Spark Users & Portals

Every person in your school or program has access to a portal tailored to their role. Portals provide secure access to the information and tools each person needs, while Spark Users manage login credentials and personal account settings.

What is a Spark User?

A Spark User is an individual account with a unique username and password used to access Spark.

A single Spark User can:

• Access one or multiple Spark schools
• Have different roles in different schools (Owner, Staff, Guardian, or Student)
• Manage personal account settings such as name, email address, password, and profile picture
• View a history of submitted forms
• Access new or past enrollment applications

Because Spark Users exist independently of any one school, the same login can be used across multiple schools and roles.

User Roles

Spark offers several user roles, each with different permissions and portal experiences.

Owner

Each school has one Owner who has full control over all school settings and data.

• Full access to all features and information
• Can manage staff permissions and school settings
• Only one Owner is allowed per school

To transfer ownership, the new Owner must already be a Staff member with a Spark User account. Contact the Spark team to request an ownership transfer.

Staff

Staff members use the Staff Portal to manage school operations.

Depending on permissions, staff can:

• Manage assignments and courses
• Take attendance
• Record grades
• Schedule events
• Communicate with students and families
• Access administrative features

Staff access can be configured in three ways:

• All Access – Full access to all school features and information
• Limit to Classrooms – Access only to classrooms where the staff member is assigned as a teacher
• Custom Access – Access limited to specific features and resources

Guardians

Guardians use the Guardian Portal to stay informed about their students.

Guardians can:

• View assignments, goals, and progress
• Monitor grades and attendance
• View announcements and events
• Complete forms
• Pay invoices
• Communicate with teachers and students

Guardians cannot create, edit, or submit assignments.

Students

Students use the Student Portal to participate in their learning.

Students can:

• View and submit assignments
• Track goals and progress
• View schedules and activities
• Access rewards, calendars, chat, and library resources

Students may have either school-managed accounts or independent Spark User accounts.

Portals

Each role receives access to a portal designed specifically for their needs.

Student Portal

The Student Portal helps students stay organized and engaged.

Features include:

• Assignments – View instructions, attachments, and submit work
• Goals – Track progress on self-paced assignments
• Activity Box – View scheduled activities for the day
• Subject Filters – Organize assignments by subject
• Rewards Store - Purchase rewards with the points earned from assignments
• School Calendar - View upcoming school events
• Chat - Chat with teachers, guardians, or other students
• Library - Keep a record of the books read

Guardian Portal

The Guardian Portal helps families stay connected to their students' learning.

Features include:

• Student Planner – View assignments, goals, submissions, and progress
• Events & Announcements
• Invoices – View and pay bills online
• Forms – Complete and submit forms
• Reports – View attendance and grade reports
• Chat – Communicate with teachers and students

Staff Portal

The Staff Portal is the operational hub for managing your school.

Depending on permissions, staff can access:

• Scheduling
• Learning management
• Attendance
• Grades
• Reports
• Student records
• Communication tools
• Administrative settings

Granting Portal Access

Students, Guardians, and Staff must be connected to a portal before they can log in. Portal access can be granted to an individual within their Profile, or to many from the Portal Access page.

To grant access to multiple people at once:

1. Go to People → Portal Access.
2. Select the appropriate tab.
3. Make sure each person has an email address on file. Add one if needed.
4. Click Send Portal Invites.

To grant portal access to individuals:

1. Create the person in Spark.
2. Open their profile.
3. Navigate to the Portal Access tab.
4. Enter the required portal access information.
5. Save your changes and send an invitation if desired.

Separate help documents are available for detailed instructions on Student, Guardian, and Staff Portal Access.

Managing Portal Access

Portal access for all Students, Guardians, and Staff can be managed from the People → Portal Access page.

From this page, you can:

• View portal access status
• Manage usernames and login credentials
• Send or resend invitations
• Monitor portal access across your school

Managing Your Spark User Settings

You can update your personal Spark User account information at any time.

To access your user settings:

1. Log in to Spark.
2. Click your school's logo at the top of the left navigation menu.
3. Select Spark User from the dropdown menu.

If your account is connected to multiple schools, you may first see a list of schools when you log in. From that screen, select My Spark User.

Within your user settings, you can:

• Update your profile picture
• Change your name
• Update your email address
• Change your password

For security, changing your email address or password requires a verification code sent to your email.