Dec 23, 2025
From Mixed Grades to One K-5 System: Crete-Monee 201-U’s Standards-Based Journey
For years, Crete-Monee School District 201-U lived in two grading worlds: K–2 used standards-based report cards while grades 3–5 relied on traditional letter grades. On top of that, educators were using a growing mix of separate tools for assessments, grades, and data. Coming out of COVID, report cards needed cleanup, expectations around grading were shifting, and an IB review at the middle school level pushed the district to think differently about standards altogether.
Director of Teaching and Learning Robert Genardo and Teaching and Learning Coordinator Dr. Sarah Machamer saw an opportunity to unify K–5 around a shared, standards-based vision and rethink how they communicated progress to students and families, in a way that honored everything teachers had already been through.
In 2024, they adopted Otus as the platform to support that vision. They knew the work would take thoughtful pacing, teacher voice, and strong communication. But they also needed a system that could bring all the pieces together and make their efforts sustainable.
The district’s approach surfaced several practices that made a major change feel doable instead of overwhelming. If you’re tackling similar grading or data challenges, below are four lessons worth borrowing.
4 Strategies That Made Their Standards-Based Shift a Success
Lead with a clear standards-based vision—and choose tools that match it
Crete-Monee’s goal to move to a fully standards-based system in grades K–5 was nonnegotiable. To get there, a report card committee first cleaned up existing report cards and progress reports, aligning standards after years of adjusting everything during COVID. The same team vetted multiple platforms, ultimately selecting Otus because it could do what others could not: combine a standards-based gradebook, robust assessment development, and analytics in one place so teachers, leaders, and families could all see (and support) the same picture of student learning.
“There were a lot of systems we took a look at that didn't quite meet the mark, didn't communicate well with one another, and didn't seem to be as easy for teachers to learn and utilize as Otus. So, we saw Otus as the right fit after seeing how it could seamlessly connect to the standards-based assessments that we were building, our reporting needs to families and students, and analytics. The platform's ability to do that for us really made it a no-brainer.”
Robert Genardo
Director of Teaching and Learning
,
Crete-Monee School District 201-U
Take an exploratory year so teachers can learn without pressure
Instead of rushing into required use, Crete-Monee devoted an entire year of its Otus contract to exploration and professional learning. Some teachers jumped in with both feet, building many of their assessments in Otus; others moved more cautiously, focusing on core workflows. What mattered most was giving everyone time to get comfortable, through Otus Certified Educator (OCE) modules, school-based PD with their Otus coach, and grade-level sessions that broke learning into bite-sized chunks. By the time Otus use becomes required in 2026, teachers will have already had a full year to experiment and ask questions.
“It was incredibly important to our team to make sure that we were onboarding teachers in a way that made them feel the most comfortable. And for us, that was let's take it slowly. There has been so much constant change for teachers since COVID. This was such a big movement for us that I think what was really most important was that we took our time, that we allowed teachers to feel very comfortable with the platform, and to be able to explore in bite-sized chunks.”
Robert Genardo
Director of Teaching and Learning
,
Crete-Monee School District 201-U
Bring broad teacher representation into every decision
What began as a small K–5 report card committee quickly grew to include teachers from every elementary school, special educators, staff from a district’s multi-needs PALS program, and coordinators overseeing STEM, extended learning, and other specialized programming. The group not only helped define report card revisions and vet platforms, but also participated early in OCE so there would be teacher leaders at every grade level. By centering teacher voice and acknowledging that people have strong feelings about grading, the district is building a system that feels shared rather than something that was “done” to staff.
“I think having as much teacher input around the product, the process, and the outcomes is really valuable. Sometimes, we think things are going to be difficult, but they become a little bit easier when everybody's had a voice at the table. So I think that's always important for a big change like this that's going to affect everything.”
Dr. Sarah Machamer
Teaching and Learning Coordinator
,
Crete-Monee School District 201-U
Prepare families early for what standards-based grading will look like
Crete-Monee knows this shift doesn’t stop at the classroom door. A parent communication subgroup within the report card committee is mapping out monthly “PD blasts” for families: short, digestible messages explaining why standards-based grading matters, what will look different in grades 3–5, and where to find information in the new platform. As Dr. Machamer puts it, accessing progress will feel more like checking social media: a real-time window into how students are doing, not just a static snapshot at the end of a term. With this level of planning, families will almost certainly feel ready when the new system goes live.
Taking the next step in your standards-based journey
Crete-Monee’s journey is a reminder that successful standards-based grading reform (or any major initiative, for that matter) requires intentionality. With clear goals, strong teacher voice, and thoughtful communication, districts can reshape grading and reporting in ways that truly support students. For Crete-Monee, Otus helps make that work possible by keeping assessments, grades, and data connected in one place, giving educators, leaders, and families a crystal clear picture of learning as the new system rolls out.
If your Illinois school or district is exploring standards-based practices, streamlining data, or modernizing how progress is measured, click below to learn more about how Otus supports dozens of schools across the state.
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