Unique Learning System vs. Alta from Knewton, a Wiley brand

I teach second and third grade, and I use mostly the elementary grade band, plus supplement with the intermediate grade band when needed. I think at these younger grade levels, Unique Learning System is especially well suited for our needs. I think that Unique Learning System helps me scaffold down from grade level standards to functional fundamental skills. However, I hear from my coworkers at the higher grade levels that Unique Learning System has a few significant gaps at the higher grade bands. Specifically, state (Texas) history standards and science (chemistry, physics, etc) has limited resources available through Unique Learning System, and they have to supplement with other resources.

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It is appropriate as a learning system and helps your students gain mastery. I would not use it as much for an assessment system, although they have been slowly building up those capabilities.

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• Data tracking and progress reports - Unique Learning System's Polaris feature is a user-friendly, simple way to track and monitor progress towards learners IEP goals. When creating a roadmap that follows a learner's IEP, you input data such as learning profiles and benchmark assessments and rubrics that then produce goal suggestions. You can craft your own goal, use a suggested goal, or choose a goal from the goal library. It gives you a great idea of what goals to target based on learner needs and progress. Entering data is super easy, just a date and a data point, and a graph generates for you. From there, it will show the data trend and flag it for you when it's at risk. It is also easy to add an intervention. Quarterly, I use the progress report feature to generate a report that provides me with the graphs that I use to put into IEP writer.
• Curriculum pacing - My school utilizes Unique Learning System for our daily instruction. Unique Learning System provides pacing guides with what to teach and when. Everything is standards aligned and all of the lesson plans have ways that you can differentiate already built into the plans as well as an easy to use, structured/routine based set up that makes daily lessons predictable for learners to increase engagement.
• N2Y - My learners love News To You! This provides children with access to informational text. We use it as a "fun Friday" read every week. We read the article in class, watch videos, answer questions, and typically do an activity to go along with it. The kids look forward to it every week, and also enjoy the Joey's Locker games that go along with the articles. They have a new feature to be able to assign activities that go along with the article which is really nice because I assign them as supplemental activities to go along with what we are learning about in class!

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• Adaptive learning
• LMS integration
• Focus on meeting learning standards rather than just on grades
• Each student gets different questions so it can reduce cheating
• Explanations are included if students get problems wrong

• I would love to see Unique Learning System provide visually adapted books with high contrast backgrounds/Roman word bubbling to support students with visual impairments.
• I would love to have Unique Learning System as an iPad app so my youngest/neediest learners can access it digitally using just their finger with no keypad to distract them.
• I would like if the resources (I'm specifically thinking of the math ones) were able to be printed with no background pictures so there is no extra visual clutter.
• I would love if the lessons could also be modified for visual impairments with high contrast counting, letters, etc.

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• I have yet to run into something that Wiley reps did not handle well.

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I appreciate all the various resources that Unique Learning System has to offer. However, due to my limited interaction with other resources similar to Unique Learning System I do not know enough to compare it against other programs. I also am not a person in charge of renewing Unique Learning System for my organization.

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The only issues I have are that I can never get through a whole lesson in a month and sometimes the topics are not high enough interest to keep my students engaged. the pacing is too fast for my kiddos so I typically have to pick and choose what parts I am going to focus on and assign,

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Easy to use

errors will show up

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yes at times some days it takes long to load on assesesments

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The individuals helping have always been great. The response to requests for changes in functionality or reporting less so.

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it was all over the place hard to follow along

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good product

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Unique Learning System is far superior to Newsela. The symbol support alone makes Unique Learning System much more appropriate for my students. One thing that I like about Newsela is the integrated comprehension questions within the reading. The students cannot advance until they get the questions correct, and I think that is a valuable way to reinforce their reading attentiveness.

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Invited by the Vendor

A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info

alta from Knewton, a Wiley brand, is much less expensive than the other LMSes, not just for the students but for the institution, too.

todays weather would not load sometimes

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• Ease of planning is #1. I am able to plan an entire lesson or a week's worth of lessons during my 30-minute planning time.
• Data that is collected for IEPs is so valuable and reports are parent-friendly.
• Students are able to work on the alternative path toward a diploma because this curriculm is covering all of the standards they need to see in order to earn their diploma.

• Higher pass rates.

Incentivized

Invited by the Vendor

A de minimis incentive was given to thank the reviewer for their time. The incentive was not used to bias or drive a particular response, nor was the incentive contingent on a positive endorsement. More Info