The Staff Portal is your personal hub for viewing and managing your professional growth documents in Lebra. This guide will walk you through accessing the portal and completing tasks assigned by your evaluator.
What Is the Staff Portal?
The Staff Portal, also called the Ascend Dashboard, is where you can:
See exactly what's waiting on you in Action Required
View your evaluation milestones and due dates
See a timeline of all your professional growth activities
Download documents like observations, self-evaluations, and summative reports
Complete tasks your evaluator has requested, such as reflections or signatures
Think of it as your one-stop view into everything related to your professional evaluations.
How to Access the Staff Portal
Go to the Staff Portal access page at the bottom of lebrahq.com or click here
You'll arrive at the Staff Portal sign-in page.
From here, you have two options: SSO Login or Secure Email Link
Option 1: SSO Login
Select Continue with Google or Continue with Microsoft, depending on what your organization uses
Sign in using your Google/Microsoft Account
Once signed in, you'll go directly to your staff portal
Tip: Signing in with Google or Microsoft is the quickest route — there's no password to remember and no waiting on an email.
Option 2: Sign in with a secure email link (no password needed)
In the Work email field, type the email address your school has on file for you
Click Send Access to Portal
Check your inbox for an email from Lebra with a secure link
Click the link in the email to open your Staff Portal
The access link is valid for 7 days. If it expires, simply request a new link.
What You'll See in the Staff Portal
When you open the Staff Portal, you'll see the Ascend Dashboard. If anything is waiting on you, an Action Required section appears at the top, followed by Milestones, Timeline, and Evaluator Information.
Action Required
This is the fastest way to see what needs your attention. The Action Required section lists only the items your evaluator is waiting on you to complete, each with a button that takes you straight there — so you don't have to hunt through your email.
Each item shows what it is, who requested it, when it was requested, and a button such as:
Item | Button |
Formal or Informal Observation | Review & Sign |
Summative Evaluation | Review & Sign |
Self Evaluation | Start Self-Evaluation — or Continue Self-Evaluation if you already have one in progress |
Growth Plan (PDP) | Complete PDP |
PDP Progress Update | Update Progress |
PDP Year-End Update | Submit Year-End Update |
Notes:
If nothing is outstanding, the Action Required section doesn't appear at all — that means you're all caught up.
If your organization uses a different name for PDPs (such as IPLP), that name appears here instead.
Occasionally an item will say "Check your email for the link to complete this item." That means the secure link isn't available in the portal — open the email your evaluator sent you instead.
Milestones
This section shows your professional growth and evaluation milestones for the school year. Each milestone represents an evaluation activity, such as:
Formal Observation | Evidence gathered from a classroom visit |
Informal Observation | A brief, informal classroom observation |
Walkthrough | A brief classroom walkthrough observation |
In-Person Meeting | Notes from an in-person meeting with your evaluator |
Summative | A final review based on all collected evidence |
Self-Evaluation | A teacher's reflection on their practice |
Growth Plan (PDP) | Initial self-assessment of teaching practices and goals, plus mid-year and year-end updates |
Each milestone shows:
Status badge: Completed (green), Overdue (red), or Due today/tomorrow/in X days
Due date: when the milestone is expected to be completed
If you see "Your evaluation milestones haven't been set yet," this means your evaluator has not yet assigned your pathway or due dates.
Timeline
The Timeline section shows your professional growth and evaluation history. As activities are completed, they appear here in chronological order.
For each item, you'll see:
The type of activity (observation, walkthrough, in-person meeting, self-evaluation, PDP, or summative report)
Who conducted it (for observations) or when it was completed
A Download button to save a PDF copy
If you have many items, click Show all to view your complete history.
Downloading attachments from an informal observation
If your evaluator attached files to an informal observation and shared it with you, you can open those attachments yourself.
In the Timeline, select the informal observation.
Any attached files are listed with the observation details.
Select a file to download or open it.
Note: You'll only see attachments on informal observations your evaluator has chosen to share with you.
Evaluator Information
On the right side of the page, you'll see who is assigned as your evaluator:
Primary Evaluator: Your main evaluator
Reviewers: Any additional reviewers
You can click their email address to contact them directly if you have questions.
Download Combined Report
At the top of the page, you'll find a Download Combined Report button. This creates a single PDF containing all your timeline items. This is useful if you want everything in one document for your records.
Completing Tasks in the Staff Portal
Your evaluator may request that you complete certain tasks, such as:
Writing a reflection on an observation
Completing a self-evaluation
Submitting a Growth Plan (PDP)
Updating progress on your Growth Plan
Signing a summative report
When your evaluator makes a request, you'll receive an email with a link — and the item will also appear in Action Required at the top of your portal, so you can start it from either place.
Observation Reflection
After your evaluator completes a classroom observation, they may ask you to add your reflection.
What you'll do:
Select Review & Sign in Action Required, or click the link in the email you received
Review the observer's feedback, including strengths noted and action steps
In the Employee Reflection section, write your reflection answering: "What are you proud of from this coaching cycle?"
Once finished, type your full name in the Employee Signature field
Click Submit my Reflection
Your changes save automatically as you type, so you won't lose your work.
Self-Evaluation
Your evaluator may request a self-evaluation where you rate yourself against professional standards.
What you'll do:
Select Start Self-Evaluation in Action Required, or click the link in the email you received
For each domain and component, add your comments and select a rating
Upload any Artifacts (such as lesson plans, student work, or certifications) to support your self-evaluation
Click Save as draft if you need to return later, or Submit when you're finished
Artifacts you've already uploaded appear in the Uploaded Artifacts section. If you save a draft and come back, Action Required will show Continue Self-Evaluation.
Growth Plans
Some schools call this a PDP, IPLP, or another name. Your evaluator will request this when it's time to set your professional growth goals.
What you'll do:
Select Complete PDP in Action Required, or click the link in the email you received
Select the focus standards/components for your plan
Complete each section:
Growth goals
Action steps you'll take
Support needed from your school
(Optional) Student growth targets
Once complete, type your full name in the Employee Signature field
Click on Submit
Growth Plan Progress Update
Later in the year, your evaluator may request an update on your progress.
What you'll do:
Select Update Progress in Action Required, or click the link in the email you received
Update your progress for each goal
Upload any artifacts that demonstrate your growth
Click Update
At the end of the year you may also be asked for a Year-End Update, which appears in Action Required as Submit Year-End Update.
Summative Report Reflection
At the end of the evaluation cycle, you'll receive your summative report with final ratings and feedback.
What you'll do:
Select Review & Sign in Action Required, or click the link in the email you received
Review the evaluator's summary, including key strengths and areas for growth
Write your Employee Reflection responding to the feedback
Once complete, type your full name in the Employee Signature field
Click Submit my Reflection
How the Staff Portal Fits Into Your Evaluation
Here's what to expect from your evaluator versus what you're responsible for:
Your Evaluator Will:
Set up your evaluation pathway and milestones
Conduct observations and enter their notes
Request tasks from you (reflections, self-evaluations, growth plans)
Complete and share your summative report
You will:
Check Action Required to see what's waiting on you
Complete tasks when requested
Write reflections and sign documents
Submit your Growth Plans and progress updates
Upload supporting artifacts when relevant
You do not need to create evaluation documents from scratch; your evaluator initiates each step.
Helpful Tips
Your Work Saves Automatically
When completing reflections, self-evaluations, or Growth Plans, your work saves automatically as you type. You'll see "Saving..." appear briefly. If you need to step away, your progress will be there when you return.
AI Writing Assistance
Some text fields include an AI assistant that can help you expand your writing. Look for the sparkle icon to get suggestions based on what you've already written and the context of your evaluation.
What If a Link Expires?
Access links expire after 7 days. If your link no longer works:
For task links: contact your evaluator to request a new link
For Staff Portal access: sign in with Google or Microsoft, or go to the access link and enter your email again
Can't Find an Email?
Check your spam folder. Emails come from Lebra and may include "Staff Portal" or "evaluation" in the subject line. You can also sign in directly and check Action Required instead of looking for the email.
Something Looks Wrong or Incomplete?
If milestones are missing or evaluator information is blank, your evaluator may not have finished setting up your pathway. Reach out to them for clarification.
Need More Help?
Contact [email protected] if you experience technical issues or have questions about using Lebra.