The following is a resource to help parents. This is a list of acronyms and terminology used in Franklin Township Community School Corporation (FTCSC).
504 – Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 – frequently used when referencing a 504 Learning Plan
AAC – Augmented & Alternative Communication – a method to assist individuals with speech & language impairments communicate with others
ABA – Applied Behavior Analysis – a systematic process for applying interventions to help improve behavior(s)
ABCD Format – Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree – the format we require all IEP goals to be written using – though could be ACBD – the order does not necessarily matter so long as the goal is clearly written and measurable
AC – Acton Elementary School
ACR – Annual Case Review – a required annual meeting for any student with an identified disability
AD – (Mary) Adams Elementary School
AEM or AIM – Accessible Educational Materials or Accessible Instructional Materials are textbooks, handouts, presentations or other materials used in the context of the classroom that are required to be provided to all students in a format they may readily access
AMAO – Annual Measurable Achievement Objectives – each student identified as limited English proficient must have an individual learning plan that must contain at least one AMAO
AP – Advanced Placement – courses taken at the high school for college credit
APE – Adapted Physical Education
AR – Arlington Elementary School
Article 7 – our state’s compliance with the Federal regulation known as IDEA – or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act which is now the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorder
ASL – American Sign Language – a complete (and quite complex) form of language which incorporates hand/finger gestures with facial expressions and body postures used by a large majority of individuals who are DHH [not all individuals who are DHH use ASL – some used Signed Exact English (SEE), cued speech, and other lesser known forms of communication)
BH – Bunker Hill Elementary School
BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills - each student identified as limited English proficient is assessed in BICS (as well as CALP through Las Links)
BIP – Behavior Intervention Plan – a plan designed by a student’s case conference committee meeting to help change or modify a behavior the team feels is interfering with his/her ability to access their educational program
BLV – Blind or Low Vision
BOY – Beginning of Year
BYOD – Bring Your Own Device – our technology plan called Flash Forward is moving our district towards this as well as one to one devices
C9 or sometimes C-9 - The Central-Nine Career Center in Greenwood (Nine school corporations are members & it is located in Central Indiana)
CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency - each student identified as limited English proficient is assessed in CALP (as well as BICS through Las Links)
Canvas - The learning management system FTCSC uses for grades 6th - 12th.
CCC – Case Conference Committee Meeting – a team of educators working with a student who help provide data and educational progress information (as well as concerns)
CD - Conscious Discipline - a districtwide Social Emotional framework
CFA - Common Formative Assessment
CIP – Comprehensive Intervention Program – a life skills program for students with significant learning needs (we accept students from BGCS into our CIP)
Cluster Program - Part of the continuum of the High Ability / Tier II program for our students who need a more educationally rigorous program
COTA – Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant – One who works in collaboration with the OT to provide needed therapy to students with an IEP
CRT – Crisis Response Team – A selected group of individuals at each building in the district (selected by the building principal) who have been specially trained to proactively address students when they enter a crisis phase
CTEC – Dr. Carver Education and Technology Center (our administration building) – should probably CETC but it is not…
Daily 5 - The Daily 5 is a literacy framework for PK-5th grade
Developmental Preschool – The Developmental Preschool is housed at the WELC. Services eligible students with an identified disability who are at least three (3) years of age but not yet eligible for Kindergarten and is in need of the services available from this program – our Developmental Preschool Program uses Peer Models to assist our students with identified disabilities in learning age-appropriate skills
DCS – Department of Child Services – A state agency charged to protect the welfare of any child in the state of Indiana – it is mandatory that all suspected cases of abuse be reported to DCS – the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline is a toll free call to (800) 800-5556
DD – Developmental Delay – Used solely with students with a disability who are less than Kindergarten age (though if the General Assembly has their way we will be moving this to age 8 within the next few years)
DHH – Deaf or Hard of Hearing
DOE/IDOE – Indiana Department of Education
EC – Early Childhood – Mandatory for any student with an identified disability who is at least three (3) years of age and not yet old enough to enroll in Kindergarten
ECA – End of Course Assessment
ECAT – Early Childhood Assessment Team to determine whether a student who is at least three (3) years of age and not yet old enough to enroll in Kindergarten may be a child with a disability (currently all functions of the ECAT are handled by SSSMC)
ED – Emotional Disability – the IIEP software program differentiates between ED full time and ED part time – which should actually be ED all other as it is not a placement designation but rather the amount or level of special education services the student will receive (we accept students from BGCS into our ED programs)
El -Edgewood Intermediate School
EDM – Everyday Math
EL/ENL/ELL – English Learner
eLearning - Educational day used for teacher professional development, or due to inclement weather.
EOY – End of Year
ESSA – Every Student Succeeds Act (the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, Reauthorized in 2015)
ESY – Extended School Year services – often confused with summer school but ESY has very specific, regulated language and must be based on data that the staff working with the student have collected throughout the school year NOTE: In special education we have very specific procedures that must be followed when recommending ESY – if you teach special education or are a PAR you must know those procedures
FA – Freshman Academy - the newest wing of the High School where a large portion of 9th grade classes are offered – but it is important to note that the name is misleading in that it is not solely 9th grade students served or isolated in that wing
FAPE – Free and Appropriate Public Education – what we are required by state and federal regulations to offer to any child with an identified disability
Fast Track – A back to school event sponsored by the FTCSC along with many members of and businesses within our community where students of need attend for free and obtain backpacks, pencils, paper, highlighters, etc. so that they are prepared to start the new school year off successfully
FBA – Functional Behavioral Assessment – An evaluation of the student’s behaviors, seeking to determine the function and then offer interventions/strategies to attempt to extinguish the behavior(s)
FC or FCHS – Franklin Central High School
FCAP – Franklin Central Alternative Program – a half day program for students at the high school who are not meeting success in the traditional classroom setting
FCJH - Franklin Central Junior High
FEP – Fluent English Proficient (on the assessment the student is scored at Level 5)
FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act – applies to all students and guarantees that anyone working with the student will maintain his/her confidentiality
Flash Focus – A back-to-school orientation for FCJH and FCHS
Flash Forward – The district’s technology rollout plan
Franklin Township Learning Center– the original High School and then the old Middle School West (located to the north of CTEC) on the southeast corner of Edgewood Avenue and Franklin Road
FTCSC – Franklin Township Community School Corporation
FTCSC Online Learning -FTCSC Online allows students who cannot attend school physically (due to medical conditions or parent choice) the opportunity to remain engaged in learning while progressing appropriately through the Indiana Academic Standards
Google Classroom - The learning system for our Kindergarten - 5th grade learners
Help Desk – Actual “center” of personnel who fix computer issues and troubleshoot technological issues – can email https://helpdesk.ftcsc.org/servicedesk/customer/portal/8 or call (317)-803-5357
Homebound – A service we are required by law to offer any student who is anticipated to be absent from school, under a physician’s order, for 20 cumulative or consecutive instructional days – we only offer homebound services for English/Language Arts (Reading at Elementary Level) and Mathematics
Home School – Frequently confused with homebound – but is an actual nonpublic school placement selected by the student’s parent / legal guardian in lieu of sending them to one of our schools for their educational services
Hybrid Learning - Refers to students 7th grade - 12th grade that attend school 2 days a week and learn virtually 3 days
IA – Instructional Assistant or sometimes called a paraprofessional or ParaPro
IC - Infinite Campus (our student data management software system) – to log in from a computer where you do not have the icon – go to: https://ic.ftcsc.k12.in.us/campus/franklin.jsp
ICAM – The Indiana Center for Accessible Materials – a state-funded repository of AEM / AIM for eligible students (a student’s CCC must determine whether s/he is eligible for this free service)
IC Data Sheet – Infinite Campus Data Sheet used for entering students with an IEP into our data management system for state and federal funding
IEP – Individualized Education Program – for students who are found eligible for special education services
IIEP – The Indiana IEP Software System, a free software IEP management program provided by the DOE
ILEARN – Indiana Learning Evaluation Assessment Readiness Network assessment (replaced ISTEP+)
ILP – Individual Learning Plan – a plan developed for students who are limited English proficient
In-Person Learner - refers to a student that will be coming into the school building to learn
IN*SOURCE – Indiana Parent Information Resource Center - a federal and state-funded program providing free resources and advocates for families with students with unique learning needs
IRA - Informal Reading Inventory, it is an individually administered diagnostic tool that assess a student’s reading comprehension and accuracy
IREAD – Indiana Reading Evaluation and Determination assessment – a 3rd grade mandatory assessment from the DOE
ISP – Individualized Service Plan – for students who are found eligible for special education services whose parents have rejected enrollment in a public school program and have elected to have their educational services provided at a nonpublic school or home school
ISTAR – Indiana Standards Tool for Alternate Reporting [SY 2014/2015 was the first year to launch a new assessment which replaces ISTAR referred to as NCSC – (pronounced nic sic)] but still known as ISTAR – a mandatory assessment from DOE for all students in grades 3-8 and 10
ISTAR-KR – Indiana Standards Tool for Alternate Reporting of Kindergarten Readiness – a mandatory assessment for our students with an identified disability who are at least 3 years of age but not yet old enough to enroll in Kindergarten
KE – Kitley Intermediate School
LAMP - Language Acquisition Through Motor Planning - a communication system used with students who lack independent communication skills
LEP – Limited English Proficient (on the assessment the students would score as whether a Level 1, 2, 3 or 4 to be considered LEP)
MDCCC – Manifestation Determination Case Conference Committee meeting – a compulsory meeting which must be convened any time the school is getting close to an expulsion of a student with a disability (defined as being removed from school for 10 or more cumulative or consecutive instructional days)
MTeam – Multidisciplinary Assessment Team
OHI – Other Health Impairment
OI – Orthopedic Impairment
OT – Occupational Therapy – A related service for a student with a disability requiring adaptations / therapy to assist with fine motor skills, feeding skills, and/or sensory strategies
PACE – Providing Access to Community Education – Basically our non-diploma track students with a disability at FC who are taking some classes from General Education as well as working with the job coach to develop their vocational skills
PAR – Public Agency Representative
PBIS – Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports - a proactive process used at the building level to address the behavioral supports and social cues needed for students to achieve social, emotional and academic success – each school within FTCSC has a PBIS team to help guide the data collection and review at each building, each building has their three to five rules and all members of that school know the rules
Peer Model – A child who is potty trained and is at least three (3) years of age but not yet eligible for Kindergarten may apply to be a Peer Model in our Developmental Preschool Program at WELC – where they will learn and play alongside of peers who have a disability – thus helping those students learn age-appropriate language and skills (there is an application process for becoming a Peer Model)
PLOPs - Present Levels of Performance, required component of each IEP
PT – Physical Therapy - A related service prescribed by a physician for a student with a disability requiring adaptations / therapy to assist with gross motor skills
PTA – Physical Therapy Assistant – One who works closely with the PT to provide therapy services to students with an IEP
PTA/PTO – Parent Teacher Organizations
REACH – Reaching for Exceptional Achievement - part of the continuum of the High Ability / Tier III program for our students who need a more educationally rigorous program
RTI – Response to Instruction (sometimes called Response to Intervention too) – A multi-tiered approach to intervening and supporting students who are facing academic struggles
SC – South Creek Elementary School
SLP – Speech Language Pathologist
SOS – Supporting our Students – A general education intervention committee that is building based, reviews student-specific data on an ongoing basis, and offers suggestions/recommendations for interventions to implement to assist the student
SPARC – Student Provided Access to Resources in the Community - the building located between the high school and maintenance building - directly south of the high school. The SPARC Center was created to provide food and clothing to families in need in Franklin Township. Counselors at each building help organize canned food drives as well as gently used coat drives. Our students in the CIP program at the high school help collect and sort these items and help prepare the items for distribution at SPARC and the students at SPARC have their own customized greeting card business.
Speech Outreach – For our students whose sole disability is a speech or language impairment and are at least three (3) years of age but not yet eligible to enroll in Kindergarten we offer Outreach services to them at South Creek Elementary
STN – Student Test Number – a nine (9) digit letter/number combination assigned to each student in the state of Indiana through the IDOE – an STN may not be changed once assigned and remains with the student throughout the K-12 education (whether public or private)
TC – Thompson Crossing Elementary School
TEI – Technology Enhanced Item – refers to test questions on the mandated ISTEP+ assessment as well as other assessments – includes the student’s capacity to drag and drop items, choose multiple correct answers, highlight text, etc.
TIEP – Transition Individualized Education Program – required for all students with a disability who are 13 years of age or older – looks at where the student is going to help plan for their transition out of the K-12 education system
Tier II - Part of the continuum of the Cluster / High Ability program for our students who need a more educationally challenging program (note that RtI also has a Tier II but it is in a different context)
TOR – Teacher of Record - The teacher licensed in the area of the student’s disability who serves as the primary case manager for the student with an identified disability
TOS – Teacher of Service - A general or special education teacher who is working with a student with an identified disability
Transition Camp – Offered to students with an IEP to help orient them to their new building (generally a one time, 45-minute visit and tour of the school either individually or with one or two same-aged peers)
TRC - Text Reading and Comprehension (a diagnostic assessment)
UDL – Universal Design for Learning – A means for ensuring that all instructional materials we use with our students are inherently accessible from the inception/creation of the item
ULS – Unique Learning System – A software curriculum used with students in our CIP – linked to the student’s grade level Common Core Standards but at a more foundational level
Virtual Learner - Any student that is learning remotely from the school building. This would include eLearning, Hybrid Learning, and Online Learning.
WELC - Wanamaker Early Learning Center
WIDA – World-class Instructional Design and Assessment - In 2002 an EAG grant provided initial funding for the organization that would become WIDA, three (3) states were involved in the grant: Wisconsin (WI), Delaware (D), and Arkansas (A), so the acronym WIDA – then Arkansas dropped out of the consortium so they changed it to World-class Instructional Design and Assessment – it is currently our state-mandated assessment for students for whom English is not their native language