A dictionary of
acronyms & terms for ASD
Published April 2015 Revised 10/15
21st CCLC: 21st Century Community Learning Centers. After-school program that supports at-risk students. 504: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 1973, a civil rights law that protects children and adults against discrimination due to a disability. AA: Administrative Assistant AASB: Alaska Association of School Boards AAESP: Alaska Association of Elementary School Principals AASL: American Association of School Librarians AASSP: Alaska Association of Secondary School Principals ACE: Anchorage Council of Education. Bargaining group for some district support staff. ACE/ACT: Community-based instructional program for adult students needing additional transitional supports after completing the required core credits at their neighborhood school. ACSA: Alaska Council of School Administrators. ACT: National college entrance exam. ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act ADD & ADHD: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Neurological brain disorder that exhibits a persistent pattern of inattention and hyperactivity. ADD is a person with disorder but without hyperactivity. AEA: Anchorage Education Association. Teachers’ bargaining group. AIMSweb: Brief assessment tool targets critical skills that are indicators of academic progress. ASD uses this tool for students in grades K-8. ALASBO: Alaska Association of School Business Officials AMP: Alaska Measures of Progress. State assessment for students in grades 3-10. ANCCS: Alaska Native Cultural Charter School is an ASD charter school. AP: Advanced Placement. College level course taught in high school. Student receives college credit upon passage of final exam. AP is also reference to an Assistant Principal. APA: Anchorage Principals’ Association. Principals’ bargaining group. APC: Academic Policy Committee helps govern ASD charter schools. ASAA: Alaska School Activities Association ASDN: Alaska Staff Development Network. Collaborative relationship with districts & universities statewide to enhance professional growth. ASPI: Alaska School Performance Index
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ASSDHH: Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Centralized in Anchorage and serves the state as a resource for deaf education. Assets: Developmental assets are 40 skills, relationships, values and self-perceptions that research has indicated students need for success. AT: Assistive Technology. Staff collaborates with school teams to assist with the selection, acquisition or use of assistive technology devices for special education students. Auditeria: Room used as an auditorium and a cafeteria. AUY: Anchorage United for Youth is a coordinated, community-wide partnership to help youth succeed. AVAIL: Anchorage Vocational Academic Institute of Learning. Alternative program for students who dropped out of high school. AYDC: Anchorage Youth Development Coalition coordinates efforts and provides resources, networking and training to ensure that all Anchorage youth thrive. It is the umbrella organization for Anchorage United for Youth. AYP: Adequate Yearly Progress, was part of NCLB and is no longer used to determine whether schools are making gains in 31 subcategories. BCA: Biomedical Career Academy. Career and Technical Education program housed at Service High School. BPO: Building Plant Operator. Person in charge of building’s maintenance. BSA: Base Student Allocation. State education funding formula. BVI: Blind/Visually Impaired program CBM: Curriculum Based Measurement. Used to progress monitor basic academic skills in the primary grades. Sometimes referred to as R-CBM to signify the focus is on reading. Certificated: ASD employee who must hold a teaching certificate as a required by the state of Alaska. CCRA: College and Career Readiness Assessment. Required component of earning a high school diploma in Alaska. CCSS: Common Core State Standards. A set of rigorous academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy. These learning goals outline what a student should know and be able to do at the end of each grade. CEAAC: Citizens for the Educational Advancement of Alaska’s Children. Non-profit group that works uses research, policy development and public advocacy to solve school performance issues in rural and urban areas. 2
CGCS: Council of the Great City Schools. Coalition of more than 60 of the country’s largest urban school districts. ASD is a member of CGCS. CIAC: Capital Improvement Advisory Committee. Formerly known as the Capital Request Advisory Committee. Citizen’s committee that helps create district’s Capital Improvement Plan. CIT: Child In Transition program that provides educational and other assistance for children who are homeless or in a transitional living environment. CIP: Capital Improvement Plan. Six year construction priorities for the district. Classified: ASD employment position that does not require a certificate. CSF: Creating Successful Futures provides an early intervention for kindergarten through third-grade students whose behaviors are such that a targeted intervention is necessary. CTE: Career and Technical Education. Previously referred to as vocational education. CTSO: Career and Technical Student Organizations DARE: Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Program taught by law enforcement teaching kids skills to avoid drugs, gangs and violence. DEED: Department of Education and Early Development. State department that oversees educational guidelines in Alaska. DESSA: Devereaux Students Strengths Assessment. A Social and Emotional Learning behavior rating scale. Developmental Profile: Assessment of all kindergarten and “new-to-school” first grade students to determine their level of knowledge prior to entering school. District Connection: District’s internal Web site accessible only to employees. Education Center: Building that houses ASD administrative offices. Also referred to as Ed Center. EEO: Equal Employment Opportunity. Department located in Education Center. EEP: Educator Excellence Program. Joint teacher mentoring program between ASD and AEA. ELL: English Language Learner. Refers to non-native English speakers who are learning English. Many educators prefer this term, because it focuses on what the student can do. EmpCenter: district’s time and attendance system for staff. ESEA: Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Federal education policy that replaced No Child Left Behind.
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ESL: English as a Second Language. Usually used to refer to a subject area, but is sometimes used to refer to students themselves. FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Birth defects caused by mother drinking alcohol while pregnant. Includes FAS-Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. FBA: Functional Behavioral Assessment. Determines why a student is engaging in/or using problematic behavior. Information is included in IEP. FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Federal law protects privacy of student educational records. FLES: Foreign Language in the Elementary School. In a traditional FLES model, the focus is on language and culture, unlike immersion where the focus is content taught through the language. Students receive lessons in language and culture one to two times per week. FLL: FIRST LEGO League. Non-profit group that works to introduce younger students to real-world engineering challenges by building LEGO-based robots to complete tasks on a thematic playing surface. FIRST: For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology. FTC: First Tech Challenge. FMLA: Family Medical Leave Act. Ensures job will remain if employee has to take extended leave due to medical conditions. Benefits department can explain specific rules. FOSS: Full Option Science Study FSSC: Family/School Services Coordinator. School-level position that provides information on Anchorage resources to families in need. FTE: Full Time Equivalent. An employee who works a full day’s shift. Also refers to a full-time student. GLE: Grade Level Expectations. State assessment determining level of performance a student should be at in each grade level. HSGQE: State High School Graduation Qualifying Exam that was repealed by the legislature in 2014. IDEA: Individuals with Disability Education Act IEP: Individualized Education Program. An agreement to guide and document specially designed instruction for each student with a disability based on his or her unique academic, social, and behavioral needs. IFAS/7i: Internal Fiscal Accounting System for tracking employee and district business. IGNITE: Including Gifted Needs in Today’s Education. Pull-out enrichment program for elementary students in grades 2-6. Intensive Needs: Program comprised of students who have a measurable IQ of 70 or below and adaptive behavior 4
disabilities in the areas of communication, hearing, vision, orthopedic, behavior, daily living skills, self-help skills and social skills. In-service day: Professional training day for school staff, no school for students. JEPD: Job Embedded Professional Development JBER: Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson. Air Force and Army military base located in Anchorage. Six ASD elementary schools are located on JBER. JROTC: Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. Leadership instruction, marksmanship and organizational skills for the Army. AFJROTC is the Air Force version. NJORTC is the Navy version. Kelso’s Choice: A behavioral program that helps students by giving them a variety of choices in response to small problems. KCC: King Career Center. A school that houses career and technical education programs for ASD high school students. LEA: Local Education Authority. Anchorage is a LEA as opposed to a rural education authority. LEP: Limited English Proficient. A term that is most often used in legal and government situations when referring to students learning English as a non-native language. Includes students who have learned some English but are not yet fluent speakers. LNF: Letter Naming Fluency. An AIMSweb assessment to help gauge early literacy. LSF: Letter Sound Fluency. An AIMSweb assessment to help gauge early literacy. MAP: Measures of Academic Progress; adaptive assessment given three times per year in select schools. It goes beyond grade level to identify the actual level of a student’s performance. MECAC: The Minority Education Concerns Advisory Committee works to ensure equity for all students by providing input directly to the superintendent on relevant issues that impact student achievement. Migrant Education: Federally funded program for education of students from migrant families. Offers literacy learning opportunities for eligible families. Department is located in Education Center. MLP: My Learning Plan. Centralized web-based professional development tracking resource. MOA: Memorandum of Agreement or Municipality of Anchorage MPR: Multipurpose Room MSI: Multi-Sensory Instruction. A multi-sensory (touch, feel, speak, etc.) language arts program for students. Many teachers districtwide trained in MSI instruction. 5
NAC: Native Advisory Committee. Group serves as an advisory committee to the district’s Title VII Indian Education Program and the Anchorage School District. National Board Certification: Teachers obtain certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards demonstrating they possess and can implement teaching skills and professional judgment as applied daily in the classroom. NCLB: No Child Left Behind. Federal law governing education that public schools must follow. NSBA: National School Boards Association NWERA: Northwest Education Resources Association is a nonprofit organization of professionals comprised of representatives of products and materials that support the education community. OCS: Office of Children’s Services. State department of child welfare, adoption and family well-being. OJT: On the Job Training. Places students in real-world employment experiences. OT: Occupational Therapist. Works with individuals of all ages to enhance performance in important everyday activities despite the effects of illness, disability or injury. PAC: Parent Advisory Council PACE: Professional and Continuing Education. University of Alaska program offering upper level courses for educators advancing their education. PAIDEIA: PAIDEIA Cooperative School is an ASD charter school. It stands for Passionately, Accommodating, Individual, Desires, Enhancing, Independent, Achievement. PERS: Alaska’s Public Employees’ Retirement System PIP: Parent Involvement Plan. Goals outlined by each school to increase parent involvement. Also stands for Performance Incentive Program offered by the state that provides financial bonuses to school staff at schools with increased test scores. PLC: Professional learning community. Team members who regularly collaborate toward continued improvement in meeting student needs through a shared curricular-focused vision. ProStart: Nationwide, two-year high school program that unites the classroom and industry to help students become restaurant leaders. PT: Physical Therapist. Helps teach fine motor skills to students with disabilities. PTA: Parent Teacher Association (elementary level) PTO: Parent Teacher Organization 6
PTPC: The Professional Teaching Practices Commission (appointed by the Governor) works to ensure Alaska educators follow the Code of Ethics of the education professional. PTR: Pupil-teacher ratio PTSA: Parent Teacher Student Association (secondary level) PVA: Position Vacancy Announcement. Also referred to as a job opening. RCCP: Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. Provides students and staff with knowledge, skills and abilities to manage, intervene and mediate in their own behavior and conflicts. Related Services: Encompasses the following departments: Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy, Hard of Hearing, Audiology, Augmentative Communication/ Assistive Technology, BVI, Speech/Language, Adapted P.E., School Psychology. RLC: Required local contribution. State funding mechanism which requires boroughs and municipalities to pay a certain percentage of taxable real and personal property to cover a portion of local school funding. RTI: Response to Instruction. Framework provides a system for all students to receive instruction based on their needs, whether it’s those needing intervention, students who are right on track or those who require accelerated instruction. SAB: Student Advisory Board is made up of student government representatives from ASD middle and high schools. SAB president provides regular updates to superintendent and school board. SACC: School aged child care SAP: School Action Plan to improve academic achievement each year. SAT: National college entrance exam. SAVE: Specialized Academic and Vocational Education. Alternative high school program which combines an academic and vocational curriculum. SBA: Standards Based Assessment. Alaska exam used to measure academic performance standards. Was replaced in 2014-15 with the Alaska Measures of Progress. SBP: School Business Partnerships. Connects schools and businesses in collaborations that benefit our schools and community. SEAC: Special Education Advisory Council. Group of parents, teachers and community professionals who advocate for students with special needs.
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SEARCH: A middle school program that provides a one year placement for students who need help with their academics, behavior and motivation for attending school. SEL: Social and Emotional Learning. Process through which we learn to recognize and manage emotions, care about others, make good decisions, behave ethically and responsibly, develop positive relationships and avoid negative behaviors. SGO: Student Growth Objectives; specific, measurable goals that teachers and administrators set for groups of students. Connects teacher practice to learning, aligns with Danielson and state regulations. SLP: Speech and Language Pathologist. Assisting students with communication disorders. SPED: Special Education SRO: School Resource Officer. Uniformed police officers stationed in all comprehensive high schools. Their work also supports feeder middle and elementary schools. STAMP: Standards-Based Measurement of Proficiency; determines proficiency in world languages based on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. National movement to integrate the teaching of the four areas so that students better understand the connections between them. STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. Incorporates the arts into STEM efforts. STeP Center: Special education resource center for students, teachers and parents. STREAM: Anchorage STREAM Academy is an ASD charter school. It is an acronym for science, technology, research, engineering, arts and math. TA: Teacher Assistant or Tentative Agreement on a new contract. Tech Prep: An agreement between ASD and postsecondary education institutions or various apprenticeship programs where ASD students can earn college credit when successfully completing high school tech/prep courses. Title I: Federal program that provides funds to neighborhood schools with high percentages of students from low income families. TOTEM: Bargaining group for clerical staff. TRS: Alaska’s Teachers’ Retirement System TSA: Technical Skill Attainment; often measured using third party assessments and/or certifications. WorkKeys: Job skills assessment.
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YRBS: Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A state and national survey of high school students conducted every two years. Survey monitors prevalence of behaviors that put youth at risk for significant health and social problems. Zangle: Student management system. Teachers, parents and students can access portals to review student grades, assignments, contact teachers, make online payments and more.
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www.asdk12.org