Custom standards allow districts to use specific learning targets that are not part of the common core or state standards. This ensures that educators can assess students on the exact criteria required by their local curriculum.
🔑 Key Functions
Manual Creation: Add individual standards one by one for immediate use.
Bulk Upload: Submit large datasets to the Otus team for automated processing.
Grade Level Tagging: Assign standards to specific grades to ensure they appear for the right teachers.
✅ Prerequisites
Main Admin account access.
The Custom Standards Template (if using the Bulk Upload option).
🛠 Steps to Add Custom Standards
Custom standards can be added two different ways:
Manual Creation in the Control Center
Completed in the Main Admin account only
Perfect for a small amount of standards
Bulk Uploading Using our Template
Completed by the Otus team
Recommended for a larger set of standards
Option 1: Manual Creation
Step 1: Navigate to the Control Center.
Step 2: On the Grading page, select the Standards Settings tab.
Step 3: Select Create Standard.
Step 4: Enter the following information:
Title
Subject
Grade - select all grades to which the standard applies
Description - body or full description of the standard (optional)
💡 Tip: We highly recommend adding a description to prevent "null" from appearing on printed report cards.
Step 5: Select Save.
Option 2: Bulk Upload
Step 1: Access the Custom Standards Template.
Download the template as a CSV if you prefer.
Step 2: Fill out the template. Enter the following information:
❗ Important: Do not change any of the template headings.
Subject
Title
Description
Grade Level: Mark an 'x' in the applicable grade level columns
💡Tip: While the Description field is optional for bulk uploads, reports (like Report Cards) rely on this data. To avoid seeing "null" or blank values in your analytics and printed reports, make sure to enter a standard description during the upload process.
Step 3: Submit for Processing.
If you saved the file to your device, save it as a CSV and include your district name in the file name.
If you used the Google Sheets version, share the file with support@otus.com or your CXP.
Step 4: Verify the standards in your account once notified by the Otus team.
FAQ & Troubleshooting
FAQ & Troubleshooting
How can I resolve 'null' labels on report cards?
If 'null' appears before a standard on printed report cards, it means the Description field for that custom standard is empty. This can only be corrected from the Main Admin account for the district.
From the Main Admin account, locate and edit the affected custom standard.
Add a clarifying Description to the standard.
Save your changes.
Generate Report Cards again.