- Olathe Public Schools
- Abbreviations and Terms A-H
Abbreviations and Terms
-
Educators, like other professionals, use abbreviations and terms in their daily conversations to quickly communicate programs and services. While useful to those who know what the abbreviations or terms stand for, they may be confusing to others who do not understand their meaning.
Abbreviations and educational terms should used sparingly or explained when communicating with parents or community patrons.
A
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| AC | Arbor Creek Elementary School, 16150 S. Brougham Dr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7300 |
| ACCESS | The Adult Career Community Education Services Supports (ACCESS) program provides opportunities and instruction focused on developing skills that will prepare students with intellectual disabilities to be successful members of the community. Services include individualized instruction, community-based instruction, work-based learning experiences, instruction on self-advocacy, and opportunities to promote student independence. Contact: Special Services |
| Accommodations | Changes in design or administration of tests based on the special needs of students with disabilities or students who are learning English. Contact: ELL or Special Services |
| Accreditation | Official recognition that required standards are met; all schools are accredited by the State of Kansas. Contact: Assessment and School Improvement |
| ACT | The American College Testing exam measures the skills of English, mathematics, reading and science reasoning, the academic areas traditionally identified with college preparatory high school programs. A composite score is an average of the four academic areas. Contact: School Counselor |
| Active Participation | Instructional strategies that call for students' engagement in the learning process. These strategies may include writing-to-learn, cooperative learning, Every Pupil Response (EPR), and calling on students at random. Contact: Learning Services |
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act is a civil rights law prohibiting discrimination against people with disabilities in areas of employment, public services, public accommodations, transportation and communication. Contact: Special Services |
| ADD/ADHD | Attention Deficit (Hyperactive) Condition is a syndrome characterized by serious and persistent difficulties in three specific areas: attention span, impulse control and hyperactivity. People with this condition generally display some difficulty in each area to varying degrees, though not all ADD children show hyperactivity. They may have problems with organization and distractibility. Contact: Special Services |
| AED | Automated External Defibrillator is a device created for use in the community setting by trained individuals to externally shock the heart of an individual who is unconscious and in cardiac arrest (no breathing and no pulse). Contact: Health Services |
| AIA | Autism Instructional Assistant is a uniquely trained and experienced classified support staff member who provides individualized support and training for specifically identified students with autism and the classroom staff in need of such intense support and training. Contact: Special Services |
| AP | Advanced Placement (AP) is an internationally recognized standard of academic excellence that can enhance a student's opportunities for scholarships, career possibilities, reduction in college costs, time to obtain a degree and admission into recognized universities and post-secondary programs. The Olathe School District offers AP courses in language arts, mathematics, social studies and science. Contact: Learning Services / High School Counselors |
| APE | Adaptive Physical Education is physical education that is modified to accommodate the particular needs of children with disabilities. Adaptive Physical Education staff work in collaboration with General Education Physical Education staff in developing and adapting physical education curriculums to assure that students with disabilities are afforded to the fullest extent possible, opportunities to access the general curriculum and successfully participate in physical education classes/activities |
| AT | Assistive Technology is a Special Services consultation (assessment and training resource). Focus is on evaluation of a student’s need to access curriculum and activities through augmentation using technology (alternative communication and environmental contracts). Contact: Special Services |
| AT & L | Advanced Teaching & Learning is a series of after-school workshops for educators new to the Olathe School District. A master’s degree (through Emporia State University) may be earned by participating in AT & L and other courses. Contact: Learning Services / New Educator Induction |
| AUG | Acceptable Use Guidelines is a Board of Education-approved policy included in the Student Code of Conduct Handbook outlining terms and conditions of school computer and Internet use. Contact: Technology |
| AVID | Advancement Via Individual Determination prepares select students who may not be considering college and some who may be the first in their family to consider college for four-year college eligibility. Academic support assists students in the completion of rigorous coursework. AVID is currently available in all high schools and select middle school sites. Contact: School Counselors |
| AWE | Alternative Work Experience is an in-district community worksite created for students with cognitive disabilities to provide the opportunity to develop a variety of workplace skills and experiences needed for transitioning into their targeted post high school setting. Contact: Special Services |
B
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| B.E.A.M. | Bridging Education and Medicine is a partnership between the Olathe Medical Center and Olathe high schools. Representatives from OMC and each high school make up an Action Team to determine and coordinate educational activities during the school year, as approved by the B.E.A.M. Advisory Committee. Contact: Learning Services / Career and Technical Education |
| BB | Black Bob Elementary School, 14701 S. Brougham Dr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7310 |
| BBP | Blood borne Pathogens are bacteria and viruses carried in the blood and certain other body fluids of an infected person. They may be transmitted to a healthy person when the infected fluid comes in contact with the healthy person?s non-intact skin and/or mucous membranes. Contact: Health Services |
| BE | Bentwood Elementary School, 13000 Bond, Overland Park KS 66213, 913-780-7320 |
| Benchmarks | Any specific, measurable goals for students to meet at various points during the school year. |
| Best Practices | Instructional methods and strategies that have been proven effective based on educational research. |
| BIP | Behavior Intervention Plan is based on the functional behavioral assessment for students for whom there are behavioral concerns. The BIP is developed by the school team and includes the identification of the target behavior, positive behavioral interventions, and behavioral supports that will be implemented when behaviors surface in the school setting. Contact: Special Services |
| Block Scheduling | Organizing the school day, usually in secondary schools, into blocks of time longer than typical class periods. |
| BLT | Building Leadership Teams are the school improvement team in each building. Teams consist of the principal and certified representatives responsible for providing leadership for ongoing school improvements. Contact: Assessment and School Improvement |
| BOE | The Board of Education is comprised of seven elected community representatives functioning under the statutes of the State of Kansas. Contact: Clerk of the Board |
| BR | Brougham Elementary School, 15500 S. Brougham Dr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7350 |
| Building Report Card | A summary of select indicators showing how a school and students are performing. Contact: Assessment and School Improvement |
| BW | Briarwood Elementary School, 14101 S. Brougham Dr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7330 |
C
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| CBI | Community Based Instruction is the educational practice of implementing the Life Skills functional curriculum within the actual community site rather than the classroom environment. Contact: Special Services |
| CC | Cedar Creek Elementary School, 11150 Clare Rd., Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7360 |
| CE | Central Elementary School, 305 E. Cedar, Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7370 |
| CLA | Computer Learning Associate program provides elementary students with access to the computer lab every week. The CLA is responsible for supervising students in the computer lab, facilitating meaningful activities to develop students’ technology skills and knowledge, and troubleshooting / reporting computer problems within the lab. Contact: Instructional Technology |
| CO3 C = Cyber, O = Olathe, 3 = strands of safety, security and integrity | This district initiative targets awareness of the issues of Cyber Bullying, Cyber Integrity, and Cyber Safety through curriculum, resources, and educational support for students, families, and staff. Contact: Safe and Drug-Free Schools |
| College Now | The name of some high school classes that are approved for college credit through Johnson County Community College (JCCC). Contact: School Counselors |
| CONNECT | The Collaborative Opportunities for Natural Networking Experiences and Community Transition (CONNECT) program provides opportunities and instruction focused on developing skills that will prepare students with multiple disabilities or significant medical needs to be successful members of the community. Services include individualized instruction, community-based instruction, community exploration and work-based learning experiences. Contact: Special Services |
| Cooperative Learning | Specific instructional structures that call for all students to be engaged in the learning process. These structures may include line-ups, think-pair-share, round robin, and jigsaw, just to name a few. Contact: Learning Services |
| COTA | Court Of Tax Appeals is the state agency that hears school district appeals for additional local funding for the operation of new schools constructed for extraordinary growth. The district makes these appeals during the spring prior to the actual opening of the new facilities. Contact: Business & Finance |
| CPI | The philosophy of Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI) is to provide care, welfare, safety and security for everyone involved in a crisis moment. CPI provides training in safe, respectful, noninvasive methods for managing disruptive and assaultive behavior. Contact: Special Services |
| CPR | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation is the first aid measure combining chest compressions and rescue breathing to circulate oxygen to the brain if a person?s heart has stopped beating. Contact: Health Services |
| CREWS | Career Related Experiences With Students is a community-based vocational experience for secondary students with significant disabilities. Contact: Special Services |
| CS | Countryside Elementary School, 15800 W. 124th Terr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7390 |
| CST | Chisholm Trail Middle School, 16700 W. 159th St., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7240 |
| CT | California Trail Middle School, 13775 W. 133rd St., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7220 |
| CTE | Career and Technical Education is an umbrella term that refers to secondary classes/programs falling under guidelines of the federal Carl Perkins? legislation. Organized around career pathways, CTE classes/programs provide real world context and application for academic theory. Contact: Learning Services / Career and Technical Education |
| CTS | Career Transition Specialists are secondary special education staff who serve secondary students with Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and support IEP teams with regard to transition services needed to prepare the student for their postsecondary setting. Contact: Special Services |
| Curriculum | The district document all teachers use to define what students will know, understand, and do to demonstrate learning in each subject area. Contact: Learning Services |
| CW | Clearwater Creek Elementary School, 930 Clearwater Creek Dr., Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7380 |
| CY | Canyon Creek Elementary School, 24001 W. 97th Terrace, Lenexa KS 66227, 913-780-7400 |
D
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| D/HH | Deaf/Hard of Hearing means a loss of auditory function sufficiently severe to affect the ability to communicate with others or to develop communication or learning skills. Contact: Special Services |
| DBQ | Document Based Question (DBQ) assess the ability of a student to work with historical sources in multiple forms. The DBQ requires many of the same skills used in developing a research paper – interpreting primary and secondary sources, evaluating sources, considering multiple points of view, using historic evidence, and developing and supporting a thesis. Contact: Learning Services / Social Studies |
| Differentiated Instruction | Maximizing each student's growth by supporting different classroom learning experiences in response to student needs. Contact: Learning Services |
| Disaggregation of data | Organizing and reporting data into segments based on the characteristics of the entire group (gender, race or ethnicity, disability, economic status, first or primary language). Contact: Assessment and School Improvement |
| DS Distinguished Scholar | The Distinguished Scholar 21st Century Academy provides an opportunity for the district's top scholars to apply for enrollment in six highly specialized and advanced academic areas of study: international languages, English/language arts, math, political science, science, and the visual arts. This program, located at Olathe North High School, is available to a limited number of qualified high school students throughout the district. Contact: School Counselors |
| DWQA | District Wide Quality Assessment is a survey given every two years to students, parents, certified and classified staff. Contact: General Administration |
E
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| eAcademy | A variety of online courses accredited by the Kansas Department of Education and available to students who live within Olathe School District boundaries. Contact: eAcademy Facilitator |
| ECD | Early Childhood Disability programs are designed to provide appropriate intervention services to meet the needs of individual children identified with disabilities, age 3 to 5. Contact: Special Services |
| ED | Emotionally Disturbed, previously referred to as BD (behaviorally disturbed), relates to a condition with one or more behavioral characteristics: 1) exhibited at a much higher or lower rate than is age-appropriate, 2) documented as occurring over an extended period in different settings, and 3) interfering consistently with the student?s educational performance. This interference is not the result of intellectual, sensory, cultural or health factors that have not received appropriate attention. |
| ELA | English Language Arts |
| ELL | English Language Learners is the current name for English as a Second Language students. The name recognizes that many of these students knew several other languages before learning English. Most people require one to three years to acquire a new language for use in social settings and five to seven years to acquire full academic use of a new language. Contact: Learning Services / ELL |
| ERI | Early Reading Intervention is a building-level team that analyzes data to identify students needing extra reading support, develops and implements strategic small group instruction, and meets on a regular basis to monitor progress and adjust instruction. Contact: Learning Services |
| ESY | Extended School Year are special education services made available to students identified with disabilities during summer vacation as determined necessary by each student's IEP team in accordance with Kansas ESY eligibility criteria. The purpose of extended school year services is to prevent significant regression during summer vacation that the student will not be able to recoup within a reasonable time frame upon return to school in the fall. Contact: Special Services |
| Extended Learning | Learning is extended through strategic instruction before and after school, and through tutoring sessions during the day. Contact: Assessment and School Improvement |
F
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| FBA | Functional Behavior Assessment is an assessment that identifies and defines the target behaviors or patterns of behavior in observable, descriptive and operational terms. It involves collecting information from multiple sources and settings, and recognizing circumstances, events and consequences resulting in the identification of the function and purpose of target behaviors. FBAs are necessary to develop a Behavioral Intervention Plan (BIP). Contact: Special Services |
| FERPA | The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Contact: General Administration |
| FLIP | Families Learning In Partnership is a primary grade family literacy program. Sessions are offered to all families in Olathe with students in grades K-3. Programs focus on how parents can help their students with reading and writing and support what is happening with literacy at school. Contact: Learning Services / Language Arts |
| FLSA | Fair Labor Standards Act is the federal agency which oversees compliance of organizations with hiring and compensation practices with employees. An example would be the oversight of how employers manage the collection and accurate payment of non-exempt employees for overtime worked. Contact: Human Resources |
| FOCUS | The Focus On Careers and Unique Skills (FOCUS) program provides opportunities and instruction focused on developing skills that will prepare students with intellectual disabilities to be successful members of the community. Services include individualized instruction, community-based instruction, work based learning experiences, instruction on self-advocacy, and opportunities to promote student independence. Contact: Special Services |
| FRV | Forest View Elementary School, 12567 Canyon Dr., Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7440 |
| FT | Frontier Trail Middle School, 15300 W. 143rd St., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7210 |
| FTE | Full-time equivalent. |
| FV | Fairview Elementary School, 600 N. Marion, Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7430 |
G
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| GED | Test of General Educational Development is a high school equivalency test administered by Johnson County Community College to students who are at least 18 years old and have not graduated from high school. Contact: Alternative Education |
| GPA | Grade Point Average is the average of a student’s grades over a set period of time. Contact: School Counselors |
| GS | Green Springs Elementary School, 14675 S. Alden Street, Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7450 |
| Guided Reading | A component of the elementary reading program with small group instruction at students’ instructional reading level. A strategic lesson format is utilized. Contact: Learning Services / Language Arts |
H
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| HC | Havencroft Elementary School, 1700 E. Sheridan, Olathe KS 66061, 913-780-7470 |
| Head Start | A federal program for preschool children whose family income falls below the federal poverty guidelines. This educational program is designed to meet each child's individual needs. Children receive vision, hearing, developmental, height and weight screenings. Dental and physical exams and immunizations are completed. Children receive breakfast and lunch to meet a third of their daily nutritional needs. Contact: Head Start |
| HELP Clinic | Help Each Live (Learn) Productively Clinic is an evening referral clinic staffed by district personnel. Opportunities for study skills, social skills, self-concept groups, anger management and limited counseling are available. Contact: Student Services |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. The act set national standards for the privacy of personal health information. Contact: Health Services |
| HIV / HBV | Human Immunodeficiency Virus is the virus that attacks the body's immune system causing the disease known as AIDS. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a blood borne virus that causes inflammation of the liver and may lead to liver damage but can be prevented by with a vaccine. Contact: Health Services |
| HN | Heatherstone Elementary School, 13745 W. 123rd St., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7480 |
| HRC | Human Relations Committee recommends and undertakes activities designed to foster understanding and cooperation within the diverse student body and community of the Olathe School District. Contact: Learning Services / ELL |
| HT | Heritage Elementary School, 1700 E. Pawnee Dr., Olathe KS 66062, 913-780-7490 |
