Student groups allow both classroom teachers and administrators to categorize students to more easily differentiate instruction and track student progress.

Student groups can be created at both the district level (administrator) and the class level (teacher). District groups can be used district-wide, while class groups are created by the teacher and can only be used for their specific classes. The differences between district and class student groups are found below:

District Student Groups

Example:

Created by an administrator.
Can be used for any class in the district.
Can be used as a filter in Analytics.
Can be used to run reports such as queries, historical reports, and report cards.*
Can be used for assigning lessons, assigning assessments, and adding students to plans.
Can be used for giving recognitions and sharing bookshelf resources.
Represented by a semi-circle.*
District groups appear in the student's Groups section of the student profile.*

❓ Who Can Add/Remove Students from District Groups?

Only Administrators can add and remove students from district student groups.

Class Student Groups

Example:

Created by an administrator or teacher.
Can be used just for that specific teacher's classes.
Can be used as a filter in analytics
Can be used for assigning lessons, assigning assessments, and adding students to plans.
Can be used for giving recognitions and sharing bookshelf resources.
Represented by a full circle.
Teachers can only add their students to class groups. To add a student to a district group, that must be done by an administrator.
Class groups do not appear in the Groups section of the student profile.

❓ Who Can Add/Remove Students from Class Groups?

Teachers can add and remove students from class student groups.
Administrators can add students to class groups if they are a co-teacher of the class.
Administrators can remove students from class student groups, even if they are not a co-teacher.

*These are the distinguishable differences between district-level student groups and class-level student groups.

This article outlines the use of class-level student groups. If you are working with district-level groups, check out this resource.

Create a Group

Step 1: Select Classes module and then Students.
Step 2: Use the checkboxes to select the students you are adding to a group.
Step 3: Select the ellipsis at the top of the page, and select Add to Group.

Step 4: Select New.

Step 5: Enter the name of the group and select the desired color. Select Add to create the group.

Add Students to a Group

Step 1: Select the desired group (or groups) from the list.
Step 2: Select the student(s) that you'd like to add. You can click on as many students as needed. The selected students will be indicated by a check mark.
Step 3: Select Save.

Edit or Delete a Group

You can edit the title and color of a class student group. You can also delete a class student group.

Step 1: Select the Classes module and choose a class.

Step 2: Select the ellipsis at the top of the page and select Add to Group.

Step 3:
- To Edit: Select the pencil icon.
- To Delete: Select the trash can icon.

Step 4: If you selected the pencil icon, you can edit the name or color. If you selected the trash can icon, select Yes or No to confirm.

❗ Delete Groups with Caution

If you delete a student group, it is deleted from all classes that group is used in (not just the class you are accessing it from). This includes classes that have a main teacher/co-teacher set up; please delete groups with extreme caution, as the data is not able to be retrieved!

Remove Students from a Group

❗ Teachers are not able to remove students from district groups. Teachers can only remove students from class groups.

You can remove students from a class group by going to the class list page.

Step 1: Navigate to the Classes module and select the class the student is in.
Step 2: In the Groups column, select the group that you wish to remove the student from by clicking on the group's circle.
Step 3: Confirm you'd like to remove that student by selecting Yes.

💡 Tip: If the circle is filled in completely, that is a class group. If the circle is half-filled in, that is a district group. Teachers can only remove students from class groups indicated by a filled-in circle.

Co-Teachers and Student Groups

Co-teachers can...

Create class student groups for a class.
View, use, edit, and delete class student groups created by the main teacher for that class.
Remove students from class student groups.

💡 Tip: If a group was created by a co-teacher, the main teacher can view, use, edit, and delete that student group.

Otus Live Video

Click to see a video from our Otus Live series on how to create groups as a teacher.

FAQ and Troubleshooting

Click to see FAQ and troubleshooting details

How can I use student groups?

You can assign assessments, assign lessons, and share resources with student groups. Here are some specific examples: give a modified assessment, share enrichment resources, identify students who need extra help, keep track of student clubs, such as Book Club....and many more!

Besides the class list, where else can I create and assign groups?

Groups can be created from many places, such as assessment analytics, standards analytics, 3rd-party analytics, and the gradebook.

Can Co-Teachers use groups in the classes they are assigned to?

Yes. Co-teachers can create, edit, add students to, and delete student groups.

What happens if I delete a class student group?

❗️The data is not recoverable. Please delete groups with extreme caution.

How can I see what students are in each group?

You can use filters on the Class List page to see the students in each group. If you need to see a larger comprehensive list of students in groups across all of your classes, that can be generated from the Main Admin account. Reach out to your administration to see who may have the credentials for that account, and request that they download the Student Group Membership export for you.

Is there a rule to the order the groups are listed for a student on the class list page?

Yes, the group indicators are listed alphanumerically left-to-right. District groups are listed first, followed by teacher-created groups.

Can I share groups I've created with other teachers?

You can share groups by making teachers a co-teacher of your class. Any co-teacher of any class will be able to see and use the groups created for that class.

Who can see the groups I've created?

The main teacher and any co-teachers in your class can see the groups you've created. Students, parents, administrators, and other teachers aren't able to see your class student groups.

Who can create or delete new groups in my class?

The main teacher and any co-teachers of the class can create or delete new groups. Administrators are not able to create or delete your class student groups.

Who can add or remove students from groups in my class?

The main teacher and co-teachers can add students to a class group; administrators can't add students to class groups. The main teacher, co-teachers, and administrators can remove students from class groups.

What's the difference between a solid and half-shaded circle?

The solid circle represents a teacher-created group. The half-shaded circle represents a district-created group.

What can teachers do with district student groups?

Teachers can use district student groups when assigning lessons, assigning assessments, adding students to plans, and filtering analytics. They can view these groups on the class list and in the student profile. Teachers are not able to create, edit, or delete district student groups. They also cannot add or remove students from them.

Can student groups be used to run report cards?

Yes, only district-level groups can be used on report cards.

District Student Groups

View or Edit Class Information

View Class Lists

Archive, Unarchive, or Delete a Class

Student Groups Overview