Glossary of Terms
AYP - Adequate Yearly Progress
A statewide accountability system mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 which requires each state to ensure that all schools and districts make Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by states and approved by the US Department of Education.
Aimline (Aim Line)
Line on a graph that represents expected student growth over time.
CCSSO – Council of Chief State School Officers
Organization of public officials who head departments of elementary andsecondary education in the states, the District of Columbia, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and five U.S. extra-state jurisdiction.
Collaborating (as an instructional improvement strategy)
A collegial process wherein two or more colleagues share expertise with each other; to implement instructional or behavior strategies to benefit student learning.
Community of Practice
Concept referring to the process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in some subject or problem collaborate over an extended period to share ideas, find solutions, and build innovations.
Consulting (as an instructional improvement strategy)
A collegial process wherein a colleague shares expertise with another to address an identified Core Principles of RtIBeliefs, dispositions necessary for RtI processes to be effective: all children can learn when taught with effective practices; early intervening for struggling learners is essential; use of a multi-tier model of service delivery; and utilization of a problem-solving methodology.
Co-teaching (as an instructional improvement strategy)
A collegial process wherein two colleagues share responsibility for instruction, assessment, and student progress for a particular classroom of students.
Curriculum Based Assessment (CBA)
Measurement that uses direct observation and recording of a student's performance in the local curriculum as a basis for gathering information to make instructional decisions.
Curriculum Based Measurement (CBM)
Tools for measuring student competency and progress in the basic skill areas of reading fluency, spelling, mathematics and written language.
Data Points
Points on a graph that represent student achievement or behavior relative to a specific assessment at a specific time.
Dependent Variable
Element which may be influenced or modified by some treatment or exposure.
Dimensions of Reading
The five research-based dimensions of reading as outlined in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 2001 (NCLB: phonemic awareness; phonics; fluency; vocabulary; and comprehension.
Differentiated Instruction
Process of designing lesson plans that meet the needs of the range of learners; such planning includes learning objectives, grouping practices, teaching methods, varied assignments, and varied materials chosen based on student skill levels, interest levels, and learning preferences; differentiated instruction focuses on instructional strategies, instructional groupings, and an array of materials.
Discrepancy
Difference between two outcome measures: 1) IQ-achievement discrepancy – difference between scores on a norm-referenced intelligence test and a norm-referenced achievement test; and 2) difference between pre-test and post-test on a criterion-referenced test.
Disproportionality
Over-identification, or under-identification, of students from minority populations who are served through special education.
Dual Discrepancy
A dual discrepancy occurs when a student’s performance and growth rate are both substantially below performance and growth rate of typical peers.
Early Intervening Services (EIS)
The concept of early intervening services was introduced in IDEA 2004 and refers to a broad application of scientifically based prevention and support services for students who are not identified as needing special education programs or service but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in the general education classroom.
From NCLB:
An LEA will provide training to enable teachers to teach and address the needs of students with different learning styles, particularly students with disabilities, students with special learning needs (including students who are gifted and talented), and students with limited English proficiency; and to improve student behavior in the classroom and identify early and appropriate interventions to help these students.
From IDEA:
An LEA may use up to 15% of its IDEA Part B funds in any fiscal year, less any funds reduced from its local fiscal effort, to develop and implement coordinated, early intervening services. Coordinated early intervening services may include interagency financing structures (for students in K-12 with a particular emphasis on students in K-3) who have not been identified as needing special education or related services but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.
When it has been determined that significant disproportionality with respect to the identification of children as children with disabilities, or the placement in particular educational settings of such children, the SEA shall require the to reserve the maximum 15% of IDEA Part B funds to provide comprehensive coordinated early intervening services to serve children in the LEA, particularly children in those groups that were significantly over-identified.
EIS Activities could include: professional development for teachers and other school staff to deliver scientifically-based academic instruction and behavioral interventions, including scientifically-based literacy instruction, and, where appropriate, instruction on the use of adaptive and instructional software; and providing educational and behavioral evaluations, services and supports, including scientifically-based literacy instruction.
ESEA/NCLB – Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) [original passage in 1965], renamed the "No Child Left Behind" (NCLB) Act of 2001; federal statute relative to k-12 public education.
Essential Components of an RTI Process
Core components of an effective RTI process include: school-wide screening; progress monitoring; tiered services; fidelity of implementation.
Evidence-based Practice
Educational practices/instructional strategies supported by relevant scientific research studies.
Exclusionary Factors
The determination of eligibility for a specific learning disability must not be primarily the result of one of the following factors: [from federal regulation §300.309(a)(3)]: (i) A visual, hearing, or motor disability;(ii) Mental retardation;(iii) Emotional disturbance;(iv) Cultural factors;(v) Environmental or economic disadvantage; or(vi) Limited English proficiency.
Explicit Instruction
Systematic instructional approach that includes a set of delivery and design procedures derived from effective schools research merged with behavior analysis; essential components of well designed explicit instruction include (a) visible delivery features of group instruction with a high level of teacher and student interactions, and (b) the less observable, instructional design principles and assumptions that make up the content and strategies to be taught.
Fidelity of Implementation
Fidelity of implementation is the delivery of content and instructional strategies in the way in which they were designed and intended to be delivered: accurately and consistently. Although interventions are aimed at learners, fidelity measures focus on the individuals who provide the instruction.
Formative Assessment/Evaluation
Classroom/curriculum measures of student progress; monitors progress made towards achieving learning outcomes; informs instructional decision-making.
Functional Assessment
Behaviors: Process to identify the problem, determine the function or purpose of the behavior, and to develop interventions to teach acceptable alternatives to the behavior
Academics: Process to identify the skill gap, strategies that have and have not been effective, and to develop interventions to teach the necessary skill(s).
IDEA - Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 also referred to as IDEA ‘04
Original passage in 1975; latest reauthorization in 2004; federal statute relative to public education and services to students with disabilities ages 3 through 21.
IDEA Partnership
IDEA Part D federal grant; collaboration of 55 plus national organizations, technical assistance providers, and State and local organizations and agencies, together with the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).
Inclusion (as a service delivery model)
Students with identified disabilities are educated with general education age-/grade-level peers.
Independent Variable
Variable which is manipulated or selected by the researcher to determine relationship to a dependent variable; independent variable is the element that someone actively controls/changes (instructional strategy/intervention); while the dependent variable (student demonstration of skills) is the element that changes as a result.
Integrity of Intervention Implementation
See Fidelity.
Intensive Interventions
Academic and/or behavioral interventions characterized by increased length, frequency, and duration of implementation for students who struggle significantly; often associated with narrowest tier of an RTI tiered model; also referred to as tertiary interventions.
Key practices in RTI
Practices necessary for RTI processes to be effective: using research-based, scientifically validated instruction and interventions; monitoring of student progress to inform instruction; making decisions based on data; using assessments for universal screening, progress monitoring, and diagnostics.
LEA– Local Education Agency
Refers to a specific school district or a group of school districts in a cooperative or regional configuration.
Learning Disability/Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
[from federal regulation §300.309(a)(1)]
The child does not achieve adequately for the child’s age or to meet State-approved grade-level standards in one or more of the following areas, when provided with learning experiences and instruction appropriate for the child’s age or State-approved grade–level standards: (i) Oral expression; (ii) Listening comprehension; (iii) Written expression; (iv) Basic reading skill; (v) Reading fluency skills; (vi) Reading comprehension; (vii) Mathematics calculation; (viii) Mathematics problem solving.
Learning Rate
Average progress over a period of time, i.e. one-year’s growth in one year’s time.
Letter Naming Fluency (LNF) Test
Letter naming fluency is an individually administered test that provides a reading prediction measure. Students are presented a page of upper- and lower-case letters arranged in a random order and asked to name as many letters as they can.
Letter Sound Fluency (LSF) Test
Letter sound fluency is a curriculum-based assessment used to determine a student's ability to fluently decode letters into sounds. Alternate, random forms of the test contain the 26 letters of the alphabet.
Multi-Tiered Service-Delivery Model or Tiered Service-Delivery Model
A multi-tiered service-delivery model provides tiers of increasingly intense interventions directed at more specific deficits and at smaller segments of the population.
NCLB/ESEA – No Child Left Behind/Elementary and Secondary Education Act
See ESEA/NCLB.
Nonsense Word Fluency (NWF) Test
Nonsense word fluency is an individually administered test of the alphabetic principle, including letter-sound correspondence, and of the ability to blend letters into words, in which letters represent their most common sounds.
Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) Test
Oral reading fluency is an individually administered test of accuracy and fluency in which the number of words read correctly per minute is counted.
Over-Identification
Refers to the over-representation of students in special education programs/services that are above state and national averages; identification of more students for services through special education than the proportion of that population in the general population.
Refers to over-representation of students in specific disability-related categories that are above state and national averages.
Phoneme Segmentation Fluency (PSF) Test
Phoneme segmentation fluency is a measure that assesses a student's ability to segment three- and four-phoneme words into their individual phonemes fluently. This measure has been found to be a good predictor of later reading achievement.
Positive Behavioral Support (PBS) or Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support (PBIS)
Positive behavioral support (PBS) or positive behavioral interventions and support (PBIS) is a multi-component approach to respectfully changing behavior while enhancing capabilities, opportunities, and quality of life.
Primary Levels of Intervention
Interventions that are preventive and proactive; implementation is school-wide or by whole-classroom; often connected to broadest tier (core or foundational tier) of a tiered intervention model.
Problem-Solving Approach to RTI
Assumes that no given intervention will be effective for all students; generally has four stages (problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and plan evaluation); is sensitive to individual student differences; depends on the integrity of implementing interventions.
Problem-solving Team
Group of education professionals coming together to consider student-specific data, brainstorm possible strategies/interventions; and develop a plan of action to address a student-specific need.
Progress Monitoring
Progress monitoring is a set of assessment procedures for determining the extent to which students are benefiting from classroom instruction.
Remediation
Instruction intended to remedy a situation; to teach a student something that he or she should have previously learned or be able to demonstrate; assumes appropriate strategies matched to student learning have been used previously.
Research-Based (Activities, Practices, Instruction, Interventions, or Treatment)
Research-based activities, practices, instruction, interventions or treatment are approaches that have been scientifically demonstrated to be effective, regardless of the discipline that developed them.
Response to Intervention or Responsiveness to Intervention (RTI)
Responsiveness to intervention is an assessment and intervention process for systematically monitoring student progress and making decisions about the need for instructional modifications or increasingly intensified services using progress-monitoring data.
Retell Fluency (RTF)
Retell fluency provides a comprehension check for oral reading fluency and helps to identify students whose fluency and comprehension are not consistent.
School-Wide Screening (Also known as Universal Screening)
Screening is an assessment characterized as a quick, low-cost, repeatable test of age-appropriate critical skills (e.g., identifying letters of the alphabet or reading a list of high-frequency words) or behaviors (e.g., tardiness or discipline reports). Measures are not too complicated and can be administered by someone with a minimal amount of training. (Also School-Wide Screening.)
Scientifically-based Research
Education related research that meets the following criteria: analyzes and presents the impact of effective teaching on achievement of students; includes large numbers of students in the study; includes study and control groups; applies a rigorous peer review process; includes replication studies to validate results.
Scientifically Based (Activities, Practices, Instruction, Interventions, Treatment)
Scientifically based activities, practices, instruction, interventions or treatment are approaches that have been scientifically demonstrated by research to be effective. Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, scientifically based research is defined as "research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs."
Scientific, Research-based Instruction
Curriculum and educational interventions that have been proven to be effective for most students based on scientific study.
Screening
See Universal Screening.
SEA – State Education Agency
Refers to the department of education at the state level.
Secondary Levels of Intervention
Interventions that relate directly to an area of need; are supplementary to primary interventions; are different from primary interventions; often implemented in small group settings; may be individualized; often connected to supplemental tier of a tiered intervention model.
Specific Learning Disability (SLD)
Specific learning disability (SLD) is one of the categorical conditions considered important for providing legal protections and entitlements. Under IDEA 2004, SLD is defined as "a disorder of one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in [the] imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations. Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia. Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage."
(Also See Learning Disability).
Standard Protocol Intervention
Use of same empirically validated intervention for all students with similar academic or behavioral needs; facilitates quality control.
Strategic Interventions Specific to Needs
Intervention chosen in relation to student data and from among those that have been documented through education research to be effective with like students under like circumstances; often associated with second tier of an RTI tiered model; also referred to as secondary interventions.
Summative Assessment/Evaluation
Comprehensive in nature, provides accountability and is used to check the level of learning at the end of a unit of study.
Systematic Data Collection
Planning a timeframe for and following through with appropriate assessments to set baselines and monitor student progress.
Tertiary Levels of Intervention
Interventions that relate directly to an area of need; are supplementary to primary and secondary interventions; are different from primary and secondary interventions; usually implemented individually or in very small group settings; may be individualized; often connected to narrowest tier of a tiered intervention model.
Tiered Instruction
Levels of instructional intensity within a tiered model.
Tiered Model
Common model of three or more tiers that delineate levels of instructional interventions based on student skill need.
Trend Line
Line on a graph that connects data points; compare against aim line to determine responsiveness to intervention.
Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Process of designing instruction that is accessible by all students; UDL includes multiple means of representation, multiple means of expression, and multiple means of engagement; the focus in creation of UDL curriculais on technology and materials.
Universal Screening
A process of reviewing student performance through formal and/or informal assessment measures to determine progress in relation to student benchmarks; related directly to student learning standards.
Validated Intervention
Intervention supported by education research to be effective with identified needs of sets of students.
Word Identification Fluency (WIF) Assessment
Word identification fluency is a curriculum-based assessment designed to monitor the reading progress of students. The assessment measures fluency in recognizing and correctly pronouncing high-utility words.