Term
|Term |Department |Definition |
|5E |Science |An instructional model based on the constructivist approach to learning – students draw |
| | |on their existing knowledge to synthesize and understand new information. The model |
| | |includes: engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate. |
|accommodation |Special Education |The actual teaching supports and services that the student may require to successfully |
| | |demonstrate learning. Accommodations should not change expectations to the curriculum |
| | |grade levels. Examples include: math charts, additional time, preferred seating, and |
| | |adaptive keyboard. |
|Achieve Texas |Career and Technical |An education initiative designed to prepare students for a lifetime of success. It allows|
| |Education |students to achieve excellence by preparing them for secondary and postsecondary |
| | |opportunities, career preparation and advancement, meaningful work, and active |
| | |citizenship. |
|ACT |Advanced Academics |American College Testing. A standardized collegiate examination that is commonly used as |
| | |an indicator of academic aptitude and readiness to enter college. The multiple-choice |
| | |tests cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The Writing |
| | |Test, which is optional, measures skill in planning and writing a short essay. |
|AEIS |Accountability |Academic Excellence Indicator System. Pulls together a wide range of information on the |
| | |performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. This information|
| | |is put into the annual AEIS reports, which are available each year in the fall. The |
| | |performance indicators include TAKS results, attendance rates, drop out rates, and |
| | |college readiness indicators. |
|AIMS |Advanced Academics |The name of the Gifted and Talented magnet program for grades 2-6. Currently Alief has |
| | |two elementary AIMS campuses: Outley and Boone, and all six intermediate campuses. |
|AIMS |Math and Science |Activities that Integrate Math and Science. The model uses “doing, writing, illustrating,|
| | |and thinking” to help engage students in learning math and science concepts. |
|AIP |State |Accelerated Instruction Plan. For every student who does not meet the passing standard |
| | |after the three testing opportunities, the Grade Placement Committee must develop an AIP.|
| | |This plan shall include the accelerated instruction that the district must provide during|
| | |the next school year. The plan must be designed to enable the student to perform on the |
| | |appropriate grade level by the end of the next school year. The AIP must provide for |
| | |interim progress reports to the student’s parent or guardian and the opportunity for |
| | |parent consultation with the teacher and/or principal as needed. |
|ALC |District |Alief Learning Center. |
|Alief U |Teacher Induction |Alief U is a three year induction program requiring 35 hours of prescribed professional |
| | |development each year. Year 1 induction – Alief U Undergraduate Studies. Year 2 induction|
| | |– Alief U Graduate Studies. Year 3 induction – Alief U Continuing Education. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|AMI |Math |Accelerated Math Instruction. Accelerated Math Instruction funding is given to school |
| | |districts and charter schools on a formula basis for early math intervention. This |
| | |funding is to be used to provide intensive, targeted intervention programs for students |
| | |in grades K-8 at every campus who have been identified as at-risk for math difficulties. |
| | |AMI funds are also for students who do not meet the passing standard on any one of the |
| | |three test opportunities of the grades 5 math TAKS. |
|AP |Advanced Academics |Advanced Placement. Advanced Placement courses are college level courses which are |
| | |challenging and rigorous and allow students to pursue and receive credit for |
| | |college-level work while in high school.. Students who complete AP courses are expected |
| | |to sit for AP Exams. Earning designated scores on these exams allows students to earn |
| | |college credit for the courses while still in high school. Alief has an open-enrollment |
| | |policy for AP courses so students with high ability and a desire to take advanced level |
| | |courses, but who are not identified as gifted, may participate in these courses. |
|APE |Special Education |Adaptive Physical Education. APE may be offered to students with gross motor delays or |
| | |other disability-related difficulties that make them unable to participate productively |
| | |in a regular physical education class. |
|APLA |Elementary Language Arts|Alief Prekindergarten Literacy Survey. An ongoing process of gathering and recording |
| | |information about a student’s literacy development. The assessment is given in October, |
| | |January, and May. |
|ARD |Special Education |Admission Review Dismissal. This is the name of the committee responsible for making the |
| | |educational decisions for a special education student. ARD committee members include: |
| | |parent, student (if appropriate), regular education teacher, special education teacher, |
| | |diagnostician, and administrator. |
|ARI |Language Arts |Accelerated Reading Instruction. Accelerated Reading Instruction funding is given to |
| | |school districts and charter schools on a formula basis for early reading intervention. |
| | |This funding is to be used to provide intensive, targeted intervention programs for |
| | |students in grades K-8 at every campus who have been identified as at-risk for reading |
| | |difficulties, including dyslexia. ARI funds are also for students who do not meet the |
| | |passing standard on any one of the three test opportunities of the grades 3, 5 and 8 |
| | |reading TAKS. |
|ASCD ebooks |Library Services | |
|ASF |District |Alief Support Facility. Located at 14051 Bellaire - the Alief Tax Office, Technology |
| | |Services, Pupil Personnel Services, and SERS are housed here. |
|ATMS |Assessment |Alief TAKS Management System. Released TAKS tests are used to assess students’ strengths |
| | |and weaknesses. |
|AVID |Advanced Academics |Advancement Via Individual Determination. A fourth- through twelfth-grade system to |
| | |prepare students in the academic middle for four-year college eligibility. It has a |
| | |proven track record in bringing out the best in students, and in closing the achievement |
| | |gap. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|AYP |Accountability |Adequate Yearly Progress. Under the accountability provisions in the No Child Left Behind|
| | |(NCLB) Act, all public school campuses, school districts, and the state are evaluated for|
| | |Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Districts, campuses, and the state are required to meet |
| | |AYP criteria on three measures: Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, and either Graduation|
| | |Rate (for high schools and districts) or Attendance Rate (for elementary and |
| | |middle/junior high schools). If a campus, district, or state that is receiving Title I, |
| | |Part A funds, fails to meet AYP for two consecutive years, that campus, district, or |
| | |state is subject to certain requirements such as offering supplemental education |
| | |services, offering school choice, and/or taking corrective actions. |
|bilingual education |Bilingual/ESL |English Language Learners whose first language is Spanish are instructed through the |
| | |Bilingual Education Program. 16 of the 23 elementary campuses in Alief ISD have a |
| | |bilingual education program. For the 2007-2008 school year we will open elementary school|
| | |number 24 which will be a bilingual campus and we will add bilingual education to an |
| | |existing campus making 18 of the 24 campuses bilingual. Alief also has a bilingual |
| | |education program at each of the 5 intermediate campuses. |
|BIP |Special Education |Behavior Intervention Plan. A plan for managing student behavior. A BIP may include ways |
| | |to change the environment to keep behavior from starting in the first place, provide |
| | |positive reinforcement to promote good behavior, employ planned ignoring to avoid |
| | |reinforcing bad behavior, and provide supports needed so that the student will not be |
| | |driven to act out due to frustration or fatigue. When a behavior plan is agreed to, the |
| | |school and staff are legally obligated to follow it. |
|BNWS |Elementary Math |Backward Number Word Sequence. A regular sequence of number words backwards. For example,|
| | |the BNWS from twenty to ten. |
|Bridge Program/Teacher |Elementary Language Arts|A district funded reading interventionist on each elementary campus. Beginning of the |
| | |year assessments determine the lowest 24 students in second and/or third grade. The |
| | |Bridge teacher provides explicit instruction in reading skills and strategies. Students |
| | |are pulled in groups of 4-6. |
|CAP |State |Campus Action Plan. |
|CBE with instruction |Advanced Academics |Credit by Exam (with instruction). For credit recovery only |
|CBE without prior |Advanced Academics |Credit by Exam (without prior instruction). Students may apply to take credit by exam |
|instruction | |without prior instruction for grade level acceleration K-8 or to obtain original course |
| | |credit (not credit recovery) for secondary course work - grades 9-12. |
|CCA |Assessment |Campus Common Assessment. Individual campuses prepare assessments for a particular grade |
| | |level and/or content area to determine individual student strengths and weaknesses. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|CCAP |Assessment |Comprehensive Curriculum Assessment Professional Development. This comprehensive system |
| | |is intended to provide educators with a single system for student instructional needs – |
| | |assessments, curriculum, lesson planning tools, instructional resources, student |
| | |assessment management system, and video clips of best practice classroom instruction. |
|CER |Science |Claims, Evidence, Reasoning. A format for writing explanations – a claim that answers the|
| | |question, evidence from the students’ data, reasoning that involves a “rule” or |
| | |scientific principle that describes why the evidence supports the claim. |
|CHAMPs |PASS |Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation. Designed by Randy Sprick, CHAMPs |
| | |is a proactive and positive approach to classroom discipline. |
|CIS |Guidance and Counseling |Communities in Schools. A dropout prevention organization connecting community resources |
| | |and schools to help young people successfully learn, stay in school, and prepare for |
| | |life. |
|CLC |District |Campus Learning Center. |
|Clickers |All contents |Clickers allow instructors to ask questions and gather students’ responses during a |
| | |lecture. In clicker systems, each student uses a device (a "clicker") that looks like a |
| | |TV remote to answer questions posed by the instructor in a specially-designed PowerPoint |
| | |presentation. Summaries of student responses can be shown in real time to both |
| | |instructors and students. Answers are also stored electronically for later viewing. |
|content coordinator |District |A district level administrative position. There is a coordinator for each content area |
| | |including visual/performing arts, language arts, math, advanced academics, bilingual/ESL,|
| | |etc. In some cases there is an elementary and secondary coordinator such as in language |
| | |arts, math, and science. And in some cases there is one coordinator K-12 such as in |
| | |social studies and visual/performing arts. Content Coordinators are responsible for |
| | |writing district pacing guides and assessments as well as meeting throughout the school |
| | |year with specialists/department chairs in their content area. |
|Crest Program/Teacher |Math and Language Arts |A district funded reading and math interventionist on each intermediate campus. The Crest|
| | |teacher uses beginning of the year assessment data and cum folder information to choose |
| | |24 students in 5th grade who are not meeting expectations. The reading and math |
| | |interventionist meet with the students in groups of 4-6 for 45 minutes per day. |
|CTE |Career and Technical |Career and Technical Education. This department has over 65 course offerings representing|
| |Education |fourteen of the 16 national career clusters. CTE provides students with opportunities |
| | |throughout their middle and high school career including career assessments, earning |
| | |college credit while in high school, work-based learning experiences, and achieving |
| | |industry certifications/qualifications all prior to graduation. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|CYS |Guidance and Counseling |Community Youth Services. A team effort between Harris County Protective Services, 18 |
| | |contracting school districts throughout Harris County and one law enforcement agency. The|
| | |goal of this program is to prevent at-risk youth from becoming victims of child abuse, |
| | |running away, and dropping out of school or from entering into delinquent behavior. |
|DCA |Assessment |District Common Assessment. Evaluates student progress towards district 9-week objectives|
| | |based on pacing guides. The assessments are written by Alief Content Coordinators and |
| | |Specialists. |
|department chair |District |In secondary schools (Middle Schools, Ninth Grade Centers, and High Schools), the teacher|
| | |within a department responsible for disseminating campus and district information to |
| | |other members of the department. |
|DIP |State |District Improvement Plan. |
|Discovery Center IV |Special Education |This class serves students identified as severely emotionally disturbed. The class is |
| | |located at the Alief Learning Center. This placement is very restrictive and is only |
| | |considered when the student’s behavior and performance indicates that the student can not|
| | |be successful in a less restrictive environment. The ARD Committee must recommend this |
| | |placement. |
|DNQ |Special Education |Does Not Qualify. Indicates that a student was evaluated for special education services, |
| | |but does not meet the eligibility requirements. |
|eChalk |Desktop and Network |An on-line environment that supports leadership, teaching, and learning. With eChalk's |
| |Services |safe and secure Online Learning Environment, every school and district community member |
| | |has appropriate access to event calendars, homework assignments, school board meeting |
| | |minutes, online discussions, resources, student grades and other information. |
|easyCBM |Elementary Language Arts|A universal screener and progress monitoring system that provides a variety of reading |
| |and Math |and math assessments. |
|EIC |State |Educational Improvement Council. The council is comprised of professional staff, |
| | |community, business and parent representatives. The EIC advises the Superintendent in |
| | |establishing and reviewing the district's educational goals, objectives, and major |
| | |district-wide instructional programs. |
|ELA |Language Arts |English Language Arts. |
|ELD |Bilingual/ESL |English Language Development. A 45 minute period of time in the school day for |
| | |bilingual/ESL instructors to teach the English language to students who primary language |
| | |is not English. |
|ELD Interventionists |Bilingual/ESL |English Language Development Interventionists. |
|Elementary Campuses |District |Alief has 23 elementary campuses with number 24 opening for the 2007-2008 school year. |
| | |Twenty of the elementary campuses serve grades PK-4, three of the elementary campuses |
| | |serve grades PK-5. |
|ELL |Bilingual/ESL |English Language Learner. An umbrella term characterizing students whose second language |
| | |is English - students with Limited English Proficiency (LEPs), students for whom English |
| | |is a Second Language (ESLs), or Second Language Learners (SLLs). |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|ELPS |Bilingual/ESL |English Language Proficiency Standards. ELPS outline English language proficiency level |
| | |descriptors and student expectations for English language learners (ELLs). School |
| | |districts shall implement ELPS as an integral part of each subject in the required |
| | |curriculum. In order for ELLs to be successful, they must acquire both social and |
| | |academic language proficiency in English. Social language proficiency in English consists|
| | |of the English needed for daily social interactions. Academic language proficiency |
| | |consists of the English needed to think critically, understand and learn new concepts, |
| | |process complex academic material, and interact and communicate in English academic |
| | |settings. |
|EOC Assessments |Accountability |End of Course Assessments. The purpose of the end-of-course (EOC) assessments is to |
| | |measure students’ academic performance in core high school courses and to become part of |
| | |the graduation requirements beginning with the freshman class of 2011–2012. The EOC |
| | |assessments for lower-level courses must include questions to determine readiness for |
| | |advanced coursework. The assessments for higher-level courses must include a series of |
| | |special purpose questions to measure college readiness and the need for developmental |
| | |coursework in higher education. In addition, a student’s score on each EOC assessment |
| | |will be worth 15% of the student’s final grade for that course. |
|ESL |Bilingual/ESL |English as a Second Language. Students whose primary language is not English. ??% of the |
| | |students in Alief ISD are ESL, speaking 60 different languages and dialects. |
|FNWS |Elementary Math |Forward Number Word Sequence. A regular sequence of number words forward. For example, |
| | |the FNWS by tens from twenty-four. |
|Focused Collaborative |Math and Science |Currently used in middle and high school science and math, the template organizes |
|Planning Template | |planning for a PLC team. The team agrees upon one student expectation (SE) and one |
| | |activity to |
|Gizmos |Math and Science |Developed by ExploreLearning, Gizmos are on-line simulations that power inquiry and |
| | |understanding of math and science concepts. |
|GPC |State |Grade Placement Committee. Enacted by the 76th Texas Legislature (1999), the Student |
| | |Success Initiative (SSI) grade advancement requirements apply to the grade 3 reading |
| | |test, the grade 5 reading and mathematics tests, and the grade 8 reading and mathematics |
| | |tests. As specified by these requirements, a student may advance to the next grade level |
| | |only by passing these tests or by unanimous decision of his or her grade placement |
| | |committee (GPC) that the student is likely to perform at grade level after accelerated |
| | |instruction. |
|GT |Advanced Academics |Gifted and Talented. students who perform or show the potential for performing at a |
| | |remarkably high level of accomplishment when compared to others of the same age, |
| | |experience, or environment and who: |
| | |exhibit high performance capability in an intellectual or creative area; or |
| | |excel in a specific academic field |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|guiding questions |All contents |Questions developed to frame student inquiry and promote critical thinking. Good guiding |
| | |questions: |
| | |are open-ended yet focus inquiry on a specific topic |
| | |are non-judgmental |
| | |require high cognitive work to answer |
| | |contain emotive force and intellectual bit |
| | |are succinct |
|IAP |State |Individual Accommodation Plan. Written for a student in special education or as part of a|
| | |504 plan. The IAP details specific practices and strategies for things such as: grading, |
| | |homework, support services, and learning materials. |
|IEP |Special Education |Individualized Educational Plan. Each public school child who receives special education |
| | |and related services must have an Individualized Education Program (IEP). To create an |
| | |effective IEP, parents, teachers, other school staff--and often the student--must come |
| | |together to look closely at the student's unique needs. These individuals pool knowledge,|
| | |experience and commitment to design an educational program that will help the student be |
| | |involved in, and progress in, the general curriculum. |
|ILT |District |Instructional Leadership Team. A campus-based team of instructional experts – |
| | |specialists, administrators, department heads, etc. – who work together to improve |
| | |instructional programs and student achievement. |
|in-class support |Special Education |State and federal law requires that, to the maximum extent appropriate, students with |
| | |disabilities be educated alongside their non-disabled peers. In-class support is one such|
| | |model that teams the general education and special education teacher together. The |
| | |general education teacher uses his/her expertise in specific content and general learning|
| | |theory while the special education teacher uses his/her knowledge of teaching/learning |
| | |process as it relates to specific individuals. |
|Intermediate Campuses |District |Alief has 6 intermediate campuses who serve grades 5-6. |
|ISIP |Language Arts |IStation Indicators of Progress. Used as a universal screener and measures the child’s |
| | |ability in all critical areas of reading. |
|Istation |Language Arts |Istation is a leading provider of computer-adaptive assessments and curriculum for |
| | |students of ALL ability levels. Istation can be used as an intervention tool for |
| | |struggling students (RTI), as a supplement for all students and as a resource for |
| | |teachers to differentiate instruction. |
|JJAEP |State |Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program. In 1995 the Texas Legislature mandated a |
| | |separate educational setting to ensure safe and productive classrooms through the removal|
| | |of dangerous and/or disruptive students and to address the issue of expelled youth |
| | |receiving no educational services during the period of expulsion. |
|L4U |Library Services |Library 4 Universal. A library software automation system for circulation, student |
| | |searches, reports, and client management. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|LAT |Bilingual/ESL |Linguistically Accommodated Test. Assesses recent immigrants who are LEP-exempt from the |
| | |Texas assessment program and are enrolled in grades 3-8 or 10. The test assesses |
| | |mathematics using accommodations designed to help them better understand the language on |
| | |the tests. |
|LEP |Bilingual/ESL |Limited English Proficient. Students with languages other than English on the Home |
| | |Language Survey. For these students the district administers an oral language proficiency|
| | |test (grades PK-6), reading norm-referenced test (grades 2-6), and language |
| | |norm-referenced test (grades 2-6) to determine language proficiency in English. Students |
| | |identified with limited English proficiency will be assigned an English proficiency level|
| | |as per the Texas English Language Proficiency System (TELPAS). 33% of Alief ISD students |
| | |are considered LEP. |
|LFIN |Elementary Math |Learning Framework in Number. Developed for the Count Me In Too project, it provides |
| | |teachers with a specific framework of students’ strategies in early number showing |
| | |increasing levels of sophistication and range of exemplary tasks that can be used for |
| | |assessment and teaching purposes. |
|LIFE Skills |Special Education |Learning in Functional Environments. This class serves students identified as Mentally |
| | |Retarded, Autistic or Other Health Impaired. These students need an instructional |
| | |setting focusing on basic life skills and language development. The curriculum in |
| | |specifically designed for students with mental retardation. |
|LIS |Library Services |Library Information Specialist. Once known as the librarian, the term now encompasses the|
| | |expertise provided in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats. |
|LOTE |LOTE |Languages Other Than English. References the state curriculum for students in a foreign |
| | |language program. |
|LPAC |Bilingual/ESL |Language Proficiency Assessment Committee. Using testing data and any other available |
| | |student information, LPAC will determine whether the student is LEP, recommend the |
| | |appropriate educational program for each LEP student, notify the parent of each LEP |
| | |student about classification and recommendation (Bilingual/ESL and/or Title III Special |
| | |Language Program), and facilitate the participation of LEP students in other special |
| | |programs provided by the district |
|Math Recovery |Elementary Math |Early intervention programs for mathematical learning. Math Recovery instruction can be |
| | |implemented individually, in small group, and whole classroom settings. |
|mentor |Teacher Induction |Every first year teacher in Texas is assigned a mentor. The mentor is an experienced |
| | |master teacher who guides, assists, and supports the beginning teacher in areas such as: |
| | |planning, classroom management, instruction, assessment, working with parents, obtaining |
| | |materials, and following district policies. |
|Middle School Campuses |District |Alief has 6 middle school campuses. 5 of the middle schools serve grades 7-8; one middle |
| | |school serves grades 6-8. |
|MIS |District |Management Information Systems. Provides the resources necessary to maintain Human |
| | |Resources, Payroll, Financial and Student Data for the district. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|modification |Special Education |Changes made to curriculum expectations in order to meet the needs of the student. |
| | |Modifications are made when the expectations are beyond the student’s level of ability. |
| | |Modifications may be minimal or very complex depending on the student performance. |
| | |Modifications must be clearly acknowledged in the IEP. |
|netTrekker |Library Services |An educational search tool containing over 300,000 of the best online resources, aligned |
| | |with state standards and organized by readability and grade level. Each resource is |
| | |carefully selected by educators to ensure it is safe, age-appropriate, and 100% |
| | |academically relevant. |
|NNAT |Advanced Academics |Naglieri Non-verbal Ability Test. Assesses general reasoning ability in children and |
| | |adolescents. Because of the simplicity of directions and the minimal use of language |
| | |required to solve the items, it is ideal for use with examinees from culturally and |
| | |linguistically diverse backgrounds. In addition, the NNAT-Individual has minimal motor |
| | |requirements. |
|numeracy guidelines |Elementary Math |Guidelines for determining on-level using the Learning Framework in Number. |
|OER |State |Open-Ended Response. Assesses a student’s ability to generate thoughtful responses to |
| | |literary and expository selections on the ELA TAKS test for grades 9-11. |
|OLPT |Bilingual/ESL |Oral Language Proficiency Test. An assessment used to determine the students level of |
| | |English proficiency. The assessment is given upon enrollment if the Home Language Survey |
| | |indicates that a language other than English is spoken. |
|pacing guides |District |The Alief curriculum. Divided by grade level and content area, pacing guides outline |
| | |learning objectives and resources to meet the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. |
|PACS |Special Education |Preschoolers Acquiring Communication Skills. This program serves our students’ ages 3-5 |
| | |that are identified as Speech Impaired and are identified as special education eligible. |
| | |This program emphasizes the development of Receptive and Expressive Communication skills.|
|PASS |Prevention and Safe |Prevention and Safe Schools. The district has four PASS specialists who work directly |
| |Schools |with campus administrators and teachers to maintain a positive school and classroom |
| | |climate. |
|PBMAS | |Performance-Based Monitoring Assessment System. An automated data system that reports |
| | |annually on the performance of school districts and charter schools in selected program |
| | |areas (bilingual education/English as a second language, career and technical education, |
| | |special education, and certain Title programs under the No Child Left Behind Act). |
|PD |Professional Development|Professional Development. Alief offers a variety of training (professional development) |
| | |opportunities throughout the year. Staff members can view session information on the PD |
| | |website and register on-line. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|PEP |Advanced Academics |Primary Enrichment Program. Students identified as gifted in grades K-2 participate in |
| | |the PEP program, which is a combination of cluster grouping within the classroom and |
| | |pull-out. Students are clustered in their grade level with a teacher who has obtained the|
| | |required hours of gifted training and provides differentiated instruction to meet the |
| | |needs of their PEP students. Content specialists pull students for special projects at |
| | |least once during the spring semester. |
|PGP |Guidance and Counseling |Personal Graduation Plan. Senate Bill 1108 requires a school principal to designate a |
| | |guidance counselor, teacher, or other appropriate individual to develop and implement a |
| | |personal graduation plan for each student in middle school or high school who does not |
| | |perform satisfactorily on an assessment instrument or who is not likely to receive a high|
| | |school diploma before the fifth school year following the student's enrollment in grade |
| | |9. |
|PLC |All contents |Professional Learning Communities. A collegial group of administrators and school staff |
| | |who are united in their commitment to student learning. They share a vision, work and |
| | |learn collaboratively, visit and review other classrooms, and participate in decision |
| | |making (Hord, 1997b). The benefits to the staff and students include a reduced isolation |
| | |of teachers, better informed and committed teachers, and academic gains for students. |
|portfolios |Language Arts |Portfolios are collections of students' work over time. A portfolio often documents a |
| | |student's best work and may include other types of process information, such as drafts of|
| | |the student's work and the student's self-assessment of the work. Portfolios may be used |
| | |for evaluation of a student's abilities and improvement. |
|power standard |All contents |Distinguishing “essential” learning standards from those that are “nice to know”. Power |
| | |Standards are a subset of the complete list of standards for each grade and for each |
| | |subject. They represent the “safety net” of standards that each teacher needs to make |
| | |sure that every student learns prior to leaving the current grade. Students who acquire |
| | |this “safety net” of knowledge and skills will thus exit one grade better prepared for |
| | |the next grade. |
|PPCD |Special Education |Preschool Programs for Children with Disabilities. These programs serve our students ages|
| | |3-5 who are identified as special education eligible. These programs emphasize |
| | |acquisition of developmental skills in the areas of Communication, Cognition, Self-Help, |
| | |Socialization, Fine Motor and Gross Motor. Services range from participating in a |
| | |Community-based Daycare to participation in Pre-Kindergarten with In-class support to a |
| | |Self-contained Specialized setting. Students must be three years of age and not |
| | |Kindergarten eligible by age to be included in this class. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|PreAP |Advanced Academics |Pre-Advanced Placement Courses are offered in middle and high school. The College Board |
| | |recommends that a continuum of these skills be taught as a foundation leading up to the |
| | |challenging and rigorous courses in the AP program. Gifted students are automatically |
| | |signed up for the core PreAP content courses in middle school and are highly encouraged |
| | |to continue to enroll in these courses in high school. Alief also has an open-enrollment|
| | |policy for Pre-AP courses so students with high ability and a desire to take advanced |
| | |level courses, but who are not identified as gifted, may also participate in these |
| | |courses. |
|protégé |Teacher Induction |A teacher in their first year of teaching who is assigned to a mentor on their campus for|
| | |guidance and support. |
|PSAT/NMSQT |Advanced Academics |Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. a standardized test that |
| | |provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test™. It also gives you a chance to |
| | |enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) scholarship programs. The PSAT/NMSQT |
| | |measures: critical reading skills, math problem-solving skills, and writing skills. |
|QUEST |Advanced Academics |Students identified as gifted in grades 3-6 participate in the Quest program, which is a |
| | |combination of cluster grouping within the classroom and pull-out. Students are clustered|
| | |in their grade level with a teacher who has obtained the required hours of gifted |
| | |training and provides differentiated instruction to meet the needs of their Quest |
| | |students. Content specialists pull students a minimum of 27 hours per nine-weeks for |
| | |extension activities and research projects. |
|REACH |Special Education |Reaching Excellence and Accelerating Learning to new Heights. The class serves students |
| | |who are identified by the ARD Committee to meet TEA eligibility as Autistic and exhibit |
| | |significant behavior patterns. These students need a highly specialized behavior |
| | |management system focused on developing appropriate interactive behaviors. |
|Reading Recovery |Elementary Language Arts|A highly effective short-term (12 to 20 weeks) reading intervention of one-on-one |
| | |tutoring for low-achieving first graders. |
|Region IV ESC |State |Region IV Educational Service Center. Provides Alief ISD and 53 other school districts |
| | |(Region IV) with professional development training and technical assistance that support |
| | |statewide goals for school improvement. |
|RTI |State |Response to Intervention. A multi-tiered approach to help struggling learners. Students' |
| | |progress is closely monitored at each stage of intervention to determine the need for |
| | |further research-based instruction and/or intervention in general education, in special |
| | |education, or both. |
|SAT |Advanced Academics |SAT Reasoning Test. A standardized test for college entrance. It is owned, published, and|
| | |developed by the College Board and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).|
| | |The SAT has three sections: mathematics, critical reading, and writing. Each section can |
| | |earn a maximum of 800 points and a minimum of 200 points. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|SAT 10 |Advanced Academics |Stanford Achievement Test, Tenth Edition. It is used to measure academic knowledge. The |
| | |test includes three types of questions: multiple choice, short answer, and extended |
| | |response for various subjects such as reading comprehension, mathematical problem |
| | |solving, and science. |
|SBEC |State |State Board for Educator Certification. The 11 member board, who are appointed by the |
| | |governor and three non-voting members, oversee all aspects of the preparation, |
| | |certification and standards of conduct of public school educators. |
|SDC |State |Shared Decision-making Committee. |
|SE |State |Student Expectation. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) are written as |
| | |student expectations. |
|SERS |Special Education |Special Education Resource Center. |
|sheltered instruction |Bilingual/ESL |An approach to teaching English Language Learners which integrates language and content |
| | |instruction. The dual goals of sheltered instruction are: to provide access to |
| | |mainstream, grade level content and to promote the development of English Language |
| | |Proficiency. |
|Six Traits of Writing |Language Arts |Uses analytical rubrics for: ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, |
|Assessment | |conventions, and presentation to pinpoint strengths and weaknesses of student writing. |
|specialist |District |Each elementary and intermediate campus has four specialist units, covering reading, |
| | |writing, social studies, math, science, and technology in some combination. |
| | |Each middle school has three full-time and two half-time specialists. The three full-time|
| | |specialists are for language arts, math, and technology. The two half-time specialists |
| | |are social studies and science. |
| | |Each ninth grade center has three specialists. Two of the specialists split language |
| | |arts, social studies, math, and science. The other specialist is technology. |
| | |Each high school has six specialists: 1 language arts, 1 math, 1 science, 1 social |
| | |studies, and 2 technology. |
| | |The specialists do not have classroom responsibilities. Their role includes: assisting |
| | |the content coordinator in writing curriculum, teaching demonstration lessons for |
| | |classroom teachers, assisting teachers in planning instruction, and monitoring |
| | |student/teacher progress. |
|SPED |Special Education |Special Education. |
|SRI |Language Arts |Scholastic Reading Inventory. A reading comprehension assessment that uses the Lexile |
| | |Framework to help monitor growth and guide instruction for students in kindergarten |
| | |through 12th grade. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|SSI |State |Student Success Initiative. Enacted by the 76th Texas Legislature in 1999, the Student |
| | |Success Initiative grade advancement requirements apply to the TAKS reading test at grade|
| | |3, the reading and mathematics tests at grade 5, and the reading and mathematics tests at|
| | |grade 8. As specified by these requirements, a student may advance to the next grade |
| | |level only by passing these tests or by unanimous decision of his or her grade placement |
| | |committee that the student is likely to perform at grade level after additional |
| | |instruction. |
|STAAR |Accountability |State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness. The STAAR program began in 2012 and |
| | |includes assessments for: |
| | |reading and mathematics, grades 3-8 |
| | |writing at grades 4 and 7 |
| | |science at grades 5 and 8 |
| | |social studies at grade 8 |
| | |end-of-course (EOC) assessments for English I, English II, Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. |
| | |History |
|STAAR A |Accountability |STAAR A, an accommodated version of STAAR©, is offered as an online assessment in the |
| | |same grades and subjects as STAAR. The passing standards for STAAR A are the same as any |
| | |STAAR test. STAAR A will provide embedded supports designed to help students with |
| | |disabilities access the content being assessed. These embedded supports include visual |
| | |aids, graphic organizers, clarifications of construct-irrelevant terms, and |
| | |text-to-speech functionality. Students receiving the following services may be |
| | |administered STAAR A in one or more subjects: |
| | |students with identified disabilities who are receiving Special Education services |
| | |students identified with dyslexia or a related disorder and are receiving 504 services |
|STAAR |Accountability |TEA has developed the STAAR Alternate 2 assessment to meet the federal requirements |
|Alternate 2 | |mandated under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a federal education law|
| | |previously known as No Child Left Behind. TEA designed the STAAR Alternate 2 to assess |
| | |students in grades 3–8 and high school who have significant cognitive disabilities and |
| | |are receiving special education services. |
|STAAR L |Accountability |STAAR L is a linguistically accommodated English version of the STAAR grades 3–8 and |
| | |end-of-course (EOC) mathematics, science, and social studies assessments. TEA provides |
| | |the STAAR L for English language learners (ELLs). ELL students must meet participation |
| | |requirements for a substantial degree of linguistic accommodation in these subject areas.|
| | |STAAR L is an online testing program. |
|STAT | |Student/Teacher Assistance Team. The team’s fundamental purpose is to identify and plan |
| | |interventions for students who are experiencing difficulties that cannot be handled by |
| | |the regular classroom teacher. Common reasons for referring a student to S.T.A.T. fall |
| | |into three basic categories: academic, behavioral, social. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|STEM |Math and Science |Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. STEM is an educational program developed to |
| | |prepare primary and secondary students for college and graduate study in the fields of |
| | |science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In addition to subject-specific|
| | |learning, STEM aims to foster inquiring minds, logical reasoning, and collaboration |
| | |skills. |
|STOIC |Prevention and Safe |From Safe and Civil Schools. Structure your classroom, Teach expectations, Observe and |
| |Schools |supervise, Correct fluently. |
|Structured |Special Education |This class serves students identified as Emotionally Disturbed (moderate to severe). |
| | |These are students who, as determined by the ARD Committee, are unable to function in |
| | |less restrictive special education classes. These students need a highly structured |
| | |behavior management system which emphasizes modifying inappropriate behaviors and |
| | |teaching appropriate behavior and social skills. |
|TAC |State |Texas Administrative Code. A compilation of all state agency rules in Texas. |
|TEA |State |Texas Education Agency. Their mission is to provide leadership, guidance and resources to|
| | |help schools meet the educational needs of all students. |
|TEC |State |Texas Education Code. Statutes, laws, and regulations dealing with education in Texas. |
|TEKS |State |Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills. State developed objectives for public school |
| | |curriculum. The TEKS are the basis for TAKS development. |
|TELPAS |Bilingual/ESL |Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System. Includes RPTE (Reading Proficiency |
| | |Tests in English) and TOP (Texas Observation Protocol). RPTE: measures annual growth in |
| | |the English reading proficiency of second language learners, and are used along with |
| | |English and Spanish TAKS™ to provide a comprehensive assessment system for limited |
| | |English proficient (LEP) students. LEP students in Grades 3-12 are required to take the |
| | |RPTE until they achieve a rating of advanced. |
| | |TOP: provides a systematic way for teachers to holistically rate a student’s English |
| | |language proficiency level in 4 domains based on observations of the student in daily |
| | |classroom instruction. |
|Title 1 |Federal Programs and |The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and |
| |Grants |significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, |
| | |proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic |
| | |assessments. |
| | |Alief ISD has a diverse student population: 45% Hispanic, 36% African American, 13% |
| | |Asian, and 6% Caucasian. Of the almost 45,000 students, 65% are considered economically |
| | |disadvantaged. |
|TLC |Special Education |Total Learning Center. This class serves students who are identified with Severe/Multiple|
| | |Disabilities. This class provides an instructional environment for those students who, |
| | |because of severe developmental delays and disability conditions, need a highly |
| | |individualized class which emphasizes motor skill development, communication, and sensory|
| | |skill development. |
|Term |Department |Definition |
|TMSDS |Math and Science |Texas Math and Science Diagnostic System. An online tool that supports instructional |
| | |efforts by providing teachers with a Web-based collection of Texas Essential Knowledge |
| | |and Skills (TEKS)-aligned diagnostics and resources. TEA has created this tool to support|
| | |on-going formative assessment and help teachers provide the best possible education for |
| | |students. |
|T-TESS |Human Resources |The Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) is a system designed by |
| | |educators to support teachers in their professional growth. The three components of |
| | |T-TESS are: goal setting and professional development plan, the evaluation cycle, and |
| | |student growth measure. T-TESS has four domains and sixteen dimensions. |
|UTC |Assessment |Unit Common Assessment. Created by campus teams to assess a student’s understanding of a |
| | |particular unit of study. |
|VMath |Elementary Math |A math intervention program built upon scientifically based research principles of |
| | |effective instruction for struggling students. It is designed to support and complement |
| | |any core math program by providing targeted instruction and practice in essential math |
| | |concepts, skills, and strategies. VMath is used in grades 3-6. On some campuses the |
| | |classroom teacher uses VMath during a required 30 minute intervention time each day. On |
| | |other campuses VMath is used by a campus interventionist who pulls small groups from a |
| | |variety of classrooms for 30-45 minutes per day. |
|Voyager Passport Reading |Elementary Language Arts|A research-based reading intervention program that offers explicit instruction in the |
| | |five essential elements of reading. Alief received Voyager Passport Reading from the |
| | |state for grades 4-5 as part of plan to improve 5th grade TAKS reading scores. Voyager |
| | |Passport Reading is used in grades 3-6. On some campuses the classroom teacher uses |
| | |Voyager Reading during a required 30 minute intervention time each day. On other campuses|
| | |Voyage Reading is used by a campus interventionist who pulls small groups from a variety |
| | |of classrooms for 30-45 minutes per day. |
|ZPD |All contents |Zone of Proximal Development. The concept was developed by Russian psychologist Lev |
| | |Vygotsky. It is the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or |
| | |she can do with help. |
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