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Renaissance DnA

Score9 out of 10

10 Reviews and Ratings

What is Renaissance DnA?

A standards-based assessment creation and administration solution providing instant scoring, formative feedback, and interactive reporting.

Categories & Use Cases

Love Illuminate: You Will Too!

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Item banks
  • Outstanding customer service.
  • Reasonable pricing models.
  • Integrates well with student info systems.

Cons

  • Inclusive pricing options without add-ons and build in discounting.

Most Important Features

  • Assess any subject.
  • Item banks with questions already vetted.
  • Easy to use dashboard.

Return on Investment

  • Better handle on student achievement.
  • Clarity around achievements on specific standards.

Other Software Used

Frontline Absence Management (formerly Aesop), Canvas, Renaissance Accelerated Math, Renaissance myON® News, Powered by News-O-Matic, Kahoot!

Not made for everyone, but it has potential

Pros

  • Uploading data is very easy and straight forward with the included templates for testing that is standard across the state like M-Step, NWEA Map and Such.
  • Searching for students and seeing all of their tests in one screen was very easy and user friendly.
  • Running pre-defined reports was also very easy and straight forward. Just a few clicks and the report was right in front of you quickly.

Cons

  • Tech support seemed good but our main issue was never resolved. We received attention and someone was working on our issue, but they could never figure out why our student count was off for 1 grade level even though they said our data looked great.
  • The customized reports were powerful, but there was so much to learn for the average administrative user, like a principal, to get the detailed data they need. You would have to have a dedicated person to create customized reports.
  • At some point, our representative just stopped calling and there was no further contact. Then our rep left the company and the new rep only sent one email notifying us of the change. That was almost a year ago.

Return on Investment

  • We tried to get the product to work for our needs for over a year and could not get it to work and therefore it cost us $20,000 with no results and easily over 40+ hours of wasted time.

Actionable Student Data at Your Fingertips - Become an illuminator!

Pros

  • It provides a comprehensive profile of students across time, allowing users to track growth and identify at-risk students.
  • It is easy for all users to create ad hoc reports and assessments.
  • The company is continually adding features recommended by users.
  • The helpline is accessible to all end users, calls are readily answered, and the support staff is knowledgeable.

Cons

  • It would be nice if it communicated in real time with our other student database systems. We have to do a nightly update to share information with other systems, and still, some data gets stuck and needs to be "wiped".
  • The intervention tracking system, OnTrack, is difficult to set up and manage.
  • Assessment item banks could offer a better variety of items.

Return on Investment

  • It has allowed teachers to utilize data to make instructional decisions.
  • It has allowed administrators to evaluate instructional programs and make budgetary decisions based on student results.
  • It has allowed the district to establish common expectations across school sites and has provided a level of data transparency.
  • It has modernized our elementary grading and report card production.

Other Software Used

Google Classroom

Illuminate is worth the investment and is getting better.

Pros

  • Online assessment creation
  • Online assessment administration
  • Data analysis
  • Data tracking

Cons

  • Front end interface needs to have more tools
  • Language and semantics of the system can be cumbersome
  • Updating the system is time consuming

Return on Investment

  • Positive ROI. The tool is powerful for the cost
  • Quick data gathering and analysis
  • Easy assessment administration
  • Reduced paper consumption

Alternatives Considered

PowerSchool Assessment

Other Software Used

GoGuardian Admin, GoGuardian Teacher, Cisco Meraki MS Switches

Usability