Go to  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

Have an acronym that you think should be listed?  Send me an e-mail.

A

AA, AAS, AS - Associate of Arts, Associate of Applied Science, Associate of Science

ABE Adult Basic Education

ACT American College Test

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

ADD Attention-Deficit Disorder

ADHD Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

ADP Adult Diploma Program

ALC Area Learning Center - public school programs that serve students who are at risk of educational failure, as indicated by poor grades, truancy, disruptive behavior, suspension, pregnancy or similar factors with early withdrawal from school.

AP Advanced Placement

APE Adapted Physical Education - includes instruction in the development of physical and motor fitness; fundamental motor skills and patterns for all special education children that qualify (3-21 yr.).

ASL American Sign Language

B

BA, BS - Bachelors of Arts, Bachelors of Science

BCC Building Cultural Connections - Cultural Diversity training

BIP - Behavioral Intervention Plan - outlines the activities, expectations and goals that the family and professionals have for a child's behavior in the classroom.

BSID - Bayley Scales of Infant Development - this instrument gives nonnative information on children from 1to 42 months of age and measures mental, motor, and behavior subscales. Assessment tool is used by special education staff to determine areas of deficit and monitor progress.

C

CA Chronological Age

CACFP Child and Adult Care Food Program - reimbursement program for Providing nutritous meats through the USDA

CCIC Center of Inclusive Child Care - primarily known for the Project Exceptional Program

CBTA Competency Based Training Assessment program

CCR&R Child Care Resource and Referral

CCW Child Care Works

CCSP Child Care Specialist Program

CDA Child Development Associate- a national credential (not degree) supported by the Council for Professional Recognition.

CDF Children's Defense Fund

CE Community Education

CEU Continuing Education Unit

Charter Schools - are independent public schools started and operated by teachers, parents, or community members. They are privately managed and publicly funded schools usually committed to a certain focus or style of teaching/learning.

CPR Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation

COT A Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant

D

D.A.R.E. Drug Abuse Resistance Education

D2L Desire2Learn - online software used by many MN community and technical colleges to deliver online courses or as an accompaniment to face-to-face courses.

DAP Developmentally Appropriate Practice - this approach focuses on critical roles of the teachers in supporting children's development and learning; relationships with the classroom; assessment practices that are meaningful for children; and the role of culture in the process of learning.

DAPE Developmental Adapted Physical Education

DEC Division of Early Childhood

DENVERII - assessment tool which measures four areas of function including personal-social, fine motor, language and gross motor on children 0-6 yr.

DHS Department of Human Services

DOB Date of Birth

DOE Department of Education

OPT Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus

E

E-12 Early Childhood through grade twelve in a public school

E/BD Emotional/Behavior Disorders

EA Educational Assistant

EC Early Childhood

ECERS Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale

ECFE Early Childhood Family Education

ECSE Early Childhood Special Education

ECSU Educational Cooperative Service Unit

EE Essential Elements - series of trainings for beginning family child care providers

EEOC Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

EIR Early Intervention Reading

E-LECT e-learning for early childhood teachers - credit based child development courses that are offered on-line through 13 MN community and technical colleges.

ELC English Learning Center

ELL English Language Learners

EPA Environmental Protection Agency

ESL English as a Second Language

ETL Eager To Learn (online training system)

F

FAE/FAS Fetal Alcohol Effects and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

FDCRS Family Day Care Rating Scale

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FICA Federal Insurance Contributions Act

FIP Full Inclusion Program

FTE full-time Equivalent

FY Fiscal Year

G

GED General Educational Development

GLBT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender

GT Gifted and Talented

H

HI Hearing Impaired

Home School- MN statutes authorize home school as an option that parents and families can choose for their children (K-12).

HR Human Resources

HS High School

http Hyper Text Transfer Protocol

IA Infectious Agents

IA Instructional Assistant

IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act -this law mandates free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities at no cost to the parents and includes transportation. Each child that qualifies for special education services must have an individual education program developed by a multi-disciplinary team.

IEP Individualized Education Program - legal document required by law that states who, what, when, and where of how services will be provided to a child with a disability.

IFDCO International Family Day Care Organization

IFSP Individual Family Service Plan - similar to the IEP and many of the same requirements. But it serves children 0-2 years of ages and focuses on the whole family rather than the individual.

ITERS Infant Toddler Environmental Rating Scale

ITTI Infant Toddler Training Intensive program - usually hour based training for infant and toddler caregivers primarily through the Child Care Resource and Referral Network. "

K

K-12 Kindergarten through Grade Twelve

L

LAS Language Assessment Scale Test

LCTS Local Collaborative Time Study

LD Learning Disability

LEP Limited English Proficiency

LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender

M

MA,MS- Masters of Arts, Masters of Science

MACALD Minnesota Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities

MACS Minnesota Association of Charter Schools

MAESP Minnesota Association of Elementary School Principals

MECSATA Minnesota Early Childhood & School Age Trainers Association

Magnet School - public school that offers a particular focus, such as art or language immersion in addition to the basic subject.

MASA Minnesota Association of School Administrators

MASE Minnesota Administrators of Special Education

MASSP Minnesota Association of Secondary School Principals

MBT Minnesota Board of Teaching

MCA Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments

MCEA Minnesota Community Education Association

MCTM Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics

MDA Muscular Dystrophy Association

MDE Minnesota Department of Education

MEA Minnesota Education Association (now known as Education Minnesota)

MEP Multicultural Excellence Program

MESPA Minnesota Elementary School Principals Association

MFIP Minnesota Family Investment Program

MFT Minnesota Federation of Teachers (now known as Education Minnesota)

MinnSPRA Minnesota School Public Relations Association

MLA Metropolitan Learning Alliance

MLFCCA Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association

MMR Measles, Mumps and Rubella

MnAEYC Minnesota Association for Education of Young Children- supports EC professionals

MnSACA Minnesota School- Age Care Alliance - support school-age programs

MnSCU Minnesota State Colleges and Universities

Montessori- education model that emphasizes learning through all five senses, not just listening, watching or reading. Children learn at their own pace and according to their own choice of activities.

MPCC Minnesota Private College Council

MRC Multicultural Resource Center

MSEA Minnesota School Employees Association

N

NAEYC National Association for Education of Young Children- national organization that supports early childhood professionals - the MN affiliate is MnAEYC.

NACCRRA National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies

NAFCC National Association for Family Child Care - supports family child care environments.

NBC Not By Chance - School Readiness training

NCCIC National Child Care Information Center

NCLB No Child Left Behind

NCPIE National Coalition of Partners in Education

NEA National Education Association

NSACA National School Age Care Alliance - supports programs solely responsible for school age children.

0

Open Enrollment - statewide policy allows students living in one district to attend school in another district. Space availability is a limiting faCtor.

OPV Oral Polio Vaccine

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OT Occupational Therapist -provide individualized therapy to assist with postural stability, sensory processing and motor planning, visual perception, fine motor skills, activities of daily living, social play and organization of behavior.

P

PARA Paraprofessional

PACER Parent Advocacy Coalition for Educational Rights

PC Personal Computer

PE Physical Education

PE Parent Educator

PE project Exceptional

PECS Picture Exchange Communication System - tool that allows children and adults with autism and other communication deficits to initiate communication through the use of pictures.

Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy

Pre-K Pre-Kindergarten

PSEO Post-Secondary Education Options

PT Physical Therapist - provide individualized therapy to assist with motor control and coordination, sensorimotor coordination, postural balance and stability, activities of daily living, functional mobility, environmental adaptation and accessibility and use of assistive devices.

PTA/PTO Parent Teacher Association /Parent Teacher Organization

QRS - Quality Rating Scale (also goes by Northstar Quality Improvement and Rating System)

R

REETAIN Retaining Early Educators Through Attaining Incentives Now -workforce retention program for early childhood and school-age care providers.

RIF Reading is Fundamental

RNI Redleaf National Institute - organization with resources for child care providers

RSVP Rpondez S'IL Vous Plat

S

SACERS School Age Care Environmental Rating Scale

SAT Scholastic Achievement Test

SE Special Education

SEEDS of School Readiness: An Early Literacy Training Program, also known as SEEDS of Emergent Literacy

SIDS Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

SSN Social Security Number

T

TA Teaching Assistant

TANF Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

TEl Traumatic Brain Injury

Td Tetanus diphtheria

TDD Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf

TEACH - Teacher Education and Compensation Helps - scholarship programs that link education and compensation.

TOT - Training of Trainers

TTD/TTY Teletypewritng Device/ Teletypewriter

U

USDA United States Department of Agriculture

UTEP Urban Teacher Education Partnership

W,X,Y,Z