Adding Factors

Factors are individual metrics used to create single-metric views that you can add to the Decide and Act/Adjust view of a dashboard. Each single-metric view (up to six) associated with a dashboard is displayed as a widget next to a scaled-down version of the stack or quadrant view.

1. Select the Decide and Act/Adjust icon at the top of a dashboard  .
2. In the Decide and Act/Adjust view, the quadrant or stack is reduced in size and moved over to the right side of the screen ; you can select the expansion arrow at the bottom to open the full-size version in a pop-up window.
   
   
   Figure 1.
   • The grade filters and groups being used on the dashboard are shown at the bottom. If a grade filter is being used, you can use the drop-down list to change it here.

   • To see an expanded version of a factor widget, select the expansion arrow at the top .

     Figure 2.

     The expanded view has controls at the bottom to adjust the data being viewed. The most common of these is the slider, which is used to quickly change between three different views: District, School Groups, and Schools.

     If you are viewing data at the school or school group level, select a school or school group on the chart to open a pop-up window , which will have additional information about the school or school group and may have links to other dashboard views and reports.

3. Select Add Factor ( in Figure 1) to add a new factor widget.

   Select the factor you want from the drop-down list that appears in that slot .
   
   

   

   You will see a "No Data" message if:

   • You try to add a factor widget when there is insufficient data to be graphed (for example, a factor widget for Star Reading Scores created before any students have taken a Star Reading assessment).
   • You try to create a factor widget for a program that isn't being used in your district.
   • There is an incompatibility between the dashboard data and the chosen factor.

4. Select the in the upper-right corner of a factor widget to delete it .

5. In the Decide and Act/Adjust view , you can set a goal to associate with the Impact Metric by using the Goal slider ( in Figure 1).

   If Renaissance Learning has a suggested value for a goal, it will be marked by a green line on the slider (not all factors have suggested values).

   The suggested value (or goal set by the user) is what sets the "green zone" on all visualizations.

   You can only set a goal for the Impact Metric. The other metrics will use Renaissance Learning's default goal (if any).

   In the example below, Renaissance Learning's suggested goal value for the dashboard is a median pass rate of 67 for the spring reading assessment; the user has set a value higher than that suggestion by sliding the goal circle to 85. In all data visualizations of "SGP - Reading," the "green zone" is now set to 85.

   
   
   

   If there is no suggested value for a goal and the user does not set one, there will be no "green zones" on the data visualizations:

   
6. Select the PDF button for a printable version of the Decide and Act/Adjust view.