Federal Way Public Schools
Glossary of Terms

Assessments: Measuring on-going student progress.

Benchmarks: Measuring growth at reference points along the way in mastering a skill.

Curriculum: Book, Materials, resources used in the presentation of a lesson and/or course of study.

Course Expectations: The minimum course content and skill development that all students are expected to acquire while taking a class.

Communication: Pathways which allow for accurate transmission of knowledge and information between schools and their communities.

Differentiating Instruction: Teaching to meet the needs of all students within a setting.

Direct Instruction: Model aims to provide intense, efficient lessons that will allow all children to master academic skills.

Disciplinary Practices: Discipline shall mean all forms of corrective action of punishment other than suspension and expulsion and shall include the exclusion from a class for a period of time not exceeding the balance of the immediate class period. Discipline shall also mean the exclusion of a student from any other type of activity conducted by or on behalf of a school district, including its athletic program and transportation

EALRs: Educational Academic Learning Requirements (Based on Washington State Standards).

Electives: A class that can be chosen and is not required.

Endorsements: Specialized training in a specific subject matter and/or grade level.

ESL: English as a Second Language.

Expulsion: "Expulsion" shall mean a denial of attendance at any single subject or at any full schedule of subjects or classes for an indefinite period of time.

FWEA: Federal Way Education Association

FWPS: Federal Way Public Schools

Gate: Gifted and Talented Education (FWPS term) a special service program for highly capable students. The State of Washington uses the term Highly Capable Students.

Guided Practice: Any of a number of instructional strategies whereby students are taught in a small group at their instruction level.

IAP: Individual Academic Plan: A Federal Way Public Schools term designed to develop a literacy/math learning plan for students below reading/math grade level.

IEP: Individual Education Plan: A Special Education term designed to develop a learning plan for each student in the program.

ITBS: Iowa Test of Basic Skills – Grades 3 and 6.

ITED: Iowa Test of Educational Development Grade 9.

Integrated Curriculum: See Interdisciplinary. Practitioners use these terms interchangeably to describe any effort to make curriculum connections across subjects.

Interdisciplinary Studies: Teaching which involves combining different subject areas i.e., math/science or language arts/social studies.

Instructional Practices: Includes strategies, skills, lesson designs, formats, presentation utilized by staff on a consistent basis.

Instructional Strategies: Methods by which material is presented to meet the learning styles of all students.

LAP: Limited English Proficiency formerly known as English as a Second Language (ESL).

Learning Styles: Recognizing the diverse ways that people approach learning i.e., visual, auditory, kinesthetic.

Multiple Intelligences: Interpersonal, intrapersonal, tactile/kinesthetic, musical, etc.

Partnerships: Community businesses, service groups, churches who share a relationship with schools that benefit all groups involved.

School Climate: The day to day operational procedures which determine the culture of the school: warm, friendly, cold, supportive, helpful, etc.

SLT: School Leadership Team for the purpose of monitoring the school learning plans which may consist of staff, student, parents, and community members.

SPED: Special Education

Suspension: "Suspension" shall mean denial of attendance, other than for the balance of he immediate class period for corrective action purposes, at any single subject or class of at any full schedule of subjects or classes for a stated period of time.

Task Force: groups of people representing many facets of the educational and general communities around a specific topic.

Title I: Federally funded program for remedial instruction.

WASL: Washington Assessment of Student Learning grades 4, 7, 10.