Getting started with ArborSlate

_In the app: `/onboarding`_

Getting started walks you through 8 quick steps to set up your family, students, and first subject — then activates a 14-day free trial. This is the first thing any parent does when they sign up, and it takes about 5 minutes.

How to

Complete the welcome step to introduce yourself

Go to /onboarding/welcome (you'll land here after logging in if you're new).
In the text field labeled 'What should we call you?', type your name (e.g. Sarah).
Click Continue.

Select your state for compliance reminders

You'll arrive at /onboarding/state.
Click on the 'State' dropdown.
Choose your state from the list.
Click Continue. The app says 'This drives the compliance reminders we'll set up for you' — your state choice tailors which official requirements ArborSlate tracks.

Pick your teaching approach (pedagogy)

You'll arrive at /onboarding/pedagogy, titled 'What's your approach?'
Choose the option closest to how you teach: Traditional, Classical, Charlotte Mason, Eclectic, Montessori, Unschooling, or Mixed methods. Each has a label and a one-line description.
If you're unsure, click the link 'I'm not sure — pick a sensible default for me' (selects Eclectic).
Click Continue.

Set your family's values to tailor AI suggestions

You'll arrive at /onboarding/worldview, titled 'A bit about your family's values'.
Select either 'Bible-based' or 'Family-safe secular'.
Optionally, in the text box 'Anything else we should know?', type any topics you'd rather ArborSlate avoid or any notes about your family's beliefs (up to 2000 characters).
Click Continue.

Add your first student

You'll arrive at /onboarding/student, titled 'Add your first student.'
Fill in 'Legal first name' and 'Legal last name' — use the name on the birth certificate or state ID, as it will appear on transcripts and report cards.
Optionally, enter a 'Preferred / nickname' (what you actually call them).
Enter their birthdate (date picker).
Enter their current 'Grade level' (e.g. 5th, K, Pre-K). The field has autocomplete suggestions.
Click Continue.

Set up your school year

You'll arrive at /onboarding/school-year, titled 'Set up your school year.'
The 'Label' field pre-fills with something like '2025–2026' — you can change it to any text you prefer (up to 60 characters).
Set your 'Start date' and 'End date' using the date pickers. Default is July 1 – June 30; change it if your family runs a different calendar.
Note: All academic records (grades, attendance, reading logs) will hang off the active school year.
Click Continue.

Add your first subject (enrollment)

You'll arrive at /onboarding/enrollment, titled 'What's [your student's first name] learning?'
The 'Student' dropdown defaults to your first student; leave it unless you created multiple students.
The 'School year' dropdown defaults to the active year.
In the 'Subject' field, type a subject (e.g. Math, Biology, Latin). The field has autocomplete suggestions.
Use the curriculum picker: search for a known curriculum from the list, or type in a custom name (e.g. 'Saxon Math', 'My own curriculum'). Click 'Don't see it? Type a custom name instead' to toggle between the list and a text field.
Under 'How are you grading this?', pick one: 'Not graded (log completion only)', 'Letter grade', 'Percentage', or 'Pass / fail'.
Optionally, enter credit hours (used later on high-school transcripts). Leave blank for elementary.
Click Continue.

Choose a plan and start your 14-day free trial

You'll arrive at /onboarding/plan, titled 'You're all set — start your free trial'.
The page shows three plan options: 'Family — annual' ($249/yr), 'Family — monthly' ($29/mo), and 'Transcript Pro — annual' ($60/yr).
Click on the plan you want. The page says 'Add a card to start your 14-day free trial. You won't be charged until it ends, and you can cancel anytime before then.'
You'll be taken to Stripe Checkout where you add your payment card.
After checkout completes, you're redirected to the app dashboard and onboarding is done.

Options & settings

Parent name (entered on welcome step, editable via settings)
State code (entered on state step, drives compliance reminders)
Pedagogical style (traditional, classical, Charlotte Mason, eclectic, Montessori, unschooling, mixed methods)
Worldview preset (Bible-based or family-safe secular, plus optional custom notes up to 2000 characters)
Student legal first name, legal last name, preferred name, birthdate, current grade level
School year label, start date, end date
First subject name, curriculum, grade type (not graded / letter / percentage / pass-fail), credit hours (optional)

Common questions

What's a 'school year' and why does it matter?

A school year is the academic calendar span (e.g. July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026) that groups all your student's subjects, grades, and records. You can have multiple school years on file, but only one can be active at a time — new enrollments, report cards, and attendance records attach to the active year. Marks kept in past years don't vanish when you create a new year; they're just archived.

Do I have to use the suggested July–June calendar?

No. During onboarding, the School year step pre-fills with July 1 to June 30 (the default academic year). You can change both the start and end dates to match your family's rhythm (e.g. September–August, January–December, or August–July). Just make sure the end date is after the start date.

Can I add more students and subjects after onboarding?

Yes. Onboarding only sets up your first student and first subject to get you going. After you finish, you can add more students from settings, and add more subjects to existing students anytime from the dashboard.

What's the difference between 'Legal first name' and 'Preferred name'?

Legal name (from the birth certificate or state ID) is what appears on official transcripts, report cards, and credentials. Preferred name is what you call them in daily life. If they're the same, leave preferred name blank.

Can I skip the trial and pay upfront during onboarding?

No. The onboarding flow always requires you to add a payment card, which starts a 14-day free trial. You're not charged until the trial ends. After onboarding, you can manage your plan and billing from Settings.

What does 'This drives compliance reminders' mean when I pick my state?

Each state has different homeschool reporting, testing, or record-keeping rules. ArborSlate uses your state code to show you timely reminders about your state's requirements (e.g. testing deadlines, portfolio deadlines, annual notification requirements). You can change your state anytime from settings.

Good to know

The 8-step onboarding only creates one student and one subject. Many parents get to the end, complete the trial sign-up, and then realize they need to add more subjects from the main app — that's normal.
The school year is active from the moment you create it. When you later add more school years, only one can be active at a time; switching resets which year new data attaches to.
If you try to go back and edit a step (e.g. change your name after you've moved on), it doesn't advance you forward again — you stay on that step until you click Continue. This is by design; parents who return to edit can fix a typo without being forced through the rest of the flow.
The 14-day trial starts the moment you complete checkout on the plan step, not when you first sign up. Time in the welcome/state/pedagogy steps doesn't count against your trial.
Birthdate is private and never shown on reports; ArborSlate uses it only to calculate the student's current age for grade-level math on transcripts.

Plans

All families get the same onboarding flow regardless of plan tier. The trial is always 14 days. Three paid tiers are available at checkout: Family — monthly ($29/mo), Family — annual ($249/yr), and Transcript Pro — annual ($60/yr, narrower scope).