Glossary

ABCs of Public Education
The ABCs of Public Education is North Carolina’s major school reform effort begun in 1995 as a result of state law, the ABCs focuses on local school accountability, an emphasis on student mastery of basic skills and as much local board and local educator control as possible.

Accountability
In North Carolina, the “A" of The ABCs of Public Education stands for accountability, the way that public schools assure the public of results. The ABCs focuses on school-level accountability to assure that students are progressing as they should.

Accountability System
Each state sets academic standards for what every child should know and learn. Academic achievement is measured for every child, every year. The results of these annual tests are reported to the public. (U. S. Department of Education)

Achievement Gap
Differences in academic performance among groups are often identified racially, ethnically, and by income levels. In the United States, white students tend to outperform children of color; and wealthier students often do better than poorer ones. (NCEA)

Achievement Levels
Student achievement on North Carolina’s end- of-grade and end-of-course tests is reported by achievement level. There are four achievement levels:

Level I Students performing at this level do not have sufficient mastery of knowledge and skills in this subject or course area to be successful at the next grade level or at a more advanced course level.

Level II Students performing at this level demonstrate inconsistent mastery of knowledge and skills in this subject or course area and are minimally prepared to be successful at the next grade or course level.

Level III Students performing at this level consistently demonstrate mastery of grade level subject matter/ course subject matter and skills and are well prepared for the next grade or course level work.

Level IV Students performing at this level consistently perform in a superior manner clearly beyond that required to be proficient at grade or course level work. 11 Page 2 3 1/ 03 Words and Terms to Know 85 Adequate yearly progress Adequate yearly progress ( AYP) is the minimum level of improvement that states, school districts, and schools must achieve each year. (U. S. Department of Education)

Alignment
Alignment is the process of making content standards, performance standards, assessment and instruction consistent so they are most effective in helping students reach state standards. (NCEA)

Alternative assessments
Alternative assessments are ways, other than standardized tests, to get information about what students know and where they may need help, such as oral reports or discussions, projects, performances, and experiments. (NCEA)

Alternative certification
Most teachers are required to have both a college degree in education and state certification before they can enter the classroom. No Child Left Behind encourages states to offer other methods of qualification that allow talented individuals to teach subjects they know. (U. S. Department of Education)

Assessments
Assessment is another word for test.

Assistance Teams
Assistance Teams are assigned by the N. C. State Board of Education to work with individual low-performing schools to implement school improvement plans so that student achievement will increase.

Benchmark
A benchmark is a detailed description of a specific level of student achievement expected of students at particular ages, grades or developmental levels. Benchmarks are often represented by samples of student work. A set of benchmarks can be used as checkpoints to monitor progress in meeting performance goals within and across grade levels. (CRESST)

BICS

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills

Bilingualism
Bilingualism is the ability to read, speak, understand, and write well in two languages. (NCEA)

Bilingual education
Bilingual education is an in-school program for students whose first language is not English or who have limited English skills. Bilingual education provides English language development plus subject area instruction in the student s native language. The goal is for the child to gain knowledge and be literate in two languages. (NCEA)

CALP

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

Charter schools
Charter schools are independent public schools designed and operated by educators, parents, community leaders, educational entrepreneurs and others who operate outside of the traditional system of public schools. They are sponsored by designated local or state educational organizations, which monitor their quality and effectiveness. (U. S. Department of Education)

Codeswitching

This is a phenomenon of alternating between 2 languages within a single phrase, sentence, or discourse.  Bilingual children commonly use this strategy.  Generally, codeswitching is a normal communication behavior.

Composite scores
In the ABCs of Public Education, a school’s growth and performance are summarized using composite scores. There are three composites used in the ABCs: expected growth and high growth composites, and the performance composite. Growth composites summarize a school’s growth over all grade levels and subjects included in the accountability model. Growth composites indicate whether a school makes expected and high growth. The performance composite summarizes the performance of students in the school, i. e., what percent of them are performing at or above grade level (Achievement Level III) in subjects and courses included in the accountability model. Both the performance composite and the growth composites are considered when determining which schools may need special assistance.

Content standards
The information, ideas, and facts students are supposed to learn in a particular grade comprise content standards. (NCEA)

Core academic subjects
Core academic subjects are English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civic and government, economics, arts, history and geography. (U. S. Department of Education) 22 Page 3 4 1/ 03 Words and Terms to Know 86

Corrective action
When a school or school district does not make yearly progress, the state will place it under a corrective action plan. The plan will include resources to improve teaching, administration or curriculum. If failure continues, then the state has increased authority to make any necessary, additional changes to ensure improvement. (U. S. Department of Education)

Curriculum alignment
Curriculum alignment means that the tests used in North Carolina have been developed for use as achievement tests to measure students' acquisition of specific subject/ course area content and skills. The state tests in North Carolina are designed to measure the content and skills in the N. C. Standard Course of Study.

Disaggregated data
To disaggregate means to separate a whole into its parts. In education, this term means that test results are sorted by groups of students who are economically disadvantaged, from racial and ethnic minority groups, have disabilities, or have limited English fluency. This practice allows parents and teachers to see more than just the average score for their child s school. Instead, parents and teachers can see how each student group is performing. (U. S. Department of Education)

Elementary and Secondary Education Act
This is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education. The No Child Left Behind Act ( NCLB) is the most recent reauthorization of the ESEA. (U. S. Department of Education)

End-of-Course tests
North Carolina’s state-developed standardized tests at the high school level are the end-of-course tests. Ten end-of-course tests are mandated: Algebra I; Algebra II; Biology; Chemistry; Economic, Legal and Political Systems; English I; Geometry; Physical Science; Physics and US History.

End-of-Grade tests
North Carolina' s state-developed standardized tests for grades three through eight are given in the final three weeks of the school year and are linked to the Standard Course of Study for each grade level. These tests measure student learning in reading and mathematics.

English language learner
An English language learner is a student for whom English is a second language and who is not at grade (ELL) level in reading and writing English. An ELL student is also known as a Limited English Proficient (LEP) student. (NCEA)

Expected growth
Under the ABCs of Public Education, North Carolina identifies expected growth as the amount of academic growth that would reasonably be expected by a school over a year’s worth of time. This amount may be different for different schools and is based on the school’s previous performance; statewide average growth; and a statistical adjustment which is needed whenever you compare test scores of students from one year to the next.

Grade level, Achievement Level III, and proficiency level
Each of these terms refers to student work that meets the achievement standard set by North Carolina. Students scoring at Achievement Level III or Achievement Level IV are considered to be performing at grade level and to be well prepared to meet the demands of the next grade level. At the high school level, the term proficiency level is more frequently used and refers to students scoring at Level III or Level IV on end- of-course tests.

High growth
Under the ABCs of Public Education, North Carolina sets growth standards for student achievement in each school. High growth refers to a growth rate that is approximately 10 percent above the expected growth goal set for each school. Reaching high growth entitles a school’s faculty to higher incentive awards.

"Highly Qualified" teacher
A "Highly Qualified" teacher is defined as one who has obtained full state teacher certification or has passed the state teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in the state; holds a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches. (NCLB)

Incentive award
North Carolina provides incentive awards to schools' certified staff and teacher assistants based on performance under the ABCs of Public Education and on their success in meeting Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind.

Inclusion
Inclusion is the practice of placing students with disabilities in regular classrooms. This is also known as mainstreaming. (NCEA) 33 Page 4 5 1/ 03 Words and Terms to Know 87

Instruction
Instruction refers to the methods teachers use. Common methods are lecture, discussion, exercise, experiment, role playing, small group, and writing assessments. The most effective teachers use many methods because not all are effective with all students. (NCEA)

Language Loss

Many ELL students’ L1 is not maintained in school through bilingual education.  These students experience language loss.

Limited English proficient
Limited English proficient refers to students for whom English is a second language and who are not at ( LEP) grade level in reading and writing English. (NCEA)

Limited English proficiency
Limited English proficiency is a test of English language skills given to all LEP students to ascertain the student s readiness to take the state assessment tests in English. (PEN)

Local education agency ( LEA)
An LEA is a public board of education or other public authority within a state that maintains administrative control of public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a state. (U. S. Department of Education)

Opportunity to learn
Opportunity to learn helps abolish the achievement gap by making sure students and school staff have what they need to be successful at high levels. In the broadest sense, it means encouraging learning and development by making up the difference between what the most and the least privileged of children have. (NCEA)

Parental involvement
Parental involvement is the participation of parents in regular, two-way, meaningful communication involving student’s academic learning and other school activities. The involvement includes ensuring that parents play an integral role in assisting their child s learning; that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child s education at school; that parents are full partners in their child s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child. (NCLB)

Parent/ school compact
A parent/ school compact is a written agreement of shared responsibility that defines the goals and expectations of schools and parents as partners in the effort to improve student achievement. (NCLB)

Performance standards
Performance standards represent what a student is supposed to be able to do by the end of a particular grade. (NCEA)

Priority Schools
Under the ABCs of Public Education, Priority Schools have 50-59 percent of students' scores at or above Achievement Level III. Also included in this designation are schools with less than 50 percent of students' scores at or above Achievement Level III, but that made expected or high growth.

Proficiency
Proficiency is mastery or the ability to do something at grade level. (NCEA) Public engagement Public engagement is the sustained and active involvement of parents, community members, and taxpayers in the improvement of schooling and efforts to reform schools. (Education Week)

School improvement plan
This written school improvement plan for each school includes strategies for improving student performance taking into account the annual performance goals for the school set by the State Board of Education; how and when improvements will be implemented; use of state funds; requests for waivers, etc. Each school improvement plan must be approved by the local board and may be in effect for no more than three years. The plans may be amended as often as necessary or appropriate.

Schools of Distinction
Under the ABCs of Public Education, Schools of Distinction have 80-89 percent of students' scores at or above Achievement Level III and made expected or high growth.

Schools of Excellence
Under the ABCs of Public Education, Schools of Excellence have 90-100 percent of student’s scores at or above Achievement Level III and made expected or high growth. 44 Page 5 1/ 03 Words and Terms to Know 88

Schools of Progress
Under the ABCs of Public Education, Schools of Progress have 60-79 percent of students' scores at or above Achievement Level III and made expected or high growth.

School wide programs
School wide programs use Title I money to support comprehensive school improvement efforts and help all students, particularly low-achieving and at-risk students, meet state standards at particular schools. To qualify as a Title I school wide program, at least 40 percent of a school s students must be considered low-income. (Waivers can sometimes change the percentage.) School wide programs can provide Title I services and support to all of the children in the school, regardless of income level. School wide programs have more flexibility than targeted assistance programs when using Title I funds. For example, schools operating school wide programs can combine Title I funds with other federal, state, and local funding to finance a more comprehensive approach to improving student achievement. (PEN)

Scientifically based research
This is research that involves the application of rigorous, systemic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to educational activities and programs. (U. S. Department of Education)

Sequential acquisition

This is when a child is exposed to L1 during infancy, and learns L2 at a later time.

Sheltered English immersion
Sheltered English immersion features instruction in English for learners who are at least intermediate speakers of English. Teachers use specific techniques to make the subject matter understandable to those still learning English. (NCEA)

Silent Period

This is the early stages of learning a second language (L2), most students focus on comprehension and do very little speaking. The younger the student, the longer the silent period usually lasts.

Standard Course of Study
The revised North Carolina Standard Course of Study provides a guideline of what all students should know and be able to do. It defines the minimum standards for school systems to follow and to communicate to the public. State accountability measures are derived from the state curriculum.

State education agency (SEA)
The state education agency is the agency primarily responsible for the supervision of a state's public elementary and secondary schools. (U. S. Department of Education)

Supplemental services
Students from low-income families who are attending schools that have been identified as failing for two years will be eligible to receive outside tutoring or academic assistance. Parents can choose the appropriate services for their child from a list of state-approved providers. The school district will purchase the services. (U. S. Department of Education)

Targeted assistance programs
TAPs operate at schools not eligible for, or those choosing not to run, a (TAPs) school wide Title I program. Using Title I money, they provide services only to eligible children identified as having the greatest educational need. School staff determines which services and activities will be provided to which student. Non-Title I students are not eligible to receive Title I services in a TAP school. (PEN)

Title I
Title I provides federal funding for schools to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. Funding is based on the number of low-income children in a school, generally those eligible for the free lunch program. Title I is intended to supplement, not replace, state and district funds. Schools receiving Title I monies are supposed to involve parents in deciding how these funds are spent and in reviewing progress. Title I used to be called Chapter One. (NCEA)

Transfer

When students are learning an L2, they make errors that reflect the influence of L1. Note this is not a sign of a clinically significant problem with syntax.