Glossary

Key terms to help you jump right in to the education reform discussion.

Accountability System. The structure through which a state sets academic standards for what every child should know and assesses how effective schools and districts are in ensuring that their students meet these standards. In Connecticut, student academic achievement is measured through the CMT (given every spring in 3rd-8th grades) and CAPT tests (given in the spring in 10th grade) and the results of these tests are reported both to the schools and to the public. For more on accountability, see Issue Brief 3.

Achievement Gap. A significant and persistent disparity in educational achievement between groups of students within a school, district, state or country. For example, as measured by the 2005 NAEP test, Connecticut students on free or reduced-priced lunch are three grade levels behind their full-priced lunch peers, which is the largest gap between rich and poor students in the country. For more on Connecticut's achievement gap, see Issue Brief 1.

Achievement Test. An examination designed to measure skills and knowledge in a particular subject area or set of subject areas.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). The minimum level of improvement in student achievement that states, school districts, and schools must achieve each year under No Child Left Behind. AYP is defined in terms of the percentage of students achieving “proficiency” or higher on state administered tests, with the requirement that this percentage increase by a certain amount each year so that all students achieve proficiency by 2014. Since the standards for proficiency are defined by each state, Connecticut is only required to meet the goals it has set for itself. For more on AYP, see Issue Brief 4.

AFT. The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is the nation’s second largest teachers union and also the second largest teacher’s union in Connecticut. In the 1970s, the AFT’s membership was expanded to cover not only teachers, but also government employees, educational personnel, health care professionals and college faculty. At the center of its mission is its effort “to improve the lives of our members and their families” and “to give voice to their legitimate professional, economic and social aspirations.”

AP. The Advanced Placement (AP) program is a high-school curriculum and assessment program run by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) covering 20 college-level subject areas. Students who score above a specified level on an AP test are often awarded credit in the subject at their college or university.

CAPT. The Connecticut Academic Performance Test (CAPT) is a statewide examination administered each spring to all 10th grade public school students by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The CAPT measures what students have learned in the areas of mathematics, reading, writing and science and provides a common yardstick for measuring the performance of Connecticut schools and school districts.

CEA. The Connecticut Education Association (CEA) is the state branch of the National Education Association (NEA), the nation’s largest teachers union. The CEA is also the largest teacher’s union in Connecticut with 36,500 members. At the center of its mission is its effort “to expand the rights and further the interest of educational employees.”

Charter Schools. Innovative, independent public schools that provide parents additional school options while being held accountable to the public for results through a performance-based contract or “charter.” For more on charter schools, see Issue Brief 5.

Child-Centered Funding. An education-financing plan where the money provided by the state and district to pay for K-12 education follows students to the school chosen by their parents.

CMT. The Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) is a statewide examination administered each spring to all 4th, 6th and 8th grade public school students by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The CMT measures what students have learned in the areas of mathematics, reading and writing and provides a common yardstick for measuring the performance of Connecticut schools and school districts. In 2006, the CMT was expanded to cover students in the 3rd, 5th and 7th grade in compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act and in 2008 the test will be expanded to cover science.

Cohort. A group of persons, such as a school class or grade, who share one or more particular statistical or demographic characteristics.

Enrollment. The total number of students registered to attend a given school.

Enrollment Cap. A limit on the number of students who can attend a school in a given year. Connecticut is the only state in the country that has an enrollment cap on each of its charter schools.

ERG. The Educational Reference Group (ERG) is a classification system developed by the Connecticut State Department of Education that groups Connecticut school districts together based on their students’ socioeconomic status for the purposes of district-level comparisons. Districts are placed into one of nine groups from A (highest socioeconomic status) to I (lowest socioeconomic status).

Magnet Schools. Public schools designed to draw together students interested in specific subjects such as science or the arts from surrounding school districts or neighborhoods within a district, often with the purpose of voluntarily promoting racial desegregation. Many of Connecticut’s magnet schools were created in response to the 1996 Sheff vs. O’Neill court decision, which included interdistrict magnet schools as one of the mechanisms for encouraging desegregation of the public school system.

NAEP. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), often called the "Nation's Report Card," is the only common measure of student achievement across all 50 states. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the NAEP test has been conducted for over 30 years. The main NAEP test is given every two years and is designed to accurately represent the nation's 12 million students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in both public and private schools.

NCLB. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), signed into law in 2002, reauthorized and revised the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It contained both more federal education funds and stronger requirements for states that accept these funds to demonstrate progress in raising student achievement, increasing teacher qualifications and narrowing the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. For more on NCLB, see Issue Brief 4 and the Parent's Guide.

Public School Choice. A public education system that allows parents to choose from among different public schools either within their school district or across school districts. One provision of the No Child Left Behind law is a requirement that states make public school choice available to students in schools deemed in need of improvement.

SAT. The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is an examination administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) that is designed to predict how well individuals will perform in college-level subjects.

School District. An education agency at the local level created to operate public schools within a community or group of communities. To see how your school district is performing, visit ConnCAN's District Report Cards.

SDE. The Connecticut State Department of Education (SDE) is responsible for supporting the state’s network of public education institutions, including early childhood, K-12, higher education, and technical and community colleges. Specifically, the SDE manages state and federal education grants, maintains educational standards through testing and professional certification, creates curriculum, and coordinates statewide education planning. 

Supplemental Educational Services. After-school tutoring services that are available free of charge to students who attend schools that receive Title I funding and that have not made Adequate Yearly Progress under No Child Left Behind. Parents of students at qualifying schools have the choice to send their child for free to any tutoring provider that has registered with the State Department of Education.

Teacher certification. A license granted by states to teachers that makes them eligible to teach specific subjects or grade levels.

Didn’t find the term you were looking for? Send us an email: info@conncan.org