section 1 of 5
Understanding Polaris
Polaris is an IEP development tool designed to streamline every stage of the IEP planning, writing, and progress monitoring process. Rather than replacing a district's official IEP management system, Polaris works alongside it to help educators create high-quality, compliant and data-driven IEP drafts that can be transferred into their official system.
By bringing IEP teams together in one collaborative workspace and automating key tasks, Polaris saves educators time while keeping the academic, functional and behavioral needs of the whole student at the center of the process.
Polaris helps educators:
- Generate Present Levels of Performance using connected assessments and student profiles
- Suggest standards-aligned SMART goals based on identified areas of need
- Recommend accommodations and modifications tailored to the student's profile
- Suggest lesson activities aligned to IEP goals using connected Everway solutions
- Monitor progress using synced daily performance data, assessments, and visual trendlines
- Generate easy-to-read progress reports for parents, caregivers, and the wider IEP team
The Polaris difference for IEPs
Polaris combines data-driven insights and generative AI to support every stage of the IEP process. From planning and writing to implementation and progress monitoring.
By analyzing assessment data, Polaris can:
- Generate summaries of present levels of academic and functional performance
- Suggest standards-aligned SMART goals
- Recommend instructional supports, accommodations, and modifications
- Track student growth using real-time progress data and visual reports
- Support collaboration with parents, service providers, and the wider IEP team
Polaris also provides access to extensive libraries of pre-written goals, evidence-based strategies, and supporting resources to help educators save time while creating personalized, compliant, and high-impact IEPs.
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Planning and preparing the development of an IEP
Review and use existing data
To prepare for developing an IEP in Polaris, educators should ideally begin planning around 60 days before the current IEP end date. Polaris uses assessment data to generate performance summaries, standards-aligned SMART goals, and instructional recommendations, so reviewing existing student data is an important first step.
If the student has already been using Everway solutions, start by reviewing the data already available.
- Locate previous assessments: Review completed Observational Profiles and Benchmark Assessments
- Select the most recent data: When creating a new IEP, Polaris automatically identifies completed profiles and assessments. Select the most recent results to ensure Polaris generates accurate present levels and goal suggestions
Collect new data
If a student does not have recent profiles or assessments, it is recommended that these are completed before generating a new IEP draft. However, additional profiles and assessments can also be administered during the drafting process and Polaris will automatically update the relevant sections of the draft.
Consider collecting the following:
Administer Parent Surveys
Provide the Preschool, Elementary or Secondary Parent Survey for parents to complete. These surveys capture valuable information about the student's strengths, needs, interests, goals, and medical history. Surveys are available in both English and Spanish.
Watch this tutorial on completing a parent survey
Administer Observational Profiles
Complete yearly Observational Profiles collaboratively with the student's multidisciplinary team, including parents or caregivers. These provide valuable information to support Present Levels of Performance.
Watch this tutorial on Observational Profiles
Administer Benchmark Assessments
Assign Benchmark Assessments to establish baseline data across targeted skill areas, including English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. This information helps Polaris generate more accurate instructional recommendations and SMART goals.
Upload existing active IEPs (if applicable)
For new student accounts or transfer students, educators can use the Bulk Upload feature instead of creating an IEP from scratch.
Upload an existing active IEP in PDF or Word format and Polaris will automatically extract:
- Present Levels of Performance
- Strengths and Needs
- Goals
- Accommodations
Note Only upload currently active IEPs. Historical IEPs should not be used with this feature.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on the Bulk Upload feature
section 3 of 5
Generating and customizing an IEP draft
Polaris dashboard features
The Polaris IEP Dashboard is the centralized homepage that provides a comprehensive overview of all drafted, finalized, and uploaded IEP plans, helping educators quickly identify what needs attention and monitor compliance.
Key features include:
Search and filter
Quickly locate students by name, grade level, or caseload.
Goal status and mastery
For active IEPs, the dashboard displays progress monitoring indicators to let educators instantly see if goals are not started, on track, mastered, or at risk.
Draft IEPs and deadlines
View upcoming IEP due dates to maintain compliance. From here, educators can start a new draft or click an existing draft to resume editing.
Create and upload
Bypass creating a draft from scratch by uploading existing, active IEP documents to initiate goal tracking.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on the Polaris IEP Dashboard
Generate the draft
Creating an IEP draft is a guided workflow that builds the foundation of the student's plan.
- Initiate the draft
From the Dashboard, select Add next to the student's name under the Draft IEP column. - Set the dates
Select the IEP start date. Polaris automatically sets the end date to one year minus one day, although this can be adjusted if needed. - Configure student details
Select the student's academic grade level and review the suggested academic and progress recommendations based on their assessment data. You can also review and select completed assessments for each area. - Confirm and generate
Confirm your selections to allow Polaris to generate the draft.
Once the draft has been generated, Polaris automatically pulls together data from completed Everway assessments, rubrics, and observational profiles to populate key sections of the IEP. Review each section carefully and customize it to accurately reflect the student's needs.
Customize the draft
Review the layout
Use the collapsible navigation menu to move through each section of the IEP. Polaris saves your changes automatically as you work.
Present Levels of Performance
Academic and functional present levels are generated using completed Observational Profiles. Review the suggested statements, edit existing text, delete statements, or add additional profiles if more information is needed.
Parent and caregiver input
Enter parent or caregiver information manually, or send a secure Parent Survey (available in English and Spanish). Polaris automatically generates an AI summary of completed survey responses for review.
Assessments, strengths, and needs
Completed assessments are automatically added to the draft and used to generate the student's strengths and needs. Additional assessments can be administered or added directly from this panel, and Polaris will automatically update the draft.
Annual goals and objectives
Polaris generates individualized, standards-aligned SMART goals using the selected assessment data.
Educators can:
- Edit suggested goals
- Create their own custom goals
- Enter a keyword or short phrase and allow Polaris to generate a SMART goal from that prompt
If a goal is edited, Polaris checks that it follows the SMART framework and automatically highlights or suggests any missing elements required for compliance.
Aids and supports
Review the suggested accommodations and modifications based on the student's profile
- Accommodations change how a student learns without changing the instructional expectations
- Modifications change what a student learns or the expected performance criteria
Review, edit, or add supports as needed to reflect the student's individual needs.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on drafting an IEP
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Implementing a finalized IEP
Transfer the draft to the District's IEP Management System
While Polaris is a powerful IEP planning and progress monitoring tool, it does not replace your district's official IEP management system. Once the draft has been reviewed and customized, it must be transferred into your district's system for compliance, team review, and final approval.
Polaris provides two ways to transfer your draft:
Copy and paste
Each section of the Polaris draft includes a Copy button, allowing educators to quickly copy content into any district IEP management system. For the most efficient workflow, consider using a split-screen view when transferring information.
Polaris browser extension
For a more integrated workflow, download the Polaris browser extension, available for Chrome and Edge.
The extension opens a side panel directly within supported IEP management systems, as well as Medicaid, SIS, and 504 portals, allowing educators to:
- View the Polaris draft without switching tabs
- Copy individual sections into the district's system
- Securely auto-fill supported web forms using Polaris data (available with select systems, including Embrace)
Hold the IEP meeting and finalize the IEP documents
Once the draft has been transferred, share it with the IEP team using your district's official IEP management system.
During the meeting, the team should review and discuss:
- Present Levels of Performance
- Strengths and needs
- Annual goals
- Accommodations and modifications
- Supplementary aids and supports
Record any agreed changes throughout the meeting.
Finalize the IEP
After the meeting, update both the district's IEP management system and the Polaris draft to reflect the team's final decisions. Keeping both versions aligned ensures Polaris can accurately monitor progress and generate reports throughout the life of the IEP.
Once all updates have been completed:
- Finalize the IEP in the district's system to meet legal and compliance requirements.
- Finalize the IEP in Polaris by completing the review steps and selecting Start Progress Monitoring to activate ongoing data collection, trend analysis, and reporting.
Throughout the life of the IEP, any future amendments or revisions agreed by the IEP team should be updated in both the district's IEP management system and Polaris to maintain accurate documentation and goal tracking.
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Monitoring IEP goal progress
Collect data and analyze trends
Once an IEP has been finalized, Polaris unlocks progress monitoring tools that help educators track student growth, evaluate interventions, and support ongoing compliance.
From the Active IEPs section of the Polaris Dashboard, educators can quickly review the Goal Status indicators to see whether goals are Not Started, On Track, Mastered or At Risk. Selecting a student's Goal Status opens their active IEP for progress monitoring.
Polaris provides four ways to collect and monitor goal data:
- Daily Performance
Polaris automatically syncs aligned data each night from completed Everway lesson assignments. Educators can also filter activities within the Daily Performance tab and select Add as Goal Data to choose which scores appear on the goal graph. - Manual Entry (Add Data)
For activities completed outside the Everway ecosystem, educators can manually record the Date, Score, and an optional Note. Notes can be used to capture anecdotal observations, prompts or supports provided, and other contextual information that may help interpret student performance. - Suggested Materials
View, assign, or launch targeted, standards-aligned Everway resources directly from Polaris. This helps streamline instructional planning while ensuring the data collected is directly aligned to the student's IEP goal. - Assessments
View or administer Benchmark Assessments and Unit Checkpoints directly from Polaris. Assessment results appear on their own graphs and provide valuable baseline and progress data.
Note If you would like Benchmark or Checkpoint scores to appear on the main goal graph, add them manually using Add Data.
Review progress
As data is collected, Polaris automatically generates:
- Target line
- Aimline
- Trendline
Use Manage Data to review, edit, and manage all recorded data points. The main goal graph displays only the most recent data points based on the goal's measurement criteria (for example, the last five data points for a "4 out of 5 opportunities" goal). To view the complete history of collected data, open Manage Data.
After six data points have been collected, select Trend Analysis to generate a summary of progress for that goal.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on progress monitoring an active IEP
Implement, monitor, and report
If a student's trendline indicates they are At Risk or making insufficient progress, add an Intervention Phase to the graph.
Record the intervention date and a note describing the instructional strategy or support introduced. Polaris adds a vertical intervention line to the graph and resets the trendline, making it easy to compare student progress before and after the intervention.
Mark goals as mastered
When a student meets the mastery criteria defined within their SMART goal, select Complete Mastered Goal.
Once a goal is marked as mastered:
- No additional data can be entered
- Goal moves to the Mastered Goals section
- Dashboard updates the Goal Mastery column to reflect the student's overall goal completion percentage
Generate reports
Polaris provides a range of reports to support instructional planning, progress monitoring, and compliance.
Progress Reports
Generate visual summaries of daily performance data and assessment results to share with parents, caregivers, and the wider IEP team. Reports can be viewed, downloaded, or printed.
Assessment Results by IEP
Review Benchmark and rubric assessment results organized by IEP. Visual graphs help track student growth over time and support data-informed goal setting.
Supplemental Aids and Supports
View a consolidated report of a student's accommodations and modifications to support classroom planning and collaboration across service providers.
Profile and Survey Results by IEP
Review completed Observational Profiles and Parent Surveys in one report to support Present Levels of Performance and IEP planning.
Total Report
Access a complete summary of the student's draft or active IEP, including present levels, assessments, goals, and supports. Use this report to prepare for meetings, transfer information to the district's IEP management system, or review the student's full plan.
Watch this step-by-step video tutorial on Polaris reports