Curriculum and Instruction

Accessing the core curriculum, for students with an IEP, may require the use of alternative curriculum and/or additional resources and materials. Below is a description of the available alternative curriculum along with additional instructional resources.

Unique Learning System

The Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) utilizes the Unique Learning System (ULS) as a California Common Core State Standards (CCSS)-aligned alternative curriculum for students from preschool through post-secondary levels. Adopted by the Ventura County Office of Education (VCOE) in 2016, this evidence-based program is designed for students accessing an alternative curriculum as determined by their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs). Each year, CVUSD purchases ULS licenses and provides ongoing teacher training and support to ensure effective implementation.

ULS offers comprehensive curriculum coverage in English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. Content is presented with visuals, differentiated instructional levels, and various formats—including hands-on and digital options—to ensure accessibility and engagement for all learners. Embedded assessments within ULS help measure skill progress, monitor benchmark growth, and evaluate transition readiness.

In addition to ULS, CVUSD equips teachers and students with licenses for News2You, a standards-aligned current events curriculum, and SymbolStix, a tool that supports students’ communication needs.

Cyber High and APEX are online credit recovery programs that enable high school students to make up credits for courses they have previously failed. These programs allow students to remediate failed courses while still enrolled in school full-time. Students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) also have the opportunity to use these online platforms to recover credits. The courses are accessible during the school day through designated credit recovery sessions.

APEX requires that a teacher who is credentialed in the subject area being remediated provide instruction, or that students participate through accredited alternative schools or programs. Students in need of credit recovery should reach out to their case manager or academic counselor to identify the most appropriate solution based on their individual needs and the program's requirements.

Seeing Stars is one of several evidence-based reading interventions designed to develop skills in the areas of phonemic awareness, word attack, word recognition, spelling, and reading fluency.

The Sonday System is a comprehensive line of materials designed to provide multisensory reading instruction to students accessing Learning Centers across CVUSD elementary schools. The Sonday System is a research and evidence based system to support reading needs using proven Orton-Gillingham methods.