Understanding "Edu-speak"

Does it sometimes feel like teachers and school administrators are talking in secret code? Unfortunately, just as in many professions, there are words and acronyms used by many in education that may need clarification. Presented here are some terms commonly used in education discussions in Arkansas.

Accountability – being held responsible for one’s actions which, for schools, is their duty to help all students meet standards of academic achievement.

ADE – the Arkansas Department of Education, which is the
administrative agency that carries out the state’s education laws and the policies of the State Board of Education.

Adjourned board meeting – a continuation of either a regular or special meeting that the board had previously adjourned to a later time or day.

Agenda meeting – a board session, sometimes called a planning meeting, during which the agenda of an upcoming regular board meeting is agreed upon.

AYP – stands for adequate yearly progress which is an accountability measure under the No Child Left Behind Act.

Closed hearing – a session of the board that is closed to the public and convened upon the request of a student’s parent or guardian when the board is considering that student’s suspension or expulsion.

Curriculum – the subject matter, skills, and processes that are taught so students will learn to achieve identified standards. Curriculum is singular and curricula is plural.

Education philosophy – a blend of basic beliefs and principles that gives meaning, purpose, and direction to the overall education program.

Equity – the right to treatment without discrimination on the basis or race, religion, color, creed, national origin, sex, handicap, lifestyle or age. Within the education arena, equity means that children are to be treated fairly by receiving services according to their individual needs and strengths.

Evaluation – the process of measuring the actual result of certain actions and resources, such as programs and materials, in relation to the desired results.

Ex officio – literally meaning “by virtue of one’s office,” the term refers to the practice that allows a member of an official group, such as a school board, to designate someone to fill a certain role at the group’s request. For example, a superintendent might serve as a board’s ex officio financial officer.

Executive session – a private meeting of the board that can be held only for purposes specified by law and from which the general public and press are excluded. The board cannot vote during executive session.

Freedom of Information Act – often abbreviated as FOIA or FOI, this law requires that public business be performed in an open and public manner. The law applies to any agency, including a school district, that is supported by public funds or spends them.

Goals – broad statements of overarching aims that flow from an education philosophy.

Lawsuit – a legal action between persons or organizations in a court of law where one party seeks justice from the other as determined by a judge or jury.

Mandatory statutes – laws that school boards are required to carry out.

Monitoring – the deliberate process of remaining aware of actions and resources as they are currently being applied toward goals and objectives.

NCLB – short for the No Child Left Behind Act which establishes accountability measures for all states.

Objectives – the specific steps that will be taken to achieve a certain goal. Objectives identify necessary actions, the people and resources for carrying them out, and the schedule for starting and completing the actions.

Parliamentary procedure – the patterns and rules that guide a group in an orderly, efficient manner of conducting a meeting and transacting business.

Permissive statutes – laws on which boards may choose to take certain action or not, depending upon a district’s needs.

Prohibitive statutes – laws that specifically forbid a certain course of action.

Quorum – defined in a board’s bylaws as the number or proportion of members that must be present in order to conduct business. Commonly, a majority of members constitutes a quorum.

Regular board meeting – regularly scheduled board meetings held at least monthly during the school year, but they may also be held when school is not in session.

School board – the local legislative unit of school district governance, charged with operating the district according to the mandates of laws and regulations.

School district – a defined geographic and governmental area, overseen by a locally elected school board and managed by a superintendent, in which the public schools serve students who either live within the area’s borders or enroll through school choice or a legal transfer from a different school district.

Scope and sequence – pertaining to curricula, scope refers to what and how much is covered in the content of certain subject areas or courses; sequence is the order in which content or courses are presented to students, so that learning builds from the basic to the more complex.

Special board meeting – an irregularly held meeting, sometimes referred to as a called meeting, convened by the proper procedures to decide a specific item of business.

State Board of Education – serves as the regulatory body for public elementary and secondary education throughout Arkansas; its members are appointed by the governor.

Statutes – laws that are created by state or federal legislation.