To roll out Brilliant across a school or district, start with four setup decisions: privacy approval, educator access, student rostering, and technical access.
Through the Brilliant for Educators program, Brilliant grants qualified individual K–12 educators and their students free access to Brilliant. Larger rollouts can use Google Classroom or a district-managed ClassLink integration and receive specialized support.
For school or district rollout support, reach out to us at educators@brilliant.org.
This guide is for school or district rollouts. If you are an individual teacher getting started with your own class, you can apply for our Brilliant for Educators program at educator.brilliant.org and, if approved, invite students to join Brilliant directly. This guide is intended for educators interested in larger rollouts that may involve privacy review, rostering, IT access, or administrator coordination.
Are you a homeschool family, or a college or university instructor? Brilliant for Educators is for K–12 classroom teachers and districts. Homeschool families should see Can Brilliant be used for homeschooling? Colleges and universities should contact us directly about group access, since Brilliant for Educators does not apply.
What schools and districts need to get started
Most schools need five things before students start using Brilliant:
- Privacy approval. If your district requires a signed data privacy agreement, check educator.brilliant.org/DPA to see whether Brilliant already has one in place through your state or district process. If not, your district can work with us to route one.
- Educator access. Eligible individual teachers get free access to Brilliant through the Brilliant for Educators program. Teachers can create classes, invite students, and share course or lesson links. Administrators can coordinate a broader rollout across a school or district, including bulk creation of educator accounts.
- A rostering method. Students can join Brilliant through an invite link, Google Classroom, or ClassLink, depending on how your school already manages classroom accounts.
- Technical access. Students need to be able to reach Brilliant on school devices and networks, without being blocked by network filters or device management systems.
- A launch communication plan. Once access is ready, you will want a point person to tell participating teachers how to get started and where to send students. This matters most for district-managed rollouts, where teachers may have access before they know Brilliant is available.
Choosing a rostering method
Choose the rostering path based on who should control setup. Invite links and Google Classroom let individual teachers move quickly; ClassLink is best for district-managed launches that need centralized rostering and single sign-on.
| Rostering path | Best fit | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Google Classroom Sync | Fastest classroom setup for teachers already using Google Classroom | Teacher connects Google Classroom, imports the class, and Brilliant creates a matching roster. Content can also be shared back to Google Classroom. |
| Class invite link | Fast classroom setup | Teacher creates a class, copies and shares the invite link through an LMS, email, or classroom message, and students join by logging in or signing up. |
| ClassLink Integration | District-managed rostering | District imports rosters through ClassLink or OneRoster. Best fit for larger, centrally managed launches. ClassLink is live, and districts are welcome to initiate it — we recommend emailing educators@brilliant.org before launch so the team can support the setup. |
Technology requirements
Students and educators need an internet-connected device that can access Brilliant on the web or on mobile. Districts should confirm Brilliant is not blocked by network filters, browser restrictions, or device management systems.
For a ClassLink launch specifically, a district also needs an active OneRoster roster, student email set as the identity key, Brilliant authorized as a OneRoster app, approved email domains, and Brilliant added to LaunchPad for single sign-on.
District implementation support
Schools or districts planning a larger rollout can email educators@brilliant.org for implementation support. Because each rollout depends on the school or district's privacy process, rostering setup, IT environment, and launch goals, there is not one standard timeline.
Our team can help with:
- Data privacy and DPA routing
- Educator account setup
- Rostering guidance for Google Classroom, ClassLink, or invite links
- Teacher rollout planning
- Progress-monitoring guidance
- Professional learning or onboarding support
For a broader rollout, implementation support is most useful before teachers begin using Brilliant with students. That gives the school or district time to resolve privacy approval, confirm the rostering path, unblock Brilliant on managed devices, and decide how teachers will hear about the launch. If a school or district is ready to bring Brilliant to a large number of students, we will work to move the setup forward as quickly as possible.
School or district setup checklist
| Step | What to confirm | Who usually owns it |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy approval | Whether we already have a Brilliant data privacy agreement for your state or district at educator.brilliant.org/DPA, or whether a new agreement is needed | District administrator, legal, or privacy team |
| Educator access | Which teachers or administrators need Brilliant for Educators accounts | School or district lead, with participating teachers |
| Rostering | Whether students will join by invite link, Google Classroom, or ClassLink | Teacher for classroom setup; district technology team for ClassLink, with a heads-up to Brilliant |
| Technical access | Whether Brilliant is reachable on school networks and devices | IT or technology team |
| Launch communication | How teachers will know they have access and how students should begin | School or district lead |
Frequently asked questions
Is this guide for individual teachers or school and district rollouts?
This guide is mainly for school and district rollouts, where privacy approval, rostering, IT access, and administrator coordination may be involved. Individual teachers can often get started faster by creating a Brilliant for Educators account at educator.brilliant.org, creating a class, and inviting students directly.
Can students under 13 use Brilliant?
Yes, when the required COPPA notice and consent process is followed. Brilliant provides a COPPA Direct Notice for this purpose.
Does an individual teacher need their own data privacy agreement?
No, and it is not possible to get one individually. Agreements are signed at the district or state level. A teacher blocked by privacy requirements should raise it with their school or district admin.
