Decoding Physical Education: A Guide to Acronyms and Abbreviations
In the field of education, particularly within specialized areas like physical education, a plethora of acronyms and abbreviations are used. This can often lead to confusion, especially for parents, students, and individuals new to the educational system. This article aims to demystify the language of physical education by providing a comprehensive guide to common acronyms and abbreviations encountered in this field.
Understanding the Jargon
Like many professional fields, education has its own unique vocabulary. This glossary will help you navigate the terminology specific to physical education, promoting clearer communication and understanding.
Key Acronyms and Abbreviations in Physical Education
ACT: American College Test. An assessment taken by high school students as a precursor to college/university admission. It measures students' general educational development and their capability to complete college-level work with the multiple-choice tests covering four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science.
ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act.
ADD/ADHD: Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Read also: What makes a quality PE curriculum?
APE: Adapted Physical Education.
BMI: Body Mass Index. In children and youth, BMI is based on growth charts for age and gender and is referred to as BMI-for-age, which is used to assess underweight, overweight, and risk for overweight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a child with a BMI-for-age-and-sex that is equal to or greater than the 85th percentile and lower than the 95th percentile is considered overweight. A child with a BMI-for-age-and-sex that is equal to or above the 95th percentile is considered obese.
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
FAPE: Free Appropriate Public Education. An education is the right of all children in the United States that is guaranteed by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, FAPE is defined as, “…the provision of regular or special education and related aids and services that are designed to meet individual needs of handicapped persons as adequately as the needs of nonhandicapped persons are met and are based on adherence to procedures that satisfy the requirements of the section.” Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, FAPE is defined as an educational program that is individualized to a specific child, that meets that child's unique needs, provides access to the general curriculum, meets the grade-level standards established by the state, and from which the child receives educational benefit.
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. A federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the US Department of Education. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level.
Read also: Understanding PE Content
IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
IEP: Individualized Education Program. A written statement for a student with a disability that is developed, at least annually, by a team of professionals knowledgeable about the student and the parent. The plan describes the strengths of the child and the concerns of the parents for enhancing the education of their child, and when, where, and how often services will be provided.
MET: Metabolic Equivalent of Task. One MET is the rate of energy expenditure while sitting at rest. Physical exertion that is equivalent to brisk walking.
NAEP: National Assessment of Educational Progress. Also known as the “Nation’s Report Card,” NAEP assesses the educational achievement of elementary and secondary students in various subject areas. It provides data for comparing the performance of students in North Carolina to that of their peers nationwide.
PBIS: Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based, tiered framework for supporting students' behavioral, academic, social, emotional, and mental health. Positive Behavior Intervention and Support programs are a way to impact school learning environments by establishing and reinforcing clear behavioral expectations to support high student performance and to reduce behavioral problems.
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PE: Physical Education.
PLC: Professional Learning Communities. PLCs are defined by collaborative inquiry, shared decision-making and joint planning of instruction among teachers. Teachers are provided structured time to work together in planning instruction, observing each other's classrooms, and sharing feedback.
PSAT: Pre-Scholastic Assessment Test. Normally taken by high school juniors as a practice test for the SAT. Some schools use the PSAT as a diagnostic tool to identify areas where students may need additional assistance or placement in more rigorous courses.
SAT: Often taken by high school juniors and seniors as a precursor to college/university admission. It assesses a student’s verbal, mathematical and writing skills.
SEA: State Education Agency. Federal term for each state education department, for example, the NCDPI.
SEL: Social and emotional learning (SEL) is an integral part of education and human development. SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions.
SIP: School Improvement Plan. A plan that includes strategies for improving student performance, how and when improvements will be implemented, use of state funds, requests for waivers, etc. Plans are in effect for no more than three years.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. STEM curriculum emphasizes connections within and between the fields of mathematics and science; integrates technology; introduces and engages students in the engineering design process; cultivates creativity; and develops skills that drive innovation.
USED: United States Education Department. The USED provides federal assistance to state and local agencies primarily responsible for education and works to ensure both equal access (e.g., disadvantaged, disabled, at-risk students) and educational excellence.
Acronyms and Abbreviations Related to Educational Programs and Initiatives
AVID: Advancement Via Individual Determination. AVID is an in-school academic support program for grades 7-12.
CCIP: Comprehensive and Continuous Improvement Plan. The Comprehensive, Continuous Improvement Plan (CCIP) is a web-based planning and grants management tool, and connects district goals for improvement to budgeted activities.
CCP: Career & College Promise. CCP is North Carolina’s dual enrollment program for high school students. This program allows eligible North Carolina high school students to enroll in college classes at North Carolina community colleges and universities through their high school. Students who successfully complete college courses earn college credit they can take with them after graduation.
CDM: Credit by Demonstrated Mastery. CDM is the process by which a public school unit may award a student credit in a particular course without requiring the student to complete classroom instruction for a certain amount of seat time. To complete the CDM requirements, students must demonstrate mastery through a multi-phase assessment, consisting of (Phase 1) a standard examination and (Phase 2) an artifact (special project) which requires the student to apply knowledge and skills relevant to the content standards.
ESEA: Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This is the principal federal law affecting K-12 education with its longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students. The ESEA of 1965 was later amended and reauthorized by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. In December of 2015, the ESEA was again amended and reauthorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
ESSA: Every Student Succeeds Act. This is the name of the latest reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. See ESEA above. The ESSA was signed into law in 2015 and requires each state to create a plan to meet the components of the law.
EVAAS: Education Value Added Assessment System. EVAAS tools provide a precise measurement of student progress over time and a reliable diagnosis of opportunities for growth that help to identify which students are at risk for under-achievement. By viewing easy-to-understand charts and graphs accessed via the Web, users can produce reports that predict student success, show the effects of instruction at particular schools, or reveal patterns in subgroup performance.
IB: The International Baccalaureate Programme. IB is a global leader in international education which develops inquiring, knowledgeable, confident, and caring young people.
MTSS: Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. NC MTSS is a school improvement framework that encompasses academic, behavioral, social, and emotional instruction and support. NC MTSS employs a systems approach using data-driven problem-solving to maximize growth for all.
OER: Open Educational Resources. Teaching, learning and research resources that reside in the public domain or have been released under an intellectual property license that permits their free use and re-purposing by others.
READY: The READY initiative, which is being implemented in public schools in the 2012-13 school year, focuses not only on student proficiency in foundational subjects but on ensuring students are career and college ready when they graduate high school. The initiative is characterized by a new Standard Course of Study, assessments and accountability model.
RESA: Regional Education Service Alliance. These regional alliances (sometimes called consortium) provide staff development, leadership development, technical assistance and help in spreading information related to state initiatives to member public school systems in each of the state's nine geographic regions: Northeast, Southeast, Central Carolina, Sandhills, Piedmont-Triad, Southwest, Northwest, Western and Roanoke River Valley.
RtA: Read to Achieve. NC state law to ensure every student reads at or above grade level by the end of third grade and progresses in reading proficiency so that he or she can read, comprehend, integrate, and apply complex texts needed for secondary education and career success.
RttT: Race to the Top. RttT was a federal grant program that supported the efforts of the NCDPI, local school districts and many charter schools to carry out the state’s Career & College: Ready, Set, Go! initiative. This bold education reform effort focused on college- and career-ready standards and assessments, data systems, great teachers and leaders, and school turnarounds. North Carolina was one of 12 recipients of RttT grant awards.
SCOS or SCS: (North Carolina) Standard Course of Study. The SCOS is the guiding document outlining what should be taught in North Carolina public school classrooms.
Acronyms and Abbreviations Related to Student Data and Assessment
ADM: Average Daily Membership.
BOG: Beginning of Grade 3.
CEDARS: Common Education Data Analysis & Reporting System. CEDARS is North Carolina's PreK-13 State Longitudinal Data System.
ECATS: Exceptional Children Accountability Tracking System. A secure web-based student information system for exceptional children that supports online case management, compliance monitoring, data analysis, and federal and state reporting requirements.
EDDIE: Educational Directory & Demographical Information Exchange. EDDIE is the authoritative source for North Carolina public school information including LEA numbers, school numbers, administrative contacts, school types, grade levels, calendar types, program types and addresses. Information contained in EDDIE is populated by local districts and feeds multiple NCDPI systems including Accountability, PowerSchool, and NC School Report Cards, and is used to meet federal reporting requirements. EDDIE replaced the School, Name and Address (SNA) file in April 2010.
EL: An individual whose native language is a language other than English or who comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact on the individual's level of English language proficiency and who requires a specialized language support program to participate fully in the curriculum and state-wide assessment program.
ELA: English Language Arts. Part of the Common Core curriculum in the NC Standard Course of Study, ELA refers to reading, literature, reading, writing and speaking and listening.
EOC: End-of-Course tests designed to access the competencies defined by the Standard Course of Study for three mandated courses: NC Math I, English II and Biology. Tests are taken during the last two weeks of school for students on a traditional calendar and the last week of the course for students on a block schedule.
EOG: End-of-Grade tests in English language arts/reading and mathematics (grades 3-8) and science (grades 5 and 8) that are taken by students during the last ten days of the school year.
ESL: English as a Second Language. A program model that delivers specialized instruction to students who are learning English as a new language.
FRL: Free and Reduced Priced Lunch.
LEP: Limited English Proficient.
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