When Rockford Public Schools first partnered with Castify in 2020, the goal was continuity. Today, under the leadership of Susan Uram, that goal has evolved into instructional transformation.
By moving beyond simple screen recording and into an ecosystem of interactive libraries and student-led discourse, RPS 205 has seen a significant surge in active users this school year. The impact of this shift is visible in the data: this school year alone, Rockford saw a 44% increase in active users, growing from 2,382 to 3,434 educators and students utilizing the platform. This surge isn't just about more people logging in; it’s about a deeper, more sophisticated use of video to drive student outcomes.
Susan’s strategy focuses on a three-pillar approach: engaging content, actionable data, and amplifying student voice.
Pillar 1: Engaging Content via the Premium Library
Rather than asking teachers to build every resource from scratch, Rockford leverages the Castify Premium Library.
- The Workflow: Teachers select high-quality, pre-made educational videos and customize them for their specific classroom needs.
- The Impact: This has lowered the barrier to entry for new users, contributing to the district’s record-breaking 44% engagement increase this school year.
- Pew Research Insight: In their latest report Teens, Social Media, and Technology the Pew Research Center confirms that video is the native language of today’s K-12 students. Using video recording in the classroom meets students where they already spend their time. It bridges the gap between their digital lives and their academic lives.
- The Journal of Computer Science Advancements (2024) Insight: In analyzing the effectiveness of interactive videos on student engagement, it was found that interactive video not only increases student engagement, but also improves learning outcomes for students. Interactive video content resulted in 92% engagement versus 78% with traditional video lectures, increased the average viewing time per session by 15 minutes, and increased the frequency of interactions from 3 per video to 27.
Pillar 2: Data-Driven Instruction with Interactive Quizzes
For Susan and her team, a video isn't just a viewing experience, it’s an assessment tool.
- Assess & Inform: RPS 205 educators utilize built-in Quiz capabilities to embed questions directly into their instruction.
- Closing the Loop: These real-time analytics allow teachers to identify muddy points instantly. Instead of waiting for a Friday quiz, teachers use video data to inform their next steps for the very next lesson. This accelerates the data-feedback loop, allowing teachers to bridge instructional gaps immediately and drive measurable student growth in much less time than with traditional assessments.
- Academy of Educational Leadership Journal (2024): Their meta-analytical review found that formative assessment increases student learning outcomes through continuous feedback, self-regulated learning, and fostering engagement.
Pillar 3: Amplifying Student Voice through Submit
Perhaps the most significant shift in Rockford is the move toward student-led discourse.
- Submit Assignments: Susan highlights the district’s love for Castify Submit, which allows students to record themselves explaining their thinking and teach others.
- The Protege Effect: According to the Journal of Edtech (2025) students who teach concepts via video achieve 2x higher learning gains than those who study passively. Whether it’s a kindergartner explaining a phonics sound or a high schooler defending a physics theorem, Submit gives students a platform to find their voice and demonstrate mastery in a way that traditional worksheets cannot.
Accessibility for Every Learner
Rockford is a diverse district with a wide range of learning needs. Susan has prioritized the use of captions, translations, and voice-over capabilities to ensure that no student is left behind.
- Universal Access: By translating video content and providing clear captions, RPS 205 makes complex tutorials accessible to multilingual learners and students with varying hearing and visual needs.
- Voice-Over: Teachers use the voice-over feature to provide additional scaffolding or to translate technical concepts into a student’s native language.
- Gartner Peer Insights (2026): Educators report that translation AI helps students communicate more confidently and develop meaning faster, particularly in high stakes assessments or instructions.
The Bottom Line: A Culture of Shared Success
With good usage year-over-year and a booming user base this year, Rockford Public Schools has proven that video is the connective tissue of modern instruction. Under Susan Uram’s guidance, RPS 205 is no longer just sharing videos, they are building a more inclusive, interactive, and data-informed future for every student.
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