Create a Dashboard Tile

🔐 Account type(s) with default permissions to manage this: All Account Types

💻 Tier(s) this is available for: Foundation, Essential, Pro

An Ellevation dashboard brings together the data and instructional resources that matter most to your EL program in one place. Use data tiles to monitor key student metrics, and Strategies tiles to surface ready-to-use instructional content for educators.

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There are two ways to create a tile. For most tiles, the quickest way is to add one directly from the dashboard using Add Tile. If you already have a saved Student List View you want to reuse, you can also turn it into a tile from the Student List.

Learn more about:

• Add a Tile from the Dashboard (Recommended)
  • Configure a Students Tile
  • Configure a Strategies Tile
• Create a Data Tile from the Student List

ℹ️ Note

You can only add tiles to a dashboard you own. If you do not own any dashboards yet, create one first. To learn how, see Manage Your Dashboards.

Add a Tile from the Dashboard (Recommended)

Adding a tile directly from the dashboard is the quickest way to build both data tiles and Strategies tiles without leaving the page. Every tile starts from the same place: the Add Tile option in the Actions menu.

1. Open the dashboard you want to add a tile to. If it is not already displayed, use Switch Dashboard to find and open it.
2. Click Actions at the top right and select Add Tile. On a new, empty dashboard, you can also click Add Tile in the center of the Build Your Dashboard prompt.
3. In the Configure Tile window, enter a Title (required) and, optionally, a Description (up to 1,000 characters).
4. Choose a Data Type. Select Students to build a tile from student data, or Strategies to display a list of instructional activities or modules.

As you configure the tile, the Preview on the right updates to show how it will look. How you finish depends on the Data Type you chose.

📝 Add a tile from the Actions menu, then set it up in the Configure Tile window.

Configure a Students Tile

A Students tile counts or displays students based on filters you choose. You can show the results as a single number, a chart, or a table.

1. With Students selected as the Data Type, optionally add filters to narrow which students are included. Use the Find filters search to add one or more filters, and combine multiple filters with AND or OR. Filters work the same way here as they do in the Student List. See Filter in the Student List.
2. Use the Include dropdown to choose which students to include: Active students, Inactive students, or All students.
3. Under Show As, choose how the tile displays the data. The Preview updates as you make selections. See the display types below for the options each one offers.
4. Click Add to Dashboard.

The Show As display types are described below.

Big Number

Displays a single count of the students who match your filters. It has no additional options.

📝 A Students tile shown as a Big Number.

Donut Chart

Breaks the group into parts by one characteristic. Choose a View by field to group the data (required), then optionally set the Legend position to Bottom, Right, Left, or None.

📝 A Students tile shown as a Donut Chart, grouped by a View by field.

Bar Chart

Compares counts across a characteristic. Choose a View by field (required). Optionally add a Split by to break each bar down by a second characteristic, which adds Bar style (Clustered, Stacked, or 100%) and Legend options. Expand Advanced to set the orientation, add axis labels, and show data values on the bars.

📝 A Students tile shown as a Bar Chart, with View by, Split by, and Bar style options.

When you view by a growth data point, an Interval control also appears, which sets how scores are grouped into bars. Choose Equal groups and set the Number of groups, or choose Interval size and set the Points per group. Both default to 5. For Interval size, a value of 1 usually makes the chart easiest to read.

📝 For a growth View by field, the Interval control groups scores into bars. An Interval size of 1 point per group is easiest to read.

Line Chart

Shows change over time. Choose a date-based View by field (required), then set the Interval (Month or Year) and the Year start (Calendar year or School year). Optionally add a Split by to plot a separate line for each group, and expand Advanced to add axis labels.

ℹ️ Note

A line chart displays the full range of dates available in your data for the field you choose in View by. For example, if your district's data for that field begins in 2020, the chart starts at 2020.

📝 A Students tile shown as a Line Chart, with the Interval and Year start options.

Data Table

Displays rows of student information. Use Columns to add, remove, reorder, or edit the columns shown. The table starts with the same columns as your current saved Student List View, and changes you make here do not affect your Student List. Student Name is always the first column and cannot be removed. Expand any column to Highlight matching values in a color (Blue, Green, Orange, or Red).

📝 A Students tile shown as a Data Table, with the Columns list and highlighting options.

Configure a Strategies Tile

A Strategies tile displays a ready-made list of instructional activities or modules that educators can use right away.

1. With Strategies selected as the Data Type, use Select List Type to choose Activity List or Module List.
2. Choose the specific list to display. For an Activity List, use Select Activity List. For a Module List, use Select Module Pathway. Lists are grouped into District Custom Lists, which your district created, and Ellevation Recommended, which are pre-built and available in every account.
3. Click Add to Dashboard.

📝 Add a Strategies tile by choosing the Strategies Data Type, then selecting a list type and list.

ℹ️ Note

Strategies tiles are available on the Essential and Pro tiers. The Module List option also requires the Professional Learning add-on, in addition to the Pro tier. If you only see the Activity List option, check with your Ellevation Administrator.

💡 Quick Tip

Each Strategies list already has its own title and description. The tile Title you enter is required and appears above the list, so make it distinct from the list's built-in description rather than repeating it.

The activities and modules in each list, along with each list's title and description, are managed separately under Manage Strategies Lists, which only Administrators can access. To learn more, see Learn about your Strategies Settings and Permissions.

After you add a tile, it appears on the dashboard. To rearrange or resize it, or to edit it later, see Edit Dashboard Layout and Edit a Dashboard Tile.

Create a Data Tile from the Student List

If you already have a saved View in the Student List, you can turn it into a dashboard tile. This is helpful when you want to reuse a View you have already set up. For most new tiles, adding one directly from the dashboard (described above) is quicker.

📝 Open the Views menu to find and select a saved Student List View.

1. Navigate to the Student List by clicking Students in the navigation bar, then selecting Student List.
2. Click Views at the top left and select the saved View you want to turn into a tile. If you need to adjust the View first, update its Filters, Fields, or Chart, or build a new configuration. See Filter in the Student List, Adjust Displayed Fields in the Student List, and Add a Chart in the Student List.
3. Click Save As at the top of the Student List, then select Dashboard Tile.
4. Select the dashboard to add your tile to, or create a new one.
5. Choose whether to link your tile to a Student List View:
   • Linked tile (default): A corresponding View is created and linked to your tile. Future changes to that View's Filters, Fields, Chart, name, or description automatically update the tile.
   • Unlinked tile: The tile is created without a corresponding View and does not update when Student List configurations change.
6. Select the tile type:
   • Headline tile displays the total count of students who meet your filter criteria as a single number.
   • Chart tile displays students grouped visually by one or two characteristics. This option is available only if your current Student List configuration includes a Chart.
   • Table tile displays rows of student information for students who meet your filter criteria.
7. Enter a tile name and, optionally, a description. If you are creating a linked tile, the tile and its corresponding View always share the same name and description, and changes to one automatically update the other.
8. Click Add to Dashboard.

Your new tile appears at the bottom of the dashboard you selected. To view it, click the link in the success message or open the dashboard from your Homepage.

💡 Quick Tip

To learn more about each tile type and how the display options work, see Learn About Dashboard Tile Types.