- ACT – American College Testing
- ACP – Alternative Certification Program/Participant
- ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act
- ADD – Attention-Deficient Disorder
- ADHD – Attention Deficient Hyperactivity Disorder
- AADD/In – Attention-Deficient Disorder Inattentive
- AFT – American Federation of Teachers
- AIP – Academic Improvement Plan
- AP; APD – Auditory Processing Disorder
- AP – Assistant Principal or Advanced Placement
- ASD – Autistic Spectrum Disorder
- ATEN – Assistive Technology Educational Network
- AUP – Acceptable Use Procedures (for computers and telephones)
- AVID – Advanced Via Individual Determination
- AYP – Adequate Yearly Progress
- BAV – Building Academic Vocabulary
- BIP; BMP – Behavior Intervention Plan; Behavior Management Plan
- CBI – Computer Based Instruction
- CCSS – Common Core State Standards
- CELLA – Comprehensive English Language Learning Assessment
- CPT – College Placement Test
- DA – Differentiated Accountability
- DAR – Diagnostic Assessment of Reading
- DD – Developmentally Delayed
- DE – Discovery Education (Reading, Math & Science Assessments)
- DFA – District Formative Assessment
- DI – Differentiated Instruction
- DIBELS – Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills
- DOE – Department of Education
- DP – Deliberate Practice (elements selected by teachers to work on in a given year)
- DRA – District Required Assessment
- DRA – Developmental Reading Assessment
- DSS – Developmental Scale Scores (FCAT, DE)
- EAP – Employee Assistance Program
- EBD – Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
- EC – Early Childhood
- EH – Emotionally Handicapped
- ELA – English Language Arts
- ELL – English Language Learner
- EOC – End of Course Exams
- EP – Educational Plan (for gifted students)
- ER&D – Educational Research and Dissemination
- ERDA – Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment
- ESE – Exceptional Student Education
- ESL – English as Second Language
- ESOL – English for Speakers of Other Languages
- HI – Hearing Impaired
- FAIR – Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading
- FCAT – Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test
- FEFP – Florida Educator Accomplished Practices
- FLDOE – Florida Department of Education
- FLVS – Florida Virtual School
- FOR-PD – Florida Online Reading Professional Development
- FRL – Free/Reduced Lunch
- FSA – Florida Standards Assessment (replaced FCAT)
- FTCE – Florida Teacher Certification Examinations
- FTE – Full Time Equivalency (Funding for schools)
- HI – Hearing Impaired
- IB – International Baccalaureate
- ID – Intellectually Disabled (mild, moderate, severe)
- IEP – Individualized Education Program
- INK – Investing in Kids (St. Johns Education Foundation)
- iOb – iObservation – Website used for teacher evaluation
- IPDP – Individual Professional Development Plan
- ILC – Instructional Literacy Coach
- IND – Intellectually Disabled
- ISS – In School Suspension
- JDC – Juvenile Detention Center
- LAFS – Language Arts Florida Standards
- LD – Learning Disability
- LEP – Limited English Proficiency
- LRE – Least Restrictive Environment
- MAFS – Mathematics Florida Standards (MAFS)
- MEA – Integrated STEM Lessons as Model Eliciting Activities
- MFA – Math Formative Assessment
- MGIC – Middle Grades Integrated Curriculum
- MID – Mild Intellectual Disability
- MSSP – Middle School Success Plan
- MTSS – Multi-Tiered System of Support
- NBCT – National Board Certified Teachers
- NBPTS – National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
- NCLB – No Child Left Behind
- NEA – National Education Association
- NGSSS – Next Generation Sunshine State Standards
- NSDC – National Staff Development Council
- ODD – Oppositional Defiant Disorder
- OHI – Other Health Impaired
- OSS – Out-of-School Suspension
- OT – Occupational Therapist; Occupational Therapy
- PBS – Positive Behavior of Support
- PD – Professional Development
- PDP – Professional Development Plan
- PEC – Professional Education Competencies (Induction program, 1st year in district)
- Ped – Professional Education Test
- PI – Physically Impaired
- PLC – Professional Learning Community
- PMRN – Progress Monitoring & Reporting Network (Fair testing)
- PSC – Professional Standards Contract
- PT – Physical Therapist; Physical Therapy
- PTA/PTO – Parent-Teacher Association, Parent Teacher Organization
- PTSA – Parent, Teacher, Student Association
- RtI/MTSS – Response to Intervention (RtI) has been described in Florida as a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) for providing high quality instruction and intervention to improve student learning.
- SAC – School Advisory Committee
- SAE – Subject Area Exam
- SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test (College Boards)
- SBRR – Scientifically Based Reading Research
- SES – Socio-economic Status
- SIP – School Improvement Plan
- SJCSD – St. Johns County School District
- SJCVS / SJVS – St. Johns County Virtual School
- SJEA – St. Johns Education Association
- SLD – Specific Learning Disability
- SLP – Speech and Language Program
- SOE – Statement of Eligibility (certification)
- SP/Lang, SP/LG – Speech and Language
- SPED – Special Education
- SPP – Student Progression Plan
- SRS – Staffing Resource Specialist
- SSS – Sunshine State Standards
- STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math
- TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
- VAM – Value Added Measure (used with teacher evaluation)
- VI – Visually Impaired
General Acronyms
Teachers use these acronyms to discuss academics, behavior, or what’s going on in the wider world of education.
- DEAR – Drop Everything and Read (or IR for Independent Reading) is a time during the school day when children read silently.
- ELL – Students who are English Language Learners do not speak English at home and are learning English at school.
- FERPA – The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act is a federal law that protects access to student records. It’s important that parents know about laws like these and how their children’s rights might be affected.
- RtI – Response to Intervention is a problem-solving process in which a school team uses data to assess students’ individual needs and provide interventions to support students who are struggling.
- Title I – Title I is the largest federal education funding program for schools. Its aim is to help students who are behind academically or at risk of falling behind. School funding is based on the number of low-income children, generally those eligible for the free and reduced price lunch program. Title I used to be known as Chapter I.
- PBIS – Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support programs are a way to impact school learning environments by establishing and reinforcing clear behavioral expectations in order to support high student performance and to reduce behavioral problems. PBIS site schools work to integrate their Safe Schools Plans, character education efforts and strategies, and discipline efforts in order to make the schools caring and safe communities for learning.
- MTSS – Multi-tiered framework which promotes school improvement through engaging, research-based academic and behavioral practices. NC MTSS employs a systems approach using data-driven problem-solving to maximize growth for all.
- IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This federal law, reauthorized in 2004, is designed to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living.
- IEP – Individualized Education Program. The IEP is a written statement for a student with a disability that is developed, at least annually, by a team of professionals knowledgeable about the student and the parent. The plan describes the strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child, and when, where, and how often services will be provided. The IEP is required by federal law for all exceptional children and must include specific information about how the student will be served and what goals he or she should be meeting.
- ELA – English Language Arts. Part of the Common Core curriculum in the NC Standard Course of Study, ELA refers to reading, literature, reading, writing and speaking and listening.
- ELL – English Language Learner. Student whose first language is one other than English and who needs language assistance to participate fully in the regular curriculum.
- ESL – English as a Second Language. A program model that delivers specialized instruction to students who are learning English as a new language.
- EOC – End-of-Course tests designed to access the competencies defined by the Standard Course of Study for three mandated courses – Algebra I/Integrated I, English II and Biology. Tests are taken during the last two weeks of school for students on a traditional calendar and the last week of the course for students on a block schedule. For Special Education – You’ll come across these acronyms if your child is being evaluated for or has a disability that affects his school experience.
- 504 Plan – A 504 Plan is written for a child who has a disability that impacts his access to the curriculum in some way. The goal of a 504 Plan is to provide the student with accommodations and modifications in school that allow him to fully access the general curriculum.
- ADA – The Americans with Disabilities Act is a 1992 law that prevents discrimination on the basis of disability by any public institution, including schools.
- ADHD – Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition that’s characterized by inattentiveness, impulsivity, hyperactivity, or a combination of those characteristics that is out of the normal range for the child’s age.
- BIP – A Behavior Intervention Plan is a plan that’s focused on changing a students’ behaviors, whether that’s keeping hands to himself or turning in homework on time. A BIP may be written in a child’s into an IEP or an informal plan between a child, parent, and teacher.
- IDEA – The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law that guarantees education to all students with disabilities.
- IEP – An Individual Education Plan (or program) is written for a child who is eligible to receive special education services. It includes a description of the child’s strengths, educational needs, the services the school is going to provide, and educational goals.
- LRE – Students with disabilities are to be educated in the Least Restrictive Environment, or the classroom environment that provides them with the most exposure and access to the general education classroom and curriculum as possible.
- OT – Occupational Therapy is provided to students who have fine motor or sensory integration difficulties in school.
- SLP – A Speech Language Pathologist works with students who have trouble with articulation or language expression (grammar, syntax).
- SLD – Students who are identified as having a Specific Learning Disability have average or above average intelligence but struggle to learn in school.