How a Data-Driven Culture Propelled Hamilton County to Its Best-Ever State Report Card Score

Hamilton County Schools, a Title 1 district in Jasper, Florida, has achieved something remarkable: a nearly full letter grade improvement on its state accountability report. At the heart of this success is a cultural shift toward data-driven decision-making, led by Superintendent Lee Wetherington-Zamora and Chris Combass, the district’s Director of Teaching and Learning.

With nearly 30 years of experience in education, Chris has championed the power of unified data to empower educators and drive student growth. During his session at FETC 2025, How Hamilton County Built a Data-Driven Culture for School Improvement, Chris shared the strategies that helped his district address chronic absenteeism, track subgroup trends, and reshape programming to better meet student needs. Below are three key takeaways from his session.

Three Ways Hamilton County Used Data to Improve a Full Letter Grade

1. Centralizing Data for Actionable Insights

Hamilton County Schools faced a common challenge: managing student data scattered across multiple systems. By consolidating everything—state assessments, local tests, and attendance data—into one centralized platform, educators can now quickly access the insights they need to make informed decisions.

“The thing that we love about Otus is that it provides us with the opportunity to put all of those resources into one place, a one-stop shop. We can take all of our data, put it into Otus." – Chris Combass

This streamlined approach has saved countless hours and enabled educators to focus their energy on initiatives that directly impact student success.

2. Strengthening Connections Through Data Chats

Data chats have become a cornerstone of Hamilton County’s approach. Teachers meet regularly with students to review progress, set goals, and celebrate improvements. These conversations have strengthened relationships and inspired students to take ownership of their learning.

“Our teachers have really bought into the concept of data chats over the past couple of years because they firmly believe, we all do, that the more you talk about data with students, with staff, with parents, the more ownership you're going to have. So, I know at our high schools, our teachers are working with students once a month to talk about their wildly important goals. They're also having data chats with students after progress monitoring testing to discuss where they're at, where they need to get to. ” – Chris Combass

Parents are also involved in the process through tools like the Otus family portal, which provides direct access to student performance reports.

3. Celebrating Small Gains to Inspire Confidence

Hamilton County has shifted its focus from proficiency alone to celebrating incremental growth. This mindset has helped foster a culture where students are motivated to improve, no matter their starting point.“

"At the beginning of each school year, we recognize those students who have made learning gains. They may not necessarily be proficient, but if they were able to move from level one to level two or move within those buckets between levels, then we recognize those students, and we have a big celebration. ” – Chris Combass

Hamilton County’s story proves that when data is used to empower educators and inspire students, it’s not just about improving grades—it’s about brightening futures.

Foster a Data-Driven Culture with Otus

For districts like Hamilton County, Otus empowers educators to build a culture of data-driven decision-making that improves student outcomes. By centralizing all student data—from assessments to attendance tracking—Otus equips school leaders and teachers with the tools they need to confidently identify trends, target interventions, and drive meaningful growth. Watch the video below to see Otus in action, or click here to schedule a time to chat with us.