Education Glossary — Acronyms & Terms
Glosario Educativo — Siglas y Términos
Use this file when a user asks "what does ___ mean?" or uses an acronym you need to define for a non-specialist audience. Use este archivo cuando un usuario pregunte "qué significa ___" o use una sigla que necesite definir para una audiencia no especializada.
graph TD
GLOSSARY[Education Glossary] --> SPED[Special Education & Disability]
GLOSSARY --> ASSESS[Assessment & Accountability]
GLOSSARY --> CERT[Certification & Workforce]
GLOSSARY --> FUND[Funding & Finance]
GLOSSARY --> POLICY[Policy & Law]
GLOSSARY --> TECH[Technology & Data]
GLOSSARY --> PROG[Programs & Services]
SPED --> |IEP, 504, IDEA, FAPE, LRE, FBA, BIP, MDR, ESY| sped_terms[ ]
ASSESS --> |MAP, EOC, ACT, MSIP, APR, MEES, NAEP| assess_terms[ ]
CERT --> |IPC, CCPC, TAC, NBCT, MoGEA, MoCA| cert_terms[ ]
FUND --> |ADA, WADA, SAT, FRPM, FPL, CEP| fund_terms[ ]
POLICY --> |FERPA, ESSA, COPPA, CIPA, RSMo| policy_terms[ ]
TECH --> |MOSIS, SIS, PII, MOCAP, WCAG| tech_terms[ ]
PROG --> |CTE, ELL, MTSS, SEL, PBIS, PAT| prog_terms[ ]
style sped_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style assess_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style cert_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style fund_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style policy_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style tech_terms fill:none,stroke:none
style prog_terms fill:none,stroke:none
A
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| 504 Plan | Plan 504 | Accommodation plan under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act for students with disabilities who don't need an IEP but need accommodations to access education |
| A+ | Programa A+ | Missouri A+ Schools Program — tuition reimbursement at community colleges for eligible graduates (RSMo 160.545) |
| AAC | Comunicación Aumentativa y Alternativa (CAA) | Augmentative and Alternative Communication — devices and strategies for people who cannot rely on speech |
| ABC Data | Datos ABC (Antecedente-Comportamiento-Consecuencia) | Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence — data collection method for understanding why a behavior occurs |
| ACE | Experiencia Adversa en la Infancia | Adverse Childhood Experience — traumatic events in childhood linked to long-term health and education outcomes |
| ACT | ACT (examen de preparación universitaria) | College readiness test administered to all Missouri juniors; composite score 1-36 |
| ADA | Asistencia Diaria Promedio / Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades | Average Daily Attendance (funding context) OR Americans with Disabilities Act (accessibility context) |
| AEL | Educación y Alfabetización para Adultos | Adult Education and Literacy |
| AHERA | Ley de Respuesta a Emergencias por Asbesto | Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act — requires asbestos management plans in schools |
| AP | Colocación Avanzada | Advanced Placement — college-level courses in high school |
| APR | Informe Anual de Desempeño | Annual Performance Report — DESE's annual accountability report for each district/school |
| ASCA | Asociación Americana de Consejeros Escolares | American School Counselor Association |
| ASQ | Cuestionario de Edades y Etapas | Ages and Stages Questionnaire — developmental screening tool |
| AT | Tecnología de Asistencia | Assistive Technology |
B-C
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| BIP | Plan de Intervención de Comportamiento | Behavior Intervention Plan — individualized plan based on an FBA to address challenging behavior |
| BID | Determinación del Mejor Interés | Best Interest Determination — process for deciding school placement for foster care students |
| CAPS | Sistema de Planificación Universitaria y Profesional | College and Career Planning System |
| CASEL | Colaboración para el Aprendizaje Académico, Social y Emocional | Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning |
| CCPC | Certificado Profesional de Carrera Continua | Career Continuous Professional Certificate — Missouri's career teaching certificate (lifetime with renewal) |
| CCSS | Estándares Estatales Comunes | Common Core State Standards — Missouri developed its own Missouri Learning Standards (not Common Core) |
| CEP | Provisión de Elegibilidad Comunitaria | Community Eligibility Provision — allows high-poverty schools to serve free meals to all students |
| CIPA | Ley de Protección de Internet para Niños | Children's Internet Protection Act — requires internet filtering for E-Rate recipients |
| CLD | Culturalmente y Lingüísticamente Diverso | Culturally and Linguistically Diverse |
| CLNA | Evaluación Integral de Necesidades Locales | Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment — required under Perkins V for CTE programs |
| COPPA | Ley de Protección de la Privacidad en Línea de los Niños | Children's Online Privacy Protection Act — protects data of children under 13 online |
| CSIP | Plan Integral de Mejora Escolar | Comprehensive School Improvement Plan — required for every Missouri school (RSMo 160.526) |
| CSTAG | Guías Integrales de Evaluación de Amenazas Escolares | Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines — based on Dr. Dewey Cornell's research at University of Virginia |
| CTE | Educación Técnica y Profesional | Career and Technical Education |
| CTSO | Organización Estudiantil de Carreras Técnicas | Career and Technical Student Organization (FFA, FBLA, DECA, HOSA, etc.) |
| CVI | Impedimento Visual Cortical | Cortical Visual Impairment — visual processing difficulty in the brain rather than the eye |
D-E
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| DESE | Departamento de Educación Primaria y Secundaria de Missouri | Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education |
| DSIP | Plan de Mejora Escolar del Distrito | District School Improvement Plan |
| Dyslexia | Dislexia | Specific learning disability affecting reading fluency and comprehension |
| ECS | Sistema de Certificación de Educadores | Educator Certification System — DESE's online certification portal |
| ECSE | Educación Especial para la Primera Infancia | Early Childhood Special Education (ages 3-5, IDEA Part B/619) |
| ELL | Estudiante de Inglés como Segundo Idioma | English Language Learner |
| EOC | Examen de Fin de Curso | End-of-Course exam — state assessment given upon completing English II, Algebra I, Biology, American Government |
| EOP | Plan de Operaciones de Emergencia | Emergency Operations Plan |
| ESL | Inglés como Segundo Idioma | English as a Second Language |
| ESSA | Ley Cada Estudiante Triunfa | Every Student Succeeds Act (2015) — federal education law replacing No Child Left Behind |
| ESY | Año Escolar Extendido | Extended School Year — special education services during summer for students who would regress significantly |
| EWS | Sistema de Alerta Temprana | Early Warning System — data dashboard tracking attendance, behavior, and course performance to flag at-risk students |
F-G
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| FAPE | Educación Pública Gratuita y Apropiada | Free Appropriate Public Education — the right of every student with a disability under IDEA |
| FBA | Evaluación Funcional de Comportamiento | Functional Behavior Assessment — systematic process to determine WHY a behavior occurs |
| FERPA | Ley de Derechos Educativos y Privacidad Familiar | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act — federal law protecting student education records |
| First-Generation College Student | Estudiante Universitario de Primera Generación | Student whose parents did not complete a 4-year degree |
| FPL | Nivel Federal de Pobreza | Federal Poverty Level — income threshold used for program eligibility (free lunch ≤130%, reduced ≤185%) |
| FRPM | Comidas Gratuitas o a Precio Reducido | Free and Reduced Price Meals |
| FTE | Equivalente de Tiempo Completo | Full-Time Equivalent — staffing measurement (1.0 FTE = one full-time position) |
| GAL | Tutor Ad Litem | Guardian Ad Litem (family court context) |
| GED | Desarrollo Educativo General | General Educational Development (Missouri uses HiSET, not GED) |
| GPA (Weighted vs. Unweighted) | Promedio de Calificaciones | Grade Point Average — weighted includes bonus points for AP/honors; unweighted does not |
| GPO | Compensación de Pensión Gubernamental | Government Pension Offset — may reduce Social Security spousal benefits for PSRS members |
H-I
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| HiSET | Examen de Equivalencia de Escuela Secundaria | High School Equivalency Test — Missouri's approved HSE exam (replaced GED in 2014) |
| HLS | Encuesta del Idioma del Hogar | Home Language Survey — enrollment questionnaire identifying potential ELLs |
| IDEA | Ley de Educación para Individuos con Discapacidades | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act — federal special education law |
| IEE | Evaluación Educativa Independiente | Independent Educational Evaluation — parent's right to get an outside evaluation at public expense |
| IEP | Programa de Educación Individualizada | Individualized Education Program — legally binding plan for students with disabilities under IDEA |
| IFSP | Plan de Servicio Familiar Individualizado | Individualized Family Service Plan — plan for infants/toddlers under IDEA Part C (First Steps) |
| IHP | Plan de Atención Médica Individualizado | Individualized Healthcare Plan — school nurse-developed plan for students with chronic health conditions |
| ILP | Plan de Aprendizaje Individual | Individual Learning Plan — student career and academic planning document |
| IPC | Certificado Profesional Inicial | Initial Professional Certificate — Missouri's first teaching certificate (4-year) |
| IRC | Credencial Reconocida por la Industria | Industry-Recognized Credential |
| ISS | Suspensión Dentro de la Escuela | In-School Suspension |
L-M
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| LEA | Agencia de Educación Local (distrito escolar) | Local Education Agency — school district |
| LLM | Modelo de Lenguaje Grande | Large Language Model — AI system trained on text data (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) |
| LRE | Ambiente Menos Restrictivo | Least Restrictive Environment — IDEA principle that students with disabilities should be educated with non-disabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate |
| MAP | Programa de Evaluación de Missouri | Missouri Assessment Program — state academic assessments (grades 3-8) |
| MAP-A | Evaluación Alternativa MAP | MAP Alternate Assessment — for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities |
| MCDS | Sistema Integral de Datos de Missouri | Missouri Comprehensive Data System — DESE's public data portal |
| MDR | Revisión de Determinación de Manifestación | Manifestation Determination Review — required before removing a student with an IEP/504 for more than 10 cumulative days |
| MEES | Sistema de Evaluación de Educadores de Missouri | Missouri Educator Evaluation System — 8 standards, 36 quality indicators |
| MIC3 | Comisión del Pacto Interestatal Militar para Niños | Military Interstate Children's Compact Commission |
| MLS | Estándares de Aprendizaje de Missouri | Missouri Learning Standards |
| MOCAP | Programa de Acceso a Cursos de Missouri | Missouri Course Access Program — virtual course access for K-12 students |
| MoGEA | Evaluación de Educación General de Missouri | Missouri General Education Assessment — basic skills test for teacher certification |
| MOSIS | Sistema de Información Estudiantil de Missouri | Missouri Student Information System — student-level data reporting to DESE |
| MPACT | Acción de Padres de Missouri (defensoría de educación especial) | Missouri Parents Act — parent advocacy organization for special education |
| MSBA | Asociación de Juntas Escolares de Missouri | Missouri School Boards Association |
| MSHSAA | Asociación de Actividades de Escuelas Secundarias de Missouri | Missouri State High School Activities Association |
| MSIP | Programa de Mejora Escolar de Missouri | Missouri School Improvement Program — state accreditation system (currently MSIP 6) |
| MTSS | Sistema de Apoyos de Múltiples Niveles | Multi-Tiered System of Supports — framework integrating academic and behavioral support |
N-P
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| NAEP | Evaluación Nacional del Progreso Educativo ("Boleta de la Nación") | National Assessment of Educational Progress (the "Nation's Report Card") |
| NBCT | Maestro Certificado por la Junta Nacional | National Board Certified Teacher |
| OCR | Oficina de Derechos Civiles | Office for Civil Rights (U.S. Department of Education) |
| OT | Terapia Ocupacional / Terapeuta Ocupacional | Occupational Therapy / Occupational Therapist |
| OSS | Suspensión Fuera de la Escuela | Out-of-School Suspension |
| PAT | Padres como Maestros | Parents as Teachers — Missouri's home visiting program |
| PBIS | Intervenciones y Apoyos de Comportamiento Positivo | Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports |
| PBL | Aprendizaje Basado en Proyectos | Project-Based Learning |
| PEERS | Sistema de Jubilación para Empleados de Educación Pública | Public Education Employee Retirement System (non-certificated staff) |
| PII | Información de Identificación Personal | Personally Identifiable Information |
| PLAAFP | Niveles Actuales de Rendimiento Académico y Desempeño Funcional | Present Levels of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (IEP section) |
| PLC | Comunidad de Aprendizaje Profesional | Professional Learning Community |
| Prompt Engineering | Ingeniería de Indicaciones | Crafting effective instructions for AI tools |
| PSLF | Condonación de Préstamos por Servicio Público | Public Service Loan Forgiveness |
| PSRS | Sistema de Jubilación de Escuelas Públicas de Missouri | Public School Retirement System of Missouri (certificated staff) |
| PT | Terapia Física / Terapeuta Físico | Physical Therapy / Physical Therapist |
| PWN | Aviso Previo por Escrito | Prior Written Notice — required notification from school to parent before any IEP/504 change |
R-S
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| Restorative Justice | Justicia Restaurativa | Discipline approach focused on repairing harm rather than punishment |
| RPDC | Centro Regional de Desarrollo Profesional | Regional Professional Development Center |
| RTI | Respuesta a la Intervención | Response to Intervention — predecessor framework to MTSS |
| SAT | Meta de Suficiencia Estatal / Examen de Evaluación Escolar | State Adequacy Target (funding formula context) OR Scholastic Assessment Test (college readiness context) |
| SBG | Calificación Basada en Estándares | Standards-Based Grading |
| SBHC | Centro de Salud Escolar | School-Based Health Center |
| SEL | Aprendizaje Socioemocional | Social-Emotional Learning — skills for managing emotions, relationships, and decision-making |
| SIFE | Estudiantes con Educación Formal Interrumpida | Students with Interrupted Formal Education |
| SIOP | Protocolo de Observación de Instrucción Protegida | Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol — framework for teaching content to ELLs |
| SIS | Sistema de Información Estudiantil | Student Information System (e.g., PowerSchool, Tyler SIS) |
| SLD | Discapacidad Específica de Aprendizaje | Specific Learning Disability (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia) |
| SLP | Patólogo del Habla y Lenguaje | Speech-Language Pathologist |
| SRO | Oficial de Recursos Escolares | School Resource Officer |
| SRM | Método Estándar de Reunificación | Standard Reunification Method |
| SW-PBS | Apoyo de Comportamiento Positivo a Nivel Escolar | Missouri Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support |
T-W
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| TAC | Certificado de Autorización Temporal | Temporary Authorization Certificate — interim teaching certificate |
| Trauma-Informed Care | Atención Informada sobre el Trauma | Approach recognizing impact of adverse experiences on learning |
| TVI | Maestro de Estudiantes con Discapacidad Visual | Teacher of the Visually Impaired |
| Twice-Exceptional (2e) | Doblemente Excepcional | Student who is both gifted and has a disability |
| UDL | Diseño Universal para el Aprendizaje | Universal Design for Learning |
| WADA | Asistencia Diaria Promedio Ponderada | Weighted Average Daily Attendance — ADA adjusted for special populations (funding formula) |
| WBL | Aprendizaje Basado en el Trabajo | Work-Based Learning |
| WCAG | Pautas de Accesibilidad para el Contenido Web | Web Content Accessibility Guidelines |
| WEP | Provisión de Eliminación por Ganancias Inesperadas | Windfall Elimination Provision — may reduce Social Security for PSRS members with other covered employment |
| WIDA | Diseño y Evaluación Instruccional de Clase Mundial | World-class Instructional Design and Assessment — consortium for ELL assessment (ACCESS test) |
| WIOA | Ley de Innovación y Oportunidad de la Fuerza Laboral | Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act |
| YC-DD | Niño Pequeño con Retraso en el Desarrollo | Young Child with a Developmental Delay — IDEA eligibility category for ages 3-5 |
Additional Terms from Guía de Padres / Additional Terms from Parent Guide
| Term | Spanish | Definition |
|---|
| Accommodation | Acomodación | A change in how instruction or assessment is delivered that allows a student to access the curriculum without altering content expectations (e.g., extended time, preferential seating) |
| Due Process | Debido Proceso | A formal legal procedure under IDEA allowing parents to resolve disputes with the school district about identification, evaluation, placement, or services for a student with a disability |
| Enrollment | Inscripción / Matrícula | The process of registering a student in a school; schools cannot ask about immigration status (Plyler v. Doe, 1982) |
| Expulsion | Expulsión | Long-term removal of a student from school, typically for serious disciplinary violations; requires formal hearing and written decision (RSMo 167.171) |
| Formal Hearing | Audiencia Formal | A due process proceeding in which evidence is presented, typically regarding long-term suspension or expulsion; parents have the right to representation |
| Mandated Reporter | Reportero Obligatorio | A person required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Children's Division hotline (1-800-392-3738) |
| McKinney-Vento | McKinney-Vento (Ley de Asistencia para Personas sin Hogar) | Federal law ensuring homeless students have immediate enrollment, transportation to school of origin, free meals, and Title I services |
| Parent-Teacher Conference | Conferencia de Padres y Maestros | A scheduled meeting between parents and teachers to discuss a student's academic progress, behavior, and goals |
| Procedural Safeguards | Salvaguardas Procesales | The set of rights guaranteed to parents under IDEA, including prior written notice, consent, access to records, and dispute resolution options |
| Report Card | Boleta de Calificaciones | A periodic document summarizing a student's academic grades and performance |
| School Counselor | Consejero Escolar | A certified professional who supports students' academic, social-emotional, and career development |
| Suspension | Suspensión | Temporary removal of a student from school; short-term (1-10 days) requires notice and opportunity to respond; long-term (10+ days) requires formal hearing |
Nonpartisan informational resource for Missouri — District 2 — not legal, medical, or financial advice. Source: dougdevitre/access-to-education.
Paid for by Matt Grant for Congress.
