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An overview of Polaris
Polaris is an IEP development tool that helps educators streamline IEP planning, writing, and progress monitoring. Using data-driven insights, Polaris generates Present Levels of Performance, suggests SMART goals and recommends instructional supports, helping educators create high-quality, compliant IEPs that can be transferred to the district's official IEP management system.
For administrators, Polaris provides additional tools to support district-wide implementation, oversight, and compliance.
Manage faculty and students
Polaris helps administrators efficiently onboard users and manage licenses across the district.
Administrators can:
- Add individual users throughout the school year using Single User Setup
- Import multiple staff and students using the Bulk Import CSV tool
- Allocate licenses across schools and departments
- Establish leadership hierarchies by assigning educators to Administrators or Sub-Administrators to ensure appropriate data visibility
Monitor implementation and compliance
The Administrator Dashboard provides district and school leaders with visibility into implementation and compliance.
Key reports include:
- Draft and Overdue IEPs Report – Monitor IEPs that are overdue or due within 30, 60, or 90 days
- Status of IEPs – Multiple Caseloads – Review IEP and goal status across multiple educators and service providers
- Staff Usage Summary Export – Track staff activity, profile completion, and benchmark administration to monitor platform adoption
Support educators
Administrators and Sub-Administrators can view draft and active IEPs created by educators who report to them, making it easier to review documentation and provide feedback. Administrators also have access to a Sample Classroom, allowing them to:
- Explore the educator experience using sample students
- Review lesson content
- Run sample reports
- Prepare training and implementation support for staff
Protect student data
Polaris protects student information using an enterprise-grade privacy process that removes Personally Identifiable Information (PII) before AI processing begins.
This ensures sensitive information remains secure while educators use AI-powered features.
Student privacy protection
Everway protects student privacy through an enterprise-grade Three-Stage Privacy Protection Process, allowing districts to benefit from AI while safeguarding sensitive information.
Stage 1
Before AI Processing
When documents, images, or files are uploaded, Polaris automatically detects and removes Personally Identifiable Information (PII), including:
- Student names
- Dates of birth
- Student IDs
- Home addresses
Stage 2
During AI Processing
Only anonymized, de-identified information is sent to external AI services.
Stage 3
After AI Processing
Once AI processing is complete, the original student information is automatically restored within Everway's secure servers, allowing educators to receive complete, contextualized results.
Additional privacy features
Polaris also protects:
- Parent and caregiver information
- Educator records and observation notes
The platform uses Microsoft's enterprise-grade security technology to support compliance with federal education privacy requirements while providing continuous monitoring and industry-standard security practices.
The entire privacy process runs automatically in the background, requiring no additional action from educators or administrators.
Review how we protect student privacy
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Understanding account roles
Roles and Permissions
We provide several account roles to support the implementation, management, and day-to-day use of Polaris. Assigning the correct role helps ensure users have the appropriate level of access while maintaining security and oversight across your organization.
Subscription Manager
The Subscription Manager role is included with your Polaris purchase and is responsible for managing user licenses.
Typical responsibilities include:
- Adding new staff licenses
- Removing or replacing existing users
- Managing license allocation across the organization
Administrator
The Administrator role supports district and school-wide implementation.
Administrators can:
- Manage faculty and users
- Monitor platform adoption and progress
- Oversee implementation across the organization
- View draft and active IEPs created by educators who report to them
Sub-Administrator
Sub-Administrators help delegate oversight across schools, departments, or teams.
They can:
- Manage assigned classrooms and educators
- Support implementation within their area
- View draft and active IEPs created by the educators who report to them
Multiple Administrators and Sub-Administrators can oversee the same licensed users where appropriate.
Classroom
The Classroom role is a licensed user role intended for staff working directly with students.
Typical users include:
- Teachers
- Service providers
- Therapists
- Paraeducators
Classroom users can create draft IEPs, monitor progress and use Polaris as part of their daily instructional workflow.
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Managing staff and students
Review subscriptions
Before adding users, review your available applications and licenses.
- Sign in to app.everway.com using an account with the Subscription Manager role
- From the Welcome page, select Subscriptions
- Review the Applications column to view your purchased subscriptions
- Check the Licenses Assigned column to see how many licenses have been allocated and how many remain available
Manage staff access
Administrators and Subscription Managers can build their teams and manage user access from the Manage Faculty and Students tab.
Single User Setup
Best for adding individual staff members throughout the year.
- Select Add Users > Single User Setup
- Enter the educator's email address and select Check for User (or enter their name if they are a new user)
- Follow the guided prompts
- Use Add Role and Add License to assign the appropriate permissions and solution licenses
- Save your changes
Bulk Import CSV
Best for district-wide deployments.
- Select Add Users
- Choose the appropriate Bulk Import Tool (such as Licensed Users or Administrators)
- Select your district subscription
- Download the CSV template
- Populate the spreadsheet with staff names and email addresses
- Upload the completed file
During the import, use the Reports To field to assign educators to the appropriate Administrator or Sub-Administrator. This establishes the leadership hierarchy and ensures the correct staff can view and support their assigned IEPs.
Replace Existing Users
When an educator leaves the district, use Replace User instead of deleting and recreating their account.
This transfers existing licenses, student rosters, and classroom schedules to the new staff member, reducing administrative work and maintaining continuity.
Manage Students
Student management is also completed from the Manage Faculty and Students tab.
Bulk Import Students
Use Bulk Import Students > Import CSV to add or update student records.
If your district already has student data, export the existing roster before making changes. Updating and re-importing the current roster helps prevent duplicate accounts and creates a smoother experience for educators.
Always ensure every student has a unique Student ID or email address.
Bulk Actions
Use Bulk Actions to manage multiple students at once.
After selecting one or more students, you can:
- Move students to another educator
- Drop students when their new educator is not yet assigned
- Remove students who have permanently left the district
Note Only use Remove when a student has permanently left the district, as this deletes their record.
Manage Individual Students
To manage an individual student:
- Open the Students tab.
- Select the ellipsis (•••) beside the student's name.
From here you can edit student information, adjust solution licenses and seating, view roster information, and share the student's profile with another service provider.
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Monitoring compliance
The Polaris Administrator Dashboard provides a central view of district-wide implementation, helping leaders monitor platform adoption, support educators, and maintain IEP compliance.
Administrators can use the dashboard to:
Track usage and adoption
Monitor license utilization, staff activity, and student logins to understand how Polaris is being adopted across your organization.
Use the Group Login Statistics report to identify adoption trends and determine whether specific groups of educators may need additional support or training.
Review data on a regular schedule
Polaris provides reports that support different stages of implementation.
Weekly or biweekly
Review the Status of IEPs – Multiple Caseloads report to monitor IEP and goal status across educators and service providers.
Monthly
Generate the Staff Usage Summary Export to review staff activity, profile completion and benchmark assessment administration.
Quarterly or end of year
Review the Benchmark Trend Report and Benchmark Completion Status reports to evaluate long-term student growth and identify district-wide instructional priorities.
Monitor IEP compliance
Use the Draft and Overdue IEPs report to identify IEPs that are overdue or due within the next 30, 60, or 90 days, helping staff stay ahead of compliance deadlines.
Use the Sample Classroom
Administrators can access a Sample Classroom to experience Polaris from an educator's perspective.
Use it to explore the educator interface, review sample students and schedules, explore lessons., run sample reports, and support staff training and implementation.
Watch this tutorial on the Polaris IEP Dashboard
Polaris Reports
Administrators can use Polaris reports to monitor district-wide implementation, support educators, and maintain compliance.
Status of IEPs – Multiple Caseloads
Review the status of IEPs and goals across multiple educators or service providers.
Recommended schedule
Weekly or biweekly, particularly during the first 60 days of implementation
Staff Usage Summary Export
View staff activity, including profile completion and benchmark assessment administration.
Use this report to monitor platform adoption, identify coaching opportunities, and support staff accountability.
Recommended schedule
Monthly and end of year
Draft and Overdue IEPs
Track IEP compliance by identifying plans that are overdue or due within the next 30, 60, or 90 days.
Use this report regularly to help educators stay on track with district timelines.
Benchmark Trend Report and Benchmark Completion Status
Review long-term assessment data across your organization to monitor student growth and identify district-wide instructional priorities.
Recommended schedule
Quarterly and end of year
Group Login Statistics
Monitor staff and student logins to evaluate platform adoption across different schools, departments, or educator groups.
Active by Accommodation and Modification
View which students have specific accommodations or modifications assigned to them, helping administrators support implementation and instructional planning across the district.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on Polaris reports
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Supporting educator implementation
Empower educators with initial training and resources
Before educators begin working in the system, administrators should share key resources to support their onboarding.
- Share the Educator Implementation Guide: Provide staff with this guide, which outlines an easy-to-follow, four-step process for implementing Polaris in their classrooms.
- Provide the Back to School Checklist: Encourage educators to use this checklist to plan and follow core actions for their Everway solutions.
- Encourage the self-guided interactive tour: Allow educators to explore a sneak peek of the features (like data collection, goal writing, and progress monitoring) before they begin the formal implementation process.
Define the vision and set expectations
Administrators must set the stage for success by establishing district-wide goals and communication strategies.
- Establish Implementation Goals: Clearly define the desired impact of the platform and determine exactly who will be responsible for reviewing usage and goal progress data.
- Outline Usage Expectations: Set firm expectations regarding how instruction should be delivered and establish a clear assessment schedule.
- Develop a Communication Plan: Determine how goals will be communicated to the staff, identify who service providers should contact with questions, and establish a schedule for leadership check-ins.
Guide Staff Through a 90-Day Implementation Timeline
Administrators should guide their staff through a realistic, phased rollout of the platform.
- First 30 Days: Direct educators to add and seat their students, use the bulk upload feature for existing active IEPs, and initiate at least one draft for an upcoming IEP.
- Next 30 Days: Have staff continue building drafts, practice using the Polaris Browser Extension to transfer data to the district's official IEP system, and begin progress monitoring any finalized IEPs.
- By 90 Days: Ensure that educators have their entire caseload entered into Polaris, are consistently using it to draft and monitor IEPs, and are utilizing Polaris resources to share best practices with their teams.