card is setup to accurately calculate grades accordingly.
A “strand” is a combination of standards, of any standards. This affords admins a high level of configuration and allows them to combine standards into “quasi-overall scores.”
Could you imagine the confusion? Could you imagine?! But truly based on a pure Standards Based practice, weighting standards defeats the purpose of students' showing growth over time.
Learn about setting up your gradebooks and report cards by visiting Admin's Guide to Setting Up Report Cards for Points Based/Standards-Referenced Gradebooks or Admin's Guide to Setting Up Report Cards for Standards Based Gradebooks.