Accountability – systems which measure and report progress toward achievement of goals.  An individual or organizations obligation and willingness to accept responsibility and to account for its actions. 

ADA - average daily attendance. An average count of students that are present at school on any given day. The ADA determines the amount of state funding provided to the school.

Academic Performance Index (API) - a rating of schools based on their performance on state academic assessments.  See www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/ap

California Comprehensive Center (CA CC) at WestEd, in partnership with American Institutes for Research and School Services of California, is part of a federal network of 16 Regional Comprehensive Centers serving individual or clusters of states. The CA CC provides assistance to the California Department of Education and statewide groups and organizations to help implement fully the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, improve student achievement, and close the achievement gap in California. www.cacompcenter.org

Categorical Programs - Federal and state authorized programs in which funds must be used for a specific purpose or student population as established by law.

CBO – Community based organization.

CDE - California Department of Education

COE –   County Office of Education.  Under California law, each county elects a County Superintendent of Education that is independent from any school district.

Compensatory Education - Supplemental instruction and support services provided to children identified as educationally disadvantaged or low income.

Community – the neighborhood or places around the school, local residents who live in the area and may our not have children in the school, but have an interest in the school; and local groups that are based in the neighborhood. (Henderson and Mapp)

DAC - District Advisory Committee. Composed of representatives from School Advisory Committees to advice on district-wide Title I decisions.

DARC – District Accountability Report Card.  California public school districts annually provide written and online  information about themselves to the community allowing the public to evaluate and compare school districts for student achievement, environment, resources and demographics. CDE

DELAC - District English Learners Advisory Committee (formerly DBAC, District Bilingual Advisory Committee).  “Each school district with more than 50 pupils of limited English proficiency shall establish a district-wide advisory committee on bilingual education.  Parents or guardians, or both, of pupils of limited English proficiency who are not employed by the district shall constitute a majority of the committee.” California Education Code 52176.

EIA - Economic Impact Aid. A state program that funds education services and programs for English learners.

ELAC - English Learner Advisory Committee (formerly BAC - Bilingual Advisory Committee), on school sites with 21 or more English learners, composed of parents and staff members, the majority being parents of English learners, to advise the principal and school staff on program and services for English learners. California Education Code 62001-62002.5

ELD or English Language Development. Each English learner receives a program of instruction in English-language development in order to develop proficiency in English as rapidly and effectively as possible.

EL or English learner - A designation used to refer to students who are in the process of learning English as a second language.  "English learner" means a child who does not speak English or whose native language is not English and who is not currently able to perform ordinary classroom work in English, also known as a Limited English Proficiency or LEP child.” California Education Code 306 (a)

Family involvement – recognizes that all family members – siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and “fictive kin” who may be friends or neighbors often contribute in significant ways to children’s education and development.  (Henderson and Mapp)

Family Literacy – Services that include four components: 1) interactive literacy activities between parents and their children; 2) training for parents regarding how to be the primary teacher for their children and full partners in their children’s education; 3) training that leads to economic self sufficiency; 4) age-appropriate education to prepare children for success in school and life experiences.

FEP - Fluent-English Proficiency. A term used to refer to students with a primary language other than English and whose use of English has been evaluated at a level similar to a native speaker.

Fictive Kin - Individuals that are unrelated by either birth or marriage, who have an emotionally significant relationship with another individual that would take on the characteristics of a family relationship.

FIN – The Family Involvement Network was developed in the early 1990s by the Southern California Comprehensive center to promote and coordinate family involvement within the eight counties of Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Orange County, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego.

GATE - Gifted and Talented Education. A state program authorizing services to students who possess or demonstrate abilities that give evidence of high performance capability.

IEP - Individual Educational Plan, a plan for instruction that is designed to meet the specific needs of an individual student, one identified for special education.

IHE – Institutions of higher learning such as community colleges, state and public colleges and universities.

Individualized Instruction - Classroom procedures and materials that provide for instruction geared to each student's identified needs.

In-service training - Educational training for staff members to develop, refine, or improve instruction.

Model – To show, by example.

No Child Left Behind –  The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, the revised Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), is a blend of new requirements, incentives and resources for education. The law sets deadlines for states to expand the scope and frequency of student testing, revamp their accountability systems and guarantee that every teacher is qualified in their subject area. NCLB requires states to make demonstrable annual progress in raising the percentage of student’s proficient in reading and math, and in narrowing the test-score gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. At the same time, the new law increases funding in several areas, including K-3 reading programs and before- and after-school programs, and provides states with greater flexibility to use federal funds as they see fit.

Parent – A child’s legal parent, guardian, or other person standing in loco of parentis, such as grandparent or stepparent with home child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for the child’s welfare. [Title IX, A-9101-(31)]

Parent Clubs – Some parent associations are not formal members of the state PTA, but serve as volunteer advocates for school children.

Parental involvement – “P.I.”, refers to the efforts of any caregiver who assumes responsibility for nurturing and caring for children, including parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, foster parents, stepparents, etc. Many schools are now using the alternative term "family involvement." CA Board of Education Policy #89-01. “Participation of parents in regular two-way, and meaningful communication involving student academic learning and other activities, ensuring: that parents play an integral role in assisting their child’s learning; that parents are encouraged to be actively involved in their child’s education at school; that parents are full partners in their child’s education and are included, as appropriate, in decision-making and on advisory committees to assist in the education of their child; the carrying out of other actives, such as those described in section No Child Left Behind, 1118.”  Title IX, A-9101-(31)

PTA - Parent Teacher Association.   A national and state and local volunteer advocacy organization composed of  parents and teachers. PTA works to promote the education and well-being of all children and youth at home, in school and in the community.

School Site Council - is composed of parents and staff members, the majority being parents, to advise the school administration in identifying student needs, setting instructional objectives, budgeting Title I funds, evaluating the school program, and modifying the school plan.

SARC  - School Accountability Report Card.  California public schools annually provide written and online information about themselves to the community allowing the public to evaluate and compare schools for student achievement, environment, resources and demographics. CDE

School Wide Project (SWP)- A provision of the federal Title I program that permits a school with a high concentration of low-income families (at least 50 percent of the entire school) to serve all students with Title I services, as opposed to a targeted assistance school.

Single Plan for Student Achievement – A comprehensive school plan developed by the school site council. The purpose of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) is to create a cycle of continuous improvement of student performance, and to ensure that all students succeed in reaching academic standards set by the State Board of Education.

State Educational Agency (SEA) –In California, this is the California Department of Education, also known as CDE.

School Improvement Program (SIP) - state program to restructure education in order to ensure that all schools can respond in a timely manner to the educational, personal, and career needs of every student.

Special Education - Programs that identify and meet the educational goals of exceptional children whose needs are not met with modification of the regular instructional program.

SSC - School Site Council, composed of representatives of parents, teachers, administrators and other community members with equal numbers of parents and school staff. The SSC is responsible for developing and approving the School Plan, allocating School Improvement funds and annually reviewing and updating the School Plan.

Targeted Assistance School (TAS) - A school where Title I funds are used to provide services only to eligible students identified as failing or "at risk" of failing to meet the district's standards of achievement, as opposed to a schoolwide project school.

Title I - A part of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), now NCLB, which provides supplemental, federal financial assistance to school districts to meet the instructional needs of disadvantaged children. The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

Volunteer – A person who provides service without pay or legal obligation.