A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X Y  Z

B
Bilingual education – These programs are designed to help students acquire English proficiency while they continue to learn the subject areas appropriate to their age and grade levels in their native language. See Transitional Bilingual Education Programs and full Bilingual Education programs

Block grants – General educational grants from the federal government to the states; states are then free to choose the specific programs for spending the funds.

Board of Regents – The governing board of the University of the State of New York, which includes all public and private elementary & secondary schools, institutions of higher learning, libraries, museums and some other educational and cultural institutions. The board was established in 1784 and consists of 16 members elected by the legislature for seven-year terms. They exercise legislative functions and select the Commissioner of Education.

BOCES – Board of Cooperative Educational Services – These boards provide services to their component local school districts such as special education programs, vocational programs, computer services, public relations services, etc. They are designed to provide services in a more economical way than could be provided by each individual school district. They have boards whose members are elected by the local boards of education.

BOE – Board of Education – A corporate body that oversees and manages public school district affairs, personnel and properties. The members are elected by the residents of the school district for terms of either 3, 4 or 5 years.

Bubble sheets – Sheets that can be scanned by computers to record such information as grades (especially at the secondary level) or BEDS. Information is recorded with a number 2 pencil by filling in circles.

Buckley Amendment – Boards of Education that receive federal funds must adopt policies to ensure the protection of rights and privacy of students and their parents with regard to the collection, maintenance and dissemination of student records. No part of a student's record may be given to a person outside the school district without the written permission if a parent describing the specific information to be released.

C
CAR Report – Comprehensive Assessment Report – A report required to be filed annually by each school district with the State Education Department (SED). It is used to measure student progress, pinpoint problems, and help improve student performance. Schools identified by SED as in need of assistance must then develop and submit a Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) to SED and then implement it the following year.

Career Pathways – A task force created by Governor Cuomo to establish and maintain globally competitive standards for what youth must know and be able to do as they enter the workplace or continue their post-secondary education. Two of the recommendations include a Career Pathways Certificate that would be earned at age 16 signifying mastery of rigorous academics and entry-level work-related skills and the ability to earn Professional and Technical Certificates that would show mastery of skills and knowledge in a specific field.

Carnegie credits – Credits given at the successful completion of a course towards a high school diploma.

CAT Test – California Achievement Test

Categorical aid – Aid that is given by the state of New York to local school districts for specific purposes, ie. Transportation and textbooks.

Chapter 1 – Part of the federal Educational Consolidation and Improvement Act that gives funds to improve the education of economically disadvantaged students. Funds are based on the number of students in a school district eligible for free lunch.

Child study team – Teams in local school districts that discuss referrals, recommendations, etc. for students in their buildings; information is then given to the CSE as needed.

Choice – In its simplest terms, this means giving parents the right to select their children's schools and programs from a range of options. There are some choice plans within the public school system. Private school choice proposals would allow parents to choose private and/or parochial schools, usually suggest using a voucher system to fund that choice.

Cloze procedure or test – A method by which words are systematically deleted from a text passage. A passage of approximately 275 words is used. Beginning with the second sentence a word is randomly deleted. Then every fifth, tenth, or fifteenth word is deleted. Students guess the deleted words. It is used to evaluate a student's ability to accurately supply the words that were deleted. It reveals the interplay between the prior knowledge that students bring to the reading.

Cognitive development – The process of gaining knowledge and especially developing the higher mental process (thinking skills) such as knowledge, intelligence, thinking, acquisition of new meaning, generation of plans and strategies, reasoning and problem-solving.

Collaboration – Working jointly with others toward a common goal or purpose.

Commissioner's Regulations – Regulations that are approved by the Board of Regents. They have the effect of law for the schools in NYS. The regulations can be overruled by laws passed by the NYS Legislature. They can also be appealed in the Courts.

Comprehensive health education – A systematic, sequential, age-appropriate education program designed to provide scientific knowledge of the human as he/she functions within his/her environment, which will favorably influence the knowledge, attitudes, values and practices of school youth, and which will aid them in making wise personal decisions in matters of health.

Computer lab – A classroom with several computers, usually enough computers for an entire class of students. Usually the computers are networked together, so that a teacher can have the same software on all of the computers and data from any computer can be sent to one printer.

Congenital – present at birth. A congenital disability can be the result of disease malnutrition, or trauma between conception and birth; chromosomal anomalies; genetic disorders; or inheritance.

Consensus – General agreement resulting from a systematic group decision-making process.

Consultant teacher – A certified special education teacher who helps pupils with handicapping conditions that are enrolled in a regular education program full-time to benefit from the regular education program. Services may be provided by the S.E. teacher within a regular education class. Indirect services include consultation provided to regular education teachers to assist them in adjusting the learning environment and/or instructional methods to meet the individual needs of their students.

Contingent budget – Budget approved by the board of education after a proposed budget is defeated. A contingent budget only funds contractual items (ie. Salaries) and those items determined by the board to be "ordinary contingent expenses". The board of education may place for voter approval propositions for items that cannot be included in a contingent budget.


Cooperative learning – a form of instruction in which students are assigned to teams whose members work cooperatively on specific tasks or projects.

Coordinated Community Services – A program to serve the basic needs of the whole child (and most probably his/her family), in a coordinated manner, at one site, preferably in or near the school. Programs might include health and social service agencies and appropriate juvenile justice and community services.

Core curriculum – Common subjects that all students are required to take, usually English (reading & writing), Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science

Corporal punishment – Any act of physical force upon a student for the purpose of punishing that student.

CP – Cerebral Palsy – A disorder due to brain damage that results in lack of control of voluntary muscles, paralysis, weakness, or lack of coordination of certain large and small muscles. Can be very mild or extremely debilitating. Often causes speech problems.

Criterion-referenced exams – Evaluation of performance in terms of specific demonstrated behaviors, where the expected behavior serves as the criterion; assesses an individual's standing as compared to a particular criterion. This form of evaluation is tied to intra-individual differences.

Critical thinking skills – The solving of problems that involve general concepts or higher-order relationships; instruction in critical thinking generally emphasizes basic analytical skills that can be applied to a wide variety of intellectual experiences.

CSE – Committee on Special Education – Committee required by each school district. It must include a teacher or administrator of special education, a psychologist, a physician and the parent of a child with a handicapping condition. The CSE is responsible for making recommendations to the Board of Education and parents on the identification, evaluation, placement and re-evaluation of children who require special education. The CSE must maintain a register of children identified as having handicapping conditions and children that have been identified to the committee.

CSEA – Civil Service Employees Association – (a union)

CSIP – Comprehensive School Improvement Plan – see CAR Report

Curriculum – What is to be taught in a particular course

D
DARE – Drug Abuse Resistance Education- Created in 1983 as a joint venture of the Los Angeles Unified School District and Police Departments. The goal of the program is to prevent substance abuse by uniformed officers, either local police, or county sheriffs.

Developmentally appropriate – A term that applies to providing a student with a program and a learning environment that provides for all areas of a child's development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive. Teachers use child development knowledge of how children learn to identify the range of appropriate behaviors, activities and materials for a specific age group. To be developmentally appropriate, curriculum content and teaching strategies must be both age appropriate and individually appropriate.

DD – District Director – The leader of the PTA district appointed by the executive committee of the NYSPTA (based upon recommendations from the district board).

DRP – District Progress Report – replaces the CAR report under the Regents Excellence and Accountability Program. Reference progress toward the Standards of Excellence being developed by each school district and includes plans for reaching the standards.

DRP – Degrees of Reading Power – A type of reading that is very similar to cloze test. DRP differs from cloze tests in that the deleted words in cloze tests are always the fifth, tenth or "every nth" word. DRP tests also provide choices for deleted words. In cloze tests correct or incorrect guessing of a deleted word may influence subsequent choices for other deleted words, whereas, In the DRP, items are independent. The DRP is used in the NYS Reading Competency Exams.

DSS – Department of Social Services

Due process – P.L. 94-142 requires that a child may not be tested or place in a special education setting unless the parents are consulted. Due process refers to certain procedures that must be followed in the event of a disagreement.

Dysfunctional – Impaired or abnormal action of a person or bodily part. This term also often used to refer to a family that is not functioning well.

E
EAP – Excellence and Accountability Program- A new program that replaces the CAR. School districts are required to develop Standards of Excellence through structures participation from their community and staff. The DPR and Individual School Progress Reports will reference progress towards their Standards of Excellence and plans for improvement.

ECB – Educational Conference Board – Organization that represents various educational organizations such as the NYS Association of School Business Officials, NYS PTA, NYS Council of School Superintendents, NYSUT, Public Education Association, and School Administrators Association of NYS.

Economically disadvantaged – Lacking the financial resources that enable a person or family to take complete advantage of the opportunities available to participate in society and to reach full potential.

ED – Emotionally disturbed – A label used in NYS to identify students that may have behavior difficulties over a long period of time and to such a degree that they are unable to do well in school. The reason the student is not doing well in school cannot be explained by intellectual, sensory or health factors. The student may be unable to form satisfactory relationships, may be generally unhappy or develop physical symptoms or fears associated with his or her school or personal factors.

EIT – Excellence in Teaching funds given by the state to local school districts to supplement the salaries of teachers. The program is optional and local school boards have the option to not participate.

Emergent literacy – New understanding of how children begin to read; that literacy development begins before school.

ERSS – Educationally Related Support Services such as speech, OT, PT, counseling, etc.

ESL – English as a Second Language – Programs for students whose native language is not English. See Free-Standing ESL Programs and Transitional Bilingual Education Programs.

ETM – Effective Teaching Model – Developed by Madeline Hunter to improve instruction based on cognitive principles from educational psychology. The essential elements of instruction include selecting objectives at the correct level of difficulty; teaching to the objective; monitoring the learners and adjusting the teaching; and using the principles of learning.

Excessed teachers – Teachers whose positions have been eliminated. They must be teachers with the least seniority in that tenure area with a school district. These teachers must be placed on a preferred eligibility list of candidates for appointment to similar positions within a district as they become eligible.

F
FAF – Financial aid form processed by College Scholarship Service, Princeton, New Jersey to determine eligibility for financial aid for undergraduate and graduate programs.

FAPE – Free Appropriate Public Education – Education and related services provided at public expenses, under public supervision and direction, and without charge to the individual.

Fine-motor skills – using the small hands of the body, mainly in eye-hand coordination.

Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) – Provides access to the records of state, county and local government, and school districts by all interested persons. School districts must have and make available a policy outlining the procedure for access to their records. A reasonable fee may be charged for copies of records.

Free-Standing ESL – An English as a Second Language Program where there are bit at least 20 LEP students in the same grade and building that speak the same native language. It allows students to learn English systematically and cumulatively moving from concrete to abstract levels of language in a spiraling fashion and is sensitive to the first languages and cultures of the students and facilitates the students' integration into the culturally pluralistic mainstream.

Fund balance – The amount of unexpended funds remaining t the end of the fiscal year. An amount equal to 2% of the current budget is retained as surplus funds. They cab be used to meet unforeseen contingent expenses or to lower the tax rate.

Full bilingual education programs – also known as "developmental bilingual education programs" – These programs place equal emphasis ob the development of competence in listening/understanding, speaking, reading, and writing two languages. The ultimate goal is bilingualism and biculturalism for the participants.

G
Gifted – "Gifted Pupils" are those pupils who show evidence of high performance capability and exceptional potential in areas such as general intellectual ability, special academic aptitude and outstanding ability in visual and performing arts.

Global studies – A two year course usually taken in 9th and 10th grades that covers Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, etc., a successful completion of competency test or regents exam is required.

Gross-motor skills – Using the larger muscles of the body.

H
Hard of hearing – A label used in NYS to identify students that have some sense of hearing, either with or without an aid. These students may need specialized instruction for the effective use of the remaining hearing. The hearing loss may or may not be permanent. They may have difficulty following instructions or in other areas relating to the hearing loss, discriminating speech sounds, or have speech and/or language difficulties, as well as frequent middle ear infections.

Hazcom – Hazardous Communication Program – A program that establishes a complete and accurate Hazard Communication Written Plan, complies and maintains a complete and accurate inventory for all products that are considered potentially harmful in any way, establish a labeling procedure for all departments, establish standard emergency procedure for dealing with chemical-related accidents, and inform employees once a year of all aspects of the HAZCOM and Right-To-Know standards.

HESC – Higher Education Services Corporation – State agency that supervises the distribution of TAP and Guaranteed Student Loans

Heterogeneous grouping – Group students with a variety of achievement or ability levels

Home & Careers – Courses related to what used to be called Home Economics but now include life skills and career planning. Every student is required to have at least Ύ of a unit by the end of 8th grade.

Homogeneous grouping – Grouping students with similar achievement levels or ability, sometimes referred to as tracking

I
IEP – Individualized Education Plan – A written statement of instruction specially designed to meet the needs of an individual child. The IEP is reviewed and revised annually in a conference that includes the student's parents and teacher(s). The plan includes annual goals, instructional objectives, specific educational services to be provided, and appropriate criteria and evaluation procedures for determining whether instructional objectives are being achieved. IEP's are required for children in special education programs.

Impartial hearing – A hearing that is an informal procedure used to resolve disagreements between parent and school districts over the decisions related to special education. An impartial hearing officer hears both sides of the issues and then tries to resolve the dispute.

Inclusion – A philosophy based on the least restrictive environment provision in PL 94 – 142. Inclusion goes beyond mainstreaming to include students with severe handicapping conditions into regular classrooms with aides and special education teachers as support. It differs from the mainstreaming philosophy in that disabled students are placed in age-appropriate classes and are not necessarily expected to mainstream the same academic progress as their non-disabled peers.

Itinerant teacher – A teacher who travels to more than one building as part of their teaching duties (ex. art or music teacher, OT or PT).

J
Jarema credit – Given to a teacher who has served as a regular substitute teacher for one or more semesters immediately preceding a probationary appointment in the same tenure area is entitled to have up to 2 years of the prior substitute service applied toward completion of the probationary period.

K
Keyboarding – Courses related to using a computer keyboard, word processor, and/or typewriter. What used to be called "typing".

L
LD – Learning disabled – A label used in NYS to identify students that have a disability in receiving, organizing or expressing information. They may have difficulty listening, thinking, speaking, reading, writing, or doing arithmetic and this results in a sever discrepancy between school achievement and the expected level of achievement. A learning disability is not primarily due to a physical, mental or emotional handicap or to environmental, cultural or economic factors.

Learning styles – Recognition that students learn through various modalities and styles. There are 7 identified styles, for examples some students learn primarily by oral (hearing), others visually (reading).

LEP – Limited English Proficiency – Those students whose native language is not English or may be bilingual.

LRE – Least Restrictive Environment – A term used for students with special needs to find an educational setting that is as normal or regular as possible; federal law requires that children be placed in special or separate classes only for the amount of time necessary for services. States must have a continuum of placements, programs and services available.

M
Magnet schools – Schools based on a specialized programs such as cultural arts or science. They were initially developed to help with de-segregation in urban areas.

Mainstreaming – Placing students with special needs in regular classes for most or all of the school day; additional services may be provided by a consultant teacher or by pullout programs.
Students are placed with the expectation that they will be able to maintain similar academic progress with the non-disabled peers in the class.

Mastery learning – An instructional plan that 90% of students can learn much of the curriculum at the same level of mastery, although the amount of time needed will differ for slower students. Instruction is given in small units and criterion-referenced tests are used to determine whether a student possesses skills required for success at each step of the learning sequence.

Mean – average

Mentor/Mentoring – A trusted counselor or guide who serves as a positive example and role model in a one-on-one relationship with a student, sharing personal talents, skills, time and values to assist and encourage the student in his/her education and career goals. Mentor programs are found in many high schools.

Mode – The most common score within group of scores.

Motor skills – The skills used with the large and small muscles in the body; includes gross and fine motor skills.

MR – Mentally Retarded – A label used in NYS to identify students who learn at a slower rate because of a significantly lower level of intelligence. They usually have delayed language and/or motor development and seem unable to learn new skills as quickly as those of the same age group.

MSDS – Material Safety Data Sheet – Required as part of HAZCOM, an inventory of every product or chemical that is considered potentially harmful in any way. Must be an MSDS in every school.

Multiply handicapped – A label used in NYS to identify students that have two or more primary handicaps, such as deafness and blindness, or emotional disturbance and hearing impairment. The combination of these conditions causes educational problems which may only be met through a special education program designed to assist both disabilities.

N
NAGB – National Assessment of Education Progress – Created in 1969 to conduct a regular survey of education achievement at the elementary, middle and high school levels. It tests students in grades 4,8, and 12 in reading, mathematics, writing, science, history and geography. These results are sometimes referred to as the Nation's Report Card.

NASDC – New American Schools Development Corporation – An independent, nonprofit organization, formed in 1991 in response to strategy in America 2000, "to support the design and development of new high-performance learning environments that communities can use to transform their schools for the next generation of American children." Using private funding from corporations, grants to develop "break the mold" schools were to be awarded as of July 1992.

National Education Goals – Six goals for education in America established at an education summit of the nation's governors convened by President Bush in 1989. The target date for achieving these goals is the year 2000.

NEA – National Education Association – A national union that NYEA belongs to.

NEGP – National Education Goals Panel – Created to monitor the nation's and states' progress toward meeting the National Education Goals. The panel is charged with issuing an annual progress report. The panel believes in establishing national education standards and developing methods to assess students' success in meeting them.

Norm referenced tests – A test that compares a student's performance to students in a known comparison group.

Norms group – A sample of students of the same age or grade.

NYEA – New York Education Association – A union in NYS for teachers that is part of NEA.

NYSPTA – New York State Parent Teacher Association

NYSUT – New York State United Teachers - A union which is part of the national FL-CIO

O
Operating aid – Largest category of aid given to local school districts by New York State for operating purposes. The amount is based on a complex formula up to a certain ceiling. The amount of aid is based on a ratio combining property wealth and income called the combined wealth ratio and TAPU. Therefore poorer districts get more aid and wealthier districts less aid. This aid is unrestricted and can be used according to a local district's priorities.

Option I – self contained – A classroom with a ratio of 1 teacher to a maximum of 15 pupils for students who's educational needs require specialized instruction.

Option II – self contained – A classroom with a ratio of 1 teacher, 1 paraprofessional to a maximum of 12 students for students whose management needs interfere with the educational process.

Option III – self contained – Usually found in BOCES and Private Special Education Schools – A classroom with a ratio of 1 teacher, 1 paraprofessional, and a maximum of either 6 or 8 students for students whose management needs are highly intensive and require a high degree of individualized attention and intervention.

Option IV – self contained – Classrooms for pupils with severe multiple handicaps, whose program consists primarily of habilitation and treatment. No more than 12 students with a teacher, and staff/pupil ratio of 1 staff to 3 pupils.

Orthopedically impaired – A label used in NYS to identify students that are physically handicapped and whose educational performance is affected due to conditions such as cerebral palsy, amputation or fractures or burns which cause permanent disability.

OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration – the office responsible for federal and private buildings but not state or local public buildings including schools. OSHA monitors the NYS Department of Labor who oversees the state and local buildings.

OT – Occupational Therapist – a person who evaluates, plans, and utilizes a program of activities to develop or maintain adaptive skill, designed to achieve maximal physical and mental functioning of the patient in daily life tasks.

Other health impaired – A label used in NYS to identify students that have limited strength, vitality, or alertness due to chronic or acute health problems. The problems may include a heart condition, tuberculosis, rheumatic fever, nephritis, asthma, sickle cell anemia, tourette syndrome, hemophilia, epilepsy, lead poisoning, leukemia or diabetes.

Outcome-based education – A system that focuses on what children know and are able to do and on how well students learn. Schools establish expectations or standards and measure success based on how well students meet those expectations, rather than measuring success based on the number of courses taken or hours students spend in class. Evaluations and tests of students' progress are used to change and improve the education program and increase the level of student achievement.

P
PARP – Parents As Reading Partners – Volunteer effort to encourage students' reading habits by parents reading with their child for at least 15 minutes a day. It is sponsored by the NYS PTA.

Part 200 – Part of the NYS Commissioner's Regulations that deals with Education of the Handicapped.

Participation – Ongoing interaction among parents, students, community members, school personnel, and school board members to promote educational achievement and lifelong success for children.


PCT – Preliminary Competency Tests – given in grades eight and nine in reading and writing.

P.E. – Physical Education (gym)

Pedagogy – The art and science of teaching.

Pell grants – federal grant program that gives awards to students attending college based on financial need.

PEP Test – Pupil Evaluation Program Tests – These tests are given by the state each spring in reading and mathematics at grades three and six, and in writing in grade five. See PET tests.

PERB – Public Employees Relations Board – Establishes bargaining units, remedies improper practices by employers and employee organizations, administers strike provisions, presides over hearings, assigns mediators and fact finders to help resolve negotiation impasses, and conducts research.

Percentile ranks – The percentage of students in a norms group who scored at or below
A particular score. A percentile rank of 95 means that a student scored as high or higher than 95% of all the students in a particular norms group.

Performance-based assessment – Any testing method other than multiple choice or true/false that requires students to create an answer or product that demonstrates their knowledge or skills in a subject area. Performance assessment can take many different forms including mathematical computations, writing essays, conducting an experiment, observations, presenting an oral argument or assembling a portfolio of representative work.

PET Test – Program evaluation tests – tests given by the state each spring for students in grade six in science and social studies. See PEP tests.


P.L. 94-142 – (Public Law) The Education of All Handicapped Children Act passed in 1975 that mandates free, appropriate public education for every identified handicapped student from age three until twenty-one.

PINS – petition – Person In Need of Supervision – A petition that is filed in family court showing that a youth needs more supervision than is being given by the family to meet certain goals. If the goals are not met, the curt has the authority to remove the youth from the home.

Portfolio assessment – A collection of a representative sample of a student's work done over a period of time to demonstrate progress or improvement toward a particular goal. A portfolio often documents a student's best work and may include a variety of other kinds of information (e.g., drafts of student work self assessment, parents' assessment). Portfolios may be used both as a teaching tool and for student assessment.

Primary Language – The language that is spoken in the home.

Probationary teachers – Teachers that have bot completed a probationary period, usually 3 years. A teacher that has received tenure only serves a two-year probationary appointment if he/she changes to another tenure area or moves to another school district.

PSEN – Pupils with Special Educational Needs – Programs for students who fall below certain state guidelines on standardized tests, usually referred to as remedial reading and math programs.

PT – Physical Therapist

PTA – Parent Teacher Association

PTA Unit – An organization under National and NYSPTA bylaws t serve the children and youth within a school.

PTSA – Parent Teacher Student Association

Pullout – A program that pulls a student out of a regular education program for special services such as speech, remedial programs, etc.

R
Raw score – The first test score that is calculated. Usually the number of correct responses. This score is then translated into stanines.

RCT – Regents Competency Tests – Students must pass RCTs in reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, and science or the corresponding Regents exam in order to receive a high school diploma.

Regents – see Board of Regents

Regents Action Plan – A blueprint for educational reform adopted by the Board of Regents in 1984, requiring one year of foreign language instruction by the end of 9th grade, specific unit requirements for students in 7th and 8th grades, increase in units to 18 ½ needed for a gugg school diploma with specific core requirements, and remediation for students scoring below the statewide reference points on standardized test or failing required tests.

Regents Compact for Learning – A document that establishes a partnership among the State, local schools and communities to educate our children better. It is a plan that provides a context for local initiative and collaborative effort – "top –down support for bottom – up reform."

Regents exams – Exams required at the end of certain Regents level high school courses. These exams are given at the same time all across the state.

Related services – Services that may be needed by students with special needs in order to benefit from special education; may include audiology, psychological services, parent counseling and training, school health services, medical services, transportation, OT, PT, speech therapy, counseling, etc.

Release time – Time that a teacher is released from teaching duties to attend meetings, training, etc.

Reliability – The consistency and dependability of the results of a test. It may be established over time, from one observer to another, from one form of a test or another, or within the same observer for different times and different children.

Remedial education – the process of improving or correcting skills in a particular area or field; raising skills to normal or near normal.

Resource room – A type of program which provides supplementary instruction to students; it must not supplant instruction in required subject areas and it cannot be used as coursework for diploma credit; there is a class size limit of five students per period per teacher.

Restructuring – A substantive, systemic change in the rules, roles, and relationships of all those who work in or are served by the organization for the purpose of improving results for students.

RSV – Respiratory Syncytial Virus – RSV is a member of the genus Pneumovirus. RSV causes upper and lower respiratory illness usually in babies and young children.
To learn more about RSV please go to http://www.rsvprotection.com.

S
Salerno Commission – A temporary commission created in August 1988 by the Governor and Legislature to improve the distribution of state aid. Frederic Salerno, President and CEO of the New York Telephone Company, chaired the commission. A report titled Funding for Fairness was issued in December 1988.

SAT – Scholastic Assessment Test – Previously called the Scholastic Aptitude Test. A test required for admission to many colleges. There are two parts to the test; verbal and nonverbal. The range of scores is from 200 – 800 on each part. The national average on the verbal ranges approximately from 420 – 430 and on the nonverbal part from 474 – 476.

School based management – see School based planning.

School based planning – A way of reorganizing school management so that some management responsibilities are given to those at the school site. It may shift decision-making power from a central authority, such as the superintendent or school board, to a council or "team" at the local school.

School restructuring – Changing the way a school and/or school district operates and/or organizes its delivery of educational and support services to students in order to improve the quality of education. Restructuring is one of the processes often called for in reform plans and may include such components as changing governance, organization, instruction, or student assessment.

SED – State Education Department

Seniority rights – Those rights to job security and priority within a school district based upon appointment in a specific tenure area.

SEPTA – Special Education PTA

Sequential mathematics – courses usually taken in a three-year sequence in high school. Each course contains some algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

SES – Socioeconomic Status – An indicator of an individual's or family social ranking based on such factors as level of education, income, neighborhood of residence or type of occupation. T/his term is widely used by sociologist, though it has no precise definition.

SETRC – Special Education Training and Resource Centers the provide local contact points for obtaining resources, information, and training to the education of students with handicapping conditions. This information may be presented through printed materials, workshops, or programs.

SHARED DECISION MAKING – A process by which all members of the education community at the district and school levels cooperate in identifying educational issues, defining goals, formulating policy, and implementing and assessing activities to help students reach standards of excellence.

SITE-BASED MANAGEMENT – An organizational strategy for the participation of parents, community representatives, teachers, other members of a school's staff and administration, and often students, which decentralizes authority and the decision making process.

SPECIALS – Classes such as music, art, physical education, library, home & career, or technology.

SPEECH IMPAIRED – A label used in NYS to identify students t hat have a communication disorder demonstrated by an inability to correctly produce speech sound, difficulty in understanding or using words or sentences, or the presence of stuttering or a voice impairment. When any of these situations exists to the degree that the child's educational performance is affected, special education may be required.

SRP – STATE REFERNCE POINT – Twenty-third percentile – Students scoring below this are required to have remediation.

SSI – SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME

STAFFORD LOAN – (formerly Guaranteed Student Loan) – Federal programs where loans are made by commercial and savings banks and other leading institutions for undergraduate and graduate studies.

STAKEHOLDER – A person or a group with an interest and investment in the success of students, the schools, and/or the education system.

STANDARD DEVIATION – A statistic that describes the variability with a set of scores. On most norm-referenced tests the standard deviation is 15, with a score of 100 being the mean.

STANDARD DISTRIBUTION – The distribution of test scores so that 68% of the population falls within one standard deviation of the mean (average) (score between 85 and 115), 14% between one and two deviations above and below the mean (score between 70 &85 or 115 &130), and 2% above and below the second deviation (score above 130 or below 70). These score ranges being the most commonly used ranges on standardized tests, where the mean is 100.

STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE – A statement of exemplary student attainment which is developed at the district level through participation of stakeholder. It is performance-based with an assessment tied to the performance. The desired level of performance is established on the assessment.

STANDARDIZED TEST – Tests that are given under standard conditions so that a student's performance can be measured against a norm group.

STANINES – Scores on a scale that run from a low of 1 to a high of 9, with 5 as average. They are derived by dividing the entire distribution of students' scores into nine groups based on the standard distribution. They are not as precise as other scores.

STRATEGY – The science and art of employing careful plans or methods to achieve a desired goal or effect.

SUNY – State University of New York – Consists of 34 state operated campuses and 30 community colleges.

SYNAGIS (PALIVIZUMAB) – For infants and young children at high risk for RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus) disease, such as those born prematurely or those who have chronic lung disease, a preventive medication called Synagis(r) (palivizumab) is available. This medicine is administered once per month during the RSV season to prevent serious RSV disease, often in your doctor's office.

T
TAP – Tuition Assistance Program – A grant program run by the state giving awards based on financial need to students attending college in NYS.

TAPU – Total aidable pupil units – The average number of students as determined by dividing the total number of days attended by every student by the number of days school was in session.

Tax certiorari – Proceedings that are initiated by taxpayers who wish to challenge their assessments due to excessiveness, inequality, illegality or misclassification and have been denied a reduction in assessment by a local assessment review board.

Taylor Law – formally "the Public Employees' Fair Employment Act", enacted in 1967 that governs employment relations between public employers and public employees in NYS. This law guaranteed the rights of self-organization and representation for collective negotiations.

Technology – Courses related to what used to be called Industrial Arts. All students are required to have one year of instruction by the end of the 8th grade.

Tenure – An employment classification which a teacher earns by successfully completing a period of probationary employment. A teacher with tenure may only be dismissed for just cause as proved by the school officials in a due process hearing under Section 3020-a of the Education Laws of NYS.

Tenure area – The subject areas, established by law, such as elementary education (pre K – grade before 1992, K –grade 6 after 1992); English, social studies, mathematics, science, and foreign languages (grades 7 –12); and special subject areas encompass 15 academic area, 6 vocational subject areas, and 7 supportive educational services.

Tracking – A system where children are placed in homogeneous classes based on ability.

Transitional bilingual education programs – The goal of these programs is proficiency in the English language so that the student can make a prompt transition to learning only in English. There is an ESL component that develops English language skills and proficiency utilizing special second language teaching techniques.

Truant – A student between the ages of 6 and 16 who willfully does not attend school.

U
USED – United States Education Department.

Validity – The ability of a test to yield the results that they are intended to measure.

V
Visually impaired – A label used in NYS to identify students that may be partially sighted or blind. If the student has some functional sight, the student is considered as partially sighted. This student may be able to learn to read regular print with glasses or to read special books that are printed with large type. Blind students may require special braille equipment and reading materials.

Voucher – A written authorization for a certain amount of money to be used for the education of a child. Vouchers might be used within public schools to provide funds for students to attend schools other than those to which they normally are assigned. Vouchers are often proposed as a means of providing funds for students to attend nonpublic schools.

W
hole Language – Philosophy of teaching reading, not a method. Based on what is known about how children learn oral language. It combines the following ideas; (a) language should have meaning and a purpose; (b) real literature is used; (c) reading and writing (written language) should not be taught as isolated skills; (d) acquisition of written language comes from real use, through a combination of reading and writing; (e) assessment is based on growth in students' actual work.

Wicks Law – Section 101 of the General Municipal Law, that requires a general contractor and separate contractors for plumbing, electrical, and heating when a municipality (which included public schools) undertakes a major construction project.

WISC – Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Common standardized test that measures intelligence in children.

Y
Youth at risk – Students that for a variety of reasons have a great chance of dropping out of school before graduation.

This information was contributed by Sher