DEFINITIONS OF EDUCATIONAL ACRONYMS 504 504 Accommodation A 504 Accommodation is part of the Civil Rights Legislation that states

that no one can be denied education based on his/her disability. Students who qualify for a 504 Accommodation do not qualify for special education services but need some help to participate fully in their education. There are specific requirements that must be met in order for someone to qualify for this accommodation. Building Leadership Team At IHMS, the BLT collaborates on determining the direction the school is going, the types of professional development that the faculty receives, etc. Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy (Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved November 9, 2012 from http://www.corestandards.org.) An important understanding of the CCSS is that they are a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). The standards were developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce (Common Core State Standards Initiative. Retrieved November 9, 2012 from http://www.corestandards.org/about-the-standards).. CFA Common Formative Assessments These are assessments that a department, grade level subject, etc., prepare collaboratively and use to determine what adjustments need to be made in instruction. Criterion-Referenced Test In Utah, the end-of-year tests are CRTs. CRTs are designed to assess a students knowledge of material covered by a specific curriculum, e.g., English language arts, calculus, biology. Evidenced-Based Learning (or Practice) The key concepts in understanding the term evidence-based practice are type and magnitude of research (Odom et al., 2005). Type of research

BLT

CCSS

CRT

EBL

refers to the systematic way researchers apply an intervention and measure its effectiveness. Magnitude refers to the amount of studies that show a strong, positive cause-and-effect relationship between an intervention and improved academic or behavioral outcomes (Riddle, P. Personal communication, November 9, 2012). The differences between evidence-based learning (or practice) and research-based practice are that research-based practice uses a small sample size and does not allow for replication, examination of cause and effect, etc. (Riddle, P. Personal communication, November 9, 2012). ELA English Language Arts Required course of study that includes writing, literature, grammar, etc. English-Language Learner This term identifies a student whose first language is not English. Depending on the students progress in English, he/she is entitled to receive services to help him/her learn English. Individuals with Disabilities Education Act This is the legislation that provides special education services to students with disabilities.

ELL

IDEA

IEP

Individualized Educational Plan An IEP is a mandated component of the legislation authorizing special education. It is a collaboratively developed plan for an individual student that is designed to help the child overcome the difficulties he/she has and maximize his/her learning. The law mandates that general educators as well as special educators participate in the process. Local Educational Agency In special education, this identifies the school-level administrator who signs the IEP and is part of the special education team. Least-Restrictive Environment Special education term describing the environment in which a special education student is educated. The general education classroom is the least-restrictive environment and a placement in a special school setting (e.g., Jordan Valley) is much more restrictive. The law requires that all students be educated in the least restrictive environment in which they can function and learn. Multi-School Discipline Team In schools where only one or two persons teach a subject, e.g., art, instrumental music, physical education, etc., the opportunities for

LEA

LRE

MSDT

collaboration with peers is severely limited. Canyons School District attempts to alleviate this problem by having same-subject teachers meet together to do the things that larger departments can do at the school. MSDTs are expected to do the same things that English, science, math, and social studies departments do. NRT Norm-Referenced Test The major reason for using a norm-referenced test (NRT) is to classify students. NRTs are designed to highlight achievement differences between and among students to produce a dependable rank order of students across a continuum of achievement from high achievers to low achievers. With norm-referenced tests, a representative group of students is given the test prior to its availability to the public. The scores of the students who take the test after publication are then compared to those of the norm group. . . .Because norming a test is such an elaborate and expensive process, the norms are typically used by test publishers for 7 years. All students who take the test during that seven year period have their scores compared to the original norm group (Bond, Linda A. (1996). Norm- and criterion-referenced testing. Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation, 5(2). Retrieved November 12, 2012 from http://PAREonline.net/getvn.asp?v=5&n=2).

PBIS

Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports PBIS is passed on the notion that desired behaviors must be taughtjust as academic concepts are taught. Once taught, they are reinforced. Professional Learning Community In education, this is a group of educators who work collaborativlye to increase student learning. IHMS works in PLCs on Fridays. Response to Intervention RtI is a tiered approach to teaching and learning. The key concept in RtI is that educators provide excellent Tier 1 instruction and then target interventions to those students who need additional supports. The target is to have 80-85% of students succeed with Tier 1 instruction. Tier 2 intervention is intended to help 10-15% of the remaining students succeed. Those receiving Tier 3 intervention need the most support and intervention targets the remaining 5% of the students. S- Sit up; L- Listen, Lean forward; A- Act interested, Ask and answer questions; N- Nod, Note; T- Track the speaker/teacher

PLC

RtI

SLANT

This is a strategy that educators Anita Archer and Kevin Feldman use to teach students to use receptive listening skills. SLD Specific Learning Disability This is a special education classification that qualifies a student to receive special education services. An SLD can be in the area of math, reading, language, etc. Speech-Language Pathologist This is a person who has received extensive training and is qualified to provide speech and language services to students. Students who receive these services in public schools must have an IEP. World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment This term identifies standards and practices that should be used/followed to help English-language learners learn content material and English as a second language.

SLP

WIDA