Text to Columns separates fixed-width text into multiple columns. This is super helpful for separating a single student name column into first and last name columns.

Steps:

1. Highlight the information you want to split.
2. Use Command+C or ⌘ + C to copy the information
3. Click on the cell where you want to put the information.
4. Use Command + V or ⌘ + V to paste the information.
5. You will see a clipboard in the lower right hand corner. Click on it and select text to columns.
6. Choose your separator value.

Text wrapping allows you to see the full value in a cell without having to change the cell’s width. It does change the cell’s height. This is perfect for reading long answers in a Google Form.

Steps:

1. Select the cells or range that you want to text wrap
2. Click on the text wrapping button in the toolbar and select the type of text wrapping you want.

Conditional Formatting is a tool that will automatically format your cells based off the value of the cell. Conditional Formatting is helpful for quickly color coding your data.

Steps:

1. Click on the range you want to conditional format.
2. Click on format and then conditional formatting.
3. This will open up a side menu.
4. Select your formatting criteria. E.g. Text is Exactly SPED, Cell values are greater than or equal to 80%, etc.
5. Click on Done.

You can conditional format after your data is entered or prior to entering your data .

The CONCATENATE formula takes data from different cells in a spreadsheet and combines the data into one cell. This is super helpful for combining first and last name columns into a student name column.

Steps:

1. Click in the cell where you want to place the combined data.
2. Start writing the formula =Concatenate(
3. Click on the cell with your first value.
4. Click on the cell with your second value.
5. To place a space between values write “ “ in between the cell numbers. (E.g A3, “ “, A4)

The countif formula is great for creating summaries of your data. The formula looks in a specific range for data that meets certain criteria.

Steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to place the formula.
2. Write =Countif(
3. Highlight the range where you can find the data.
4. Add a comma.
5. Type “ and then the exact name the data you are looking for.
6. Close the formula by typing “)

The sum formula adds together the numerical values of different cells. This formula is helpful for counting the total number of students in a column.

Steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to place the formula.
2. Write =sum(
3. Highlight the range where you can find the data.
4. Type ) to close the formula.

The sum formula adds together the numerical values of different cells. This formula is helpful for counting the total number of students in a column.

Steps:

1. Click on the cell where you want to place the formula.
2. Write =sum(
3. Highlight the range where you can find the data.
4. Type ) to close the formula.

Freezing a row/column keeps the data in the same place as you scroll through the sheet. Freezing the header row is highly suggested when you are working on large sheets.

Steps:

1. Click on View.
2. Hover over freeze and select how many rows or columns you want to freeze.

The quickest way to sort data is to organize it based on alphabetical or numerical order. You can sort your data from A-Z/Largest number to smallest number or Z-A/Z smallest number to largest number.

Steps:

1. Click on the column that contains the data you want to sort by.
2. Click on data in the menu.
3. Choose either Short sheet by A → Z or Short sheet by Z → A.
4. You can also do this by right clicking on a column.

Sorting a range is helpful when you are trying to organize your data based off the data in two columns. This is extremely helpful for sorting multiple class or grade level data. In the example below I sorted the data by period and then by scores.

Steps:

1. Highlight the range you want to sort.
2. Click on Data and then Sort Range.
3. Click on Data has a header row to see the names of your columns.
4. Choose the order you want to sort your data by. E.g. Student Grade Level, Last Name, First Name would first sort the data by student grade level, then by last name, and finally by first name.

When you quickly want to hide information you can use a filter. A filter will temporarily hide data on your sheet so you can focus on the information that you select.

Steps:

1. Click on the column that contains the data you want to filter.
2. Click on the filter icon in the toolbar.
3. Click on the icon on the column you want to filter.
4. Select only the values you want to look at. Select All and Clear are your friends here!