Looking for a refresher on all Prodigy has to offer? Check out our Getting Started guide here!
Hey Teachers! Welcome to our Back to School Guide where you’ll learn everything you need to know to start the school year off right. In this article, we’ll review:
- Placement Test details and best practices
- Classroom Setup guides/FAQ and
- FAQ on your students' experience with Prodigy
Let's get started!
Adding Classes
Adding new classes is easy! How you do so depends on how you log into Prodigy. Select the appropriate drop-down below.
1. Log in to your Prodigy Teacher Account. If you need help with this, more information can be found in this article.
2. Select Manage Classes, with the gear icon, at the bottom left of your screen:
3. Select the Create a new class button:
4. Select Import from Google Classroom:
5. A Google prompt will appear to confirm which account you are importing your class from and that you are allowing access to the information needed.
6. Once you have confirmed your account and allowed access, a list of the classes in your Google Classroom account will display.
Check off the box for the class(es) that you would like to import, and click Continue:
7. Assign a grade to each class you have selected, or remove them if you had chosen a class in error. Then, click Import x Classroom(s).
That's it! Students from your Google Classroom are now ready to play Prodigy by logging in with their Google accounts, and you can keep track of their progress from your Teacher Account on Prodigy.
1. Log in to your Prodigy Teacher Account. If you need help with this, more information can be found in this article.
2. Select Manage Classes, with the gear icon, at the bottom left of your screen:
3. Select the Create a new class button:
4. Select the Import from Clever button:
5. View a list of your Clever classrooms and select which ones you would like to update. When you’re finished, click Confirm:
6. You'll be asked to confirm your selections. Then select Sync x Classrooms:
7. Your new students have been added to your class! Going forward, they should select Clever to log into Prodigy.
1. Log in to your Prodigy Teacher Account. If you need help with this, more information can be found in this article.
2. Select Manage Classes, with the gear icon, at the bottom left of your screen:
3. Select the Create a new class button:
4. Under "Create a new class from scratch", enter a class name and select a grade for your class. Then, select Create class:
5. You'll next be provided with a Class Code and the option to create new accounts for your students. If your students have pre-existing Prodigy accounts, they can join your class using your Class Code! Select View class code instructions or find out more about Class Codes here.
If your students need new accounts, select the Create new accounts button and keep reading:
6. Enter the names of your student(s), being careful to format them as specified. Then, select Continue to review:
7. You'll have the option to review your list of names before creating new accounts. Check that names are formatted correctly, delete any unnecessary names, or press Back to update your list. When you're finished, select Create student accounts.
8. Your students have been added to your class! Select the View login details button to retrieve your students' usernames and passwords so they can jump into Prodigy!
Placement Test Details
From the moment your students begin their first battle in Prodigy Math, you’ll start gaining helpful insights into their math abilities. The Placement Test helps determine the level of math content that students begin to receive in-game when they are not working on any assignments you may have created for them.
Although the placement test results determine the ideal starting point, Prodigy’s adaptive algorithm consistently detects students’ strengths and areas of need as it aims to continually keep them in their zone of proximal development.
To view our dedicated article on the Placement Test, click here.
Below are some of the most common questions we receive regarding the Placement Test:
When does it run?
The Placement Test runs every August and January. Any student account that is created or logs in during or after these months will receive the most recent Placement Test. For example, if your students start playing in September, they'll receive the August Placement Test while they play.
Can I reschedule the Placement Test?
The Placement Test cannot be rescheduled or re-assigned to students. If you'd prefer your students work on specific material you can always create an assignment. Read more about Assignments in our support article linked here.
The Placement Test will resume once any assignment(s) have been completed.
How does the Placement Test work?
When students play Prodigy Math, questions are presented to them when they battle in-game. When students answer questions, they earn Magic Points, which can be used to cast spells during battle.
Keep in mind that students don’t know they’re being tested – it’s really a stealth diagnostic. They’re just engaged in gameplay as usual, while our algorithm is assessing their knowledge of your curricula's math standards so that it can adapt math content to their level of understanding once the Placement Test is complete.
While the Placement Test is running, you may notice students encounter questions that are below, at, and above their grade level. They will also encounter questions across all domains. The adaptive nature of the test is to ensure that their placement is as accurate as possible so that each student begins working on content that will truly help scaffold and excel their learning.
How long does it take?
Since every student is unique, it may take some longer than others. Our Prodigy teachers recommend scheduling three or four 15-minute sessions for your students to complete the Placement Test!
Where can I see the results?
Results of the Placement Test can be found on your reports page under Placement Test Report. You can find more details about the report in our support article linked here.
Can I change the grade a student places in?
If you feel that a student's placement is inaccurate and you'd like them to begin working on content at a grade level that is different than the one assigned by the placement test, there is an option to override the student's grade. Information on the grade override can be found in our support article linked here.
Please keep in mind that an alternative to grade override is using the assignment feature, where you can assign students particular skills from any grade level that you want them to focus on. This option will not impact the content that the adaptive algorithm deems is best for your students to work on, as students will complete the assignment you gave and return to the content that the adaptive algorithm deems most beneficial for them to practice afterward.
It's been a while and my student hasn't completed the Placement Test - why?
There are a few things that might prevent a student from completing the Placement Test. We've put together a detailed support article on this, linked here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find my students' usernames and passwords?
Your students' login information is located within each classroom and can be accessed by selecting Manage Classes, navigated to the desired class, and selecting the View login details button. For detailed instructions, see our article here.
Some of my students have multiple accounts, what should I do?
Sometimes, students may accidentally create multiple accounts. From your classroom page, you can review all student accounts linked to your classroom and see which has been logged in most recently, or review the progress made on each via your reports. If a student logs into an account and notices that they have to create a new character, this is an indication that they’ve accidentally created a new account.
Should you discover extra accounts, they can be removed from your classroom - removing an account does not delete it from Prodigy. Our Classroom Management article goes over how to do so, and if you need assistance with troubleshooting multiple accounts, Prodigy Customer Support is happy to help!
I've created an Assignment for my students, how do they access it?
There is no assigned location in-game that your students need to go to in order to access their Assignments. The assigned questions will be given to your students throughout play, so that they can earn points or energy that allow them to complete actions in-game.
In Prodigy Math, all students need to do is enter a battle and answer questions! In Prodigy English, students simply need to tap on their energy button to answer questions! If your Assignment has 10 questions, the first 10 questions your students are presented will be from the assigned material.
Once students have completed the Assignment, they will return to answering the adaptive curriculum-based questions on Prodigy.
Can my students view their assignment progress in-game?
Assignment progress is only visible from a Teacher Account. If your students are unsure of how far along they are, you can let them know by checking your assignment reports. More information is available in our support article linked here.