Important Acronyms for Teachers

Acronyms are commonly used in educational settings. Many grants, special programs, designated groups of students, laws, and standardized tests have names that are commonly shortened into acronyms. Knowing these can help you navigate the system.

• AB—Assembly Bill
• ADA—Average Daily Attendance
• ADD—Attention Deficit Disorder
• ADHD—Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder
• AIP—Academic Improvement Plan
• AP—Advanced Placement; Assistant Principal
• APE—Adaptive PE
• API—Academic Performance Index
• AYP—Adequate Yearly Progress; Academic Yearly Plan
• BCLAD—Bilingual Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development
• BTSA—Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment
• CLAD—Cross-cultural Language and Academic Development
• COLA—Cost of Living Adjustment
• CPSr—Child Protective Services
• EELA—Elementary English Language Arts
• EL—English Language
• ELD—English Language Development
• ELL—English Language Learner
• ELPT—English Language Proficiency Test
• ESL—English as a Second Language
• GATE—Gifted and Talented Education
• IDEA—Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
• IEP—Individualized Education Plan
• ILO—Intended Learning Outcome
• LCSW—Licensed Clinical Social Worker
• LD—Learning Disability
• LEA—Local Education Agency
• LH—Learning Handicapped
• NCLB—No Child Left Behind Act
• NEA—National Education Association
• PD—Professional Development
• PEP—Personalized Education Plan
• PI—Program Improvement
• PTA—Parent Teacher Association
• PTSA—Parent Teacher Student Association
• RSP—Resource Specialist Program
• SAC—School Advisory Committee
• SAT—Scholastic Achievement Test
• SAT/Stanford 9—Stanford Achievement Test
• SDC—Special Day Class
• SEA—State Education Agency
• SED/ED—Severely Emotionally Disturbed/Emotionally Disturbed
• SEI—Structured English Instruction/Sheltered English Instruction
• SEP—Student Education Plan
• SH—Severely Handicapped
• SIP—School Improvement Plan
• SLD—Specific Learning Disability
• SST—Student Study Team
• STAR—Standardized Testing and Reporting
• STRS—State Teacher Retirement System
• TESOL—Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
• TE—Teacher’s Edition (of any curricular program)
• Title I—Financial Assistance to Local Educational Agencies for the Education of Children of Low-Income Families
• Title III—Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient and Immigrant Students