Canvas
On September 15, 2025 the Family Partnerships and Education Technology team hosted the "Canvas for Parents" event.
This information session is designed to help families learn how to set up the parent account, change language setting, organize your dashboard and provide various tips on using Canvas for Parents. Here are the resources.
Canvas for Parents
Presentation Transcripts
English- Canvas
Canvas for Parents
Click here for PPT link
Presentation for 2025-26 school year
Presented by Family Partnership Equity Team and Education Technology, TLS Issaquah School District
Canvas for Parent or Guardian
Course navigation may vary by class, you may be able to see the following:
- Read course announcements
- See the course assignments page
- Preview course documents
- View the course syllabus
- See course outcomes (learning standards)
- View the course calendar
- Examine their student’s grades
- Access their student’s conversations (course messaging)
- Communicate with the teacher using Inbox
Website link for Canvas for Parents
- Go to https://issaquah.instructure.com/login/canvas
- On ISD website on Home page
- –> Click on Student Portal
- –> Click on Secondary Grades 6-12
- –> Click on left side Parent Login to Canvas
Troubleshooting
- Make sure you are at the Issaquah site for Canvas.
- If you do not receive the password or password reset, please check junk mail.
- Check Family Access to make sure your email you are using is the one listed (Family 1 or Family 2)
- Email ISDEdTechHelp@issaquah.wednet.edu
- For troubleshooting help visit: Canvas (Grades 6-12) - Issaquah School District 411 (isd411.org)
Screenshot of Canvas Website link for Parents
Canvas for Students
Through Canvas, students will be able to
- Access teacher information, course syllabus and class expectations
- Participate in live stream lessons
- View recordings of instructional videos (dependent on teacher)
- Locate and access course assignment information and instructions to complete and turn in assignments
- View a single calendar with due dates and for all classes
Parents should log in as themselves and not the child since logging in as a child violates confidentiality and privacy policies.
If student needs help, they should ask their teacher and then the school librarian for help with their Canvas account.
Parents or Guardians cannot
- Submit assignments
- Read course discussions
- Take quizzes
- Join course groups
- Send messages to students
- See course rosters
- See unpublished courses
Parents loGGing in on Issaquah Canvas for Parents
- Username: Input email associated with you in Skyward as your username.
- First time logging in? Click "Forgot Password" follow instructions in password reset email
- Pop up box will appear stating - Your password recovery was sent to _____________. Please check you spam. It may take up to 30 minutes.
- Check email and use link to create a password to set up your account.
- Go back to https://issaquah.instructure.com/login/canvas and log in
- Suggestion – Save password on computer or click on “Stay signed in” on website for easy access on a secured computer.
- Suggestion: make sure all emails from notifications@instructure.com as marked as safe emails and don't go to your Spam/Junk folder.
- Gmail user issues - Course Modules: Canvas 101 for Parents & Guardians (instructure.com)
Screenshot of Parents Logging into Issaquah Canvas for Parents
Dashboard
See drop down menu if have multiple children in the school district, grades 6-12 only.
----> This also includes General School information (see IHS School Commons 9-12 YR) - which is not an actual class. All student have this as part of their Dashboard.
Screenshot of Dashboard
Organizing your Dashboard - Tips and Tricks
- Use Toggle to view each secondary student's Dashboard
- Using the three dots on the top right side of the tile/card parents can also:
- Color code course (optional and specific to user's preference)
- Rename the courses – ie. use nicknames
Screenshot of Changing your Notification Preferences
Screenshot of Course Notification Settings
Tips for Notifications
- Add multiple e-mails (example yahoo vs Gmail account will get notifications also)
- Add phone numbers for text for notifications for specific type of notifications (each number can have own notifications – personal accounts)
- Daily summary (one email with all the changes for the day, example grading summary)
- Weekly summary (example get summary on Sundays for assignments)
- Daily for specific notifications (Inbox message if not going to email also)
- Daily notification email from notification@instructure.com sent around 6 pm daily
- Parent preference – parent going into Canvas or Canvas notifications all coming to parent
Screenshot of Managing Notification Tips - Daily versus immediately
Notifications for individual courses can be changed within each course (ie. keeping an eye on math grade)
Screenshot of Inbox (Conversations)
Parent use of inbox will depend on preference setting
If notification are sent to your email, then parents don' need to setup or use inbox
Best way to communicate with teachers is through email especially if including others in email or including attachments.
Screenshot of Calendar - Month view
Screenshot of Calendar - Agenda view
Course Navigation Bar - common links
Each teacher determines what links are available on the Course Navigation Bar found next to the main Canvas Navigation Bar. The Navigation bars may be different for each teacher.
Here are some common links found on the Navigation bar.
- Announcements: Important information from the teacher that doesn’t go into the modules.
- Modules: Gateway to the learning content such as assignments, assessments (quizzes/tests), academic resources and other helpful resources for students.
- Assignments: Assignments list and description
- Discussions: Only available to students. Students would access class discussions
- Syllabus: Course policies, grading information, curriculum information, classroom management and policies.
- Assessments/Quizzes
- Grades: Feedback and communication from teacher regarding academic progress, Skyward/Family Access will reflect the final grade
- People: Only in Student Canvas interface – List of classmates
- Other Apps that will be used in the class may be linked here also
- Office 365
- Flipgrid
Course Organization
- Another way to see the course list
- Starting to organize courses
- Easier to navigate since you don't have to go back to dashboard
Features on the Navigation Bar
- Navigating a course
- Modules
- Home page
- Syllabus
- Assignments
Screenshot of Course Organization
Screenshot of Grades
- Access in from the dashboard for an overview of grades
- For high school, be sure you are looking at All Grading Periods not just Quarter 2 (only relevant in Quarter 2)
- Course access for more detail to grades such as:
- missing assignments
- late assignments
- scores
- total grade
- weighted groups (grading categories)
- how to calculate grade
- Feedback to student from teacher
Screenshot of Inbox - Students can use inbox to communicate with teachers (sometimes easier since shows drop down menu with teacher names and email addresses.)
Canvas Mobile App
- Use QR code from the computer login
- Limited – can see Grades and Front Page for each class
- Can set alerts for grades and assignments
- Inbox access
Screenshot of Canvas Mobile App
Steps to Download Canvas Mobile App
- Go to your App Store - iPhone or Android
- Look for Canvas Parent and download it on your phone
- Look for this icon on your phone
- & 5. Click to find school and type Issaquah School District
Screenshot of how to download Canvas Mobile App
Screenshot of Log In Screen
Log In Screen
- Make sure it says Issaquah.instructure.com
- Use same Username or password
- Can reset password if necessary. Click on “Forgot Password”
<---- Password reset
<---- Check email for reset link
Landing Page for Canvas Parents
Inbox - shows messages from teachers ------->
Quick glance of assignments due that day is shown in calendar feature.
Screenshot of Landing Page for Canvas Parents
Screenshot of Setting Alerts on Mobile App
Setting Alerts on Mobile App
- Can set percentage for alert
- Example 70%
- Suggestion:
- Turn on alert for
- Assignment missing
- Course announcement
- Institution announcement
- Turn on alert for
Screenshot of Inbox on App
Screenshot of sending a message to the classroom teacher:
Click on the blue message icon. Click on the course. Enter your message title and type your message. The teacher of that course will be sent the message.
Screenshot of Setting Alerts on Mobile App
-
Can set percentage for alert
-
Example 70%
-
-
Suggestion:
-
Turn on alert for:
-
Assignment missing
-
Course announcement
-
Institution announcement
-
-
ISD Support for Canvas and Family Access
Issue or problem
(beyond password reset directions online) Contact email address or number
Student Access Registrar
Family Access School Registrar
Canvas for Students Ask teacher or school librarian. They may refer you to the Ed Tech person at school.
Canvas for Parents ISDEdTechHelp@issaquah.wednet.edu
School laptop hardware and login issues IT person at each building
(including charging cables issue)
School apps (secondary) - Classlink, Xello Teacher where issue is encountered
Clever for parents ISDEdTechHelp@issaquah.wednet.edu
Clever for students Classroom teacher
Resources on ISD website
Parent login site: https://Issaquah.instructure.com
Videos for parent support
Resources on ISD website
Canvas (Grades 6-12) Issaquah School District 411
Parent login site: https://issaquah.instructure.com/login/canvas
Videos for parent support
Screenshot of Resource in Canvas Platform: Help Tab
