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Understand Unique Learning System
Learn what Unique Learning System is, who it supports and how the instructional model works. Let's begin with understanding and building confidence with the product before setting it up in your classroom.
What is Unique Learning System?
Unique Learning System is a modified core curriculum for students from Pre-K through Transition with unique learning needs.
It gives educators access to differentiated lessons, instructional resources, assessments, and real-time performance data so they can support student engagement, monitor progress, and adapt instruction.
Why teachers use Unique Learning System
Unique Learning System helps teachers deliver meaningful, standards-aligned instruction while supporting students at different levels of access and independence.
Teachers use Unique Learning System to:
- Deliver age-appropriate, differentiated instruction
- Support academic, communication, and functional skill development
- Access lesson plans, student materials, and assessments in one place
- Monitor student progress using performance data and reports
- Connect instruction to extended standards and individual learning needs
How Unique Learning System supports differentiated instruction
Unique Learning System materials are designed to support students across three differentiated levels.
Level 1
Participatory
Students who need maximum support and may participate through active engagement, choice-making, or pre-symbolic communication.
Level 2
Supported
Students who need direct support, visual scaffolds, or adapted materials to complete learning tasks.
Level 3
Independent
Students who can complete tasks with more independence and demonstrate understanding through reading, writing, or response-based activities.
Unique Learning System instructional model
Unique Learning System is built around explicit, systematic, and differentiated instruction. Lessons include teacher guidance, student materials, differentiated tasks, and assessment opportunities to help educators plan, teach, and respond to student needs.
Try it out
Watch this quick interactive walkthrough of how to access and use Unique Learning System.
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Set up your students
Create student accounts, adjust student settings, and use profiles to understand support needs.
Create or add student accounts
Start by adding students to your roster.
Before creating a new student account, always search for an existing student first. Duplicate accounts can affect student data and cannot be merged.
To add a student:
1 Open Students from the My Account menu
2 Select Add Student
3 Search for the student using the search bar or Show All Available Students
4 If the student appears with a plus sign, add them to your roster
5 If the student is already on another teacher’s roster, they may need to be dropped before you can add them
6 If no account exists, create a new student account and complete the required fields
7 Select the Everway solutions the student needs access to
Customize student settings
Student settings help you tailor access, support, and learning experiences for each student. These short walkthroughs provide more detail on configuring the student experience.
Creating student accounts
Watch this video to learn how to create student accounts, add students to your roster, and assign the correct subscriptions and grade bands.
Choose the correct grade band
When assigning a student to Unique Learning System, select the grade band that matches the student’s assigned grade level and chronological age (not their academic ability level).
This helps ensure students have access to age-appropriate content and grade-aligned instruction, while still receiving the right level of support through differentiated materials.
Create sample students
It is recommended that teachers create sample students to safely explore the platform and preview the student experience.
A good starting point is to create one sample student for each differentiated level:
- Level 1
- Level 2
- Level 3
This allows you to see how activities appear for students with different levels of support.
Customize student settings
Student settings help you tailor access, support, and learning experiences for each student. These short walkthroughs provide more detail on configuring the student experience.
Login settings
Choose how students access their dashboard, including username and password, simplified password, or QR badge.
Accessibility settings
Adjust text-to-speech, symbol support, zoom, visual prompts, target cues, and other supports.
Solution settings
Set the student’s assigned grade level, grade band, differentiated level, reading priorities, and course or lesson overrides.
Shared settings
Share student access with other educators, service providers, or support staff.
Use profiles to understand student needs
Observational Profiles help educators understand a student’s current abilities, strengths, and support needs.
Profiles can help you:
- Identify a recommended differentiated level
- Inform present levels of performance
- Guide instructional strategies
- Support IEP development
Profiles should be completed each year and can be updated as student needs change.
Administer benchmark assessments
Benchmark Assessments help establish baseline data and monitor progress in targeted skill areas.
They can be used to:
- Identify current performance levels
- Support IEP goal planning
- Monitor growth over time
- Determine whether students are ready for targeted instruction
- Guide grouping and instructional decisions
Benchmarks can be administered independently through the Student Dashboard, teacher-led online, or offline using printed materials.
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Plan your instruction
Organize your classroom, choose your planning approach, and assign lessons.
Organize your classes and groups
Use student data, differentiated levels, and classroom routines to organize instruction.
You might group students by:
- Instructional readiness
- Differentiated level
- Specific skill gaps
- Shared learning goals
- Classroom routines or rotations
TIP You can create custom classes in the Planner to match the way your classroom actually runs. For example, Whole Group Reading, Small Group A, Small Group Math, IEP Goal Work, Independent Practice, etc.
Creating and managing classes
Watch this video to learn how to create classes and organize students within the Planner.
Create classes in the Planner
To create a class:
1 Open Planner from the My Account menu
2 Select Add Class
3 Name the class
4 Choose a color and icon
5 Add students
6 Save the class
Using colors and icons can help students identify the correct class or activity when they log in to their dashboard.
Choose your planning approach
Unique Learning System supports different approaches to instruction depending on your goals and subject area.
Spiral Instruction
Use Spiral Instruction when you want students to revisit key concepts over time in increasingly complex ways.
This approach is commonly used with:
- Monthly thematic units
- English Language Arts learning pathways
- Interdisciplinary instruction
- Unit Checkpoints
Spiral Instruction helps reinforce learning, connect new content to prior knowledge, and deepen understanding over time.
Sequential Instruction
Use Sequential Instruction when students need to build skills in a clear, step-by-step order.
This approach is commonly used with:
- Math pathways
- Science pathways
- Social Studies pathways
- Skill-based instruction
- Pre- and post-pathway assessments
Sequential instruction helps students build foundational knowledge before moving to the next skill.
Use the Planner to assign instruction
The Planner helps you organize lessons, activities, and pathways. These walkthroughs provide more detail on planning and assigning instruction.
Add Assignments
Watch this video to learn how to assign lessons or activities from thematic units.
Assign Pathways
This video shows how to assign ordered skill-based sequences.
Manage Pathways
In this video, learn how to customize pathway content when needed.
Bulk Actions
Watch this video to learn how to assign or adjust materials for groups of students.
Export Lesson Plans and Student Activity
In this video, learn how to use reports for instruction and collaboration.
TIP
Start by creating your classes and instructional groups first, then choose whether your content will be delivered through thematic units (Spiral Instruction) or Learning Pathways (Sequential Instruction).
Once your structure is in place, use the Planner tools to assign content and manage instruction efficiently.
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Start teaching with ULS
Launch teacher-led instruction and use differentiated materials to support every learner.
Launch teacher-led instruction
You can launch lessons directly from the Planner for whole group, small group, or individual instruction.
To launch instruction:
1 Open your Planner
2 Find the assignment card
3 Select the eye icon
4 Present the materials on a shared screen or interactive board
Lesson plans
Learn how to navigate lesson plans, instructional routines, and teacher supports designed to guide instruction.
Use lesson plans
Lesson plans give you the structure for instruction. They may include:
- Learning objectives
- Instructional targets
- Teacher scripts
- Explicit instructional routines
- Differentiated tasks
- Corrective feedback
- Extension or reteaching suggestions
Grade bands, unit overview, and suggested unit pacing
Explore how content is organized across grade bands and how pacing guides can support instructional planning.
Use the Gradual Release Model
Many lessons follow the Gradual Release Model: I do, We do, You do
I do - Teacher model
The teacher models the skill and explains the thinking process.
We do - Guided practice
The teacher and students practice together, with prompts, feedback, and support.
You do - Student practice
Students practice independently or in small groups using differentiated tasks.
Support all learners with differentiated tasks
Students can participate in the same lesson while working at different levels of support. For example:
Level 1
Students may participate through active engagement or choice-making.
Level 2
Students may use picture supports and direct prompts.
Level 3
Students may complete tasks with greater independence.
This allows the whole group to stay connected to the same instructional goal while giving each student the right level of access.
Student materials
See how differentiated student materials support participation across all three differentiated levels.
Use student materials
Student materials include interactive and printable activities that support instruction.
Depending on the lesson, students may:
- Listen to text
- Select responses
- Complete differentiated activities
- Use visual supports
- Engage with interactive tools
- Complete online or printed tasks
Assess learning within instruction
Unique Learning System includes instructional activities designed to help educators measure understanding and monitor progress throughout a unit.
Unit Checkpoints and Lesson Activities
Learn how lesson activities and checkpoints work together to support instruction and measure student growth.
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Assess and monitor progress
Collect performance data, administer assessments, and use reports to guide instruction.
Collect daily performance data
Unique Learning System captures student performance data from completed assignments.
From the student page, you can review:
- Completed activities
- Number of attempts
- Accuracy scores
- Accommodations used
- Student responses
- Observational notes
You can also add offline attempts when students complete printed or hands-on activities outside the digital dashboard.
Student Assignments and Performance
Learn how to review assignment completion, student responses, accommodations, and daily performance data.
Use Unit Checkpoints
Unit Checkpoints help measure student growth before and after thematic unit instruction.
Pre-tests
To understand background knowledge and starting points
Post-tests
To measure mastery and growth after instruction
Checkpoint results can help you identify strengths, gaps, and next steps for instruction.
Use Pathway Assessments
Pathway Assessments measure learning before and after specific Learning Pathways or skill-based courses. Use them to:
- Identify prior knowledge
- Target instructional gaps
- Measure learning gains
- Support data collection
Some assessments are available online, while others are printable and administered offline.
Use Benchmark Assessments for progress monitoring
Benchmark Assessments help monitor growth over time in targeted skill areas. They can support:
- IEP progress monitoring
- Baseline data collection
- Instructional grouping
- Skill targeting
- Present levels of performance
- Progress reporting
A typical cadence is two to four times per year.
Benchmark Reports
Learn how to review benchmark data, identify instructional needs, and monitor student growth over time.
Run reports
Reports help turn student activity and assessment data into instructional decisions.
Common report types include:
- Daily Performance Reports
- Benchmark Performance Reports
- Checkpoint Reports
- Profile Reports
- Classroom-Level Reports
- Student-Level Reports
Use reports to identify trends, adjust instruction, plan interventions, and share progress with the IEP team.
Reports
Learn how to generate reports, analyze student data, and use reporting tools to support instructional planning and progress monitoring.
Data cycle
A simple data cycle can help guide your next steps:
Assess → Analyze → Prioritize needs → Plan instruction → Teach → Monitor progress
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Explore additional resources
Use additional Unique Learning System resources to extend instruction, support planning, and build confidence.
Courses
Courses provide supplemental, skill-based lessons and activities across subject areas.
They may support:
- Math
- Reading and Language Arts
- Science
- Social Studies
Courses can include lesson plans, student materials, differentiated activities, and pre- or post-assessments.
Explore supplemental courses and learn how they can be used to extend instruction and reinforce key skills.
Library
The Library includes supplemental books designed for a range of literacy levels.
Use the Library to:
- Support reading practice
- Build background knowledge
- Provide differentiated texts
- Access decodable and leveled books
- Find Spanish text options where available
In this video, explore Library Books, the Library Guide, and the Reading Level Assessment.
Learn how to find books, select appropriate reading levels and support literacy development.
Core Materials
Core Materials support foundational and functional skill development.
They may be used for:
- Daily routines
- Communication
- Classroom jobs
- Daily living skills
- Self-advocacy
- Transition readiness
Explore Core Rubrics and Core Materials
Learn how Core Materials and Core Rubrics work together to support functional skills and transition readiness.
Transition Resources
Transition resources support students in Middle School, High School and Transition grade bands.
They may include:
- Transition Planning Assessments
- Transition Passport materials
- Transition Profiles
- Vocational, daily living, community and personal life resources
Explore Transition Planning and Transition Passport
In this video, find resources that help students prepare for life beyond school.