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.
Automatically applied preset attributes include:
Do not group with
Study buddies
Seating preference (PRO)
Other presets include:
Gender
Math proficiency
ELA proficiency
Strong leader
Role (PRO)
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 or in nearby seats:
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.
You can also set Do not group with students from the Grouping or Seating view by clicking Do not group with in the Attributes section of the control panel and then clicking a student. Or, in the Seating view: select multiple students, then click the Do not group with button — it has an icon that looks like people with an x next to it. The selected students will be set as restricted pairs and won't be seated or grouped together when using automated seating or grouping actions.
Expected behavior:
Grouper separates restricted pairs automatically.
In highly constrained class setups, perfect separation may not be possible.
If Do not group with is listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, it carries an Auto badge instead of the Spread and Cluster buttons: there is nothing to choose, because the rules always apply.
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 placed in the same group with that student or in a nearby seat.
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.
If Study buddies is listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, it carries an Auto badge instead of the Spread and Cluster buttons: there is nothing to choose, because the rules always apply.
Don't worry - your Study buddies rules will still be followed.
Seating preference (PRO)
Seating preference lets you mark one or more preferred areas of the room for a student during automated seating.
Add or edit the Seating preference attribute.
Click the cell of the target student.
Select one or more preferred seating zones.
In the Seating view, use automated seating tools such as Shuffle or the Spread and Cluster attribute actions.
You can also set a Seating preference directly from the Seating view: hover over the student, open the three-dot menu in the toolbar that appears above the student, and select Set seating preference.
Expected behavior:
Seating preference only applies to the Seating view. It does not apply to the Grouping 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 top of the screen represents the front of your classroom in Seating view, selecting the top 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.
If Seating preference is listed in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, it carries an Auto badge instead of the Spread and Cluster buttons: there is nothing to choose, because the rules always apply.
Don't worry - your seating preference rules will still be followed.
Note: Seating preference is a PRO feature, like the Seating view. It is available to PRO subscribers and PRO trial users.
Role
The Role attribute lets you assign structured responsibilities to students (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 List view and select Role, or add it from the + button in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel.
Assign roles using Assign values in the attribute header 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 List view.
Add role names in the Options section of the attribute header menu.
Delete any unwanted roles.
To change Role colors, hover over the role and click the arrow to open the color menu.
You can do the same from the Grouping or Seating view: click Role in the Attributes section of the control panel to open its properties, then edit the Options list there.
Notes
A student's role can be reassigned using the List view, the Student details card, or by clicking the student in the Grouping or Seating view while the Role attribute's properties are open.
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 groupings and seatings with student data support article for how to customize attribute options.
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
"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.