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DOE A to Z: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
New Jersey Department of Education
Revised 2009
Printable version (277 KB PDF)
Career and Technical Education
Drugs and Alcohol Programs/Student Health
Professional Standards and Development
In response to feedback from people who have read publications and documents from the Department of Education, we have created a glossary of some of the frequently used acronyms and terms. References to N.J.S.A. (New Jersey Statutes Annotated) can be checked on the legislative Web site at www.njleg.state.nj.us
References to N.J.A.C. (New Jersey Administrative Code) can be checked on the department's Web site at www.state.nj.us/education under administrative code. Additional information on all topics in this glossary is also available on the department's Web site. The overview of DOE programs on the home page includes topical sites.
AHSA – Alternative High School Assessment (formerly known as the Special Review Assessment or SRA) is an alternative assessment that provides students with the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS) for the purposes of satisfying the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) graduation requirement. Students who fail to demonstrate proficiency in one or both HSPA content areas must participate in the AHSA process. The AHSA process begins with remedial instruction and is followed by the administration to the student of performance assessment tasks in the respective content area. Students must pass a certain number of these tasks, which are aligned to the CCCS, to satisfy the HSPA requirement. They may also satisfy that requirement through re-test administrations of the HSPA.
APA - Alternate Proficiency Assessment – The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) mandates the participation of all students with disabilities in statewide assessments. States must develop and conduct alternate assessments for students who cannot participate in the general statewide testing program. The New Jersey APA is a portfolio assessment by which evidence of student progress is collected during several months. The portfolios are scored by the state and results contribute to district/school adequate yearly progress calculations under No Child Left Behind.
CRT – Criterion-Referenced Tests are intended to measure how well a person has learned a specific body of knowledge and skills – the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS). The statewide assessments are CRTs.
HSPA – High School Proficiency Assessment was implemented in 2002 as a high school graduation requirement, replacing an earlier high school test that pre-dated the development of the CCCS. The HSPA measures student achievement of the knowledge and skills in the language arts literacy and math CCCS. Passing both sections of the test is a requirement for receiving a high school diploma.
LAL – Language Arts Literacy integrates verbal skills needed for critical thinking and communication.
NAEP – National Assessment of Educational Progress is sometimes referred to as "the nation's report card." It biennially measures student achievement levels in reading and math at grades 4 and 8, and in other selected subjects in alternate years. While NAEP does not provide student- or school-performance data, its national, state-level and sub-population data inform educational policy-making and assist states in measuring the rigor of statewide assessment programs.
NCES – National Center for Education Statistics is the branch of the U.S. Department of Education that collects and reports statistics about schools in all 50 states. http://nces.ed.gov/
NJ ASK – New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge is the state's elementary and middle school assessment program covering grades 3 through 8. NJ ASK is intended to provide information about student progress toward mastery of the skills specified by the CCCS in language arts literacy and math at each grade level, and science at grades 4 and 8.
NRT – Norm-Referenced Tests compare test takers to each other on a given set of criteria not aligned with state standards. NRTs often provide percentile rankings rather than proficiency designations.
SCASS -- State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards was created by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) to help states design assessments in a variety of subject areas.
TIMSS -- Third International Mathematics and Science Survey is an international comparative study designed to provide information about educational achievement and learning contexts for the participating countries in mathematics and science in grades 7 and 8.
ACCESS for ELLs® English language proficiency test is a large-scale test administered annually to English language learners (ELLs). t measures students' growth in English language skills in relation to the academic English language proficiency (ELP) standards.
AMAOs -- Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives are performance targets that include:
ELL -- English Language Learners are pupils whose native language is other than English and who have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language as measured by an English language proficiency test. Thus, they require bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) programs to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English.
ELS -- English Language Services are designed to improve the English language skills of students with limited English proficiency. These services are provided in school districts with less than 10 students of limited English proficiency and are in addition to the regular school program.
ESL -- English as a Second Language programs in K-12 education require
a daily developmental second language program of up to two periods of instruction based on student need. Programs offer listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in English using second-language teaching techniques. Teachers also incorporate the cultural aspects of the students' experiences into ESL instruction.
LEP -- Limited English Proficient is defined in N.J.A.C. 6A:15-1.2 as pupils whose native language is other than English and who have difficulty speaking, reading, writing or understanding the English language as measured by an English language proficiency test. Thus, they require bilingual or ESL programs in order to learn successfully in classrooms where the language of instruction is English.
NJTESOL/NJBE -- New Jersey Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/New Jersey Bilingual Education is a chapter of the two national associations. This professional organization has been established for educators concerned with the teaching of English as a second language and bilingual education.
Sheltered English Instruction is an approach used to make academic instruction in English understandable to LEP students. Sheltered English classes are taught by regular classroom teachers who have received training on strategies to make subject area content comprehensible for LEP students.
WIDA -- World-class Instructional Design and Assessment is a consortium of 19 partner states that has developed English language proficiency standards and an English language proficiency test (ACCESS for ELLs®) aligned with the standards to comply with Title III of the No Child Left Behind Act.
WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards for English Language Learners in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 were developed by WIDA. They are the standards and language competencies that LEP students in pre-K programs and elementary and secondary schools need to become fully proficient in English and to have unrestricted access to grade-appropriate instruction in challenging academic subjects.
Career and Technical Education
Career Clusters are 16 career-technical program areas that consist of groups of similar occupations and broad industries recognized nationally and by DOE.
CTE -- Career and Technical Education consists of organized educational activities that offer a sequence of courses providing individuals with coherent and rigorous content aligned with the challenging Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS), technical skill proficiency, industry-recognized credentials, certificates or associated degrees, and may include prerequisite courses.
Career and Technical Education Program is a sequence of academic and technical courses designed to provide students with industry-based skills and knowledge.
CTSOs -- Career and Technical Student Organizations are an integral part of vocational-technical education instructional programs. They are a valuable tool for implementing the CCCS. CTSOs are co-curricular and provide professional development opportunities for teachers and adult advisors. CTSOs provide students with the opportunity to enhance their occupational, employability and leadership skills through a variety of activities, such as conferences, award programs and competitive events. These organizations conduct activities and events at the local, state and national levels. New Jersey's career and technical student organizations include the following:
CIP Codes -- Classification of Instructional Programs is a taxonomic coding scheme of instructional programs. It is intended to facilitate the organization, collection and reporting of program completion data using classifications that capture the majority of reportable program completion activity.
GED -- General Educational Development tests are intended for persons who have missed their first opportunity to complete a high school program of instruction. To qualify for a state-issued high school diploma, candidates must receive a minimum passing score on individual GED tests in mathematics, science, social studies, writing skills and interpreting literature and the arts. The GED testing program is jointly supervised by the GED Testing Service of the American Council on Education and DOE.
OCTE -- Office of Career and Technical Education within DOE is responsible for the management of the secondary and postsecondary career and technical education system and administration of federal and state career and technical education funding for approved secondary and postsecondary programs across the state.
OVAE -- Office of Vocational and Adult Education within the U.S. Department of Education is responsible for the Adult Education Act and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education and Improvement Act. These programs annually provide millions of federal dollars to support New Jersey's career and technical education programs.
Perkins Act -- The Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 provides federal funding for secondary, postsecondary and adult career and technical education programs. This law also provides grants to states for the development of Tech Prep programs.
PVS -- Private Vocational Schools offer non-degree postsecondary occupational training and retraining programs. The training may be financed personally by the student, through funds provided by a variety of state agencies, through federal loans and grants, or a combination of these sources.
SETC -- N.J. State Employment and Training Commission is mandated to develop and assist in the implementation of a state employment and training policy. The goal is to create a coherent, integrated system of employment, training and education programs and services that, in concert with efforts of the private sector, will provide each citizen with equal access to the learning opportunities needed to attain and maintain high levels of productivity and earning power.
SLE -- Structured Learning Experience includes experiential, supervised, in-depth learning experiences designed to offer students opportunities for career exploration within 16 career clusters.
Tech Prep requires articulation between secondary and postsecondary institutions to provide a logical course of study leading to preparation for the postsecondary educational experience. In some cases, college credits or advanced placement is given for advanced work done in the secondary school.
VEDS -- Vocational Education Data System is a computerized system of student performance data, as well as psychographic and demographic information, as required by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
WDPP -- Workforce Development Partnership Program is a unique program funded by New Jersey and administered by the Department of Labor to retrain workers by redirecting a percentage of the unemployment insurance revenue to provide individual job training grants to dislocated workers and customized training grants to companies seeking to upgrade the quality of their workforces. The program is regarded as a national model for providing skills training.
WIA -- Workforce Investment Actprovides funds for workforce investment activities through statewide and local workforce investment systems. Activities are designed to increase the employment, retention, earnings and occupational-skill attainment of participants to improve workforce quality, reduce welfare dependency and enhance the productivity and competitiveness of the nation.
WIB -- Workforce Investment Board involves local partnerships of private and public sector participants that provide coordinated planning, policy guidance and oversight for all workforce readiness programs in their designated areas.
Drug and Alcohol Programs/Student Health and Behavior
AAP -- American Academy of Pediatrics
AIDS -- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome is the end-stage of HIV disease.
Alternative Education Program is a comprehensive educational program delivered in a non-traditional learning environment and is distinct and separate from the existing general or special education program. The alternative education program must fulfill program criteria pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:16-9.2 and be approved by the district board of education [N.J.A.C. 6A:16-9.1(a)] or by the Commissioner of Education [N.J.A.C. 6A:16-9.1(b)] for the purpose of addressing the individual learning, behavior and health needs of students determined by the school district to be at risk of school failure or who have been mandated for removal from general education [N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.5, 5.6 and, as appropriate, 5.7].
ATOD -- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
BRFSS -- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is an ongoing telephone survey sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that monitors changes in adult health-related behaviors, health problems and use of health care.
CDC-DASH -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health
CHES -- Certified Health Education Specialist
COSA -- Child of a Substance Abuser
C-SAP -- Center for Substance Abuse Prevention is a federal office that provides information on alcohol and drug abuse research and programs.
CSC -- Code of Student Conduct is required under N.J.A.C. 6A:16-7.1 for the establishment of standards, policies and procedures for positive student development and student behavioral expectations.
CSHP -- Coordinated School Health Programs model consists of the following eight interactive components: health education; physical education; health services; nutrition services; counseling and psychological services; healthy school environment; health promotion for staff; and family/community involvement.
CSL -- Community Service Learning is a discretionary grant program within the Administrative Office of the Court (AOC) providing cognitive skills learning and community service activities for adjudicated juveniles.
D.A.R.E. -- Drug Abuse Resistance Education is a law enforcement-delivered curriculum in drug and violence prevention education.
DCBHS -- Division of Child Behavioral Health Services is a division of the Department of Children and Families (DCF).
DCF -- Department of Children and Families
DHSS -- Department of Health and Senior Services.
DHS -- Department of Human Services.
DSACS -- Developing Safe and Civil Schools: A Coordinated Approach for Social-
Emotional and Character Development (SECD) is a cooperative project between DOE and Rutgers University designed to build local educational resources for improving SECD conditions in schools.
DYFS -- Division of Youth and Family Services is a division of DCF.
ELO -- Extended Learning Opportunity is a strategy that schools may utilize to develop a comprehensive and coordinated program that occurs before and after school, on weekends and during the summer. This mix of academic, recreational and cultural activities can provide young people with a positive alternative to spending time on the streets or being home alone in the afternoons. There is a growing body of research evidence indicating that high-quality after-school programs can reduce risk-taking behaviors, provide positive developmental opportunities and improve the academic performance of students, particularly those at risk of academic failure.
EVVRS -- Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System collects from school districts via the Internet records of individual incidents of violence, vandalism, weapons use and substance abuse. Offender and victim information is also included in the EVVRS.
GCADA -- Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse is a state-level coordinating body whose membership includes state agency representatives and public members with an interest in drug and alcohol prevention and intervention services.
HIB -- Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying as set forth in N.J.S.A. 18A:37-14 et seq. and N.J.A.C. 6A:16-1.3 and 7.9.
HIV -- Human Immune Deficiency Virus is the virus that causes AIDS.
HRDI -- Human Resources Development Institute is a state agency that provides public employee training in management, leadership, customer service, diversity and technology.
IAIU -- Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit is a child protective service unit in the Division of Community Services at DCF that investigates allegations of child abuse and neglect in out-of-home settings such as foster homes, residential centers, schools, detention centers, etc.
IEHP -- Individualized Emergency Healthcare Plan is a plan written by a certified school nurse that specifies the delivery of accommodations and services needed by a student in the event of an emergency.
IHP -- Individualized Healthcare Plan is a plan written by a certified school nurse that details accommodations and/or nursing services to be provided to a student because of the student's medical condition based on medical orders written by a physician.
I&RS -- Intervention and Referral Services is a coordinated system in each school building where general education students are served that uses a multidisciplinary team approach for the planning and delivery of services to assist students experiencing learning, behavior or health difficulties and to assist staff who have difficulties in addressing student's learning, behavior or health needs.
IPP -- Individualized Program Plan means a written plan developed for a general education student who has been assigned by the district board of education to home instruction or an alternative education program, or who is being provided either in or out of school other educational services that are comparable to those provided in public school for students of similar grades and attainments (N.J.S.A. 18A:38-25). The IPP sets forth the student's present level of performance, measurable goals and short-term objectives or benchmarks that encompass behavioral and social competency, as well as curriculum and individually designed instructional activities to achieve the goals and objectives.
JDC -- Juvenile Detention Center offers county education programs under the jurisdiction of the Juvenile Justice Commission (JJC).
JJC -- Juvenile Justice Commission stresses accountability with adjudicated youth and offers programs to help them become educated, productive citizens.
JRRI -- Juvenile Risk Reduction Initiative is a discretionary grant program within the Juvenile Justice Commission providing substance abuse and violence prevention education to adjudicated juveniles.
NASN -- National Association of School Nurses
NJSHS -- N. J. Student Health Survey is a statewide survey on student health behaviors and related issues administered every two years by DOE in cooperation with the DHSS' Comprehensive Tobacco Control Program.
NJSSNA -- N. J. State School Nurses Association
NSP -- Nursing Services Plan describes in detail the nursing services to be provided throughout the school district based on the needs of its students, potential emergency situations, basic nursing services requirements and the assignment of health services staff to provide those services.
OESS -- Office of Educational Support Services within DOE is responsible for student support services initiatives addressing the areas of school health; ATOD; school safety and security; law enforcement operations; student conduct; I&RS; alternative education programs; home or out-of-school instruction; and missing or abused children.
OSDFS -- Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools within the U. S. Department of Education.
OST -- Out-of-School-Time is a designation used when discussing before- and after-school, weekend and summer experiences.
PDS -- Persistently Dangerous School (See NCLB)
RGC -- Residential Group Centers are community-based programs operated by or under contract with JJC for pupils in state custody.
SAC -- Substance Awareness Coordinator is a certified school staff member who coordinates the district's comprehensive substance abuse prevention and intervention program, which includes in-service training, curriculum, program and policy development, and intervention, counseling and referral services (N.J.S.A.18A:40A-18).
SBYS – School-Based Youth Services is a school-linked service of DCF that fosters positive outcomes for in-school youth through programs of student prevention, intervention and treatment services.
SCR -- State Central Registry is the centralized call center (1-877-NJ-ABUSE) to report child abuse and neglect. The hotline is toll-free and is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year. SCR screeners obtain relevant information from callers and forward reports requiring field response to the appropriate DYFS local office, Institutional Abuse Investigation Unit (IAIU) or after-hours response workers in the Special Response Unit (SPRU). The role of the screener includes conducting background checks and searching existing databases to provide accurate and thorough information to the assigned field worker. When suitable, SCR screeners handle calls by making a referral to appropriate community-based services to support the family.
SDFSCA -- Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act is Title IV, Part A of the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). It provides funds to districts to implement comprehensive and science-based ATOD and violence prevention programs and activities.
SECD -- Social-Emotional and Character Development is the process through which children and adults develop the skills, attitudes and values necessary to acquire social and emotional competence that lead to healthy behaviors, personal resilience and active engagement in civic life.
SEL – Social Emotional Learning is the process through which children and adults develop the skills, attitudes and values necessary to acquire social and emotional competence.
STD/STI -- Sexually Transmitted Disease/Sexually Transmitted Infection
UCCA -- Unified Child Care Agency is a county-based agency designated by the DHS to oversee the coordination of childcare service delivery for DHS-administered programs.
USCO -- Unsafe School Choice Option (See NCLB)
CCP -- Certified Childcare Professional is a credential earned by teachers for their knowledge of early childhood development and their skills in working with young children. The credential means that the candidate has, at a minimum, 180 hours of continuing education credit, 720 hours of classroom experience and has passed the exam.
CDA -- Child Development Associate is the national credential for early care and education teachers who have met the CDA competency standards or 120 hours of formal education through an agency or organization with expertise in child development or early childhood teacher preparation. Only the Council for Professional Recognition can award a CDA credential.
Creative Curriculum is an early childhood education curriculum developed by Teaching Strategies that applies child development and learning theories to an education environment that focuses planning around indoor and outdoor interest areas.
Curiosity Corner is an early childhood education curriculum developed by the Success for All Foundation that fosters cognitive, linguistic, social, physical and emotional development of three- and four-year-olds in a theme-based environment.
Developmental Screening is an assessment that screens preschool children by quickly sampling their skills across areas of language, reasoning, gross motor, fine motor and social development. It is required that all three- and four-year-old children in former Abbott districts be administered an initial screening device, such as the Early Screening Inventory-Revised (Meisels et al., 1997), regardless of whether they are enrolled in a district preschool program. This information is never used to determine or deny placement. Screening is always the first step in the assessment process as it does not provide enough information to identify children as needing special education services.
DCF -- Department of Children and Families partners with DOE in implementing early childhood education programs.
DHS -- Department of Human Services is responsible for licensing childcare providers and funding wrap-around services for the providers.
DYFS -- Division of Youth and Family Services is a division within DCF with responsibility for childcare licensing, child protection and child welfare, among other programs.
ECERS-R -- Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale-Revised is designed to assess group programs for children of preschool through kindergarten age. It is used to evaluate each component of a preschool classroom from the quality of interactions, materials and activities to the way in which the classroom is arranged.
Family Worker is a position required in every early childhood education program in a private-provider setting serving former Abbott school districts. There must be one family worker for every 45 children and their families being served by the agency. In conjunction with the school district, agency and parents, the family worker ensures that parents and children obtain necessary health and social services.
Full-Day Preschool is a preschool program consisting of a six-hour comprehensive educational program and day in accordance with the school district's grade one through 12 daily school calendar and not exceeding the 10-month academic period.
High/Scope Preschool Curriculum is an early childhood education curriculum developed by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation that encourages children to make choices about materials and activities throughout the day to foster developmentally important skills and abilities.Master Teacher is a position required in every former Abbott early childhood education program. There must be at least one master teacher for every 20 early childhood education classrooms to coordinate early childhood education programs and assist in the provision of professional development in early childhood education. Master teachers who specialize in supports for English Language Learners and inclusion of children with special needs are also provided.
NAEYC -- National Association for the Education of Young Children is a Washington, D.C.-based organization of early childhood educators and advocates dedicated to improving the quality of programs for children from birth through third grade.
NJAEYC -- New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children is an affiliate group of the NAEYC.
Preschool Education Aid (See State Aid/School Data)
P-3 -- Preschool through Grade 3 Endorsement is a credential that is required as of Sept. 1, 2001, for any new preschool teacher in a former Abbott district in either a district program or private-provider setting.
Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards is a document containing guidelines for creating developmentally appropriate preschool learning environments that promote early literacy and other important goals. The guidelines support and prepare young children to meet New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards when they enter kindergarten.
Private Providers are early childhood agencies in the community that contract with school districts to provide the mandated early childhood programs for three- and four-year-olds.
Targeted Preschool are preschool programs for all at-risk preschool children in school districts other than those school districts required to provide universal preschool.
Tools of the Mind is a comprehensive preschool curriculum based on the work of Lev Vygotsky. Teachers scaffold children's learning in all domains during play and classroom activities. All components include a focus on self-regulation.
Universal Preschool includes preschool programs for all age-eligible resident three- and four-year-old children in District Factor Group (DFG) A and B school districts and DFG CD school districts with a concentration of at-risk children equal to or greater than 40 percent.
AAO -- Affirmative Action Officer must be appointed in every school district from among certified staff.
CEP -- Comprehensive Equity Plan is a three-year plan developed by districts and charter schools specifically to ensure that an equal educational opportunity is available to all students through identification and correction of discriminatory and inequitable practices prohibited by state and federal law (N.J.A.C. 6A7-1.3).
EEO -- Equal Educational Opportunity means the creation of environments that enable the provision of a thorough and efficient education as defined by the state's Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS), differentiated instruction, formative assessments aligned to the CCCS and high expectations for teaching and learning in a public school district. EEO requires the elimination of prejudice and other forms of discrimination in the policies, practices and curricula of the district, as evidenced through the narrowing of the achievement gap and when all students and staff enjoy equal access to all programs and benefits provided by or offered within the public schools of the district (N.J.A.C. 6A7-1.3).
GEAC -- Gender Equity Advisory Committee makes recommendations to DOE regarding policies, procedures and programs relating to career education and lifelong learning for males and females.
NRCR -- Nontraditional Career Resource Center is a program funded by DOE and housed at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. Its mission is to bridge the education and workforce development communities to increase awareness and opportunities for students in grades 7 to 12 who are interested in nontraditional careers.
ACT -- Abbott Consortium for Technology was originally formed to meet the needs of the former Abbott districts in submitting applications for the Universal Service Fund (e-rate program). Each former Abbott district sends at least one representative to regularly held meetings to discuss mutual needs, challenges and solutions for educational technology activities.
ATM -- Asynchronous Transfer Mode is a connection-oriented service that transmits simultaneous voice, data and video traffic at high speeds. It allows the flexibility to assign the bandwidth necessary for sending information when and for as long as it is needed.
AUP -- Acceptable Use Policy is a written agreement, signed by students, parents and teachers, outlining the terms and conditions of Internet use in schools. It states acceptable uses of online materials, rules for online behavior and access privileges. It also covers penalties for violations of the policy. Anyone using a school's Internet connection signs an AUP, which is kept on file as a legally binding document.
Bandwidth is data speed through a connection, measured in bits-per-second (BPS).
Blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a Web site usually maintained by an individual who posts regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events or other material such as graphics or video.
Collaborative Online Community is a group of people that primarily interacts via computer-based communications and media, such as e-mail, online social networks or instant messages, for social, professional, educational or other purposes. An example of this is a Ning (see below).
Distance Learning or distance education is an educational delivery system that provides educational content to students who are not physically "on site." Distance education allows teachers and students to exchange printed or electronic media in real time and through online methods.
Educational Technology is the practice of using technology in instructional settings in support of teaching, and learning and academic achievement.
E-rate -- Education Rate discount is available under a federally funded program called the Universal Service Fund (USF).
ETTC -- Educational Technology Training Center is a county-based resource center that offers educators professional development opportunities. Funded by federal and state funds, ETTCs contain demonstration technology equipment and offer training programs to assist teachers in implementing the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Folksonomy -- also known as collaborative tagging, social classification, social indexing and social tagging -- is the practice/method of collaboratively creating and managing tags to annotate and categorize content.
HTML -- Hypertext Markup Language is a programming coding language used to create sites on the World Wide Web.
Hyperlink is a reference, link or navigation element in a document that links to another place, such as another section of the same document or to another document.
Hypertext (meaning "more than just" text) is a form of text typically published on Web sites that provides a richer functionality than simple-text documents by enabling the reader to explore interesting links to other Web pages linked to specific words or images within the page.
IM -- Instant Messaging is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed via devices connected over a network such as the Internet.
ISDN -- Integrated Services Digital Network increases the bandwidth of a normal telephone line, making it capable of simultaneous delivery of voice and data services over a single telephone line. It is designed to provide a standard interface to customer equipment, such as computers, telephones, facsimile machines and routers.
ISP -- Internet Service Provider is a business that acts as an intermediary between the Internet and the connecting individual or agency.
ITV -- Interactive Television or distance-learning classroom systems provide full-motion interactive video within the classroom.
LAN -- Local Area Network connects computers, modems and printers within a local area such as a school.
Ning is an online platform for people to create their own social networks for a particular topic or need, catering to specific membership bases.
Online Chat refers to any kind of communication over the Internet, but is primarily meant to refer to direct one-on-one chat or real-time text-based group chat (also known as synchronous conferencing).
Podcast is a series of audio or video digital-media files distributed over the Internet by syndicated download, through Web feeds, to portable media players and personal computers.
RSS -- Rich Site Summary or Real Simple Syndication is a family of Web-feed formats used to publish frequently updated works, such as blog entries, news headlines, audio and video, in a standardized format. Such formats benefit readers who want to subscribe to timely updates from favored Web sites or aggregate feeds from many sites into one place.
SMDS -- Switched Multi-megabit Data Service is a connectionless high-speed data transmission service used for Internet access and connecting LANs over a wide area.
Social Networks are online communities of people who share interests and/or activities, or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others. Most social network services are Web-based and provide a variety of ways for users to interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging.
URL -- Uniform (or Universal) Resource Locators are similar to an address or phone number of the sites on the Internet. Each site has a unique locator. The URL for the DOE is www.state.nj.us/education.
USF -- Universal Service Fund is a federally funded program in the Telecommunications Act of 1996 designed to provide affordable access to telecommunications services for all eligible schools and libraries in the United
States by providing discounts on telecommunications services, Internet access and internal connections.
Video Hosting Service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet site for the purpose of sharing the videos with other viewers.
Virtual Learning Community is formed by groups of people with common interests who communicate and collaborate on specific topics/issues through the use of social networking sites such as Wikis and Nings.
VoIP -- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a general term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet. Commonly used terms synonymous with VoIP are IP telephony and Internet telephony.
WAN -- Wide Area Net is a network capable of transmissions over large geographic areas among computers, modems and printers.
Web 2.0 refers to a perceived second generation of Web development and design that facilitates communication, secure information sharing, interoperability and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Web 2.0 includes social-networking sites, video-sharing sites, wikis, blogs and folksonomies.
Web Conferencing is a process used to conduct live meetings or presentations via the Internet. In a Web conference, each participant sits at his/her computer and is connected to other participants via the Internet. A Web conference can be either a downloaded application on each of the attendees' computers or a Web-based application where the attendees will simply enter a URL (Web site address) to enter the conference.
Wiki is a page or collection of Web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content. Wikis are often used to create collaborative Web sites and to power community Web sites.
WWW -- World Wide Web is an Internet browsing system that allows for point and click navigation of the Internet.
Abbott District (see High–Need School Districts)
Additional Space is space in excess of the facilities efficiency standards (FES).
Adjusted Gross Square Footage is the gross square footage of a facility less excluded spaces.
Approved Area for Unhoused Students is the product of the area allowance per full-time equivalent (FTE) student times the number of unhoused students.
Approved LRFP -- Approved Long-Range Facilities Plan conforms to the requirements of N.J.A.C. 6A:26-2 et seq. and has been determined by the Commissioner to ensure that school facilities are educationally adequate to support during the next five years the achievement of the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS).
Area Allowance per full-time equivalent (FTE) student is 125 square feet for preschool through grade 5; 134 square feet for grades 6 through 8; and 151 square feet for grades 9 through 12.
Area Cost Allowance is used in determining preliminary eligible costs of school facilities projects, and it must be the figure based on the year of approval of the school facilities project.
Authority -- N. J. Schools Development Authority, established pursuant to section 3 of P.L. 2007, c. 137, is the successor entity to the N. J. Schools Construction Corporation and it oversees school construction projects.
Capital Maintenance is intended to extend the useful life of a school facility, including upgrades and replacements of building systems, such as structure, enclosure, mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems. It can be considered to be part of a school facilities project.
Capital Project is a school facilities project, other capital project or land acquisition project.
Community Design Feature is any area, room, equipment, recreational area or playground included in a demonstration project that is to be used in common by students of the district and by residents of the community.
Consumer Price Index or "CPI" (See State Aid/School Data)
Debt Service, as defined by N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–3, means payments of principal and interest upon school bonds and other obligations issued to finance the purchase or construction of school facilities, additions to school facilities or the reconstruction, remodeling, alteration, modernization, renovation or repair of school facilities, including furnishings, equipment, architect fees and the costs of issuance of such obligations. It also includes payments of principal and interest upon bonds issued to fund or refund such obligations, and upon municipal bonds and other obligations that the Commissioner approves as having been issued for such purposes. Debt service pursuant to the provisions of P.L. 1978, c.74 (N.J.S.A. 18A:58–33.22 et seq.), P.L. 1971, c.10 (N.J.S.A. 18A:58–33.6 et seq.) and P.L. 1968, c.177 (N.J.S.A. 18A:58–33.2 et seq.) is excluded.
Demonstration Project is a school facilities project selected by the state Treasurer for construction by a redevelopment entity pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-6.
Educational Adequacy, for purposes of a school facilities project, is the suitability of a facility for the provision of instruction that will enable students to achieve the CCCS and meet the facilities efficiency standards combined with the requirements of N.J.A.C. 6:26-5.
EFCFA -- Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act (P.L. 2000, c.72) N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-1 et seq, as amended, is the authorizing legislation for the state's long-term school construction program.
Excess Costs refer to the additional costs, if any, that must be borne by a district for a school facilities project resulting from design factors that are not required to meet the facilities efficiency standards and not approved pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-5(g) or are not authorized as community design features included in final eligible costs pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-6(c). Excess costs are to be distinguished from the additional costs arising out of design factors that are required to meet the facilities efficiency standards and that are either approved or authorized by N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-5 or -6.
Excluded Space is an existing space not contained in the facilities efficiency standards that delivers programs and services aligned with the CCCS, provides support services directly to students, or would be structurally or fiscally impractical to convert to other uses contained in the facilities efficiency standards.
Feasibility Study is a pre-construction evaluation undertaken by a district to determine whether it would be more feasible to replace rather than renovate a school facility because of health and safety or efficiency.
FEC -- Final Eligible Costs for a school facilities project to be constructed by the authority are those that are determined by the Commissioner pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-5(h) (1); or, for other projects, determined pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-5(h) (1) or N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-6.
FES -- Facilities Efficiency Standards are developed by the Commissioner for early childhood, elementary, middle and high schools. These standards determine the extent to which a district's construction project qualifies for state aid. They represent the instructional and administrative spaces that are educationally adequate to support the achievement of the CCCS.
FTE – Full-Time Equivalent student, for purposes of a LRFP or school facilities project, is calculated as follows: each student in grades kindergarten through 12 is counted at 100 percent of the actual count of students. Two students in half-day programs are equal to one FTE.
Functional Capacity means the number of students who can be housed in a building to allow sufficient space for the building to be educationally adequate for the delivery of programs and services necessary for student achievement of the CCCS. Functional capacity is determined by dividing the adjusted gross square footage of a school building by the minimum area allowance per FTE student for the grade-level students contained in the building.
Gross Square Footage means the total square footage of a school facility.
Lease Purchase (see State Aid/School Data)
Local Portion is the amount of school bonds issued as local funding for school facilities projects funded under N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-9 or N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-10.
Local Share is the total cost of the project less the state share as determined by applicable law.
Local Unit is a county, municipality, district board of education or any other political subdivision or entity authorized to construct, operate and maintain a school facilities project and to borrow money for those purposes pursuant to law.
Local Unit Obligations refer to school bonds, notes, refunding bonds, refunding notes, lease obligations and all other obligations of a local unit that are issued or entered into for the purpose of paying for all or a portion of the costs of a school facilities project.
LRFP -- Long-Range Facilities Plan must be submitted to the Commissioner by a district pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-4 and N.J.A.C. 6A:26-2 et seq. and approved by the Commissioner for the district to be eligible for state facilities aid for construction projects.
New Construction is a school facilities project that consists of new school facilities and/or additions to school facilities.
Non-Authority Project is a school facilities project of a district with a district debt service aid percentage less than 55 percent that elects not to have the Economic Development Authority oversee the project.
PEC -- Preliminary Eligible Costs are the initial eligible costs of a school facilities project as calculated pursuant to the formulas set forth in N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-7, that include the costs of construction and other allowable costs.
Preconstruction Activities include but are not limited to site identification; investigation; and acquisition; feasibility studies; land-related design work; design work; site remediation; demolition; and acquisition of temporary facilities.
Programmatic Model is a list of each general instructional space, specialized instructional space, administrative and support space, and the sizes and numbers of the space that would constitute a school facility adequate to support the achievement of the CCCS by the projected student enrollment.
ROD -- Regular Operating District is any district other than a SDA district (see SDA District below).
Rehabilitation is a school facilities project consisting of the reconstruction, remodeling, alteration, modernization or repair of a school facility that does not increase the gross square footage of the school facility.
School Enrollment includes the number of FTE students who are recorded on the last school day prior to October 16 of the current school year in the school registers.
School Facilities Project is new construction necessary to meet the housing needs of unhoused students or rehabilitation for the purpose of keeping a school facility functional.
SDA -- Schools Development Authority (see Authority in this section)
SDA District is a district that received educational opportunity aid or preschool expansion aid in the 2007-2008 school year.
State Share is the state's proportionate share of the final eligible costs of a school facilities project as determined pursuant to applicable sections of the law.
State Support is the state share or state debt service aid.
Temporary Facility is a facility -- including temporary classroom units (TCUs) or leased spaces or facilities -- used for educating students on a temporary basis while awaiting completion of a school facilities project that will permanently house students.
Total Costs are the final eligible costs plus excess costs, if any, in the case of a school facilities project to be constructed by the authority or a redevelopment entity or financed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7G-15. In the case of a school facilities project that does not fit the description above, the total cost of the project is determined by the district.
UCC -- Uniform Construction Code is state code that contains standards governing construction, alteration, renovation, rehabilitation, maintenance, occupancy and use of buildings and structures, including school facilities.
Unhoused Students are the students in excess of the functional capacity of a school facility, calculated pursuant to N.J.A.C. 6A:26-2.2(c).
ACC -- Application Control Center is responsible for providing the department's centralized control function for receipt of official grant documents. Among the various functions of the ACC are the receipt and evaluation of proposals and applications; grant agreement approvals and awards; oversight of the grantee report tracking system; award modification review and approval process; and award closeout.
Continuation Grant is a discretionary grant in which funds are provided on a non-competitive basis to those agencies that were funded in year one of a multiyear grant program. Grantees must be certified by the program office as eligible to continue based on performance.
Cooperative Agreement is a document developed jointly by DOE and the targeted agency to provide specified services. No evaluation is required.
Discretionary Formula Grant is a grant in which funds are provided equitably to all agencies of a specific type (e.g., county vocational schools, institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs, etc.). This type of grant program may be used when the enabling legislation does not specify which agencies are eligible or provide a formula for disbursement of funds and clearly provides discretion to the grantor agency (DOE) regarding such disbursement issues. DOE may use its discretion to determine the types of agencies, the total amount of funds to be distributed, the intent of the funding, the allowable uses for the funds and the formula that would be applied. All agencies of that type would receive funds according to the formula after submission/approval of an application for funds or the cooperative agreement.
Discretionary Grant is a grant made in support of an individual project in accordance with legislation that permits the grantor agency (DOE) to exercise judgment in selecting the project, the grantee and the amount of the award. Applicants may or may not compete for these funds.
EDGAR -- Education Department General Administrative Regulations, issued by the U. S. Department of Education, contain portions of Title 34 of the Code of Federal Regulations (parts 75, 76, 77 and 81) that address the administrative requirements for grantees.
Entitlement Grant is a grant in which funds are provided to specified grantees on the basis of a specific formula, prescribed in legislation or regulation, rather than on the basis of an individual project review. The formula is usually based on such factors as population, enrollment, per capita income or specific need. Applicants do not compete for these funds.
EWEG – Electronic Web-Enabled Grants is thesystem that is used by applicants to submit most grant applications to DOE. The system is accessed through DOE Homeroom Web site.
LEA – Local Education Agency (See State Aid/School Data)
Limited Competitive Grant is a discretionary grant in which funds are provided on a competitive basis and that is open to agencies with specific characteristics (e.g., districts with Priority schools, institutions of higher education with teacher preparation programs, etc.) as determined by the enabling legislation. Applications are evaluated and scored by a reader panel according to specified selection criteria.
NGO – Notice of Grant Opportunity is a document specific to a grant program designed to solicit applications from eligible candidates. It contains three sections that detail the state's goals and purposes; the eligible agency's guidelines for constructing a project consistent with the state's goals; and general application guidance that links the applicant to the Discretionary Grant Application on DOE's Web site.
OMB Circulars -- Office of Management and Budget Circulars provide federal guidance for the administration of grants, cost principles and audit requirements. Federal regulations require that state departments of education treat federal and nonfederal sources of funds in a consistent manner and in accordance with state law. To meet this requirement, DOE applies the provisions of the federal OMB Circulars uniformly to all contractors, regardless of the source of funds.
Open Competitive Grant is the most common form of discretionary grant in which funds are provided on a competitive basis and that is open to all eligible agencies as determined by the enabling legislation. Applications are evaluated and scored by a reader panel, according to specified selection criteria.
REAP -- Rural Education Achievement Program refers to federal formula grant programs that are designed to help rural districts. The two programs are the Small Rural Schools Grant Program, which is administered directly by the USDE, and the Rural and Low-Income School Program, administered by DOE.
SEA -- State Education Agency (See State Aid/School Data)
Targeted Grant is a discretionary grant that provides funds on a non-competitive basis to an agency (or agencies) with unique qualifications such that no other agency can provide the specified services. The grant may be awarded through the NGO process or by issuing a cooperative agreement.
Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG) is a comprehensive set of federal rules and regulations which form the basis for the administration of discretionary and entitlement grants. Effective December 26, 2014 and codified at 2 CFR Part 200 et. seq., the UGG replaces guidance found in OMB Circulars A-21, A-87, A-102, A-110, A-122 and A-133 with a common set of rules and regulations.
At-Risk School District is a district as defined in P.L. 2007. c.260.
Abbott School District refers to the following 28 urban school districts that were litigants in Raymond Abbott v. Fred G. Burke decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court on June 5, 1990, as follows: Asbury Park City; Bridgeton City; Burlington City; Camden City; East Orange City; Elizabeth City; Garfield City; Gloucester City; Harrison Town; Hoboken City; Irvington Township; Jersey City; Keansburg Borough; Long Branch City; Millville City; New Brunswick City; Newark City; City of Orange Township; Passaic City; Paterson City; Pemberton Township; Perth Amboy City; Phillipsburg Town; Pleasantville City; Trenton City; Union City; Vineland City; and West New York Town. The following school districts were added to the original 28 Abbott school districts pursuant to statute: Neptune Township, Plainfield and Salem City. The Abbott designation was eliminated when the School Funding Act, P.L. 2007 c. 260 was enacted.
CCCS -- Core Curriculum Content Standards (see Standards)
CSA -- Chief School Administrator is a term that refers to a district superintendent, including former Abbott school districts or the state school district superintendent in the case of a state-operated school district.
ELC -- Education Law Center is the legal entity that represents the school districts previously designated as Abbott districts in all court proceedings and oversees the actions taken to carry out the court's decisions.
High-Need School District is a school district in which 40 percent or more of the students are "at-risk" as defined in P.L. 2007, c.260 and is at one or more of the following proficiency levels on state assessments:
Secondary Education School District is a school district that includes students in at least two of the grades from six through 12 pursuant to N.J.A.C 6A:13
Standards-Based Reform is the process by which schools and school districts work to align school district and/or school curriculum to the CCCS and assure that instructional practice and professional development are effective and driven by the curriculum.
AR -- Alternate Route is an alternative certification process adopted in 1985 that permits qualified individuals who have not completed a teacher training program to earn instructional licenses while teaching in schools under a program of mentoring, supervision, evaluation and formal instruction. It allows people to enter teaching after they have worked in other careers.
Approved Program is a department-approved planned program of professional preparation for educators at an institution of higher education.
Certificate refers to one of three types of credentials – instructional, educational services and administrative -- that the Board of Examiners issues to permit an individual to serve as a teaching staff member. The Board of Examiners issues a separate endorsement for each subject area that falls under a specific type of certificate. The endorsement must be considered part of the certificate.
CE -- Certificate of Eligibility is a credential with lifetime validity issued to persons who have completed degree, academic study and applicable test requirements for certification. The CE is the alternate route certificate and permits the applicant to seek and accept employment in positions requiring certification. Once hired, the holder of the CE obtains a provisional certificate through his/her employer and must complete 34 weeks of mentoring, as well as instruction in the N. J. Professional Teaching Standards.
CEAS -- Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing is a credential with lifetime validity issued to persons who have completed degree, academic study, applicable test requirements and traditional professional preparation programs for certification. The CEAS is the traditional route certificate and permits the applicant to seek and accept employment in positions requiring certification. Once hired, the holder of the CEAS obtains a provisional certificate through his/her employer and must be mentored for 30 weeks.
Coherent Sequence of Courses is a sequence of at least 30 semester-hour credits of college-level coursework in a subject field that includes 12 semester-hour credits of study at the junior, senior or graduate levels.
Dual Content Major is any college major that combines two of the Core Curriculum Content Standards.
Endorsement refers to the specific subject area in which a certificate holder is authorized to serve.
Mentor Teacher is an experienced New Jersey-certified teacher assigned to provide support and guidance to a novice teacher.
NASDTEC -- National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification.
NCATE -- National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education is a national professional accrediting body for educator preparation.
Novice Teacher is any full- or part-time teacher who has not completed one year of full-time teaching under a standard state teaching certificate.
Provisional Certificate is a two-year certificate issued to candidates who have met the requirements for initial employment but who have not yet met the requirements for standard certification. Provisional certificates are issued to newly employed instructional, administrator and educational services staff who are employed as part of a state-approved district training program or residency leading to standard certification. Provisional certificates are also issued to initially employed educational services staff who have from one to three years of successful full-time experience or the equivalent in another state under that state's standard certificates.
PTP -- Provisional Teacher Program consists of 30 or 34 weeks of full-time, on-the-job support, supervision and evaluation by school-based professionals as part of the teacher certification requirements. For alternate route teachers, the program includes formal instruction.
Standard Certificate is a permanent certificate issued to a person who has met all certification requirements.
TEAC -- Teacher Education Accreditation Council is a national professional accrediting body for educator preparation.
Technology Discipline Major is any college major that concentrates on the application of scientific principles to solve problems. Acceptable technology discipline majors include, but are not limited to, engineering; computer science; information technology; design technology; aviation technology; military technology; or industrial technology.
Traditional Route is an approved collegiate teacher preparation program culminating in student teaching.
Achievement Gap Title I requires schools to close achievement gaps across several subgroups of students, assuring that each group meets the same benchmarks as they move toward meeting the federal Title I goal of 100 percent proficiency in language arts literacy, mathematics and science by 2014.
Accountability requires schools to be responsible for progress and achievement for all students and subgroups.
AYP -- Adequate Yearly Progress Under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, schools not making AYP for any of the state assessments for two consecutive years are designated as in need of improvement. New Jersey has taken a proactive measure to inform schools not making AYP after one year by designating them as Early Warning to assist them in identifying areas in need of attention and to make any necessary adjustments to prevent not meeting AYP for another year.
CAPA Team -- Collaborative Assessment and Planning for Achievement Team consists of educational practitioners, parents and other individuals assembled, trained and assigned by the Commissioner and the chief school administrator to implement the CAPA process in low-performing schools to bring about school improvement.
Consolidated State Accountability Workbook each state is required to submit a workbook to the United States Department of Education (USED) detailing the implementation of its single accountability system as regulated by NCLB.
Corrective Action is action taken that is consistent with state law and substantially and directly responds to the consistent academic failure of a school. It is designed to increase the likelihood that students enrolled in schools identified for corrective action will meet or exceed the state's proficient levels of achievement on the state's assessments.
DINI – District in Need of Improvement means that the entire district did not meet the requirements for making AYP for two consecutive years.
Early Warning for Unsafe Schools The Unsafe School Choice Option policy sets forth a provision for schools to be designated as persistently dangerous when they meet the objective criteria for three consecutive years. New Jersey has taken a proactive measure to inform schools meeting the criteria for this designation after two consecutive years to assist them with reducing the number of violent incidents and subsequently avoiding the designation of persistently dangerous.
Eligible Attendance Area is the area where the percentage of children from low-income families who live in the school attendance area is equal to the district percentage, is at least 35 percent or is located in a single attendance area.
ESEA -- Elementary and Secondary Education Actis the principal federal law enacted in 1965 affecting education from kindergarten through high school. This law provides guidance and funds to schools throughout the United States. The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001 reauthorized ESEA. Prior to NCLB, the education reauthorization was called Improving America's Schools Act.
ESL -- English as a Second Language (See Bilingual Education/ESL)
Flexibility is when communities have more options to determine how to best serve students.
HQT -- Highly Qualified Teacher under NCLB means any teacher hired after the first day of the 2002-2003 school year to teach in a Title I, Part A program must be "highly qualified." In addition, the law requires all local educational agencies (LEAs) to have a plan to ensure that all teachers in the LEA teaching subjects in the Core Curriculum Content Standards be "highly qualified" by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. The requirements can be found at http://www.nj.gov/njded/profdev/nclb/.
HOUSE -- High Objective Uniform State Evaluation (HOUSE) Standard establishes the federally sanctioned alternate criteria by which veteran teachers can demonstrate that they satisfy the highly qualified requirement in New Jersey.
IASA -- Improving America's Schools Actwas the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Act. The act was amended in 1994 and was reauthorized in 2002 as No Child Left Behind.
Intradistrict School Choice Children are eligible for school choice when the Title I school they attend has not made AYP in improving student achievement, as defined by the state, for two consecutive years or longer and has been identified as in need of improvement.
LEA -- Local Education Agency (See State Aid and School Data)
LEP -- Limited English Proficient (See Bilingual Education/ESL)
NCLB -- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was signed into law on January 8, 2002. It reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the main federal law regarding K-12 education. The four main pillars of NCLB are: accountability; flexibility and local control; enhanced parental choice; and a focus on what works in the classroom. NCLB requires state governments and educational systems to help low-achieving students in high-poverty schools meet the same academic performance standards that apply to all students.
Paraprofessional is an employee who provides instructional support with Title I, Part A funds.
Parent Involvement is the participation of parents in regular, two-way, meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other social activities that play an integral role in assisting their child's learning.
Parent's Right to Know is a provision in NCLB that requires schools receiving Title I, Part A funds to notify at the beginning of the school year parents of each student that they can request and receive information on the professional qualifications of the student's classroom teacher. Additionally, the law requires that if a student is being taught by a teacher who is not highly qualified, parents are to be notified after four consecutive weeks.
PDS -- Persistently Dangerous School is a public elementary or secondary school building (except for regional day schools, educational services commissions and special services school districts) that meets the objective criteria of persistently dangerous established by DOE for three consecutive years and is part of an LEA that receives funds under NCLB. The most current available data from the Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System (EVVRS) is used to identify persistently dangerous schools on or before July 31 of each year, in compliance with federal regulations (68-FR 16789).
Safe Harbor is the method for making AYP if student subgroups do not meet performance targets. The percentage of students scoring non-proficient must be reduced by at least 10 percent for each student subgroup that did not meet performance targets.
School Attendance Area is the geographic area in which the children served by a particular school reside.
School Report Card contains statistical profiles of all public schools in the state and is an important element in New Jersey's continuing commitment to set high standards, measure school progress and report results to the public each year.
Schoolwide Program is a program using Title I funds to address the entire school curriculum and the varied educational needs of children living in impoverished communities with comprehensive strategies for improving the entire school's academic performance. At least 40 percent of the children enrolled in the school or residing in the school attendance area must be from low-income families to qualify.
Scientifically Based Research involves the application of rigorous, systematic and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs.
Single Accountability System The state has a single accountability system for all public schools, districts and charter schools. The state's accountability system requires AYP decisions for all public schools.
Single Attendance Area is a school district with either one school, less than 1,000 students or has only one grade span.
SINI -- Schools in Need of Improvement is a designation based on making AYP, which is calculated using 40 primary indicators (test participation and scores) and one secondary indicator (attendance or high school graduation). Schools that do not meet the benchmark on one or more of the indicators for two consecutive years are designated as "in need of improvement." The 40 primary indicators are based on meeting a 95 percent participation rate in language arts literacy and math tests, as well as meeting AYP benchmark targets for the math and language arts literacy (LAL) tests. Data are then examined by looking at 10 subgroups for both tests.
SES -- Supplemental Educational Services refers to extra academic instruction provided to income-eligible students who attend a Title I SINI. Extra help in LAL and math must be provided outside of the regular school day. SES is mandated by NCLB for students attending Title I schools in their second year and beyond of being designated as in need of improvement. DOE maintains a list of approved schools and educational agencies that offer SES.
SESA -- Supplemental Educational Services Agreement is used for parents of eligible children attending Title I schools to enter into a service agreement with a supplemental education service provider. SES provides extra academic assistance for eligible children. Students from low-income families who are attending Title I schools that are in their second year of school improvement (i.e., have not made adequate yearly progress for three or more years), in corrective action or in restructuring status are eligible to receive these services.
Student Subgroup All students, as well as nine identified subgroups, must meet the proficient target in order for a school to make AYP. The nine student subgroups are: special education; LEP; economically disadvantaged; white; African American; American Indian; Asian/Pacific Islander; Hispanic; and other.
Targeted Assistance Program is a Title I program that directs funds and provides services only to identified children who are in most need of academic support/enrichment.
TITLE I, PART A supports programs and resources aimed at improving the academic achievement of the disadvantaged.
TITLE I, PART D serves neglected and delinquent youth in institutions, community day programs and correctional facilities to assure they attain high academic levels of performance.
TITLE II, PART A provides resources for improving teacher and principal quality and increasing the number of highly qualified teachers and principals in classrooms and schools.
TITLE II, PART D facilitates comprehensive and integrated educational technology strategies that target specific needs of individual schools.
TITLE III, PART A focuses on teaching of English to limited English proficient (LEP) children, including immigrant children and youth.
TITLE IV, PART A provides resources for fostering a safe and drug-free learning environment that supports academic achievement.
TITLE V, PART A provides a flexible source of funding to assist LEAs in the development and implementation of various innovative reforms.
TITLE VI, PART B addresses unique needs of rural school districts.
TITLE IX covers general provisions applicable to some/all of the programs, including equitable participation of nonpublic school students and teachers in NCLB programs.
TTT -- Troops to Teachers is a federal program that seeks to place experienced former military personnel as teachers in school districts serving high concentrations of low-income families. TTT helps relieve teacher shortages, especially in math, science, special education and other high-needs subject areas, and assists military personnel in making successful transitions to careers in teaching.
USCO -- Unsafe School Choice Option policy (Title IX, Part E, Subpart 2, SEC. 9532) establishes the criteria and actions necessary for school districts and DOE to ensure a safe learning environment for students. Students attending a persistently dangerous public elementary or secondary school, or who become a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by state law, while in or on the grounds of the public school the student attends are provided with an option to transfer to a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the LEA.
Professional Standards and Development
HQT -- Highly Qualified Teacher (See NCLB)
NBPTS -- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards establishes rigorous standards for what effective teachers should know and be able to do; develops and operates a national voluntary system to assess and certify teachers who meet these standards; and advances related education reforms for the purpose of improving student learning in public schools. The national board sets advanced standards in more than 30 certificated fields.
NJHIRE is DOE's Internet-based hiring system that helps match teachers seeking jobs with districts in search of applicants.
NJPEP -- N. J. Professional Education Port-Virtual Academy (www.nj.gov/education/njpep/) provides support to the educational community in the understanding and implementation of the Core Curriculum Content Standards, statewide and local assessments, and the integration of 21st century knowledge and skills and global perspectives through professional learning that inspires, leads to reflection and fosters collaboration with peers and students.
NJPTSB -- N. J. Professional Teaching Standards Board is an advisory board appointed by the Commissioner of Education to oversee the implementation of the continuing education regulations for teachers. Nineteen members comprise the board and include the following: 10 classroom teachers; two college representatives, with at least one representing a teacher education program; three district administrators; two members of local boards of education; and two members of the general public. The primary role of the board is to advise the Commissioner with regard to implementation of the professional development requirements for teachers.
PAEMST -- Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching is a program administered by the National Science Foundation (NSF) that identifies outstanding math and science teachers in each of four categories -- elementary mathematics and science and secondary mathematics and science. Each Presidential honoree's school receives a $7,500 grant to be spent under the honoree's direction during a five-year period to improve math or science programs.
PDS -- Professional Development Schools are collaborative school/university/community partnerships focused on improving the education of practicing and prospective teachers; strengthening knowledge and practice in teaching; and enhancing the profession by serving as models of school/university collaboration. The partnerships address student learning problems, shared teaching, collaborative research on the problems of educational practice and cooperative supervision.
Professional Standards for School Leaders define the knowledge, dispositions and performances expected of New Jersey principals and school administrators. The standards serve as the basis of the state's program approval process for school leader preparation and as a guide for the professional development of school leaders.
Professional Standards for Teachers define the knowledge, dispositions and performances expected of New Jersey teachers, and serve as the basis of the state's program approval process for teacher preparation and as a guide for the professional development of teachers.
SAELP -- State Action for Education Leadership Project is a national project to strengthen school leaders through the development of state-level policy and regulations that promote the recruitment, preparation, assessment/certification,
development and retention of a diverse pool of school leaders whose primary mission is to enhance teaching, learning and student achievement. New Jersey was selected as one of 15 states funded by the DeWitt-Wallace Funds to develop and pilot policies that would attract, develop and retain high-quality principals and superintendents, particularly for high-need schools.
Title II, Part A -- Improving Teacher Quality State Grant Program is federally funded under Title II, Part A of NCLB. Its purpose is to increase student academic achievement through strategies, such as improving teacher and principal quality through high-quality professional development, as well as increasing the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom and highly qualified principals and assistant principals in schools.
APR -- Annual Performance Report is a federally mandated report of each state's performance in implementing the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
CST -- Child Study Team consists of a school psychologist, a learning disabilities teacher/consultant and school social worker who are employees of the school district responsible for conducting evaluations to determine eligibility for special education and related services for students with disabilities.
ESY -- Extended School Year means special education and related services provided to a student with a disability beyond the normal school year in accordance with the student's IEP and at no cost to the parent.
FAPE -- Free, Appropriate Public Education consists of special education and related services that are provided at public expense under public supervision and direction and without charge to parents; meet state and federal requirements; include preschool, elementary or secondary school education; and are provided according to an Individualized Education Program (IEP).
IDEA -- Individuals with Disabilities Education Actis the federal statute that mandates a FAPE for students with disabilities. In New Jersey, students ages 3 through 21 are included.
IEP -- Individualized Education Program is a written plan developed at a meeting that includes appropriate school staff and parents. It determines the special education program for a student with disabilities through individually designed instructional activities constructed to meet goals and objectives established for the student. It establishes the rationale for a student's placement and documents the provision of FAPE.
IEP Team -- Individualized Education Program Team is the group of individuals who are responsible for the development, review and revision of the student's individualized education program. The team comprises the parent, the student (if appropriate), required school personnel and other knowledgeable individuals at the discretion of the school district or parent.
LRC -- Learning Resource Center is one of several centers that form a statewide network designed to improve educational outcomes for students with disabilities ages 3 to 21. The centers provide professional development activities, technical assistance and statewide dissemination of educational materials, practices and techniques for educators, parents, paraprofessionals, child study teams and administrators. The program is intended to influence the design and implementation of special education programs. The LRC network includes two centers in the northern region, one center in the central region and one center in the southern region of the state. Each LRC project consists of two program components -- activities for educators and parents of students with disabilities ages 5 to 21 and activities for educators and preschoolers with disabilities ages 3 to 5.
LRE -- Least Restrictive Environment sets the standard that students with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled to the maximum extent appropriate. It means that special classes, separate schooling or other removal of students with disabilities from the general educational environment should occur only when the severity of the disability is such that education in general education classes with the use of supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily.
MKSD -- Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf under DOE provides educational and vocational services to deaf and multiply disabled deaf and hard-of-hearing children from birth through 12th grade. Residential services are provided to approximately half of the school's students on a five-day-a-week basis.
RDS -- Regional Day Schools are schools for the handicapped as authorized by the State Facilities for the Handicapped Bond Fund (chapter 149, laws of 1973). The 11 schools are managed by the local school districts under contract DOE.
SPP -- State Performance Plan is a federally required plan of how each state will implement the requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
CCCS --- Core Curriculum Content Standards were first adopted in 1996 by the State Board of Education and revised and readopted by the board in 2004 and 2009. The standards are reviewed and revised every five years. CCCS include common expectations for student achievement grades pre-K to 12 in the following nine areas:
Standard 1: Visual and Performing Arts
Standard 2: Comprehensive Health and Physical Education
Standard 3: Language Arts Literacy
Standard 4: Mathematics
Standard 5: Science
Standard 6: Social Studies
Standard 7: World Languages
Standard 8: Technology
Standard 9:. 21st Century Life and Careers
CPIs -- Cumulative Progress Indicators specify content or skills to be taught at specific grade levels and are cumulative -- that is, the progress indicators begin at a foundational or basic level and increase in complexity as students mature.
Grade Level Clusters establish the exit benchmark level for the CPIs. They may be grade-specific (e.g., by the end of grade 1, end of grade 2, etc.) or across several grades (e.g., K-4 or by the end of grade 4; 5-8 or by the end of grade 8, etc.).
Strands are organizational tools that help teachers locate related content and skills.
State and national organizations associated with the nine Core Curriculum Content Standards can be found under each of the areas at http://www.nj.gov/njded/aps/cccs/.
Adjusted for Inflation as applied to a local district's spending growth limitation means taking the greater of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) or 2.5 percent (N.J.S.A.18A:7F–5).
Adjustment Aid refers to aid provided to districts to ensure that the aid amount provided for the first year (FY 2009) of the School Funding and Reform Act 2008 (SFRA) would be at least two percent greater than the aid amount provided in FY 2008, and that in subsequent years the aid will not be reduced below the FY 2009 amount notwithstanding some exceptions (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-58).
Annual Audit is the audit of financial statements and schedules presented in the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) as required by N.J.S.A. 18A:23-1 et seq. The annual audit must be performed in accordance with standards required by the applicable authoritative or regulatory agencies and established in the documents issued by those agencies. An annual audit is performed by a public school accountant pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:23-8 et seq.
ASSA -- Application for State School Aid is the data collection document submitted by districts for the purpose of calculating state school aid, with the exception of transportation aid submitted via the district report of transported resident students.
At-Risk Pupils refers to students from households with incomes at or below the most recent federal poverty guidelines available on October 15 of the prebudget year multiplied by 1.85 (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–45).
Base Budget means the district board of education's school budget that contains a net budget at its adjusted spending growth limitation that is submitted to voters for approval in April. The base budget does not include separate additional spending proposals that a district may submit to voters or to the board of school estimate for approval (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–5).
Base Per-Pupil Amount is the cost per elementary pupil of delivering the Core Curriculum Content Standards (CCCS) and extracurricular activities necessary for a thorough and efficient education.
Bilingual Education Pupil is a resident pupil enrolled in a program of bilingual education or in an English as a second language program approved by the State Board of Education (also called LEP, ESL or ELL).
CAFR -- Comprehensive Annual Financial Report is the official annual report of a governmental unit that includes all funds and account groups. The report summarizes the activities and operations performed by all units that constitute the reporting entity. The combined financial position and results of operations are presented as if there were a single operating unit.
CCCS --- Core Curriculum Content Standards (See Standards (Academic))
Certificated Staff Collection is an annual DOE collection of all certificated staff in every school as of October 15. The data are used in the School Report Card, the highly qualified teacher report and the Comparative Spending Guide, as well as federal collections and reports.
Combination Pupil means a resident student who is both an at-risk and a bilingual education pupil.
Comparative Spending Guide is the annual report of comparative financial statistics of school districts compiled and published by DOE for general distribution pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A: 4–30.
CPI -- Consumer Price Index refers to the average annual increase, expressed as a decimal, in the consumer price index for the New York City and Philadelphia areas during the fiscal year preceding the schools' prebudget year as reported by the U. S. Department of Labor (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–45).
CSA -- Chief School Administrator means the superintendent or administrative principal of a local district as set forth in N.J.A.C. 6:3-2.1, or the state district superintendent in the case of a state-operated school district.
CTSA -- Coordinated Transportation Services Agency refers to an agency that provides coordinated transportation services pursuant to the Regionalized Public Transportation Services Act, Chapter 53, P.L. 1997. The law requires the Commissioner to publish a list of CTSAs to help encourage district utilization.
DFG -- District Factor Grouping is a system that provides a means of ranking schools by their socioeconomic status (SES). The grouping designation is based on information available from the census and includes the following: percent of people in community with no high school diploma; percent with some college; occupations; income; unemployment; and poverty. There are eight groupings starting with A (the lowest socioeconomic level) and includes B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J (the highest). The groupings allow comparison of districts with similar profiles for purposes of state aid and assessment information.
DRTRS -- District Report of Transported Resident Students is the data
collection document submitted by boards of education for the calculation of state transportation aid and the district's transportation efficiency rating.
EOA -- Educational Adequacy Aid refers to aid provided to districts that received EOA in FY 2008 and met two additional requirements: spending under adequacy; and are failing or municipally overburdened as determined pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-58. The aid was designed to enable these districts to spend at their adequacy budgets within three years and comes with a required local contribution.
Efficiency Standards are applied to school districts and are contained in the "Educational Adequacy Report" (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–46).
Equalization Aid is the amount of state aid distributed to school districts for general fund expenses to ensure that each district can provide a thorough and efficient system of education consistent with the CCCS (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–48-53).
Fall Survey is a data collection submitted annually by each district to DOE in accordance with N.J.S.A. 18A:7A-11, setting forth enrollment as of October 15 of the school year and other information concerning the district.
FMP -- Facilities Management Plan refers to a strategy developed by a district that outlines its plans for repairing physical infrastructure deficiencies, educational adequacy deficiencies and capacity deficits of the district's school buildings. Efficient use and responsible ongoing maintenance of school facilities are integral components. All former Abbott districts are required to develop comprehensive five-year facilities management plans. All other districts currently are required to submit every five years less-comprehensive facilities plans.
GAAP -- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles are established by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board as prescribed by the State Board. All school districts must use the GAAP accounting system N.J.S.A. 18A:4–14).
GCA -- Geographic Cost Adjustment means an adjustment that reflects county differences in the cost of providing educational services that are outside the control of the districts.
LEA -- Local Education Agency is defined by 20 U.S.C. 8801 as a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, any public elementary or secondary school in the state. It can also refer to such combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a state as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary schools. Local school districts are often referred to as LEAs in grant or funding documents.
Lease Purchase is an alternative way for a school district to finance the purchase of equipment or construction of improvements or additions to school facilities. It is an agreement that cannot exceed five years under which the district leases equipment or school facilities, and gives the district the option of purchasing the leased property during or upon termination of the lease, with credit toward the purchase price of all or part of the rental payments. Lease purchase of buses cannot exceed 10 years. The lease agreement must contain a provision making payments subject to the annual appropriation of funds or contain an annual cancellation clause. Lease purchase of equipment does not need Commissioner approval. Lease purchase of construction of additions and renovations requires Commissioner or voter approval, as applicable. Payments of principal and interest for lease purchase agreements are part of the general fund budget. (N.J.S.A. 18A:20-4.2).
Local Share is the amount of funding that a local district can raise relative to other local districts based on property wealth and income levels. It is used in determining the amount of Equalization Aid that a district receives, if any.
Net Budget means the sum of the district's general fund tax levy, state aid received pursuant to the provisions of the SFRA other than preschool education aid, miscellaneous revenue estimated pursuant to GAAP, and designated general fund balance (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–45).
NJ SMART -- N. J. Standards Measurement and Resource for Teaching is a student registration system developed by the department to collect student-level data.
Prebudget Year means the school fiscal year preceding the year in which the school budget is implemented (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–45).
QAAR -- Quality Assurance Annual Report is a report provided by the chief school administrator to the public that includes the following: implementation of school-level plans, achievement of performance objectives, school report cards, professional development activities, condition of school facilities, status of mandated program reviews, and community support data.
Resident Enrollment is the number of pupils other than preschool, postgraduate or postsecondary vocational students who are residents of the district on the last school day prior to October 16 of the current year. Disabled children between the ages of 3 and 5 are included in the resident enrollment (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-45).
School Report Card is prepared and disseminated annually to parents and other interested taxpayers within each local school district and made available on DOE's Web site. The report card for each school in the state contains information about student enrollment, test scores, attendance and graduation rates, as well as information about teaching and administrative staff and district-level finance (N.J.S.A. 18A:7E–2).
SEA -- State Education Agency is a state-level entity such as the New Jersey Department of Education that is authorized under federal law to administer federal funds directed to education in the state.
Security Categorical Aid refers to the unrestricted aid category that is distributed to every district regardless of wealth, and determined by total and at-risk enrollments as well as at-risk concentration (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-56).
SFRA -- School Funding and Reform Act 2008 is the current law that determines how education is funded.
Special Education Categorical Aid is the one-third portion of the special education census amount that is distributed to all districts based on total enrollment and regardless of district wealth (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-55).
Special Education Census is the cost of providing programs and services to students classified for special education and speech-only services. It is calculated by multiplying the excess cost – above the base per-pupil amount – for special education (and speech only) students by the statewide average classification rate, which then is multiplied by each district's total enrollment (N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-51).
Spending Growth Limitation, as defined by N.J.S.A. 18A:7F–45, is the annual rate of growth permitted in the net budget of a school district, county vocational school district or county special services school district as measured between the net budget of the prebudget year and the net budget of the budget year as calculated pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-5.
T&E -- Thorough and Efficient refers to New Jersey's constitutional provision that all children have a right to a "thorough and efficient system of free public school."
Zero-Based Budgeting is a type of budgeting procedure that analyzes and justifies costs from a base of zero, versus the previous year's balance, to improve fiscal efficiency. It is an essential practice in whole school reform.
AAO -- Affirmative Action Officer
AAP -- American Academy of Pediatrics
Abbott School District
ACC -- Application Control Center
ACCESS for ELLs
Achievement Gap
ACT -- Abbott Consortium for Technology
Additional Space
Adjusted Gross Square Footage
Adjusted for Inflation
Adjustment Aid
AIDS -- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Alternative Education Program
AMP-- Appropriation Management Plan
AMAO -- Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives
Annual Audit
APA -- Alternate Proficiency Assessment
Approved Area for Unhoused Students
Approved LRFP or Approved Plan
Approved Program
APR -- Annual Performance Report
AR -- Alternate Route
Area Allowance per Full-Time Equivalent Student
Area Cost Allowance
ASHA -- Alternative High School Assessment (formerly SRA)
ASSA -- Application for State School Aid
ATM -- Asynchronous Transfer Mode
At-Risk Pupils
At-Risk School District
ATOD -- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs
AUP -- Acceptable Use Policy
AYP -- Adequate Yearly Progress
Base Budget
Base Per-Pupil Amount
Bilingual Education Pupil
BRFSS -- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
CAFR -- Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
CAPA -- Team Collaborative Assessment and Planning for Ach.
Capital Maintenance
Capital Project
Career Clusters
CTE -- Career and Technical Education
Career and Technical Education Program
CTSOs -- Career and Technical Student Organizations
CCCS -- Core Curriculum Content Standards
CCP -- Certified Childcare Professional
CDA -- Child Development Associate
CDC–DASH -- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
CE -- Certificate of Eligibility
CEAS -- Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing
CEP -- Comprehensive Equity Plan
Certificated Staff Collection
CHES -- Certified Health Education Specialist
CIP Codes -- Classification of Instructional Programs
CODA -- Child of a Deaf Adult
Coherent Sequence of Courses
Collaborative Online Community
Combination Pupil
Community Design Feature
Comparative Spending Guide
Consolidated State Accountability Workbook
Continuation Grant
Cooperative Agreement
Corrective Action
COSA -- Child of a Substance Abuser
CPI -- Consumer Price Index
CPIs -- Cumulative Progress Indicators
Creative Curriculum
CRT -- Criterion-Referenced Tests
CSA -- Chief School Administrator
C-SAP -- Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
CSC -- Code of Student Conduct
CSHP -- Coordinated School Health Programs
CSL -- Community Service Learning
CST -- Child Study Team
CTSA -- Coordinated Transportation Services Agency
Curiosity Corner
D&A -- Drugs and Alcohol
D.A.R.E -- Drug Abuse Resistance Education
DCBHS -- Div. of Child Behavioral Health Services
DCF -- Department of Children and Families
Debt Service
Demonstration Project
Developmental Screening
DFG -- District Factor Grouping
DGA -- Discretionary Grant Application
DHS - Department of Human Services
DINI -- District in Need of Improvement
Discretionary Formula Grant
Discretionary Grant
Distance Learning
DRTRS -- District Report of Transported Resident Students
DSACS -- Developing Safe and Civil Schools
Dual Content Major
DYFS -- Division of Youth and Family Services
Early Warning for Unsafe Schools
ECERS-R -- Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale–Revised
EDGAR -- Education Department General Administrative Regs.1
Educational Adequacy
Educational Technology
EEO -- Equal Educational Opportunity
EFCFA -- Educational Facilities Construction and Financing Act
Efficiency Standards
ELC -- Education Law Center
ELL -- English Language Learners
ELO -- Extended Learning Opportunity
ELS -- English Language Services
Eligible Attendance Area
Entitlement Grant
EOA -- Educational Adequacy Aid
Equalization Aid
E-rate -- Education Rate
ESEA -- Elementary and Secondary Education Act
ESL -- English as a Second Language
ESY -- Extended School Year
ETTC -- Educational Technology Training Center
EVVRS -- Electronic Violence and Vandalism Reporting System
Excess Costs
Excluded Space
EWEG Electronic Web-Enabled Grants
Fall Survey
Family Worker
FAPE -- Free, Appropriate Public Education
Feasibility Study
FEC -- Final Eligible Costs
FES -- Facilities Efficiency Standards
FMP -- Facilities Management Plan
FTE -- Full-Time Equivalent
Full-Day Preschool
Functional Capacity
GAAP -- Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
GCA -- Geographic Cost Adjustment
GCADA -- Governor's Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
GEAC -- Gender Equity Advisory Committee
GED -- General Educational Development
Grade Level Clusters
Gross Square Footage
High/Scope Preschool Curriculum
HIB -- Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying
HIV -- Human Immune Deficiency Virus
High-Need School Districts
HQT -- Highly Qualified Teacher
HOUSE -- High Objective Uniform State Evaluation Standard
HRDI -- Human Resources Development Institute
HSPA -- High School Proficiency Assessment
HTML -- Hypertext Markup Language
IAIU -- Institutional Abuse Investigations Unit
IASA -- Improving America's School Act
IDEA -- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP -- Individualized Education Program/Team
IEHP -- Individualized Emergency Healthcare Plan
IHP -- Individualized Healthcare Plan
IM -- Instant Messaging
I&RS -- Intervention and Referral Services
IDU -- Injecting Drug Use
Intradistrict School Choice
IPP -- Individualized Program Plan
ISDN -- Integrated Services Digital Network
ISP -- Internet Service Provider
ITV -- Interactive Television
JDC -- Juvenile Detention Center
JJC -- Juvenile Justice Commission
JRRI -- Juvenile Risk Reduction Initiative
LAL -- Language Arts Literacy
LAN -- Local Area Network
LEA -- Local Education Agency
Lease Purchase
LEP -- Limited English Proficient
Limited Competitive Grant
Local Portion
Local Share
Local Unit
Local Unit Obligations
LRC -- Learning Resource Center
LRE -- Least Restrictive Environment
LRFP -- Long-Range Facilities Plan
Master Teacher
Mentor Teacher
MKSD -- Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf
NAEP -- National Assessment of Educational Progress
NAEYC -- National Assoc. for the Ed. of Young Children, NJAEYC
NASDTEC -- National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification
NASN -- National Association of School Nurses
NBPTS -- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
NCATE -- National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Ed.
NCES -- National Center for Education Statistics
NCLB -- No Child Left Behind Act of 2001
Net Budget
New Construction
NGO -- Notice of Grant Opportunity
NJASK -- N. J. Assessment of Skills & Assessment
NJPEP -- N.J. Professional Education Port–Virtual Academy
NJPTSB -- N. J. Professional Teaching Standards Board
NJSHS -- N. J. Student Health Survey
NJ SMART -- N.J. Standards Meas. & Resource for Teaching
NJSSNA -- N. J. State School Nurses Association
NJTESOL/NJBE -- N. J. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages/N. J. Bilingual Education
Non-Authority Project
Novice Teacher
NRCR -- Nontraditional Career Resource Center
NRT -- Norm-Referenced Test
NSP -- Nursing Services Plan
OCTE -- Office of Career and Technical Education
OESS -- Office of Educational Support Services
OMB Circulars -- Office of Management and Budget Circulars
Online Chat
Open Competitive Grant
OSDFS -- Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools
OST -- Out-of-School Time
OVAE -- Office of Vocational and Adult Education
P-3 -- Preschool through Grade 3 Endorsement
PAEMST -- Pres. Awards for Excellence in Math & Science Teaching
Parent Involvement
Parent's Right to Know
PDS -- Persistently Dangerous School
PDS -- Professional Development Schools
PEC -- Preliminary Eligible Costs
Perkins Act
Prebudget Year
Preconstruction Activities
Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards
Private Providers
Professional Standards for School Leaders
Professional Standards for Teachers
Programmatic Model
Provisional Certificate
PTP -- Provisional Teacher Program
PVS -- Private Vocational Schools
QAAR -- Quality Assurance Annual Report
RDS -- Regional Day Schools
Resident Enrollment
RGC -- Residential Group Centers
ROD -- Regular Operating District
RSS -- Rich Site Summary
SAC -- Substance Awareness Coordinator
SAELP -- State Action for Education Leadership Project
Safe Harbor
SBYS -- School-Based Youth Services
SCASS -- State Collaborative on Assess. and Student Standards
School Attendance Area
School Enrollment
School Facilities Project
School Report Card
Schoolwide Program
Scientifically-based Research
SCR --State Central Registry
SDA -- Schools Development Authority
SDA District
SDFSCA -- Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act
SEA -- State Education Agency
Secondary Education School District
Security Categorical Aid
SEL -- Social Emotional Learning
SES -- Supplemental Educational Services
SESA -- Supplemental Educational Services Agreement
SETC -- N. J. State Employment and Training Commission
SFRA -- School Funding and Reform Act of 2008
Sheltered English Instruction
Single Accountability System
Single Attendance Area
SINI -- Schools in Need of Improvement
SLE -- Structured Learning Experience
SMDS -- Switched Multi-megabit Data Service
Social Networks
Special Education Categorical Aid
Special Education Census
Spending Growth Limitation
SPP -- State Performance Plan
SRA -- Special Review Assessment (renamed AHSA)
Standards-Based Reform
Standard Certificate
State Share
State Support
STD/STI -- Sexually Transmitted Disease/ Sexually Transmitted Infection
Student Subgroup
T&E -- Thorough and Efficient
Targeted Assistance Program
Targeted Grant
Targeted Preschool
TEAC -- Teacher Education Accreditation Council
Technology Discipline Major
Tech Prep
Temporary Facility
TIMSS -- Third International Mathematics and Science Survey
Title I to IX Programs
Tools of the Mind
Total Costs
Traditional Route
TTT -- Troops to Teachers
UCC -- Uniform Construction Code
UCCA -- Unified Child Care Agency
Unhoused Students
Universal Preschool
URL -- Uniform (or Universal) Resource Locator
USCO -- Unsafe School Choice Option
USF -- Universal Service Fund
VEDS -- Vocational Education Data System
Video Hosting Service
VoIP Voice-over Internet Protocol
Virtual Learning Community
WAN -- Wide Area Net
WDPP -- Workforce Development Partnership Program
Web 2.0
Web Conferencing
WIA -- Workforce Investment Act of 1998
WIB -- Workforce Investment Board
WIDA -- World Class Instructional Design and Assessment
WWW -- World Wide Web