Acronyms

Student Assistance Team (a school team that engages in positive problem solving for student services which is a first step prior to referring a child for an evaluation)

Assignment of an adult, typically a paraeducator, to assist a specific student

Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act

Adjusted Average Per Pupil Cost

Applied Behavior Analysis

Administrative Codes and Registers

Americans with Disabilities Act

Attention Deficit Disorder

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Alternative Learning Environment or Alternative Learning Experiences (instruction characterized by learning activities that occur away from the regular public school classroom setting)

Annual Performance Report

Autism Spectrum Disorder which refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges in repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication as well as unique strengths and differences (the term "spectrum" reflects the wide variation in challenges and strengths displayed by each person with autism)

Assistive Technologies are tools that help a child/student do a developmentally appropriate task that he/she could not otherwise do. If a child/student has difficulty seeing, hearing, communicating, sitting, standing, moving around, playing or other age-appropriate activities due to the impacts of his/her disability, AT supports progress toward IFSP/IEP goals.

Annual Yearly Progress

Behavior Disorder

Behavior Intervention Plan (a plan of positive supports to assist a student in discontinuing disruptive and maladaptive behaviors)

Coordinated Early Intervening Services

Code of Federal Regulations

Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

Child Protective Services

Criterion Referenced Assessment

Comprehensive System of Personnel Development

Child with a Disability

Developmental Delay

Department of Health and Human Services

Education for All Handicapped Children Act

Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council

Early Childhood Special Education

Early Childhood Training Center

Emotional Disturbance or Emotional/Behavioral Disorder which according to IDEA is a condition exhibiting one or more specific emotional and/or behavioral difficulties over a long period of time and to a marked degree that adversely affects educational performance

Early Development Network

English Language Learners

Elementary and Secondary Education Act

Educational Service Unit

Extended School Year (a provision for a special education student to receive instruction during an ordinary school vacation period)

Free and Appropriate Education (the legal standard describing what school districts must provide to eligible disabled students)

Functional Behavior Assessment (a process of gathering data to determine why a student is engaging in maladaptive behavior)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

Full Time Equivalency

Grants Management System

Getting Ready approach

Intellectual disability (also known as a cognitive impairment)

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
-- Part B - The portion of the IDEA regulations which govern special education and related services are provided to school-aged (3-21) children with disabilities
-- Part C - The portion of the IDEA regulations which govern early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities ages birth through age two and their families

Independent Educational Evaluation (an independent evaluation of a student from a qualified person - parents have the right to ask for an obtain an IEE if they disagree with the results of an assessment conducted by the school district)

Individualized Education Program (written document which describes the services a school district will provide to an eligible 3-21 year old student with a disability)

The group that makes all decisions regarding educational programming and placement for eligible students with disabilities

Individualized Family Service Plan (written document which describes the services provided to an eligible child with a disability from birth through the child's third birthday)

Improving Learning for Children with Disabilities (all schools in Nebraska participate in an ongoing review of their special education program utilizing the ILCD process 92 NAC 51 004.13 which is designed to enhance program improvement that will result in better outcomes for children with disabilities)

Local Education Agency (typically the public school district of the student's residence)

Limited English Proficiency (a student who is not fluent in the English language, often because it is not their native language)

Least Restrictive Environment which is a federal mandate stating that, to the maximum extent possible, students with disabilities are to be educated with their non-disabled peers (the team may place a student in a more restrictive environment if the more restrictive placement is necessary to meet the child's needs or the needs of the child's peers)

Manifestation Determination Review (a process used prior to imposing exclusionary discipline to determine a student's misbehavior was a manifestation of his/her disability

Multidisciplinary Team (individuals from multiple disciplines who meet to evaluate a student's initial or continued eligibility for special education services under the IDEA)

Mild Mental Handicap

Multi Tiered Systems of Support

National Association for the Education of Young Children

Nebraska Children and Families Foundation

No Child Left Behind

Nebraska Department of Education

Norm Referenced Test

National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center

Office of Civil Rights

Other Health Impaired (one of the disability categories listed under IDEA where a health condition must be chronic or acute and must result in limited strength, vitality, or alertness to the educational environment)

Office of Special Education Programs (this is the branch of the federal government charged with administering and enforcing IDEA for children birth through 21)

Occupational Therapy/Therapist (a related service provided to assist a child with a disability to perform tasks involving fine motor skills, sensory processing, visual skills, and self-care)

Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (a student behavior management approach based on ABA principles (the 1997 reauthorization of the IDEA specifically requires schools to use positive behavioral supports to assist students with behavioral issues)

Picture Exchange Communication System

Present Level of Academic Achievement and Functional Performance (a statement in IEP that describes the student’s current abilities, skills, weaknesses and strengths)

Planning Region Team

Primary Service Provider (the model of service delivery for children birth through age five with disabilities in ESU #1)

Physical Therapy/Therapist (a related service provided to evaluate and diagnose movement dysfunctions and to assist students with disabilities in reaching developmental milestones that require gross motor skills)

Prior Written Notice (a notice supplied to the other party that includes a description of the action proposed or refused by the school district or by the parent)

Routines-Based Interview

Results Driven Accountability (a federal shift away from looking at compliance to now looking at closing the achievement gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers)

Response to Intervention (a multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs)

State Education Agency (the state department of education

School Improvement Process

Specific Learning Disability (one of the disability categories listed under IDEA which is a disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language that may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations)

Speech and Language Impairment

Speech Language Pathologist

Student Record System

Students with Disabilities

(a classroom where a special education teacher is responsible for the instruction of all academic subjects which is typically separated from general education classrooms but within a neighborhood school)

Technical Assistance

Targeted Improvement Plan (as a part of ILCD, each district in Nebraska is required to create a comprehensive, multi-year TIP that contains detailed coherent improvement strategies focused on improving results for children with disabilities)

Measurement for Individual Early Childhood Outcomes

United States Code