Use this alphabetical guide to understand common abbreviations, acronyms and terminology referred to by the Cobb County School District.
ACT
A nationally-recognized, standardized assessment taken by students as a precursor to college/university admission. Formerly an acronym for American College Testing.
ALP
Advanced Learning Programs. Programs such as Advanced Placement, Governor's Honors and Gifted Services that challenge academically gifted and highly able learners with more rigorous and accelerated curricula.
AP®
Advanced Placement. AP courses provide high school students a college-level academic experience. The College Board partners with colleges and universities to develop an appropriately challenging curriculum, to create college-level assessments, and to train teachers to deliver instruction that meets college-level standards.
ATSI
Additional Targeted Support and Improvement-Among schools meeting the TSI criteria, identifies any school in which any student group, on its own, would be identified as a CSI school. ATSI schools are identified every three years. (Federal School Identification)
AVID
Advancement Via Individual Determination. A college readiness system for elementary through higher education designed to increase schoolwide learning and performance.
A & PL
Assessment & Personalized Learning. District administrative office that supports teaching and learning
ACCESS for ELLs
ACCESS for ELLs is administered, annually, to all English learners in Georgia. ACCESS for ELLs is a standards-based, criterion referenced English language proficiency test designed to measure English learners' social and academic proficiency in English.
BOE
Board of Education. A body of elected officials responsible for education policy and accountability.
BYOD
Bring Your Own Device
CIA
Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. District administrative office that supports teaching and learning.
CCBOE
Cobb County Board of Education.
CCRPI
College and Career Ready Performance Index. The new Georgia Department of Education accountability system that replaces the federal Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure. CCRPI goes beyond a single set of test results, rating schools for student achievement, academic progress over time and for closing the achievement gap for specific student groups.
CCSD
Cobb County School District.
CSI
Comprehensive Support and Improvement - Identifies 1) the lowest performing 5% of all Title I schools; 2) all high schools with a graduation rate ≤ 67%; and 3) all schools identified for ATSI support for the same student group(s) for six years. CSI schools are identified every three years. (Federal School Identification)
CDL
Commercial Driver's License.
COBRA
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. Gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to choose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances, such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events.
CogAT
Cognitive Abilities Test.
CTAE
Career, Technology and Agricultural Education. CTAE offers middle and high school students opportunities to explore career pathways.
CTLS
Cobb Teaching and Learning System. A portal supported by the CCSD Academic Division to enhance the efforts of schools to enable student success.
CSIS
Cobb Student Information System. A software application developed to manage student data. See SIS.
CVA
Cobb Virtual Academy. An online learning program operated by the Cobb County School District.
DOE
Department of Education.
Dual Enrollment
The dual enrollment program allows high school students to earn college credit while working on their high school diploma.
EBD
Emotional/Behavior Disorder-since no other references to Special Education or other categories not sure it needs to remain
EIP
Early Interventional Program. Early intervention for struggling learners.
ELA
English Language Arts.
ELs
English Language Learner. Student whose first language is one other than English.
EOC
End of Course assessment. The EOC is part of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. The EOCs are administered to students at the end of eight high school courses designated by the State Board of Education: Ninth Grade Literature and Composition, American Literature and Composition, Coordinate Algebra, Analytic Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, United States History, Economics/Business/Free Enterprise.
EOG
End of Grade Assessment. The EOG is part of the Georgia Milestones Assessment System. The EOGs are administered to students in grade 3 through 8 in the content areas of language arts and mathematics. Students in grades 5 and 8 are also assessed in science and social studies. The EOGs are administered in April and May each school year.
ESEA
Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The federal law passed in 1965 affecting K-12 education in the United States. When the ESEA of 1965 was reauthorized and amended in 2002, it was renamed the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. In 2009, the program was again referenced as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
ESOL
English for Speakers of Other Languages. A state-funded language instruction educational program for eligible English learners (ELs) in grades K-12. ESOL language instruction is focused on developing EL students’ academic English proficiency in each content area.
ESSA
Every Student Succeeds Act.
FAY
Full Academic Year.
FERPA
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act: 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.
FRL
Free and Reduced-price Lunch. See National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
FNS
Food and Nutrition Services.
F&T Committee
The Facilities & Technology Citizens Oversight Committee is established and authorized to specifically provide oversight for any Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) project by performing an analytical assessment and project verification to determine if expenditures are meeting defined specifications as approved by the voters within the SPLOST referendum and as authorized by the Board.
FTE
Full-Time Equivalent counts are based on student enrollment and the education services provided to students by schools. FTE counts are used to determine state funding for 17 different categories of educational service.
FY
Fiscal Year. The District's fiscal calendar runs from July 1 through June 30.
GADOE
Georgia Department of Education.
GAA
Georgia Alternate Assessment. The GAA is designed to ensure that students with significant cognitive disabilities are provided access to the state academic content standards and given the opportunity to demonstrate achievement of the knowledge, concepts, and skills inherent in the standards.
GHP
Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) is a four-week summer residential instructional program designed to provide intellectually gifted and artistically talented high school students challenging and enriching educational opportunities not usually available during the regular school year.
GHSA
Georgia High School Association. The objective of the GHSA organization shall be the promotion of education in Georgia from a mental, physical, and moral viewpoint, to standardize and encourage participation in athletics, and to promote sportsmanship and an appreciation for and study of music, speech, and other fine arts through Region and State competitions.
GKIDS
Georgia Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills. GKIDS is an ongoing, performance-based assessment, designed to assist teachers in planning instruction throughout the school year, and to serve as one measure of a student’s readiness for first grade.
GMAS
Georgia Milestones Assessment System. GMAS is a comprehensive assessment program spanning grades 3 through high school. It is designed to provide information about how well students are mastering the state-adopted content standards in the core content areas of language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
GOSA
Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. A state agency that provides education policy support for the Governor of Georgia, including data analysis and presentation. Responsible for the annual accountability 'report cards' for each Georgia school and system. Formerly the Office of Education Accountability.
GOSH
Give Our Schools A Hand. The name for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce teacher recognition program.
IB
International Baccalaureate. A non-profit organization that offers schools a rich, supplemental curriculum with an international social studies focus. Schools that meet specific authorization criteria can become 'IB World Schools.'
IDEA
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This federal law, reauthorized in 2004, is designed to ensure that all children with disabilities have available to them a free and appropriate public education that emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs and prepare them for further education, employment and independent living.
IE2
Investing in Educational Excellence: Under the IE² option, a local district has a performance contract with the State Board of Education (SBOE) granting the district freedom from specific Title 20 provisions, SBOE rules, and Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) guidelines. Please note that House Bill 502, that went into effect on July 1, 2015, provided that districts under the previous IE² flexibility option will henceforth be known as Strategic Waivers School Systems (SWSS).
IEL
Intensive English Language. A program to meet the needs of English language learners new to the United States.
IEP
Individualized Education Plan. A modified learning plan for students with special needs.
Iowa Assessment
A norm-referenced assessment that measures student achievement in comparison to other students nationwide. Students in grades 3, 5, and 7 are tested in reading, mathematics, science, and social studies.
L&L
Leadership and Learning.
LEP
Limited English-proficient
LRE
Least Restrictive Environment. The District is required by law to serve special education students in the least restrictive environment.
Magnet Program
Specialized learning program that allows students to pursue their interests, develop their talents, and extend their competencies beyond the usual scope of high school.
MI
Math Inventory. The MI is administered to all students in grades K-9 three times each year. The MI is a research-based, adaptive diagnostic assessment designed to measure math readiness progression from kindergarten through Algebra II.
MTSS
Multi-tiered System of Supports. MTSS is a tiered system of supports that integrates assessment and intervention within a school-wide, multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and reduce behavioral problems.
NAEP
National Assessment of Education Progress. The NAEP is a congressionally mandated project administered by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. NAEP is given to a representative sample of students across the country.
NSBA
National School Board Association
NSLP
National School Lunch Program. A federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the National School Lunch Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946.
PBIS
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports is an evidence-based framework used to create a safe, supportive, and positive learning environment for all students.
PEI
Performance Evaluation Instrument. Criteria and method for evaluation of administrator performance.
PSAT/NMSQT
Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. A practice test for the SAT which also serves to qualify students for National Merit Scholarships. Some schools use the PSAT/NMSQT as a diagnostic tool to identify areas where students may need additional assistance or placement in more rigorous courses.
PSC
Georgia Professional Standards Commission. A state agency that sets and applies guidelines for the preparation, certification, and continued licensing of public educators.
QBE
Quality Basic Education. QBE is the state funding formula for K-12 Public Education in Georgia.
REP
Remedial Education Program. REP is an instructional program designed for students in grades 6 through 12 who have identified deficiencies in reading, writing, and math.
RTI
Response to Intervention. Strategic use of research-based interventions for at-risk students.
RESA
Regional Educational Service Agency. 16 regional educational service agencies throughout Georgia established to help school systems share services and information regarding educational efficacy.
RI
Reading Inventory. The RI is administered to all students in grades K through 9 three times each year. The RI is a research-based, adaptive diagnostic assessment designed to measure reading comprehension skills and longitudinal progress from kindergarten through college readiness.
SAT
A nationally-recognized, standardized assessment taken by students as a precursor to college/university admission. Formerly an acronym for Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test.
SGM
Student Growth Measures. District developed assessments for courses without an EOC or EOG. These assessments are designed to demonstrate a student’s growth based upon a pre-assessment, administered at the beginning of the course, and a post-assessment, administered at the end of the course.
SHAPE
Georgia Student Health and Physical Education Program. A a network of partners, agencies and athletic teams committed to improving the health of Georgia youth by offering assistance and opportunity to achieve a greater level of overall fitness.
SIS
Student Information System. A software application developed to manage student data. Also internally referred to as CSIS.
SPLOST
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
STEAM
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
SWD
Students with Disabilities
SWSS
Strategic Waiver School System: A Strategic Waiver School System (SWSS) is a local school district that operates under the terms of an SWSS contract between the State Board of Education and the local Board of Education. The system receives flexibility in the form of waivers of certain state laws, rules and guidelines in exchange for greater accountability for increased student performance.
Synergy
Part of the District's student information system that offers parents/guardians secure access to student grades and records.
TSI
Targeted Support and Improvement-Identifies any school with one or more consistently underperforming student groups. TSI schools are identified annually. (Federal School Identification)
TTIS
Technology Training Integration Specialist. CCSD employees that work with schools on effective ways to integrate technology in the classroom.
T&L
Teaching and Learning Division
Title I, Part A
The section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act which provides federal funds to districts and schools with high percentages of economically disadvantaged students to help ensure that all children meet challenging State academic content.
Title II
The section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that authorizes provision of federal grants for recruiting, training and preparation of teachers.
Title III, Part A
The section of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that provides funding to help ensure that English learners (ELs), including immigrant children and youth, attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English.
Title IX
Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 bans sex discrimination in schools receiving federal funds, whether it is in academics or athletics.
Title IX, Part A
The McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program is designed to address the problems that homeless children and youth have faced in enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school.
