Glynn County Schools staff recommends districtwide purchase of Otis assessment platform after pilot, seeks board approval

District staff reported on a pilot of the Otis assessment and analytics platform and requested board approval to purchase the system for districtwide use.

Mr. Benson, a district staff member presenting the item, said pilots at several schools produced positive feedback and that neighboring districts using Otis also reported favorable results. Benson described Otis as an assessment platform and a data warehouse where teachers can create formative assessments, disaggregate results, form instructional groups and analyze student progress over time. He said the platform includes an AI component that can assist teachers in creating and differentiating assessments tied to specific standards.

Staff said Otis will replace the district’s prior PowerSchool Unify assessment program and that the Otis contract offered a lower cost for the district. Benson said professional learning that accompanied the pilot was valuable and that teachers in pilot schools had begun creating assessments and groups to target instructional needs.

Board members asked how Otis aligns with Georgia standards and how teachers verify item alignment. Staff replied that teachers create assessments tied to standards in the platform and must review items; staff said the district’s teachers would exercise professional judgment and oversight to ensure alignment.

Staff requested board approval to purchase Otis for the upcoming school year; no formal vote on the purchase was recorded in the work-session transcript.