Feb 14,2025
How Salem School District Uses Otus and Discovery Education to Support Every Learner
By: David Specht
At Salem School District, ensuring every student thrives isn’t just a goal—it’s a guiding principle. Nestled in the town of Salem, Wisconsin, this close-knit district of nearly 1,000 students takes a proactive approach to fostering growth. From implementing innovative tools to creating systems that empower both educators and learners, Salem is dedicated to cultivating lifelong learners who reach their full potential.
To streamline data management and enhance student outcomes, Salem relies on Otus and Discovery Education. Together, these tools provide educators with a centralized platform to simplify their workflows and maximize the impact of their efforts. With everything from state and national assessment results to DreamBox Math data unified in one place, Salem’s educators have drastically improved how they approach instruction, collaboration, and student support.
From Data Overload to Actionable Insights
Managing student data from multiple sources can be a daunting challenge for schools, but Salem has turned this complexity into clarity. By integrating Discovery Education’s DreamBox Math with Otus, educators now have a complete view of each student’s progress. This efficiency has saved countless hours that were once spent compiling spreadsheets and hunting for information, allowing staff to focus on what matters most—student growth.
“I don’t have to spend hours and hours taking this test and that test and putting them in a spreadsheet—Otus just does it. And I just have to say, ‘Show me all the kids below the twenty-fifth percentile on this reading test,’ and it just gives them to me. It’s wonderful.”
Craig Velleux
Data Specialist
,
Salem School District (WI)
With all their data in one place, Salem’s educators can quickly identify trends, target interventions, and monitor standards mastery—all without switching between multiple platforms. By breaking down assessments by standards, teachers gain clarity about where students excel and where they need additional support. This clarity empowers educators to plan lessons, group students, and assign interventions with confidence and precision.
“What I love about seeing all the information in one place is that I’m not spending so much time trying to pull data from everywhere else. We want to give our students the ability to show growth differently than just across their peer group, but also, we want to see that peer group as a whole move forward. So it’s nice to be able to have that specific information that we can drill down, but also at a macro level.”
Dr. Vicki King
Superintendent
,
Salem School District (WI)
The combination of DreamBox Math data with other metrics has also allowed Salem to personalize learning at scale. Teachers can analyze DreamBox progress alongside classroom assessments to provide every student with instruction tailored to their unique needs—making learning experiences more impactful and meaningful.
Collaboration That Leads to Growth
Professional learning communities (PLCs) thrive when data is accessible and easy to interpret. At Salem, their team has turned PLC meetings into focused, productive sessions where teachers collaborate on strategies to address student needs. The ability to share and discuss data within Otus has made these meetings more actionable and impactful.
“It makes me more efficient in the classroom and with my students, and also with my team. Collaborating is a lot easier when everyone’s assessments and gradebooks are the same. It’s great because conversations flow better, and it helps us and PLCs actually make our time useful.”
Madison Smid
Teacher
,
Salem School District (WI)
Otus doesn’t just make collaboration easier—it has also strengthened communication with families. By giving parents direct access to their child’s progress, Otus fosters meaningful conversations at home. Parents feel more engaged and informed, which is a win for both students and educators.
Getting Time Back to Help Students Thrive
No matter where and what they teach, every educator can relate to one thing—a serious shortage of time. For Salem, Otus has been a game-changer in boosting efficiency across the board. Whether it’s compiling data for board reports or identifying students in need of extra support, tasks that once took hours now happen in minutes.
“Otus frees up so much time. Prior to Otus, much of our time is spent diving in, finding all of the stuff, and gathering it together. And then you identify the kids but no longer have time to do anything about it. Or by the time you do something about it, that kid’s a grade level or two down the road, and things have gotten worse. We don’t have to do that anymore. We can instantaneously decide what we need to do with a child. That’s the biggest impact Otus has had for us.”
Craig Velleux
Data Specialist
,
Salem School District (WI)
With time back in their hands, Salem educators can focus on what truly matters—building meaningful relationships with and supporting their students.
From Setup to Success: Support That Makes a Difference
Getting started with new technology can often feel overwhelming for educators and administrators alike, but Salem’s experience with Otus tells a different story. The district took a strategic approach by focusing on data analytics first, ensuring an immediate impact without overwhelming staff. With the help of Otus’ support team, Salem was able to implement features like custom report cards and standards quickly and effectively.
“Getting started with Otus is something I would say teachers should be very excited and very positive about. I think that the help and the resources you get from Otus and the support team is absolutely amazing. If your school decides to adopt Otus, it would be one of the best choices that they can make. So go at it with a positive attitude.”
Madison Smid
Teacher
,
Salem School District
This hands-on support and responsiveness have helped Salem fully leverage Otus, making it an indispensable tool for educators and administrators alike.
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