Can't Enter Grade in Green Gradebook Cell

Quick Links: | Environment | Solution | Root Cause |

In the Canvas gradebook, a cell for a student's assignment shows a "Needs Grading" status, even though the instructor has already entered a grade. This can be confusing and may cause instructors to assume grading is complete. Instructors encountering this issue may overlook a newer student submission that still requires evaluation.

Environment

This article applies to you if all of the following are true:

• You are using the Gradebook in Canvas
• The assignment status cell is green
• The assignment shows "Needs Grading"
• You have already entered a grade for the assignment
• You are unable to type a grade directly into the green cell

Solution

To fix the issue where a graded assignment still shows "Needs Grading," follow these steps:

1. From the course navigation menu, select Grades
2. Locate the green cell showing "Needs Grading" for the assignment in question
3. Select the cell to open the SpeedGrader
4. In SpeedGrader, review the submission history using the submission dropdown in the top-right corner
5. Select the most recent submission
6. Either enter a new grade for the resubmission, or select Use this same grade for the resubmission
7. After grading or confirming the grade, return to the gradebook to verify that the "Needs Grading" tag is gone

Now the student’s latest submission has been addressed, and the “Needs Grading” status will no longer appear.

Root Cause

When a student resubmits an assignment in Canvas, the gradebook cell turns green, and Canvas automatically sets the status to "Needs Grading", even if a previous submission was already graded. This behavior ensures instructors review and grade the most recent student attempt.