US Educational Terms Glossary (Garland Green)

A program created to provide funds for schools in the lower half of the state rankings (Deciles 1-5) based on the API. It focuses on schools with APIs that fall in the bottom ten percent of all schools and replaces the II/USP. Schools volunteer to be in this program. (Ed Source)

According to NCLB, a teacher who has obtained full state teacher certification or has passed the state teacher licensing examination and holds a license to teach in the state; holds a minimum of a bachelor’s degree; and has demonstrated subject area competence in each of the academic subjects in which the teacher teaches. (Ed Source)

Activities that engage students physical as well as mental skills to solve problems. Students devise a solution strategy predict outcomes activate or perform the strategy reflect on results and compare end results with predictions.

Grouping together students of varying abilities interests or ages.

Questions that require thinking and reflection rather than single-solution responses.

Understanding complex concepts and applying sometimes conflicting information to solve a problem which may have more than one correct answer.

Using a scoring guide or anchor papers to assign a single overall score to a performance. (See scoring guide.)