Pinkerton Aspen is the online student information portal used by Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. Powered by Follett’s Aspen SIS, it gives students, parents, and staff access to grades, attendance, schedules, and assignments in one place. Log in at nh-pinkerton.myfollett.com.
Why Everyone Is Searching for Pinkerton Aspen
If you are a student, parent, or staff member at Pinkerton Academy, you have probably landed here for one reason: you need to access the Pinkerton Aspen portal and want to understand exactly how it works. Whether you need to check a grade, verify attendance, or troubleshoot a confusing code on an assignment, this guide covers all of it.
Pinkerton Academy is one of New Hampshire’s largest independent high schools, serving over 3,000 students from six sending towns in the Derry area. Managing academic records at that scale requires a serious system. That system is Follett’s Aspen, a full-featured Student Information System (SIS) that the school uses as its central hub for academic data. Once you know how to navigate it, the portal becomes one of the most useful tools in your academic life.
This article explains how to log in, how to read your grades, what the confusing codes mean, and how parents can get the most out of the parent portal. You will also find answers to the most common questions Pinkerton students and families ask.
How to Access the Pinkerton Aspen Login Page
The direct login URL for Pinkerton Aspen is: nhpinkerton.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do
You can also reach it by going to the Pinkerton Academy website (pinkertonacademy.org), clicking on the Portals section, and selecting your role: Student, Parent, or Staff.
Student Login Steps
Students log in using their Pinkerton-issued credentials. If you forget your password, use the “Forgot Password” link on the login page, which will send a reset link to your school email address. For persistent login issues, email the school’s SIS support team directly at sis@pinkertonacademy.org. The IT department typically resolves account issues within one business day.
Staff Login Steps
Staff members log in using their Google credentials. There is no separate username and password process for teachers and administrators. Just select the Google sign-in option and authenticate with your Pinkerton Google account.
Parent Portal Access
Parents access the same URL but are presented with a mobile-friendly parent portal view once logged in. According to Follett’s documentation, the parent portal is fully mobile-accessible, meaning you can check your student’s progress from any smartphone or tablet without downloading a separate app. The parent portal must be enabled by the district; if you cannot see it, contact the school registrar.
What You Can Do Inside Pinkerton Aspen
The Aspen portal is far more than a gradebook. Here is a quick breakdown of what each group can access:
| Feature | Students | Parents | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| View grades and competencies | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Check attendance records | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Access schedule and class info | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Report absences | No | Yes | Yes |
| Submit online registration | Yes | Yes | No |
| View health screening records | No | Yes | Yes |
| Set alert trackers | No | Yes | Yes |
Aspen also supports social-emotional tracking. Teachers, counselors, and parents can create referral records that school counselors use alongside academic data to monitor student progress. This 360-degree view makes it one of the more thorough SIS platforms available to secondary schools.
Understanding Your Grades on Pinkerton Aspen
This is where most confusion happens. Pinkerton uses a competency-based grading model, and Aspen reflects that directly. Instead of a single overall grade per class, you see separate scores for each course competency.
What “Open” and “Closed” Competencies Mean
An open competency runs the entire length of the course. You are assessed on it throughout the year, and your grade in that category updates every time you complete a relevant task. Examples include Reading and Writing in English classes.
A closed competency is unit-based. Once the unit ends and the final assessment is complete, that competency grade is set. Examples in Algebra 1 include Graphing and Writing Linear Equations or Systems.
You need an average of 65% or higher in each competency category to pass it. Passing the course numerically is not enough. If you pass the course overall but fail one competency, you receive a CF (competency failure) on your report card. You will then be eligible for competency recovery within the window set by the Competency Recovery Director.
Decoding the Grade Codes
Aspen uses several codes that confuse students and parents alike. Here is what they actually mean:
r (exempt): This does not mean the assignment is exempt. It means “received.” The teacher has received your submission but has not yet graded it. The word “exempt” appears because of an algorithm in Aspen that cannot be customized.
x: This is the only code that actually means exempt. If you see a lowercase “x,” that assignment genuinely will not count toward your grade.
The dash (-): When a score like “86-” appears on an assignment worth 150 points, the dash tells Aspen to calculate how many points 86% represents. In that example, 86% of 150 equals 129 points. Aspen handles the math automatically so teachers do not have to enter raw point values.
Understanding these codes saves a lot of unnecessary worry. An “r (exempt)” next to a test does not mean you are off the hook. It just means your teacher has not entered the score yet.
Attendance Tracking and What Parents Should Know
Aspen tracks full attendance for every student, and parents can see it in real time through the parent portal. The system also supports alerts. You can set up an alert tracker so you receive a notification if your student approaches chronic absenteeism. Follett’s documentation states that Aspen provides graphical indicators based on multiple data points for individual students, not just classroom-level data.
If your student needs to report an absence, parents can do this through the Aspen parent portal without calling the main office. This is one of the most-used features by families, especially during illness seasons.
Online Registration and Re-Enrollment Through Aspen
Pinkerton Academy uses Aspen’s online registration feature for enrollment and re-enrollment. Parents can complete the process from any device, at any time. Aspen automatically updates enrollment records in real time once a student is accepted, which removes the need for manual data entry by staff.
According to Follett, the online registration module lowers administrative costs and improves the accuracy and completeness of student data. For incoming freshmen and transfer students, this is the first touchpoint with the Pinkerton Aspen system.
Troubleshooting Common Pinkerton Aspen Problems
Even a well-built portal has issues. Here are the most common problems Pinkerton users report and how to fix them:
Cannot log in: Double-check you are using the correct URL. The login page is nh-pinkerton.myfollett.com. If your password reset does not work, email sis@pinkertonacademy.org with your name and student ID.
Grade not showing: If an assignment shows “r (exempt),” your teacher has received it but has not scored it yet. Wait a few days before following up.
Parent portal not visible: The parent portal must be activated by the district. Contact the Pinkerton registrar if you log in and do not see student data.
Grade calculation seems wrong: Check whether the assignment uses the dash system. If a score reads “72-” on a 200-point assignment, Aspen calculates 72% of 200, which equals 144 points. The percentage, not the raw number, drives the calculation.
FAQs About Pinkerton Aspen
What is the Pinkerton Aspen login URL? The login page is nh-pinkerton.myfollett.com/aspen/logon.do. You can also find the link on the Pinkerton Academy website under Portals.
Who do I contact if my Aspen account is locked? Email sis@pinkertonacademy.org with your student’s name and ID number. The support team handles SIS account issues directly.
Can parents see grades in real time on Aspen? Yes. The parent portal updates as teachers enter scores. Parents can access it from any mobile device without downloading a separate app.
What does CF mean on a Pinkerton report card? CF stands for competency failure. It means a student passed the course numerically but failed at least one competency. Competency recovery is available within a set window.
Does Aspen have a mobile app for students? Pinkerton uses the browser-based Aspen portal, which is mobile-responsive. The parent portal is specifically designed for mobile access. There is no separate dedicated app required.
Getting the Most Out of Pinkerton Aspen
Pinkerton Aspen is a powerful academic tool when you know how to read it. The competency-based grading model gives students and parents far more detail than a single letter grade ever could. Instead of wondering why a student got a B in English, you can see exactly which competencies are strong and which need attention.
The key is checking the portal regularly, not just at report card time. Grade codes like “r (exempt)” can create unnecessary alarm if you do not know what they mean. Bookmark the login page, set up parent alerts, and reach out to sis@pinkertonacademy.org the moment a login issue appears. The system works best when everyone knows how to use it. Take ten minutes to explore every tab, and you will find that Pinkerton Aspen gives you a much clearer picture of academic progress than most schools provide.
