EDUCATIONAL ACRONYMS

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IMES  ▪  Increase Miller Elementary School

KES  ▪  Katonah Elementary School

MPES  ▪  Meadow Pond Elementary School

JJMS  ▪  John Jay Middle School

JJHS  ▪  John Jay High School

KLSD  ▪  Katonah-Lewisboro School District

BOE  ▪  Board of Education

PTO  ▪  Parent Teacher Organization

SEPTO  ▪  Special Education Parent Teacher Organization

CCC  ▪  Country Children's Center  ▪  Before and After School Care 

 

LLL  ▪  Lewisboro Learning Lot  ▪  Town of Lewisboro Supervised Learning Space for Elementary Students

WIN Time  ▪  What I Need Time

DBQ  ▪  Document Based Question

 

APPR  ▪  Annual Professional Performance Review  ▪  A state-approved and required teacher and administrator evaluation plan.  APPR is part of a 2010 state law passed in part to make NY eligible for federal grant money in connection with the Federal Race to the Top Program. Aside from more demands on the administrators, teachers (last year 4-8, this year K-12) now have more responsibility for how kids perform on assessments. The Aimsweb system will be used for collecting and recording data and will include a set of test measures for reading and math. These assessments are used to identify students at risk and monitor their progress.

 

CC  ▪  Common Core  ▪  This is the national curriculum being implemented this year. So far 45 states have adopted these grade level curriculum standards designed to elevate and standardize education across the country. Incentives to adopt the curriculum include the opportunity to compete for Race to the Top grants. At KLSD, we are not interested in teaching to the test. Instead the focus will be on good teaching/learning techniques. Every child has the right to learn something new and exciting every day. Assessments may change to reflect the new curriculum. A significant change is that now all students can take Calculus in 12th grade if they so desire.

 

DASA  ▪  Dignity For All Students Act  ▪  New legislation that indicates when a school district may be in violation of federal civil rights statutes when “peer harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex or disability is sufficiently serious that it creates a hostile environment.” For more information, see “R-E-S-P-E-C-T: It’s a Law” in From the Middle.

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PLC  ▪  Professional Learning Community  ▪  Educators working collaboratively with the focus on student learning using data and assessments to enhance learning.

 

Race to the Top  ▪  a $4.35 billion U.S. Department of Education contest designed to rejuvenate and streamline kindergarten through 12 grade education

 

RTI  ▪  Response to Intervention  ▪  An academic strategy used to identify and intervene with academically struggling students. Also required of the district, RTI is a three tier prevention plan that relies on assessment results to address deficits in understanding. In the short-term, the response will be similar to “building level” services. Longer-term, RTI is expected to reduce the number of students fully classified; no more “slipping through the cracks”. The program is currently used in kindergarten through sixth grade with plans to expand to the high school next year.