Overview
This document explains how to use student attributes and classroom context to create better groupings and seating charts in Grouper.
It covers:
Why attribute-based grouping and seating is valuable.
Smart randomization in simple terms.
Adding and managing student attributes.
Auto-creating groups using attributes (Spread, Cluster, and Attribute only).
Auto-placing students in seats using attributes (Spread and Cluster).
This document focuses on using attributes to make automated groupings and seatings.
For general grouping actions (group size, drag and drop, shuffle, rotate, lock, undo), see the Grouping basics support article.
For seat layout and general seating actions, see the Seating basics support article.
For file import flow and import troubleshooting, see the Importing student data support article.
For Do not group with, Study buddies, Seating preference, and Role, see the Preset attributes support article.
For class setup and roster setup, see the Sign-up and class creation article.
Helpful links:
Why use attributes and student context
Teachers often use what they know about their students to form groups and seating charts. But creating ideal groups or seating arrangements using student data can be time-consuming. Even so-called "random" groups are rarely truly random: some students misbehave when paired together, groups often benefit from a mix of boys and girls, and so on. With the Attributes feature, Grouper makes it easy for teachers to automatically create groupings and seatings using all sorts of information about their students: academic performance, behavioral, demographic, interests, and so on--or even a mix of several.
Common academic goals include:
Intervention groups for similar support needs.
Mixed-skill groups for peer learning.
Balanced groups for participation and classroom dynamics.
Structured collaboration with specific student roles.
Smart-randomized groups that ensure students who shouldn't be in the same group aren't.
Pairing special needs students with peers who work well with them.
Seating charts that keep distracting pairs apart, seat students near needed supports, or seat group members together.
Using attributes makes grouping and seating faster and more repeatable than building arrangements manually every time.
Smart randomization (simple explanation)
Smart randomization means:
Groups and seat assignments are still randomized.
But the randomization follows the attribute rules you choose.
In simple terms: Grouper shuffles students, but with guardrails based on your selected attributes.
Examples:
If you use a reading-level attribute with Spread (heterogeneous or mixed), the arrangement is randomized while spreading reading levels across groups or across the seating map.
If you use the same attribute with Cluster (homogeneous or similar), the arrangement is randomized while keeping similar levels together.
If you use Do not group with, the arrangement is randomized while keeping specified student pairings apart.
If you use Gender with Spread, groups are randomized while distributing genders more evenly across groups.
Important:
Results may still need final manual adjustments.
Use drag and drop for finishing touches when needed.
Adding and managing student attributes
Student attributes are the data Grouper uses to automatically create groupings and seatings.
Typical ways to add attributes:
In the right-hand control panel, click the + button next to the attribute section header.
Choose a preset attribute, create a custom attribute (just start typing), or select Import student data.
Enter values for students (not necessary if data is imported).
Plan note:
Free plan supports up to 2 student attributes.
PRO supports unlimited student attributes.
Plan details: grouper.school/pricing.
Assigning attribute values to students
You can assign attribute values to students the following ways:
Click on a student cell in the List view and select from the dropdown or start typing to add a custom value
Open the Student details card and select the attribute value or add a new one
Attribute menu
The attribute menu in the List view is where you manage that attribute’s settings, options, and actions such as sorting and other attribute-specific tools.
To open it:
In List view, find the attribute column.
Click the attribute name at the top of that column.
Note: The features of each attribute menu may differ depending on attribute type.
Customizing attribute options
For custom attributes, you can define and manage the list of available values:
Open the attribute menu for that attribute.
Add new option names in the Options section.
Delete any options you don't need.
Note: preset attributes like Do not group with and Study buddies do not have editable options. Role does — see the Preset attributes support article for details.
Default attribute: Group
The Group attribute is a built-in system attribute. It appears automatically in the List view when your students are in groups.
How it works:
The column header shows the name of the saved grouping that is currently in use.
Each student's cell shows the name of their current group.
If a student is not currently in a group, their Group value is blank.
You can click a student's Group cell to select or change the student's group.
You can create a new group by typing a new group name in a student's Group cell.
From the Group attribute menu, you can sort students by group (ascending or descending).
In Seating view, you can apply the Group attribute to seat students near their group members — see Auto-placing students in seats with attributes below.
Note: Group is a system attribute and does not count against the Free plan's 2-attribute limit.
Default attribute: Attendance
The Attendance attribute is a built-in system attribute. It tracks each student's attendance status.
How it works:
Default attendance options are Present, Absent, and Tardy.
Click a student's attendance cell to set their status.
Tardy and any custom attendance status marked as present are treated as present in Grouping view and Live mode.
If you create custom attendance statuses, open the Attendance attribute menu, then open the menu for that status option and set it to count as Present or Absent.
From the Attendance column menu, you can sort by attendance or email yourself an attendance report.
The Attendance attribute cannot be deleted.
Notes:
Attendance is a system attribute and does not count against the Free plan's 2-attribute limit.
You can also set a student to present or absent from the Grouping view, the Seating view, or the Attendance tool in Live mode (PRO), but Tardy and custom states can only be set in the List view.
Attribute color coding
Grouper automatically assigns colors to attribute values so they are easy to scan in the List view and on avatar overlays in the Grouping and Seating views. To change a color:
Open the attribute menu for that attribute.
In the Options section, hover over the value.
Click the arrow that appears to open the color picker.
Notes:
Color-coding of attributes that include a large range of numbers, such as 0 - 100, cannot be customized.
Deep-dive articles
See these dedicated articles for specific topics:
For file import flow and import troubleshooting, see the Importing student data support article.
For Do not group with, Study buddies, Seating preference, and Role, see the Preset attributes support article.
Spread and Cluster
Spread and Cluster are the two ways to apply an attribute to a grouping or a seating.
Spread mixes values: each group (or area of the seating map) gets a range of values.
Cluster keeps similar values together: students with the same value end up in the same group, or seated near each other.
In both the Grouping and Seating views, each attribute shown in the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel has two small circular icon buttons next to it. The outward-arrows icon applies Spread; the inward-arrows icon applies Cluster. Hover over either button to see a tooltip confirming what it does.
Spread examples:
Spread reading levels so each group has a range of readers.
Distribute boys and girls more evenly across groups.
Spread out strong leaders to make sure each group or table has a strong leader to help the group dynamic.
Spread members of the same group across the room for jigsaw-style activities.
Cluster examples:
Cluster by proficiency band for targeted small-group instruction.
Group students with similar math diagnostic scores together for differentiated tasks.
Seat students in the same group next to each other.
Auto-creating groups with attributes
Once you have attributes set up, Grouper can use them to automatically shape your groups in the Grouping view. Depending on your goal, you can create mixed groups where each group has a spread of values (heterogeneous with even sizing), groups where similar students are placed together while group sizes stay roughly balanced (homogeneous with even sizing), or fully pure groups where every student in a group shares the same attribute value regardless of size (true homogeneous grouping). Multiple attributes can also be layered in a single grouping.
Spread and Cluster are both available when using the Students per group and Number of groups formations; in the Attribute only formation, only Cluster is available.
Using attributes in Students per group and Number of groups formations
Use these formations when controlled group sizes matter and you want attributes to shape how students are distributed within those groups. Grouper keeps the group sizes or number of groups you set and uses the attributes you select to influence how students are distributed.
To apply Spread or Cluster:
Open a class and select the Grouping view.
In the Formation section of the right-hand control panel, open the formation dropdown and select Students per group or Number of groups, then set your target group size or count.
Under the attribute list, click the Spread icon or Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use. Groups are generated immediately, distributed according to the setting you chose.
You can layer more than one attribute in these formations. For example: Spread gender while Clustering by proficiency level. The first attribute you select takes priority over any you add after it.
Important:
When multiple attributes are applied, results may not be perfect — use drag and drop for final adjustments.
Using attributes in the Attribute only formation
Use the Attribute only formation when you need truly homogeneous groups — one group per attribute value, containing every student who shares that value. Group size is ignored entirely — the data defines the groups. If 5 students are "Below" and 14 are "Meets", you get exactly those two groups at exactly those sizes — no blending, no balancing.
Attribute only formation is the right choice when the purity of the grouping matters more than any size target.
To use Attribute only:
Open a class and select the Grouping view.
In the Formation section of the right-hand control panel, open the formation dropdown and select Attribute only.
Click the Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use (the Spread icon is not available in this formation). Groups are generated immediately — one per attribute value, containing all students with that value.
Important:
Only one attribute can be selected at a time. Layering is not supported in this mode.
Group names are generated automatically to match the attribute value (for example: "Below", "Partial", "Meets", "Exceeds"). You can still rename groups afterward.
Students with no value assigned for the selected attribute will be left ungrouped.
This is not a great fit for attributes with many distinct values, like percentile or lexile score, because each unique value becomes its own group — which can produce dozens of very small groups.
Auto-placing students in seats with attributes
In the Seating view (PRO), the same Spread and Cluster actions shape where students sit instead of which group they join:
Open a class and select the Seating view. (Build your seat layout first — see the Seating basics support article.)
In the Attributes section of the right-hand control panel, click the Spread icon or Cluster icon next to the attribute you want to use. Students are placed immediately.
How it works:
Cluster seats students with similar attribute values near each other.
Spread spreads students with similar attribute values out across the seating map.
As in the Grouping view, you can layer multiple attributes, and the first attribute you select takes priority.
Seating students by grouping
Apply the Group attribute in Seating view to connect your seating chart to your current grouping:
Cluster by Group to seat students next to or near their group members.
Spread by Group to place students from the same group apart from each other — useful for instructional strategies such as the jigsaw method.
Notes:
Do not group with, Study buddies, and Seating preference rules are applied automatically during automatic placement — see the Preset attributes support article.
Viewing attributes in Grouping and Seating views
Once an attribute is added and values have been assigned to your students, you can check those values in the Grouping or Seating view:
Hover over an attribute name in the right-hand control panel to see color-coded overlays on student avatars.
To keep overlays visible for an attribute so you don't have to hover while you make adjustments, open the overflow menu (the three-dot menu) to the right of the attribute name in the control panel and select Show. To return to overlays being visible only on hover, select Hide.
Attributes are not visible to students in Live mode, even if you select "Show" in the attribute overflow menu in the control panel. The exception is the Role attribute, which can be made visible in Live mode — see the Preset attributes support article.
Deleting attributes
To remove an attribute from a class:
Open the List view.
Open the attribute menu for that attribute by clicking the column header.
Select Delete attribute.
Note: deleting an attribute removes it and all its student values permanently for that class.
Sorting students in the List view
You can sort students by any attribute column to make it easier to review or assign values:
Open the attribute menu for the column you want to sort by.
Select from the sort options.
Sorting is for display only and does not affect grouping or seating.
Practical workflow examples
Intervention groups
Import current assessment data.
Cluster by the target proficiency attribute.
Name the grouping (for example: "Math Intervention - Week 1").
Save and reuse.
Mixed-skill collaboration groups
Use a proficiency attribute.
Spread by that attribute.
Add roles if needed.
Review and make small manual edits.
Social/behavior constraint groups
Add Do not group with and Study buddies attributes.
Run automated grouping.
Groups will automatically respect Do not group with and Study buddies rules.
Data-informed seating chart
In Seating view, Spread by a behavior or participation attribute to break up concentrations.
Or Cluster by Group to seat group members together for collaborative work.
Fine-tune with drag and drop, then lock any seats that must not change.
Quick troubleshooting FAQ
"Grouper matched the wrong student name"
Use the student match dropdown during import review, then apply changes.
"Do not group with is set, but I cannot find a toggle"
These constraints can run in the background once configured. Run grouping and verify outcomes. For full constraints behavior, see the Preset attributes support article.
"What is the difference between Spread and Cluster?"
Spread mixes values — across groups in the Grouping view, or across the seating map in the Seating view. Cluster keeps similar values together — in the same group, or in nearby seats.
"Do attributes work the same way in the Seating view?"
Yes. The same attributes and the same Spread and Cluster buttons are available in the Attributes section of the Seating view's control panel. The difference is the result: in Grouping view they shape group membership; in Seating view they shape where students sit. (Formations like Students per group apply only to the Grouping view.)
"What's the difference between the Attribute only formation and using Cluster in Students per group or Number of groups?"
Both approaches group similar students together. The difference is whether group size matters. In Students per group or Number of groups with Cluster, Grouper targets the size you set and uses Cluster to skew groups toward similar values — but size still wins. In Attribute only, size is ignored entirely: you get one group per attribute value containing every student with that value, regardless of how big or small each group ends up.
"My groups are close, but not exactly what I wanted"
This is expected in complex constraints. Use drag and drop to finalize.