Frontline
User Guide 2026-2027
This Smore is the most current source for active Frontline links, forms, and procedures for the 2026-2027 school year.
For the fastest answer, use the Quick Navigation section below and open only the directions that apply to what you are trying to do.
QUICK NAVIGATION
- Welcome and Start Here
- Frontline Login Through ClassLink
- Before You Submit
- Choose What You Are Trying to Do
- Submit a Standard Frontline Request
- Common Mistake: The Activity URL
- Check With Your Immediate Supervisor First
- Stipend Hours and Asynchronous Learning
- After the Activity: Submit Proof
- Track Your Frontline Records
- Mentoring Hours: Approved Year-End Exception
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Resources and Support
- Six Things Everyone Should Remember
- Frontline Quick Check
1. Welcome and Start Here
FRONTLINE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING REQUESTS
2026-2027 STAFF USER GUIDE
Use this guide to determine what information to enter, when to submit your request, and what documentation is required. Most requests can be completed in only a few minutes when the correct information is prepared in advance.
Please review the directions that apply to your request before submitting. This Smore is the most current source for active links, forms, and Frontline procedures.
2. Frontline Login Through ClassLink
HOW TO ACCESS FRONTLINE
1. Go to the NTCSD Staff Resources page.
2. Open ClassLink and sign in with your district Microsoft account.
3. In the ClassLink LaunchPad, select Frontline (SSO).
4. If prompted, sign in with your complete @ntschools.org email address and district password.
5. Complete multi-factor authentication (MFA) if requested.
Login path: Staff Resources → ClassLink → Frontline (SSO)
3. Before You Submit
BEFORE YOU SUBMIT — PLEASE READ THIS FIRST
Taking one minute to review these items before opening a request can prevent delays or a returned request.
✓ Search the District Catalog first. The activity may already be available in Frontline.
✓ Submit your request at least 10 days before the activity unless a specifically approved exception applies.
✓ Have the webpage for the specific activity ready. Do not use a provider homepage, search-results page, or email-inbox link.
✓ If you enrolled directly through an approved BOCES catalog and no separate activity webpage is required, enter N/A in the mandatory URL field.
✓ Select PDP Hours for every professional development request. Select other purposes only when they apply.
✓ Request stipend hours only when the activity meets the district's stipend requirements.
✓ Speak with your immediate supervisor before submitting when a substitute, district cost, release from assignment, impact day, or building-coverage concern may be involved.
✓ Gather any required supporting information before you begin.
10-DAY REQUIREMENT
Professional learning requests are expected at least 10 days before the activity so building-level and central-office review can be completed. The cumulative year-end mentoring process described later in this guide is a specifically approved exception.
BOCES URL EXCEPTION
When you enrolled directly through one of the district's approved BOCES catalogs and no separate activity webpage is required, enter N/A in the mandatory Frontline URL field.
4. Choose What You Are Trying to Do
5. Submit a Standard Frontline Request
Step 6 — Add Helpful Comments, Review, and Submit
Use the Comments field to provide any additional information that will help the administrator reviewing your request understand how the activity will be supported.
Comments are especially important when arrangements have already been discussed or approved, such as:
- Your principal/supervisor has discussed and supports your being out of the building during the workday and plans to use one of the building’s available impact days.
- A substitute or other coverage will be needed and has been discussed with your supervisor.
- The professional development has a registration fee, travel expense, or other cost, and your building, department, grant, or another district source has agreed to support the expense.
- There are other circumstances or arrangements that may not be clear from the information entered elsewhere in the request.
Be specific. Clear comments help building and district administrators understand what has already been discussed, who is supporting the request, and whether there are costs, coverage needs, or other considerations requiring review.
Example:
“Discussed with my principal. Attendance will require release from my regular assignment, and the building will use one of its available impact days to support my participation.”
Example:
“My supervisor has approved the registration cost for this activity, which will be paid through the building professional development budget.”
Before selecting Submit, review the activity title, dates, hours, URL or approved BOCES N/A entry, district objective, Purpose selections, and Comments for accuracy.
I would add one short callout immediately below it:
HELP THE REVIEWER HELP YOU
If an administrator would need to email or call you to understand who approved the absence, how coverage will be handled, or who is paying the cost, include that information in the Comments field before submitting.
That last sentence is especially useful because it gives staff a very simple test for deciding “Do I need to add a comment?”
7. Check With Your Immediate Supervisor First
STOP — SPEAK WITH YOUR IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR BEFORE SUBMITTING IF:
• A substitute or other coverage will be needed.
• Registration, travel, or another district cost is involved.
• You will be away from your regular assignment during the workday.
• The request will use one or more building impact days.
• Other employees from the same instructional, department, or student-support area may be out at the same time.
8. Stipend Hours and Asynchronous Learning
ARE YOU REQUESTING STIPEND HOURS?
To be considered for stipend hours, the professional learning must meet all of the following conditions:
• The activity occurs outside the employee's contractual workday.
• The activity represents new learning.
• The learning is directly related to the employee's district assignment.
• The request is submitted and approved in Frontline before participation.
• The activity is not also being paid at the curriculum rate.
ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING
A BOCES provider may list an asynchronous activity during the workday because it serves multiple districts. The listed time does not automatically make the activity stipend eligible. Stipend hours may be considered only for coursework completed outside the employee's contractual workday.
Suggested Frontline Comment:
“This is an asynchronous course. I will complete all required coursework outside my contractual workday.”
9. After the Activity: Submit Proof Promptly
AFTER THE ACTIVITY — COMPLETE YOUR FRONTLINE RECORD
Completing the professional learning activity is not the final step.
Submit one acceptable form of verification as soon as the activity is complete or the certificate is available:
• Certificate of completion
• Attendance sign-in sheet
• Virtual participation or login verification
• Frontline In-Service Evaluation
Do not wait until the end of the school year to submit routine proof of completion.
FRONTLINE IN-SERVICE EVALUATION
When using the Frontline In-Service Evaluation as proof, complete the form, select Save, and then select Mark Complete. Both actions are required.
UNDERSTAND YOUR STATUS
Approved / In Progress — You are approved to participate. Proof of completion is still required.
Recently Completed — The activity is complete. No additional action is needed.
Complete with clipboard icon — No additional action is needed when acceptable proof has already been submitted.
10. Track Your Records, Deadlines, and Salary-Credit Information
10A JUNE 30 ANNUAL DEADLINE — COMPLETE MEANS COMPLETE
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, professional learning activities intended to be included in that year’s annual salary rollover must be fully completed by June 30, 2027. Going forward, June 30 will be the annual deadline each school year.
To be complete by June 30: the professional development activity must be completed; all required certificates or other proof of completion must be received; any required Frontline In-Service Evaluation must be completed; and the Frontline record must contain all required documentation.
If any required component is outstanding after June 30, the activity will not be included in that year’s annual salary rollover.
10B STIPEND HOURS AND THE THREE-YEAR WINDOW
Under the contractual process, employees may accumulate approved stipend hours over a three-year period.
30 approved stipend hours = 1 graduate hour.
NTCSD converts eligible stipend hours to graduate hours once each year during the annual salary rollover process.
Because NTCSD uses a three-year accumulation window and the conversion is updated only during the annual rollover, the historical information displayed in Frontline may not always accurately reflect an employee’s official eligible stipend balance or how hours will ultimately be applied for salary-credit purposes.
Do not rely solely on the historical Frontline display to determine your official graduate-hour or salary-credit status.
10C IMPORTANT — KNOW YOUR CONTRACTUAL LIMIT
The maximum number of hours or salary-credit opportunities available to an employee may vary based on the employee’s date of hire and the applicable contractual provisions.
Staff members are responsible for being familiar with the provisions of their collective bargaining agreement that apply to them.
Before accumulating significant stipend or graduate hours, employees are strongly encouraged to review their contract and understand the maximum credit available based on their hire date. For questions about how contractual limits apply to you, contact the appropriate district office before assuming additional coursework or professional learning will result in salary credit.
10D GRADUATE COURSEWORK — FRONTLINE IS NOT THE SUBMISSION PROCESS
Employees completing graduate coursework who wish to have those credits considered for salary advancement must use the district’s SchoolStatus Forms and Flow process. Entering professional development information in Frontline does not replace the required graduate-course approval process.
WHERE TO FIND THE FORM
1. Go to the NTCSD Staff Resources page: https://www.ntschools.org/staff/staff-resources/staff-resources
2. Open the Forms section.
3. Select SchoolStatus Forms and Flow (formerly Operoo).
4. Locate and complete: Application for Advanced Approval for Graduate Study for Salary Credit.
5. For guidance with the graduate-study approval process, call extension 3535.
Important: Staff planning to take graduate coursework for salary credit should complete the required advanced-approval process before assuming the course will be accepted for salary advancement.
10E. Track Your Frontline Records
Use Frontline throughout the year to monitor the status of your professional learning activities.
My Requests
Review active requests, approval status, and activities that still require action or documentation.
My Portfolio
Review completed professional development activities by school year.
Stipend Tracker
Use the Stipend Tracker as a reference for your activity and stipend history. However, remember that the district completes the official stipend-hour-to-graduate-hour calculation once each year during the annual salary rollover. Because NTCSD uses a three-year accumulation window, the historical information displayed in Frontline may not always match your official eligible balance at a particular point in time.
No Longer Attending an Activity?
If you are no longer participating in an activity, drop it in Frontline when possible. An outside provider may also require you to cancel your registration directly.
Important: Frontline is a useful tracking tool, but it should not be relied upon by itself to determine your official graduate-hour or salary-credit status.
11. Mentoring Hours: Approved Year-End Exception
MENTORING — APPROVED YEAR-END EXCEPTION
Mentoring is a specifically approved year-end exception to the normal 10-day advance submission process. Mentors should not create a separate Frontline entry for every mentoring meeting.
HOW TO SUBMIT MENTORING HOURS
1. Maintain the mentoring log throughout the year. The log remains the official record of individual dates, activities, and hours.
2. Complete all required mentoring paperwork and submit it to the Mentoring Liaison, Mrs. Heather Sicoli.
3. Create one Frontline activity titled “2026-2027 Mentoring Program — Cumulative Hours.”
4. Enter the total verified mentoring hours. If Frontline requires one activity date, use the date the year-end documentation is submitted.
5. Link to or attach the completed mentoring log as supporting documentation.
6. Explain in Comments that the hours were accumulated across multiple dates and that the linked log provides the detailed record.
SUGGESTED FRONTLINE COMMENT
“This entry represents cumulative mentoring hours completed across multiple dates during the 2026-2027 school year. The completed mentoring log is linked or attached and provides the individual meeting dates, activities, and hours. This year-end mentoring submission is an approved exception to the district's normal 10-day advance submission requirement.”
EXAMPLE
Example: If a mentor and mentee met 50 times for one hour, submit one year-end Frontline activity for 50 cumulative hours. Do not suggest that all 50 hours occurred on the single submission date; the mentoring log documents the actual dates.
MENTORING RESOURCE BUTTONS
Buttons directly below this section: OPEN MENTORING LOGBOOK / OPEN STATEMENT OF COMPLETION / OPEN REQUIRED MENTORING FORMS / CONTACT MRS. HEATHER SICOLI — insert confirmed links before publication.
12. Frequently Asked Questions
Do I always select PDP Hours?
Yes. Select PDP Hours for every professional development request. Select additional purposes only when they apply.
Do I need a URL for a BOCES activity?
When you enrolled directly through an approved BOCES catalog, enter N/A in the mandatory URL field when no separate activity webpage is required.
Can I submit an activity after it occurs?
Routine requests are expected at least 10 days in advance. The cumulative year-end mentoring process is a specifically approved exception.
When should I submit proof?
Submit proof as soon as the activity is complete or the certificate is available. Beginning in 2026-2027, the activity, all required certificates/proof, and any required evaluation must be received and complete by June 30 to be included in that year’s annual salary rollover.
Can stipend hours and curriculum-rate pay both be selected?
No. Do not request both forms of compensation for the same work.
Are EdWeb activities eligible for stipend hours?
No. EdWeb activities are not eligible for district stipend hours. Staff interested in stipend-eligible professional learning are strongly encouraged to explore offerings through the district’s approved BOCES catalogs and the Teacher Center.
Does Frontline approval register me with an outside provider?
Not always. Confirm whether you must also register directly with BOCES, a Teacher Center, a conference provider, or another outside organization.
How do I know whether my URL is correct?
Open the link in a new browser tab before submitting. It should display the specific activity title and details, not a general homepage or search-results page.
What is the annual deadline for activities to count in the salary rollover?
Beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, all required components must be complete by June 30. This includes completing the activity, receiving all certificates/proof, completing any required evaluation, and having the Frontline record fully documented.
Does Frontline always show my official stipend-hour or graduate-hour balance?
Not necessarily. NTCSD uses a three-year stipend-hour accumulation window and converts eligible stipend hours to graduate hours once each year during the annual salary rollover. Historical Frontline records may not always reflect the official balance used for salary-credit purposes.
Where do I submit graduate coursework for salary credit?
Graduate coursework is not submitted through Frontline. Go to Staff Resources → Forms → SchoolStatus Forms and Flow (formerly Operoo) → Application for Advanced Approval for Graduate Study for Salary Credit. For guidance, call extension 3535.
Do contractual salary-credit limits apply to everyone in the same way?
No. Maximum allowable hours or salary-credit opportunities may vary based on hire date and applicable contractual provisions. Review your collective bargaining agreement and contact the appropriate district office if you are unsure which limits apply to you.
What date should I use for the cumulative mentoring entry?
Use the year-end submission date when Frontline requires one date. The mentoring log documents the actual meeting dates and hours.
What if I am no longer attending an activity?
Drop the activity in Frontline when possible. The outside provider may also require you to cancel directly with them.
13. Resources and Support
NEED HELP?
Before contacting support, identify the section of this guide you are following and describe what appears on your screen. This will help Educational Services troubleshoot the issue more quickly.
Educational Services | Phone: 807-3562 | Email: [TBD]
Frontline & Professional Learning
Graduate Study Advanced Approval - School Status Forms and Flows