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After reviewing AI-graded submissions, you can return them to students so they can see their scores and feedback. This guide covers how to return work individually or in bulk.

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What Happens When You Return a Submission

When you return a submission:
1

Student Notification

The student can view their grade and feedback in GradingPal
2

Status Update

The submission status changes to “Returned to Student”
3

Google Classroom Sync

If your class is connected to Google Classroom and the assignment was created in GradingPal, the grade is automatically synced to Google Classroom
Returned submission status badge

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Returning Individual Submissions

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From the Submission Review Page

1

Open Submission

Open the submission you want to return
2

Click Actions

Click Actions in the header
3

Select Return

Select Return Submission
4

Confirmation

The submission is immediately returned to the student
Return Submission in actions menu

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Warning for Unreviewed Submissions

If you try to return a submission that hasn’t been marked as reviewed, you’ll see a warning:
“This submission has not been fully reviewed yet. Are you sure you want to return it to the student?”
You can:
  • Click Cancel to go back and review first
  • Click Return Anyway to proceed without marking as reviewed

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From the Submissions Table

  1. Go to your assignment’s Submissions tab
  2. Find the submission you want to return
  3. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) on that row
  4. Select Return Submission

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Bulk Return

Return multiple submissions at once when you’ve finished reviewing a batch.

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Select Submissions

1

Go to Submissions

Go to the assignment’s Submissions tab
2

Select Submissions

Check the boxes next to submissions you want to return
3

Or Select All

Or use the header checkbox to select all visible submissions
Selecting multiple submissions for bulk return

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Return Selected

  1. With submissions selected, click Return All (or the bulk actions button)
  2. Confirm the action
  3. All selected submissions are returned to students
Bulk return confirmation

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Google Classroom Grade Sync

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When Grades Sync Automatically

For classes connected to Google Classroom, grades sync automatically when:
  • The assignment was created in GradingPal and published to Google Classroom
  • You return the submission to the student
  • The student has a Google Classroom account linked

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When Grades Don’t Sync

Grades will not sync to Google Classroom if:
  • The assignment was imported from Google Classroom (sync only works one direction)
  • The class is not connected to Google Classroom
  • The student isn’t enrolled in the Google Classroom class

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What Gets Synced

DataSynced to Google Classroom
Numerical gradeYes - The total score for the assignment
Returned statusYes - The submission is marked as returned
Feedback linkYes - A link to view the full feedback in GradingPal
Grade and feedback link synced to Google Classroom

Google Classroom Integration

Learn more about grade sync and Google Classroom

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Before You Return

Before returning submissions, consider:
  1. Review the score - Make sure the AI-assigned grade is accurate
  2. Check feedback quality - Read through the feedback to ensure it’s helpful
  3. Edit if needed - Adjust scores or feedback as necessary
  4. Hide points (optional) - If you want students to see feedback without numerical scores

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Mark as Reviewed First

While not required, marking submissions as “Reviewed” before returning helps you track what you’ve checked:
  1. Open the submission
  2. Click Actions → Mark as Reviewed
  3. Then proceed to return

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After Returning

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Can Students See Everything?

Once returned, students can see:
  • Their total score (unless you hid points)
  • Scores for each criterion or question
  • All feedback comments
  • Any overall feedback you added

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Can You Make Changes After Returning?

Once a submission is returned:
  • You can still view the submission and all grading details
  • You can still edit scores and feedback—changes are reflected for the student
  • The “Return Submission” action becomes disabled (shows as “Returned to Student”)
  • You cannot “un-return” a submission, but edits you make are immediately visible to students

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Troubleshooting

If you see an error when trying to return:
  • “Submission state is CREATED” - The student hasn’t officially turned in their work yet
  • “Assignment has been deleted” - The assignment no longer exists
  • Network error - Try again; there may be a temporary connection issue
If the grade doesn’t appear in Google Classroom:
  1. Verify the assignment was created in GradingPal (not imported from GC)
  2. Check that your Google Classroom connection is active
  3. Ensure the student is enrolled in both GradingPal and Google Classroom
  4. Try returning again after a few minutes
If a student reports they can’t see their feedback:
  1. Confirm the submission shows “Returned to Student” status
  2. Have the student log in to GradingPal (not just Google Classroom)
  3. Check that the student is viewing the correct assignment

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Best Practices

Batch Your Reviews

Review all submissions, then return in bulk for efficiency

Always Review AI Feedback

Think of it as the 80/20 rule: AI does 80% of the heavy lifting, while you provide the 20% of expert review

Use Mark as Reviewed

This helps you track your progress through large classes

Add Personal Notes

Even a brief overall comment makes feedback feel more personal

Set Expectations

Let students know when to expect grades back