Glossary
Acadience Math-a progress monitoring tool to measure the effectiveness of interventions
Accommodation-a change to the delivery of classroom instruction or the accompanying materials that does not fundamentally alter or lower expectations. Changes are made in order to provide equal access to learning. Instructional accommodations change how students learn but do not change what they learn.
AIS- (Academic Intervention Services) Direct explicit instruction provided to an individual or group of students who are struggling to achieve the learning standards. AIS provides additional instructional time for explicit instruction in an identified area of weakness. The purpose of AIS is to close a gap.
Benchmark Assessment-An assessment given periodically (e.g., at the end of every quarter or as frequently as once per month) throughout a school year to establish baseline achievement data and measure progress toward a grade level standard or set of academic standards and goals.
CELF-(Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals)- an individually administered, norm-referenced instrument used for identifying and diagnosing language disorders in individuals ages 5 years through 21 years, 11 months.
Decoding-the ability to apply the knowledge of letter-sound relationships, including knowledge of letter patterns, to correctly pronounce written words
Diagnostic Assessment-an assessment used to determine skill deficits contributing to learning gaps in reading, math and social-emotional functioning.
DIBELS-(Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a set of procedures and measures for assessing the acquisition of literacy skills. They are designed to be short (one minute) fluency measures that can be used to regularly detect risk and monitor the development of early literacy and early reading skills in kindergarten through eighth grade.
Differentiated Instruction-a framework for effective teaching that involves providing all students within their classroom a range of different avenues for understanding new information in terms of: acquiring content; processing, constructing, or making sense of ideas; and developing teaching materials and assessment measures so that all students within a classroom can learn effectively, regardless of differences in their ability.
EDK - (Extended Day Kindergarten) An intervention program designed to support kindergarteners who require additional instruction in order to meet the learning standards.
ENL - (English as a New Language) Tier I instruction provided to students whose native language is not English. Students may be classified as: entering, emerging, transitioning, expanding, or commanding and may receive instruction in or out of the regular classroom in accordance with NYS Regulations.
Explicit Instruction-the delivery of strategically planned lessons that explicitly teach new concepts to mastery including learning objective, activation of prior knowledge, modeling, guided practice, relevance, closure, assessment.
Fluency- reading with accuracy, expression, and sufficient speed to support comprehension
Instructional Intervention: Targeted, explicit instruction for an individual student or group to close a skill gap.
IST (Instructional Support Team): A problem-solving team that uses assessment and intervention techniques to design individualized supports.
Modification: A change to instruction, content, or assessment, often used for students with IEPs to support meaningful learning.
NWF (Nonsense Word Fluency): Measures knowledge of letter-sound correspondence and blending; part of DIBELS.
ORF (Oral Reading Fluency): Reading with speed, accuracy, and expression; part of DIBELS.
Percentile Rank (PR): Shows how a student performed compared with others in the norm group.
Phonemic Awareness: The ability to focus on and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words.
Progress Monitoring: Frequent brief assessment used to evaluate growth toward a performance target.
RTI (Response to Intervention): A multi-tier approach for early identification and support of students with learning or behavior needs. http://www.rtinetwork.org/learn/what/whatisrti
Scaffolding: Temporary teacher supports that help students learn new skills and are removed as mastery increases.
Scaled Score (SS): A standardized score based on correct answers, useful for comparing performance over time and across grades; STAR range noted as 600-1400.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL): The process of developing skills for identity, emotion management, goals, empathy, relationships, and responsible decision-making.
Special Education: Specially designed instruction addressing the unique needs of an eligible student. https://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/
Specially Designed Instruction-adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction—(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.
Systematic Instruction- Instruction which follows the I DO, WE DO, YOU DO, model where the teacher first models, then leads the students in practice together, and finally has students practice independently while observing and monitoring their mastery of the skill
Universal Design for Learning-a proactive approach to designing learning experiences and environments to be accessible for all students. UDL addresses macro, upfront planning to change the learning environment to accommodate the student.
Universal Screener-a normed assessment designed to identify students who are at-risk for learning difficulties, typically conducted three times a year, and consists of brief assessments focused on target skills that are highly predictive of future outcomes.