Executive Summary

Adlai Stevenson High School District 125, consistently ranked among the top open-enrollment high schools in the country, needed an evaluation system that matched their high standards. Their previous platform created bottlenecks: forms couldn't be updated mid-year, the interface felt outdated, and reporting was cumbersome.

After adopting KickUp Growth, Stevenson found what they'd been looking for: a flexible, user-friendly system that handles their complex evaluation structure without the friction. The result? Smoother workflows, better data access, and a system that staff actually find easy to use.

The Challenge

Before KickUp, Stevenson faced several pain points with their evaluation system:

Inflexible Forms: Even minor updates—fixing a typo or adjusting wording—required recreating entire forms in new cycles and reassigning them to all staff.

Limited Reporting: Extracting meaningful data required workarounds, and the reporting capabilities didn't meet district needs.

Dated Interface: The system looked and felt outdated, which created resistance among staff accustomed to modern technology.

Complex Structure: Stevenson runs 17 active cycles every year with both primary and secondary evaluators for many staff members. The previous system struggled to accommodate this complexity.

The Solution

Stevenson implemented KickUp Growth for their complete evaluation system (certified staff, non-certified staff, and administrators) —a decision district leaders felt confident making because the functionality and user experience would be superior.

Key Implementation Elements:

Seamless Onboarding: Working with Client Success Manager Rebecca, the district completed a structured implementation that felt controlled and well-organized. Each meeting had clear objectives, deliverables, and next steps.

Historical Data Migration: KickUp integrated the last three years of Stevenson’s evaluation data, ensuring administrators could reference previous summatives without leaving the system or accessing old platforms.

Customized Configuration: The system was configured to handle Stevenson's unique structure of 17 cycles with multiple evaluator levels, including primary and secondary evaluators. All cycles are aligned to the Danielson Framework for Teaching, supported by KickUp's partnership with the Danielson Group.

Minimal Training Required: The interface proved so intuitive that planned training sessions became largely optional—most evaluators and employees logged in and started working immediately.

Impact & Results

Intuitive User Experience:
The system's clean, familiar interface made adoption nearly effortless. Teachers and support staff didn't need any training sessions—the interface was intuitive enough that they simply logged in and figured it out on their own. Even evaluators required minimal training, with most having already mastered the basics before formal sessions began.

Streamlined Management:
Once the annual setup is complete, the system largely runs itself. KickUp's automated deadline reminders keep everyone on track, and with such an intuitive interface, troubleshooting needs are minimal—even across 17 concurrent cycles.

Improved Flexibility:
Unlike the previous system, KickUp allows for updates and adjustments without recreating entire forms or cycles.

Better Data Access:
The system maintains all evaluation history and makes it easily accessible, supporting tenure decisions and annual reviews.

Dramatically Reduced Support Requests:
In a district with hundreds of users across 17 evaluation cycles, support requests have been remarkably rare—the system simply works without constant troubleshooting.

Looking Ahead

Stevenson is exploring KickUp's import feature for the next academic year, which could significantly reduce the manual work of assigning evaluators and forms. With their evaluation assignment data already maintained in spreadsheets, importing this information directly into KickUp would eliminate hundreds of manual clicks.

The district is also working with their Client Success Manager on solutions for specific workflow needs, such as ensuring only the designated evaluator can sign specific forms—preventing accidental signatures from secondary evaluators.

The Bottom Line

For a high-performing district with complex evaluation needs, Stevenson found a system that handles sophistication without adding complexity. The transition from a legacy system to KickUp proved worthwhile—delivering better functionality, easier management, and a user experience that staff actually appreciate.

When your evaluation system just works, you spend less time managing the platform and more time supporting your staff.