Bryan County Parental Involvement

What are some of the commonly used terms in education? What do the initials stand for? The following is a guide to use to hopefully answer some of those questions.

ACT – American College Test – A test that assesses high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college level work, it is often used as a tool for college/university admission.

AP – Advanced Placement – A program that enables high school students to complete college level courses for college placement and/or credit.

AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress – Measures the yearly progress of groups at the school, district and state levels against yearly targets in reading and mathematics. Target goals are set for attendance and graduation rates as well. If a school misses one target, it does not make AYP.

BOE – Board of Education – A group of elected officials in charge of local public schools.

CAP – Corrective Action Plan – A plan written to improve student achievement when a school or school district fails to reach improvement goals for student achievement.

CRCT – Criterion Referenced Competency Test - A series of tests designed to test the knowledge of 1st to 8th graders in reading, English/language arts and mathematics and 3rd to 8th graders additionally in science and social studies.

DD – Developmentally Delayed – A delay in the acquiring of abilities and skills typically reached by children of similar ages.

ELL – English Language Learners – These are students whose first language is one other than English and who needs language assistance in order to participate fully in the regular curriculum.

ESEA – Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 - This is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education. The law authorizes federally funded education programs that are administered by the states.

ESL – English as a Second Language – A program model that delivers specialized instruction to students who are learning English as a new language.

ESOL – English to Speakers of Other Languages – A state funded instructional program for eligible English language learners in grades K-12.

FRL – Free and Reduced Lunch – Children qualify, based on parent or guardian’s financial status, to receive either free or reduced priced school lunch through a federal government plan.

GaDOE – Georgia Department of Education – The agency that oversees public education throughout the state of Georgia.

GAPIRC – Georgia Parental Involvement and Resource Center – The purpose of PIRC is to help implement successful and effective parental policies, programs and activities.

GED – General Educational Development – A group of five subject tests which, when passed, certify that the taker has American or Canadian high school-level academic skills. The GED is commonly referred to as a General Equivalency Diploma or General Education Diploma.

GHP – Governor’s Honors Program – A six week summer instructional program designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching opportunities not usually available during the school year.

GHSGT – Georgia High School Graduation Test – This test measures whether or not Georgia high school seniors have mastered essential concepts and skills from the state- adapted curriculum deemed necessary to earn a diploma.

GHSWT – Georgia High School Writing Test – Juniors in high school participate in and must pass this test in order to earn a regular education diploma. It requires students to produce a composition of no more than two pages on an assigned topic.

GKIDS – Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills – A year long performance based assessment. The goal is to provide teachers with information about the level of instructional support needed by individual students entering kindergarten and first grade.

GPS – Georgia Performance Standards – Clear expectations for assessment, instruction, and student work. They define the level of work that demonstrates achievement of the standards, enabling a teacher to know “how good is good enough”.

HQT– Highly Qualified Teacher – Teachers in core academic areas are to be “highly qualified” as determined by three essential criteria; a bachelor’s degree or higher in the subject taught, obtaining a full state teacher’s certification and demonstrating knowledge in subjects taught. This is required by Title 1 Statute.

IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act – Federal law, reauthorized in 2004, that is designed to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate education that emphasizes special education and related services.

IEP – Individualized Education Plan – A written educational statement for a student with a disability that is developed, at least annually, by a team of professionals knowledgeable about the student and family. It is required by federal law and must include specific information about how the student will be served and what goals he or she should be meeting.

LEA – Local Education Agency – A local school system or local school district; indicates that a public board of education or other public authority maintains administrative control of the public schools in a city or county.

LEP – Limited English Proficient – Students whose first language is one other than English and who need language assistance to participate fully in the regular curriculum and statewide assessment system

NAEP – National Assessment of Educational Progress – Known as the “Nation’s Report Card”, NAEP assesses the educational achievement of elementary and secondary students in various subject areas.

NI – Needs Improvement – Status assigned to schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress for two or more consecutive years.

PSAT – Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test – A practice test for the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) normally taken by high school juniors.

PTP – Parent to Parent – Provides comprehensive information about the government’s medical, educational, social and therapeutic services available to parents in Georgia.

RTI – Response to Intervention – An educational model that promotes early identification of students who may be at risk for learning difficulties.

SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test – Often taken by high school juniors and seniors as a tool to college/university admissions, it assesses a student’s verbal, mathematical and writing skills.

SDFSC – Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities – Supports programs and resources to foster a safe and drug free learning environment that supports student academic achievement.

SEA – State Education Agency – A federal term for each state’s Department of Education.

SIP – School Improvement Plan – A plan that includes strategies for improving student performance, how and when improvements will be implemented, use of funds, requests for waivers, etc.

SP Ed. – Special Education – The education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the student’s individual differences and needs.

SWD – Students with Disabilities – refers to a child evaluated as having an impairment or disability and who needs special education and related services as determined through an appropriate evaluation.

Title 1 – The largest federal education funding program for schools, its aim is to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. School funding is based on the number of those students eligible for the free and reduced price lunch program.