School and education for parents

School terms parents meet, from IEPs to accommodations, and what each one means for a child.

0 to 9

504 planA school's plan of supports for a student whose disability substantially limits a major life activity, under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

A

After-school programSupervised care and activities for school-age children in the hours after the school day ends, often with homework help, enrichment, sports or clubs.

AP classA high school course in the College Board's Advanced Placement program that ends in an AP Exam, where a high enough score can earn college credit or placement.

B

Back-to-school nightAn evening event early in the school year where parents visit the school, meet teachers and hear the class routines and expectations for the year.

Balanced literacyA classroom reading approach that mixes read-alouds, shared, guided and independent reading and word study; phonics is included but usually isn't the focus.

Brain breakA short burst of movement or a quick change of activity in the middle of focused work, used in classrooms and at home to help children reset and refocus.

C

Charter schoolA tuition-free public school run under a charter, a contract with a state, district or other authorizer, that families choose rather than being assigned to.

Chronic absenteeismMissing so much school that it puts learning at risk, measured by the U.S. Department of Education as 10% or more of school days, excused or unexcused.

Common CoreA set of K to 12 learning goals in English language arts and math, released in 2010 by state leaders' groups, that each state chooses whether to use.

Credit recoveryA way for a high school student to retake a required course they failed and earn the credit they need to graduate, often online.

D

Decodable booksSimple books for beginning readers written mostly with the letter-sound patterns a child has already been taught, so most words can be sounded out.

Dual enrollmentA high school student taking a college course for college credit, through a college or a program the high school runs with one.

DyscalculiaA learning disability in math that makes number ideas and arithmetic hard; U.S. schools treat it as a specific learning disability under IDEA.

DysgraphiaA learning disability in writing that affects handwriting, spelling and getting thoughts onto paper; U.S. schools treat it as a specific learning disability.

DyslexiaA learning disability that makes reading words accurately and smoothly hard, mostly because linking letters to sounds is hard; schools call it a specific learning disability.

E

Emailing a teacherWriting to your child's teacher by email to ask a question, share news or raise a concern, ideally short, specific and polite, with one topic per message.

Evaluation requestA request, usually from a parent, that the public school evaluate a child for a disability and special education services under IDEA.

Excused absenceA school absence your school accepts as allowed under state law and district policy, such as illness or a medical appointment, usually after a parent explains it.

F

FAFSAThe Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the U.S. Department of Education form a student files each year to apply for federal aid for college or career school.

Formative assessmentQuick, frequent checks a teacher uses during lessons to see what students understand and adjust teaching while learning is still under way.

Free and reduced lunchFederal school meals at no cost or a reduced price for children whose household income is at or under 130 or 185 percent of the poverty guidelines, or who qualify another way.

G

Gifted and talentedStudents who show high ability in an intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership or academic area and need services beyond the regular classroom to develop it.

Guided reading levelA letter from A to Z, most often from Fountas and Pinnell's text gradient, that a teacher uses to match a child with books for small-group guided reading.

I

IEPAn IEP (Individualized Education Program) is the written plan a public school makes for a child who qualifies for special education under IDEA.

IEP meetingThe meeting where a child's IEP team, parents included, writes or reviews the child's special education plan under IDEA.

K

Kindergarten registrationEnrolling your child in kindergarten with the school district, usually by showing proof of age, proof of residence and immunization records before the school year.

L

Least restrictive environmentThe IDEA rule that children with disabilities learn with children without disabilities as much as appropriate, and leave regular classes only when needed.

Lexile levelA number followed by L, from MetaMetrics, that measures either a student's reading ability or how hard a text is, on the same scale so the two can be matched.

M

Magnet schoolA public school with a special theme or teaching approach, such as science or the arts, built to draw students from across a district and from different backgrounds.

MAP testNWEA's MAP Growth, a computer-adaptive test schools give a few times a year to measure growth in reading, math and other subjects on a scale called RIT.

Middle school transitionThe move from elementary school to middle school, a change of building, routines and often friendships that a child and family can prepare for.

Montessori schoolA public or private school using Maria Montessori's method: mixed-age classes, Montessori materials, child-chosen work and long stretches of uninterrupted work time.

P

Packed lunchA lunch made at home and carried to school or work, which USDA says needs at least two cold sources when it holds perishable food.

Parent portalA school's secure website or app where parents sign in to see their child's grades, assignments, attendance and messages from the school.

Parent-teacher conferenceA short scheduled meeting between a parent and a child's teacher to talk about how the child is doing in school and how to help at home.

PhonicsTeaching children how letters and letter groups stand for the sounds in spoken words, so they can sound out words to read them and spell them.

Pre-KPrekindergarten: school-readiness classes for children, typically 3 and 4 years old, in the year or two before they start kindergarten.

Private schoolA school that isn't supported mainly by public funds and gives classroom teaching in one or more of grades K to 12, whether religious or nonsectarian.

Professional development dayA day on the school calendar set aside for teacher training and planning, usually with no classes for students, though some districts close only certain grades.

Progress report(1) A school's update on a student's grades partway through a grading period; (2) the periodic report on an IEP's annual goals that IDEA requires.

Public schoolA school run by publicly elected or appointed officials and paid for mainly with public money, including district, charter and magnet schools.

R

Reading logA simple record, often sent home by a teacher, where a child notes what they read, for how long or how many pages, sometimes with a parent's signature.

Report card(1) The school's periodic report of a student's grades to parents; (2) the yearly public report on school and district results that ESSA requires states and districts to publish.

Restorative practicesA school approach that builds relationships and, when someone causes harm, brings the people affected together to talk it through and agree how to make it right.

Room parentA parent volunteer who acts as the go-between for a class's teacher and its families, handling messages, sign-ups and class events as the teacher directs.

S

ScholarshipsMoney for school that a student doesn't repay, usually awarded for grades, skills or abilities by a college, employer, community group or state.

School choiceThe range of K to 12 options a family can pick from instead of only the assigned public school: other public schools, charters, private school or homeschooling.

School psychologistA school-based specialist trained in assessment, learning, behavior and mental health, who supports students, families and teachers.

School supply listThe list of supplies a teacher or school asks each student to bring for the year, such as notebooks, pencils, folders and art materials.

School zoneA marked stretch of road near a school where drivers must watch for children and obey the posted school zone speed limit, often at set times of day.

Science of readingThe large body of research on how people learn to read and how reading is best taught; it names a field of evidence, not one curriculum or program.

Sight wordsWords a reader knows instantly, without sounding them out; schools also use it for common words like "the" and "said" that children practice early.

Social-emotional learningHow children and adults learn to understand and manage emotions, get along with others and make caring decisions, often taught as five CASEL competencies.

Speech-language pathologistA professional, often called an SLP or speech therapist, who assesses and treats problems with speech, language, social communication and swallowing.

Standardized testingTests given and scored the same way for every student; in U.S. public schools, mainly the yearly state tests in reading, math and science that ESSA requires.

Standards-based gradingA way of grading that reports how well a student has met each learning standard, usually on a short scale of levels, instead of one averaged letter grade per subject.

Student-led conferenceA parent conference that the student runs, walking the family through their own work, progress and goals while the teacher supports.

Summative assessmentA test or project at the end of a unit, course or school year that measures what a student learned against the standards that were taught.

T

Title I schoolA school that receives federal Title I, Part A money to help students from low-income families meet state academic standards, either schoolwide or for chosen students.

Transitional kindergartenCalifornia's free first year of a two-year kindergarten program, open to every child who turns 4 by September 1 of the school year, from 2025-26.

TutoringExtra one-on-one or small-group teaching outside regular class time, to help a student catch up, keep up or get ahead in a subject.

Twice exceptionalA child who is gifted and also has a disability, such as a learning disability, ADHD or autism, as the National Association for Gifted Children defines it; often written 2e.

W

Walking school busA group of children who walk to and from school together along a set route, supervised by one or more adults who take turns leading it.

Weighted GPAA grade point average that gives extra points for harder courses such as honors, AP or IB, on a scale each school or district sets.