Learn what Groups are, how they work, the different types of Groups, and how they are used for communication. It also outlines who can access and manage Groups by role, and how Groups differ from Classes.
Create Groups: School and District Admin, Teachers and those with individual user permission to Create Groups or Manage All Groups
Join a Group: Anybody signed into ParentSquare can join a group, anybody can join community groups
What Are Groups?
Groups make it easy to send targeted communication to specific audiences based on roles, interests, or activities, using dedicated group pages for posts, events, and member discussions.
Depending on the group's type and visibility, members may be able to:
- View group posts, event, and (if visible) the member directory.
- Join or leave Public and Community Groups from the Groups page.
- Post or comment in groups that allow member participation.
For outreach beyond your school community, learn about Community Groups — a premium feature that lets schools connect with families and community members outside of ParentSquare.
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Explore Groups
The Groups page includes tabs, sorting, and filters to help users find, manage, and join groups.
Use the tabs at the top of the Groups page to quickly access and manage your groups:
- All Groups (Admins only): View every group in your school or district.
- My Groups: See groups you own, manage, or belong to.
- Explore: Browse and join open or public groups available at your school or district.
The Explore tab makes it easy for parents and staff to find and join groups that match their interests. It's a great way for schools to promote targeted communication—for example, by creating public groups that families can subscribe to, such as PTA, Robotics Club, Athletics, or Parent Language Groups.
Types of Groups
Groups can differ based on how members are added and who can see or join them. Groups can be created at the school or district level. Groups fall into two main categories based on how membership is managed: Open Groups and Managed Groups.
Open Groups: Anyone can join or leave.
- Public Groups: Available to all ParentSquare users at your school or district.
- Community Groups: Available to all ParentSquare users and community members (those without school accounts). These groups will be added to your Community Groups page. To learn more, see Community Groups.
Managed Groups: Membership is controlled by Admin, Group Owner or by automatic rules. These groups can also be marked Confidential.
- Private Groups: Members are added manually or by sharing a join code with school users.
- Rule-Based (Auto-Update) Groups: Members are added and removed automatically based on conditions such as grade, class, or language.
- SIS-Synced Groups: Members are added automatically from your Student Information System (SIS).
Use Cases for Groups
Groups work well for many communication scenarios:
- Clubs and Activities: Robotics Club, Drama Club, Chess Club, Art Club
- Athletics: Varsity Football, JV Basketball, Track and Field, Swim Team
- Committees: Site Council, School Safety Committee, Fundraising Committee
- Parent Organizations: PTA, PTO, Parent Advisory Council, Booster Club
- Language-Based Groups: Spanish-Speaking Families, Mandarin-Speaking Families
- Special Programs: After-School Programs, Tutoring Groups, Intervention Programs
- Staff Groups: Department Teams, Grade Level Teams, Staff Committees
- Community Outreach: Alumni Groups, Neighborhood Supporters, School Board Members
User Access by Role
School and District Admin: Can create and manage all groups.
Teachers: Can create groups and join Public and Community Groups.
Group Owners: Can manage settings and add or remove members for the groups they own.
Group Managers: Can update the group name, description, and category, and remove members for the groups they manage.
Staff: Can join Public and Community Groups.
Parents: Can join Public and Community Groups.
Groups vs Classes
Groups and Classes are both used for communication, but they serve different purposes and follow different rules.
What are the differences between a Group and a Class?
| Groups | Classes |
|---|---|
| Can be created by teachers, admins, and those with groups permission | Created by admins; cannot be created by teachers |
| Will be synced after creation in the nightly sync | May be added by Admin directly syncing from SIS or can be manually synced |
| Can have students from multiple classes, and schools if a District Group | Limited to students in the same classroom |
| No grade-level associations | Automatically tied to grade level of student |
| Roles: Owner, Manager, Member | Roles: Teacher, Assistant, Room Parent (A Staff becomes a Teacher when associated with a class) |
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