Educational Terms

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) - Medical diagnosis of attention deficits.

ADHD (Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder) - Medical diagnosis of attention deficit and hyperactivity.

ACT (American College Testing) - The standardized achievement test of College and Career Readiness for students in grade 11.

AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) - Determined by LDOE, this goal is for schools to maintain good standing with the LEA.

BD (Behavior Disorder) - Education classification of students with behavior disorders.

CCSS (Common Core State Standards) - Common standards adopted by Louisiana to be fully implemented by 2014-2015.

CEP - Community Eligibility Provision.

COMPASS - Louisiana’s evaluation system for education professionals.

CPI (Crisis Prevention Institute) - Training for educators in crisis prevention.

CSR (Comprehensive School Reform) - Scientifically-based models of school reform

CRT (Criterion-Referenced Test) - The interpretation of individual performance on an assessment tool as related to specific content knowledge and mastery

DI (Differentiated Instruction) - Instructional strategy offering a variety of methods for lesson delivery, practice, and assessment.

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy) - Diagnostic formative assessment administered triannually (Fall, Winter, Spring) to monitor student progress in early literacy.

EduSoft - Standardized, formative assessments mandated by LPSS in grades 3-10.

EOC (End-of-course) Exams - Standardized, summative assessments for students in grades 8-11 enrolled in Algebra I, Geometry, Biology, English II and III, and American History. Required for graduation and course credit.

EXPLORE - The ACT College and Career Readiness exam for students in grades 8-9.

Free/Reduced Lunch - Students qualifying for free or reduced lunch fees based on their total household income. This percentage is often used to indicate poverty within a school/district.

GLEs (Grade-Level Expectations) - Expected learning outcomes for a specific grade level, as outlined by the LCC

High-Stakes - Use of standardized assessment measures in which students must attain a certain level of proficiency in English language arts and/or math to progress to the next grade level

IAP (Individualized Assistance Plan) - State-mandated education assistance plan for students classified LD.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) - US federal mandate for free and appropriate public education (FAPE) to individuals with disabilities.

IEP (Individualized Education Plan) - State-mandated education plan for students classified SPED.

iLEAP (Integrated Louisiana Education Assessment Program) - NRT and CRT standardized assessment tool for students in grades 3, 5, 6, and 7

ITBS (Iowa Test of Basic Skills) - Non high-stakes standardized assessment for students in grade 2.

LCC (Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum) - State-mandated curriculum for all grade levels, provided and maintained by the LDOE

LD (Learning Disabled) aka 504 - Education classification for learning disabilities including, but not limited to, reading disorders such as dyslexia, writing disorders such as dysgraphia, and math disorders such as dyscalculia. 504 refers to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

LDOE (Louisiana Department of Education) - Governing state agency for education in the state of Louisiana

LEA (Local Education Agency) - The local school district.

LEAP (Louisiana Education Assessment Program) - NRT, high-stakes standardized assessment tool for students in grades 4 and 8

LPSS (Lafayette Parish School System) - South-central Louisiana public school district, serving a diverse population of over 30,000 students in grades P-12.

NRT (Norm-Referenced Test) - The interpretation of individual performance on an assessment tool as related to the performance of others in the same testing cohort

NCLB (No Child Left Behind) - Federal law that requires highly-qualified teachers and annual standardized testing measures in grades 3-11. Grades 4, 8, and 11 are high stakes.

ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder) - Medical diagnosis for oppositional and defiant behavior.

OHI (Other Health Impaired) -

PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) - Common assessments adopted by Louisiana to be fully implemented in 2014-2015.

PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention Support) - The research-based, state mandated system by which student discipline is monitored and tracked.

PLAN - The ACT College and Career Readiness exam for students in grade 10.

RTI (Response to Intervention) - The state-mandated process by which students are progress monitored for instructional weaknesses.

SBLC (School Building Level Committee) - Usually consisting of site-based administrators and instructional staff, this committee determines levels of intervention and academic support to student identified with instructional weaknesses.

SEA (State Education Agency) - State government department of education.

SPED (Special Education) - Education classification for students with special needs, including speech services.

SPS (School Performance Score) - The numerical label of a school’s performance, inclusive of student performance on standardized achievement tests and attendance rates.

Standardized Assessment - An exam administered to a group of students (often by grade-level), at the same time, under the same conditions, and in the same manner.

Title I - Funding allotted for schools with populations at or exceeding 35% of the student population eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch.

USDOE (United States Department of Education) - Federal department of education.