From Standards to Success: Westmont’s Five-Year Journey Toward Meaningful Growth

Data-Driven Instruction, Standards-Based Grading

In 2019, Westmont CUSD 201 (IL) set out to make grading more meaningful. The district was preparing to transition to standards-based grading, but finding a way to connect instruction, feedback, and student data in one place proved to be a bit of a challenge.

That winter, a Westmont administrator stumbled upon a solution that would eventually anchor the district’s approach to teaching and learning. Within months, Westmont adopted Otus to unify grading, assessment, and data; a move that would pay off just before the pandemic reshaped classrooms everywhere.

One home for grades, assessment, and growth

Before 2019, Westmont teachers relied on multiple tools: Skyward for grades, Google Classroom for assignments, and spreadsheets for assessment data. It worked, but not efficiently. As the district began implementing standards-based grading, teachers needed one home for everything.

That decision laid the groundwork for consistency across subjects and grade levels. Teachers quickly adopted Otus to manage assessments, analyze results, and align instruction to standards.

Then the pandemic hit.

What started as a move to support grading suddenly became the district’s most essential instructional lifeline, connecting teachers and students during remote learning when everything else was uncertain.

Turning data into daily action

When classrooms reopened, Westmont’s focus shifted from collecting data to using it.

Every Wednesday, students are dismissed early for PLC meetings. Teachers come prepared with Otus data (both classroom and third-party assessments) to guide next steps.

“As a department, we all look at our data together and try to put it into a plan by asking ourselves, 'Based on the data, what's our action plan going to be?’ Before, it was more of just looking at data, but now we ask ourselves, ‘What are we going to do about what we saw?’’

Lisa Kosin

7th Grade Math Teacher
,
Westmont CUSD 201 (IL)

These meetings once centered on reviewing numbers (sound familiar?). Now, they drive decisions: reteaching a skill, adjusting an assessment item, or designing interventions. Teachers no longer wait for benchmark windows to act; they make instructional moves weekly.

Finding time for the support that matters

As part of its evolution, Westmont reimagined how and when intervention happens. When the district adopted 80-minute math blocks, teachers created the “Back Twenty,” a daily window to respond to real-time data from earlier in the lesson.

Using Otus reports, teachers quickly identify students who need extra support, pull them into a small group, and reteach concepts before the bell rings.

“You look at which kids did not do well on that assessment, that quiz, or that one simple question. Those are the kids that we're pulling back to a table and working with one-on-one, while the other kids are working independently. So we're targeting the students struggling the most. Another main reason people are using Otus right now is to help identify those students quickly.”

Lisa Kosin

7th Grade Math Teacher
,
Westmont CUSD 201 (IL)

Helping students think about their thinking

As teachers grew more and more comfortable using Otus data, they began bringing students into the process. After each assessment, students review missed questions and record why, whether it was a careless mistake, misread direction, or a gap in understanding.

This reflection not only helps students build self-awareness but also gives teachers valuable insights into classroom trends.

“Let's say the first test was the ratio and proportion test. I make them go through the test after we're done in Otus. I will open it up so they can see which ones they got wrong. They have to pick a reason why they got that one wrong. And they pretty much always know what they did. ‘Oh my goodness, it said fraction and I put it as a decimal’ or ‘I didn't read the directions.’”

Lisa Kosin

7th Grade Math Teacher
,
Westmont CUSD 201 (IL)

Keeping curiosity at the center of learning

At Westmont Junior High, seventh-grade math teacher Lisa Kosin embodies how data-driven teaching can still be creative and fun. In her recent Otus Regional Workshop session, “Engaging Students Through Lessons,” Lisa shared how she organizes her 80-minute math blocks using interactive lessons built directly in Otus.

Each day begins with a Lesson in Otus that’s curated with the day’s activities — a clear snapshot showing students exactly what to expect. That structure frees Lisa to focus on instruction while giving students ownership of their learning.

Inside Lisa’s classroom:

Real-world hooks like pizza and taco data sets to make math relatable (and tasty)
Storytime in middle school, reading The Greedy Triangle to connect geometry and perseverance
Game-based review with Blooket, scavenger hunts, and “I Have/Who Has” fluency rounds
Stoplight activities (green/yellow/red) for differentiated practice
Project-based learning where rubrics, examples, and submissions all live in one place

“So the minute they see the image up on my screen when they walk in the room, they shout, ‘Yes, storytime!’ They basically turn into little second graders again.”

Lisa Kosin

7th Grade Math Teacher
,
Westmont CUSD 201 (IL)

Lisa’s classroom shows that engagement isn’t about adding more technology, but rather about using the right tools to make learning visible, purposeful, and fun.

Embracing new tools, staying true to what works

This year, Westmont teachers began experimenting with AI Insights in Otus, just before parent-teacher conferences. The timing couldn’t have been better.

Teachers used AI to summarize student progress, create small groups for reteach sessions, and prepare talking points for parent meetings. Through this new Otus feature, teachers say they saved time and strengthened communication.

“It can quickly summarize for me a list of a student's missing assignments that a parent is asking for in an email. And instead of asking just how a kid is doing for conferences, I could also add to my question, ‘And what questions do you think the parents are gonna ask based on this data?’, so then I will be ready for any questions they might ask.”

Lisa Kosin

7th Grade Math Teacher
,
Westmont CUSD 201 (IL)

Westmont’s educators also continue to help shape Otus through their feedback, suggesting enhancements for folder sharing, co-teaching tools, and other collaboration features.

Five years later, a culture that lasts

Five years in, Westmont’s success is rooted in something deeper than a flashy new edtech tool. It’s built on habits that last. Weekly PLCs, data-driven instruction, and meaningful student reflections are now core to how teachers teach and students learn.

Westmont’s story proves that when districts build a culture of collaboration around data, growth becomes measurable and meaningful.

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