Is it possible to enter a letter grade in the gradebook or an assignment instead of using the existing numerical system? Is there a way to create an equivalent letter grade scale to the numerical scale?
any advice would be helpful!
Kerry
You can add your own custom scales but the new gradebook in 1.5 can convert your raw mark into a grade based upon the grade boundaries you set (I think)
This is interesting. Currently then, how do I add my own custom scale?
Go into the course you want to add the scale to and in the admin panel you will see a link for ... scales 
If you want to add this scale across the whole site you will have to hack the database entry. It's very simple to do but if you are lost with databases then I suggest you don't even think about it!
Let us know.
Darren
This is GREAT! Thanks for the info--- I got it working. Now....
It's not that I will be doing it, but I am THINKING about it---- How would I go about having our grade scale be set up across the whole site? You said it's simple... I won't do anything that will screw it up b/c I don't want to screw ourselves up--- it just would be nice to know. Would you mind giving instructions? 
Kerry
Sorry - I've had too much to drink 
Search the forums - if nothing appears here within 12 hours-or-so I will post a sober answer ... hic
A bit later than advertised but you can see a solution discussed here
The gradebook expects a number to be returned from a module as the students grade. If you create a scale that returns A,B,C,D etc. I'm not sure but I think the gradebook will treat this as 0 in all cases. However as Darren suggests the gradebook can take the points from all modules combined and then calculate a grade letter using your preferred scale.
Thanks for all your replies.... and Darren, glad you sobered up to provide the additional forum discussions! 
/
Real quick-- I have one more questions (i hope only one more)
is there a way to have a final grade posted or inserted from the professor? Possibly you guys were stating this and I am just missing it. Right now, my team and I are manipulating it by having an assignment called "Final Grade." Of course, the student will have access b/c it is an assignment, but there won't be anything for them to do. The grading will be done by the professor and he'll just grade it as the official final grade. In the grade book the column is called Final grade and the student see their grade.
This is fairly easy and simple, but on the creation side it gets time consuming, especially if you are doing it for EVERY SINGLE CLASS! 
---- is there another way????
I'm asking this also, just in case we have a course that does not have assignments listed in Moodle... the grades won't be there to calculate. However, we will want the final grade to appear.--- Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Kerry
Hi Kerry,
It sounds like you have a correct understanding of how the process works.
Your current method is probably the most effective; keep in mind that a different module may provide an easier method for grading all the students at once, I think assignment would be most effective. The other way would be to enter all of the outside (non-moodle) assignments into one of the various modules and record a grade, and then have the gradebook do the calculations for you.
hope that helps.
It sounds like you have a correct understanding of how the process works.
Your current method is probably the most effective; keep in mind that a different module may provide an easier method for grading all the students at once, I think assignment would be most effective. The other way would be to enter all of the outside (non-moodle) assignments into one of the various modules and record a grade, and then have the gradebook do the calculations for you.
hope that helps.