Overview
Grouper has created preset attributes based on common needs and requests from teachers and administrators. Some attributes have special behaviors, like Do not group with, while others come with preset values that you can assign to your students.
Special behavior attributes include:
Do not group with
Study buddies
Seating preference (beta)
Roles (PRO)
Other presets include:
Gender
Math proficiency
ELA proficiency
Strong leader
Extrovert/Introvert
English language proficiency
Primary language
Lexile level
For basic grouping actions, see the Grouping basics support article. For import workflow, see the Importing student data support article.
Do not group with
Do not group with prevents specific students from being placed in the same group:
Open Student list view.
Add or edit the Do not group with attribute.
Click the cell of the target student.
Set one or more do not group with pairings (actually, anti-pairings!).
Use automated grouping tools, such as Shuffle or the Spread and Cluster attribute actions, in any view.
Expected behavior:
Grouper separates restricted pairs automatically.
In highly constrained class setups, perfect separation may not be possible.
Do not group with will not be listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Don't worry - your do not group with rules will still be followed.
Study buddies
Study buddies keeps specific students together. When you select study buddies for a student, at least one of the study buddies will be paired with that student.
Open Student list view.
Add or edit the Study buddies attribute.
Click the cell of the target student.
Set one or more study buddy pairings.
Use automated grouping tools, such as Shuffle or the Spread and Cluster attribute actions, in any view.
Expected behavior:
Grouper almost always places each student with at least one selected study buddy.
In highly constrained setups, perfect matching may not always be possible.
Study buddies will not be listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Don't worry - your study buddies rules will still be followed.
Seating preference (beta)
Seating preference lets you mark one or more preferred areas of the room for a student during automated seating.
Open Student list view.
Add or edit the Seating preference attribute.
Click the cell of the target student.
Select one or more preferred seating zones.
Switch to the Seating view and use automated seating tools, such as Shuffle or the Spread and Cluster attribute actions.
Expected behavior:
Seating preference only applies to the Seating view. It does not apply to the Groups view.
Grouper usually places each student in one of their selected seating zones.
In highly constrained seating setups, perfect placement may not always be possible.
Selecting only edge zones will generally place a student on the edge of your seating layout.
For example, if the bottom of the screen represents the front of your classroom in Seating view, selecting the bottom three zones for a student's seating preference will usually place them in the front of the class.
Selecting only the center zone will prevent a student from being placed at the edge of the seating layout.
Seating preference will not be listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Don't worry - your seating preference rules will still be followed.
Note: Seating view is currently in beta testing. It is evolving quickly, and workflows or controls may change as we improve it.
Roles
Roles lets you assign structured responsibilities to each group (for example, Moderator, Timekeeper, Presenter). Roles can be made visible to students in Live mode so students know their role when they start group work.
Basic Roles workflow
Add a new attribute in Student list view and select Role.
Assign roles using the Assign roles button in the attribute menu, or assign them manually.
Create groups of the size you want.
Click the Spread icon next to the Role attribute in the right-hand control panel.
Hover over Role in the right-hand control panel to confirm Role assignments.
Click Go live and toggle the Role switch on to make roles visible to students.
Creating custom roles
Grouper provides default roles when you add Role as an attribute. But you can create custom roles, too:
After adding the Role attribute, click on the column header for Role in the Student list view.
Add role names in the Options section of the attribute menu.
Delete any unwanted roles.
To change Role colors, hover over the role and click the arrow to open the color menu.
Notes
A student's role can be reassigned using the Student list view or the Student details card.
Mark attendance before role assignment if absences are known.
Roles are a PRO feature.
Other presets
These attributes come with default values you can assign to students. Default values can be added to or replaced with your own — see the Making groups with student data support article for how to customize attribute options.
Attendance
Present
Absent
Tardy
Notes:
In Groups view and Live mode, students are treated as absent only when their attendance option is configured as absent.
By default, Tardy is treated as present in Groups view and Live mode.
Attendance emails include the exact attendance status text for each student.
Gender
Male, Female, Other
Math proficiency: Below, Partial, Meets, Exceeds
ELA proficiency: Below, Partial, Meets, Exceeds
English language proficiency: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Fluent
Primary language: English, Spanish, French, Mandarin
Strong leader: No, Yes
Extrovert/Introvert: Introvert, Extrovert
Lexile level: BR300L through 2000L (full scale, in 100L increments)
Related strategy guidance
When using constraints together with other attributes:
Results may be near-optimal rather than perfect when constraints compete.
Use drag and drop for final teacher judgment.
Troubleshooting
"I cannot find a do not group with toggle"
The rule can run in the background once configured in the student list.
"My constraints were not fully respected"
This can happen when constraints conflict with class size and grouping requirements.
"My groups are close but not exact"
Use drag and drop to finalize.