How can we help?
Find answers to common questions about setup, features, grading, and more. Can't find what you need? Email us directly.
brightgrades@gmail.comGetting Started
How do I set up Bright Grades for my school?
Admin onboarding takes under an hour for most schools. After signing up, your administrator imports the student and teacher roster (via CSV or SSO), creates classes, and assigns teachers. We provide a step-by-step setup guide and our team will walk you through it on a call if needed. Email brightgrades@gmail.com to get started.
Can teachers use Bright Grades before the admin finishes setup?
Teachers need an account created by the administrator before they can log in. However, once their account is active they can start building assignments, setting up their gradebook, and exploring features immediately — classes and students don't need to be fully configured first.
How do students log in?
Students log in at the Student Portal using the credentials provided by their school administrator. Schools using SSO (Google or Microsoft) can log in with their existing school email. Students do not self-register — all accounts are created through the school's admin.
Is there a mobile app?
Bright Grades is a fully responsive web platform that works on any device — laptop, tablet, or phone. All portals (teacher, student, parent, admin) are optimized for mobile browsers. A dedicated native app is on our roadmap.
AI Homework & Content
How does AI homework generation work?
Teachers select a state standard, choose the assignment type (homework, quiz, practice), and set options like number of problems and difficulty. Bright Grades generates the full assignment — problems, instructions, and rubric — in seconds. Teachers can review and edit before assigning.
Can students retry AI-generated assignments?
Yes. Teachers can allow unlimited retries on any assignment. Each retry generates a fresh set of problems aligned to the same standard, so students practice the concept — not just memorize the answers.
Are assignments aligned to my state's standards?
Yes. During setup, your administrator selects your state. All AI-generated content is automatically mapped to that state's curriculum standards. Teachers can search and filter by standard when creating assignments.
What's the difference between graded and practice mode?
Teachers choose per assignment. Graded assignments post scores directly to the gradebook when submitted. Practice mode lets students work through content and retry freely without a grade being recorded.
Group Jam & Live Sessions
What is Group Jam?
Group Jam is a live, multiplayer learning session. The teacher launches a session and students join in real time. The teacher sees every student's responses on a live dashboard as they work. After the session, AI analyzes what the class struggled with and generates a targeted follow-up lesson plan.
What is Anonymous Struggle Mode?
When enabled, the teacher's live dashboard shows student responses without displaying names. This reduces performance anxiety — students are more willing to answer honestly when they know the class can't see who said what.
How many students can join a Group Jam session?
There is no hard student limit for Group Jam sessions. The platform is designed to handle full class sizes. For very large school-wide events, contact us to ensure your infrastructure is sized appropriately.
Gradebook & Attendance
How does the gradebook work?
The gradebook supports weighted grade categories (homework, tests, participation, etc.) with custom weights per class. AI-graded assignments post automatically. Teachers can manually edit any grade at any time. Progress reports and assignment sheets can be printed or exported to PDF in one click.
Can I set different grade weights per class?
Yes. Each class has its own grade category configuration. For example, your Period 3 Math class can weight tests at 60% and homework at 40%, while Period 5 can use different weights.
How does attendance tracking work?
Teachers mark students as present, absent, or late at the start of each class session. School administrators can view attendance rates across all classes and all teachers from the admin dashboard. Parents are notified automatically when their child is marked absent.
Can parents see grades in real time?
Yes. Parents receive a notification the moment a grade is posted. They can also log into the Parent Portal at any time to see current grades, assignment history, attendance records, and messages from the teacher.
Games & Puzzles
What games are available?
Bright Grades includes four games: Jeopardy (AI-generated category boards), War Game (speed-based 1v1 arithmetic), Flashcard Battle (head-to-head card matching vs an AI opponent), and War Game Tournament (a full single-elimination bracket for the whole class).
Who builds the game content?
AI generates all game content based on the topic and standards the teacher selects. For Jeopardy, teachers pick the subject and the board builds itself. For War Game, teachers configure the operations and number types.
What are Logic Puzzles?
Logic Puzzles is a daily critical thinking feature. Students receive a new puzzle every day — number-based, shape-based, or if/then logic chains — calibrated to their grade level. Puzzle streaks and solve counts are tracked. Teachers can see who used hints and who solved cold.
STAR Scores & State Testing
How do I log STAR scores?
Teachers or administrators can enter STAR reading and math scores for each student from the student's profile page. Scores are tracked over time and displayed as score bands (Below Basic, Basic, Proficient, Advanced). Growth across sessions is visualized automatically.
What is the State Test Simulator?
The State Test Simulator lets students practice in the exact format of their state assessment — same question types, same interface, same timing constraints. The goal is zero surprise on test day. Teachers can assign simulator sessions and review results in the gradebook.
Admin & District
What can a school administrator see?
School administrators have access to a full management suite: all teachers, students, parents, and classes; school-wide attendance rates; grade and at-risk student reports; and the ability to send school-wide messages. Administrators can also manage parent accounts and reset passwords.
What does the District Dashboard provide?
District administrators can see data across all schools in their district — staff rosters, attendance rates, grade distributions, STAR scores, and at-risk flags — from a single dashboard. Cross-school messaging, SSO, and custom branding per school are available on the District plan.
Which students get flagged as at-risk?
Students with a current grade average below 70% are automatically flagged in administrator reports. This gives school leaders early visibility to intervene before end-of-term grades are finalized.
Does Bright Grades support SSO?
Yes. District plans include SSO support for Google, Microsoft, and Clever. Roster sync via CSV upload or API is also available. Contact us at brightgrades@gmail.com to configure SSO for your district.
Security & Privacy
Is Bright Grades FERPA compliant?
Yes. Bright Grades operates as a school official under FERPA. Student data is owned by the school, not by Bright Grades. We never sell or share student data with third parties for advertising or commercial purposes.
Is Bright Grades COPPA compliant?
Yes. Student accounts for children under 13 are created by school administrators, not by students directly. Schools act as agents of parental consent. No behavioral advertising is directed at any student.
How is data secured?
All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest. Data is stored on isolated, encrypted servers in the United States. Access to production data is restricted and logged. We conduct regular security reviews.
What happens to our data if we cancel?
You can export all your data — gradebooks, rosters, lesson plans — at any time. After cancellation, we hold your data for 90 days before permanent deletion. You can request immediate deletion by emailing brightgrades@gmail.com.
Still have questions?
Our team typically responds within 12–48 hours depending on your plan.