GLOSSARY | WASHINGTON STATE
Following are definitions of key terms relating to education programs, policies and reform ideas in Washington state.
Achievement gap refers to the observed disparity on a number of educational measures between
the performance of groups of students defined by gender, race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) - On Feb. 13, 2009, Congress
passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 at the urging of President Obama,
who signed it into law four days later. A direct response to the economic crisis, the Recovery Act
has three immediate goals: Create new jobs and save existing ones; Spur economic activity and
invest in long-term growth; Foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in
government spending. The ARRA authorizes over $100 billion in funds for education including
$4.35 billion for the Race to the Top program.
Advanced Placement – Series of advanced coursework offered in high school that can qualify
student for college credit.
AVID – Advancement via Individual Determination, a program to assist students to become
college ready through the attainment of study skills, increased content knowledge and through
self-determination.
Building Bridges Program - The 2007 legislative session created Building Bridges (H.B. 1573),
a state level workgroup to develop recommendations for the legislature and a grant program for
partnerships of schools, families, and communities to build a comprehensive dropout prevention,
intervention and retrieval system. The primary purpose of the Building Bridges legislation is to
increase the number of Washington state students who graduate from high school on time and reengage
students who have already dropped out of school.
CEDARS - Comprehensive Education Data and Research System is a longitudinal data
warehouse of educational data. Districts report data on courses, students, and teachers. Course
data includes standardized state course codes. Student data includes demographics, enrollment
information, schedules, grades, and program participation. Teacher data includes demographics,
certifications, and schedules.
Class Acts - CLASS is an acronym for Communities of Learning and Student Success. Based on
rising test scores and diverse student populations -- including numbers of low-income and
minority students – the state has created a pilot excellence in schools program called CLASS
Acts. To date, nine schools - three elementary, three middle schools and three high schools -
have been chosen to participate in the guided, self-analysis process and will share their practices
with other schools.
Classroom Based Assessments (CBAs) – Assessments based on the state’s learning standards
and help guide day-today-instruction.
College Ready Assessments – A common vision of a well-integrated educational system
extending from birth through postsecondary education is essential. To be considered “college
ready” students should demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for placement in creditbearing
college coursework with the likelihood of successful completion
Core 24 – Core 24 is the new graduation requirements framework being considered by the
Washington State Board of Education (SBE) to prepare all students to be college and career
ready. Core 24 will require students to develop a high school and beyond plan, complete a
culminating project, and choose courses to help them achieve their goals. The SBE has already
increased the math requirement; Core 24 increases the science, English, arts, and social studies
requirements, as well.
Common Core Standards – This is a national initiative by the Council of Chief State School
Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governor’s Association to develop a core set of academic
standards in mathematics and English language arts. The standards will be offered to states to
consider for adoption.
CRMT – College Readiness Math Test measures high school student math skills to let know in
advance, if they are ready for college level mathematics courses without remediation.
CTE – Career and Technical Education provides students with skills necessary for a successful
transition to postsecondary education or work and a desire for life-long learning in a global
society.
Cultural competency - the ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures.
Data Coach - term used to refer to a person who provides detailed guidance for helping schools
move away from unproductive data practices and toward examining data as a catalyst for
systematic and continuous improvement in instruction and student learning.
Department of Early Learning (DEL) – The Washington state agency charged with policy
implementation and programs in support of early learning.
DEWIS – A Dropout Early Warning and Intervention system provides a framework for
educational planning that is outcome oriented and promotes greater involvement and ownership
in the decision making process by key stakeholders. The primary benefit of this type of
systematic planning includes the ability to identify and describe, in consistent terms, those
students who are at greatest risk of academic failure so that intervention can occur early.
Early Learning and Development Benchmarks are a guide to young children’s learning and
development from birth to Kindergarten entry.
ERDC – The Education Research and Data Center is housed within the Washington State Office
of Financial Management (OFM) and is charged with conducting analyses of cross-cutting
education issues for the P-20 system.
EMO – Education Management Organization is an organization or firm that manages at least one school that receives public funds and operates the public school(s) it manages under the same admission rules as regular public schools. EMO’s can be for profit or not for profit organizations.
Even Start - an education program for the nation’s low-income families that is designed to improve the academic achievement of young children and their parents, especially in the area of reading.
Exhibit I – The section of the Partnership Agreement that defines the required components of the state education reform plan that a school district must agree to support and implement to become a participating school district and receive a RTTT sub-grant. Exhibit I is also referred to as the Preliminary Scope of Work.
FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. This 1974 federal law provides students with access to their education records and protects student identity and privacy when educational records are transmitted and transferred.
GEAR-UP – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. This federally funded discretionary grant program is designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in college.
Growth model – a statistically valid method or measuring growth in student, group, school and district performance over time. Change is reported over time rather than by grade level performance in one year.
Grade Level Standards and Resources – http://www.standards.ospi.k12.wa.us. This website provides user-friendly access to the state’s learning standards along with aligned resources.
HECB – The Higher Education Coordinating Board administers the state’s student financial aid programs and provides strategic planning, coordination, monitoring and policy analysis for higher education in Washington.
Innovation Cluster(s) are groups of likeminded schools or school districts and/or partner organizations that share interests, research and new strategies for improving student achievement and outcomes or closing achievement gaps and serve as models for other schools or districts. As part of the state Race to the Top plan, the purpose of an innovation cluster is to support, reward, catalyze and scale the innovative strategies to the larger state or national level.
Instructional Improvement Systems are coordinated data systems and related resources used by school districts to provide teachers, principals, and administrators with the information and resources they need to inform and improve their instructional practices, decision-making, and overall effectiveness.
LASER – Washington State Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform is a statewide partnership program designed to implement an inquiry based K-12 science education program aligned with Washington State learning standards.
Local Education Agency (LEA) – Federal terminology for a local education entity such as a
school district or an educational service district.
Local School Improvement Plan is the term used to describe a local school district’s four-year,
Race to the Top implementation plan. This local plan is based on Exhibit I of the Partnership
Agreement. If Washington receives a Race to the Top award, the participating school district
will have 90 calendar days to outline the way it will use its sub-grant to implement the required
elements of the larger state plan. (Referred to as 90-day plan in early materials).
MESA – Math Engineering Science Achievement is a nationally recognized, effective academic
development program that engages educationally disadvantaged students so that they excel in
Math, science and graduate with math-based degrees.
NAEP – National Assessment of Education Progress is a program of the U.S. Department of
Education. It is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students in
the United States know and can do in various subject areas. Commonly called The Nation's
Report Card, NAEP is the only test in the United States that allows comparisons of the
performance of students in Washington with performance of students nationally.
Navigation 101 – An internet based life skills and planning curriculum for students in grades 6 -
12. Students are engaged and supported and take ownership of their own planning for postsecondary
success.
NBCT –National Board Certified Teachers are highly accomplished educators who meet high
and rigorous standards. Teachers who achieve National Board Certification have met rigorous
standards through intensive study, expert evaluation, self-assessment and peer review.
Optional/Competitive Components - The portions of the state education reform plan (listed on
Exhibit I of the Race to the Top Partnership Agreement) that are elective. By checking one or
more of these components, a school district indicates an interest in being considered for
participation. Districts will only be considered for these components if they are also committing
to all required components. These components are supported by additional funds and will be
delivered through competitive grant programs or special selection processes, if the state receives
a Race to the Top grant award. Indicating an initial interest does not guarantee a school district
will be selected for participation nor does it bind the district to participation at a later date.
Depending on the expression of district interest and federal funding levels, Washington’s Race to
the Top program administrators will determine if a district can participate in more than one
component. The Innovation Clusters described in the Race to the Top Partnership Agreement are
for the most part components of the state plan. (Also see Required Components).
OSPI –The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is the primary agency charged with
overseeing K-12 public education in Washington state. The OSPI works with the state’s 295
school districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on
behalf of more than one million public school students.
P-13 – Pre-Kindergarten through the first year of college.
PK-3 grade alignment – State and local effort underway to bring together and align educational
opportunities within communities and schools for young children entering Kindergarten.
PK-20 - Pre-Kindergarten through postsecondary education.
Partnership Agreement – States the terms of the agreement between the Office of
Superintendent of Public Instruction and a school district for the implementation of specific
portions of the state education reform plan funded through the Race to the Top Program. A
school district becomes a “participating school district” upon signing of the Partnership
Agreement.
PESB – Professional Educator Standards Board is a 12 member board that addresses teacher and
administrator preparation, certification and continuing education and assignment policy issues.
Persistently lowest-achieving school means, as determined by a state, a school in need of
improvement, corrective action or restructuring. (See federal definition section regarding models
and Tiers).
Project Lead the Way is a non-profit organization which offers curriculum to prepare students
to be the most innovative and productive leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
(STEM).
Race to the Top – The Race to the Top program is a federal competitive grant program
funded under American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Race to the Top
encourages and rewards States that are implementing significant reforms in the four
education areas: Adopting standards and assessments that prepare students for success;
Recruiting, rewarding and retaining effective teachers and principals; Improving the
collection and use of data and inform and improve practice; Turning around the lowest
performing schools.
Reading First - a federal initiative authorized by the amendments to Title I, Part B, Subpart 1 of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
The ultimate purpose of the Act is to ensure that all children read at grade level in English by the
end of third grade.
Readiness to Learn Program (RTL) - The Readiness to Learn program was enacted as a part of
Washington State's Education Reform in 1993. The intent of the program is to reduce barriers to
learning through the formation of school, community, family partnerships to ensure students and
their families have access to resources and services necessary to help them achieve at their
highest learning potential. The goal is that all children and youth are able to attend school ready
to learn.
Response to Intervention (RTI) is a multi-level prevention system to maximize student
achievement and to reduce behavior problems.
Required Components - The portions of the state education reform plan (listed on Exhibit I of
the Race to the Top Partnership Agreement) that a school district must agree to implement,
support or accomplish to be considered a “participating district” in the State’s Race to the Top
grant application. If Washington State receives a Race to the Top grant award, participating
school districts will receive sub-grant awards to help support the implementation of the required
components. (Also see Optional/Competitive Components).
SBE – State Board of Education is a 16 member board that addresses high school graduation
requirements, basic education compliance, statewide accountability and oversight and advocacy
of the K-12 system.
SBCTC –The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges is responsible for
administering the Community and Technical College Act and providing leadership and
coordination for Washington's public system of 34 community and technical colleges. The
SBCTC is governed by a nine-member board appointed by the Governor.
School Improvement Models – There are four school improvement models defined by the U.S.
Department of education. They are: Turnaround model; Restart model; Transformational model
and school closure. See the federal definitions for a description of each of these models.
STEM – an abbreviation for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – refers to courses,
programs, or other activities to: 1) improve science and mathematics achievement, and 2)
integrate and apply science and mathematics skills through engineering, technology, and other
applications.
Student Growth means the change in student achievement for an individual student between
two or more points in time.
SIG – School Improvement Grant and or the funding available to support the school
improvement process.
State Education Agency (SEA) – Federal terminology for the governmental entity in each state
that is authorized to administer education policies and programs. In Washington, this is the
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Student Growth Model - See Growth Model.
State Education Reform Plan or State Plan – The state plan for achieving significant
improvement in student outcomes including making substantial gains in student achievement,
closing the achievement gap, improving high school graduation rates and ensuring student
preparation for success in college and careers and implementing core reforms in the four ARRA
areas.
TFA – Teach for America is a non-profit organization which recruits recent college graduates
and professionals to teach for two years in low-income communities. The goal of Teach for
America is for its corps of members to not only to make a short-term impact on their students,
but also to become life-long leaders in pursuing educational equality. Corps members do not
have to be certified teachers, although certified teachers may apply. Uncertified corps members
receive alternative certification through coursework taken while completing the program.
Title I, Part A - A federal program that provides financial assistance to local educational
agencies and public schools with high numbers or high percentages of poor children to help
ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Title I, Part A is a formula
grants program for "improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged."
TNTP –The New Teacher Project (TNTP) is a national nonprofit dedicated to closing the
achievement gaps by ensuring that high-needs student get outstanding teachers. Founded by
teachers in 1997, TNTP partners with school districts and states to implement scalable responses
to their most acute teacher quality challenges.
Transitions Math Project – Transition Mathematics Project is a Washington non-profit which
is designed to help students successfully progress from high school to college-level math. TMP
works with educators to identify the math skills and knowledge high school students need to
complete college-level work, meet minimum admission requirements and avoid remediation
upon enrolling in college.
Troops to Teachers Program - helps eligible military personnel begin a new career as teachers
in public schools, elementary, secondary, or vocational, where their experience, knowledge and
skills are most needed. The primary objective of TTT is to help recruit quality teachers for
schools that serve students from low-income families throughout America.
Washington Performance Management Framework (WPMF) - is used to identify the range
of services and supports to which districts and schools across the state may gain access. The
system enables the District and School Improvement and Assistance unit to analyze both
performance and growth data to assign districts and schools to segments which align with
guidelines for federal School Improvement Grants, and are based on greatest need, strongest
commitment, and willingness to engage in change processes.
WTECB – The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board is a board of nine voting
members that oversees a workforce development system that includes 18 education and training
programs.