BCCPAC
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Click here for a list of common acronyms and terms
| Acronym | Term | Description |
|---|---|---|
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Assessment (term used in special education) |
A systemic process for gathering information from many sources in order to make appropriate educational decisions for a student. A progressive process identifying the student's strengths and needs. Results in the design and implementation of selected educational strategies. Assessments are conducted on a continuum and include formal and informal assessments.
See also Formal Assessment and Informal Assessment
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| Adaptations (term used in special education) | Strategies that support students in achieving the learning outcomes of the provincial curriculum. Adaptations may include adjustments to assessment, instruction, environment or resources. | |
| CBT | Cognitive Behaviour Therapy | |
|
Collaboration (term used in special education) |
An interactive process where a number of people with particular expertise come together as equals to generate an appropriate program or process or find solutions to problems. | |
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Critical incident response plans (term used in special education) |
Developed at the school level to help the school deal with an incident such as a violent event, sudden death or accident which has the potential to adversely affect students, staff and the community. | |
|
Culture (term used in special education) |
The customary beliefs, social forms and traits of a racial, religious or social group that may also consist of a set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices. | |
|
Cultural Competence (term used in special education) |
The ability to integrate and transform knowledge about individuals and groups of people into personal attitudes, and then use this awareness to develop appropriate policies and practices to produce better outcomes and increase the effectiveness of communication and services. | |
| DPAC | District Parent Advisory | What is a DPAC |
| Diversity (term used in special education) | The ways in which individuals differ from each other. Differences may be visible (for example, race, gender, age); others are less visible (for example, culture, ancestry, language, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, ability, socio-economic background). | |
| EA | Education Assistant | |
| Education Program (term used in special education) | An organized set of learning activities designed to enable students to develop to their potential and acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to contribute to a healthy society. Reference:Special Needs Student Order (M150/89) | |
| Empathy (term used in special education) | Understanding the emotional make-up of other people and responding to people in an appropriate way and in accordance with their emotional reactions. | |
| EGM | Extraordinary General Meeting | |
| ESL | English as a Second Language | |
| Formal Assessment (term used in special education) | Includes psycho-educational assessment by a psychologist to determine academic skill development, intellectual functioning, strengths and weaknesses in learning processes, and social and adaptive skills. Formal and informal assessments help teachers and parents to better understand the nature of the special need and how to choose appropriate educational strategies for the child. | |
| Inclusion (term used in special education) | The value system which holds that all students are entitled to equitable access to learning, achievement and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their education. The practice of inclusion transcends the idea of physical location and incorporates basic values that promote participation, friendship and interaction. | |
| IEP | Individual Education Plan | Written records which document the individualized planning processes for students with special educational needs. Individualized planning is a continuous and integrated process of instruction, assessment, evaluation, decision-making and reporting. Reference:Individual Education Plan Order (M638/95) Individual Education Plans: A Guide for Parents September 2010 |
| Informal Assessment (term used in special education) | Includes student observations, file reviews, team consultation, interviews, and academic or behavioural testing to determine skill development, strengths, and weaknesses. Formal and informal assessments help teachers and parents to better understand the nature of the special need and how to choose appropriate educational strategies for the child. | |
| Integration (term used in special education) | The practice of placing students with special needs in educational settings with peers who do not have special needs. | |
| Interventions (term used in special education) | In the field of special education, interventions are putting into practice plans, strategies and support to facilitate the learning and address the special needs of students. | |
| IRP | Integrated Resource Package | |
| Modifications (term used in special education) | Changes to learning outcomes that result in students' learning outcomes being substantially different from those of the provincial curriculum. Modifications are specifically selected to address a student's special needs. | |
| Parent/Guardian | Under Section 1 of the BC School Act, parent means "in respect of a student or of a child registered under Section 13, a) the guardian of the student or child, b) the person legally entitled to custody of the student of child, or c) the person who usually has the care and control of the student or child." | |
| PAC | Parent Advisory Council | What is a PAC |
| Placement | The level, grade, classroom or setting that is most suitable for the student. | |
| PBS | Positive Behaviour Support | |
| Safety plans (term used in special education) | Deal with aggressive behaviour or other situations in which students or staff are at risk for harm. | |
| School-Based Team | An ongoing team of school-based personnel which functions as a problem-solving group to assist classroom teachers in developing and implementing instructional and management strategies and to coordinate support resources for students with special needs within the school. | |
| Student with special needs (term used in special education) | Students who have disabilities of an intellectual, physical, sensory, emotional or behavioural nature, who have a learning disability or have exceptional gifts or talents Reference:Special Needs Student Order (M150/89) | |
| SOA | Superintendent of Achievement | |
| SPC | School Planning Council | SPC 101 |
| TA | Teacher's Assistant | |
| TQB | Teacher Qualification Board | |
| TQS | Teacher Qualification Service | |
| Transition | The passage of students from one environment to another at key points in their development from childhood to adulthood, for example: into Kindergarten or from elementary school to secondary. | |
| Universal precaution plans | Required by WorkSafe BC. They cover procedures for cleaning up body fluids and disposing of clean-up materials. They should be included in relevant IEPs |