May 2026 Product Updates

As spring breathes new life into classrooms, May's release brings a collection of updates focused on empowering students to take ownership of their Portfolios and giving educators even more flexibility in how they work. From guiding students through the blank-page moment to introducing powerful new annotation tools, this release is built around the experiences that matter most at this time of year.

Portfolio Tasks

Staring at a blank page can feel overwhelming — and for many students, opening a Portfolio for the first time, that feeling is familiar. Where do I start? What should I reflect on? What should I add to a Post? These questions, and many others, can make it hard to take that first step.

With dedicated section resources and the Competency Framework, SpacesEDU has already made this process easier. Portfolio Tasks represents the next step in this evolution — giving district administrators the ability to provide custom tasks and prompts that guide students and inspire their best work within Portfolios.

• Custom tasks and prompts: District administrators can create targeted tasks that give students a clear starting point, reducing the blank-page barrier and guiding quality documentation.
• Align tasks to the Competency Framework: Tasks can be aligned to competencies, helping students understand how their work connects to broader learning goals and district expectations.
• Greater student autonomy: By providing structure without prescribing outcomes, Portfolio Tasks encourage students to take ownership of their learning journey.

Ability to Assign Portfolios to Specific Classes 

You can now assign Portfolios to specific classes — perfect for programs such as CTE or CLC, where Portfolios are often tied to capstone projects or course-based learning. By linking Portfolios directly to a class, educators can easily manage and group related student work within the context of that learning experience.

• Class-linked Portfolios: Portfolios can now be assigned to a specific class code, creating a clear organizational structure for course-based or project-based programs.
• Ideal for CTE & CLC programs: This update is designed with specialized programs in mind, where Portfolio work is closely tied to a specific learning context or capstone experience.

PDF Annotation Capabilities for Web 

PDF annotation is one of the most requested features — and we're incredibly excited to introduce this into the platform. Teachers, students, and administrators will now have access to annotation tools, such as adding notes, drawings, shapes, and other markups directly onto PDFs, making it easier to share the learning process, assess work, and support the feedback process.

From launch, the annotation feature will include:

• Comments, text features, and drawing tools: A rich set of markup options for meaningful, in-context feedback.
• Links, search, zoom, and full-screen mode: Utility tools that make navigating and reviewing PDF content easier for everyone.
• Available across posts, activities, and comments: Students and teachers can add annotations to PDFs wherever they appear within the platform.
• Student permissions: Students will only be able to annotate their own content (or content posted on their behalf by a teacher), ensuring appropriate control while still enabling meaningful interaction and feedback.

Note: PDF Annotation will only be available via web browser at launch. We are exploring support within native Android and Apple apps for a future release.

Additional Updates

• Update to 'Back' Button Path When Leaving a Threaded Comment from Notifications
• • Navigating back from a threaded comment accessed via a notification will now route users to the correct location, reducing confusion and improving in-app navigation flow.
• Admin Import Summaries for Advanced CSV & PowerSchool API
• • Administrators will now receive a clear import summary when using the Advanced CSV or PowerSchool API import — providing better visibility into what was processed and flagging any items that require attention.
• Update to Delay Deletion Program for Media Attachments to Match the Backup Schedule
• • The deletion timing for media attachments has been updated to align with the platform's backup schedule, reducing the risk of data loss and ensuring recovery options remain available.

If you’re interested in learning more about SpacesEDU Pro or the Reporting, Assessment, and Portfolio add-on features for your school or district, don’t hesitate to contact us—pro@spacesedu.com.

Learn more about SpacesEDU Pro on our website - https://spacesedu.com/en/pricing/

Stay tuned for more information on upcoming releases. For the latest updates, check out our Public Product Roadmap. You can submit ideas or add your thoughts to any of the existing Roadmap items.

Updated on: 07/05/2026