Question 1

TEA (Texas Education Agency)

Accepted Answer

State agency overseeing primary and secondary public education in the state of Texas.

Question 2

STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness)

Accepted Answer

Standardized test series administered in primary and secondary Texas schools to assess students' attainment of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies skills required under Texas education standards.

Question 3

ELPS (English Language Proficiency Standards)

Accepted Answer

Standards designed to outline the instruction school districts must provide to ELLs (English Language Learners) in order for them to have full opportunity to learn English and to succeed academically.

Question 4

TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills)

Accepted Answer

State standards for what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade level.

Question 5

PBMAS (Performance-Based Monitoring Analysis System)

Accepted Answer

System that reports annually on the performance of school districts and charter schools in selected program areas (bilingual education/English as a second language, career and technical education, special education, and certain Title programs under the Every Student Succeeds Act).

Question 6

ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)

Accepted Answer

2015 federal law that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, requiring states to develop plans to address standards, assessments, school and district accountability, and special help for struggling schools.

Question 7

RTI (Response to Intervention)

Accepted Answer

A multi-tier approach to the early identification and support of students with learning and behavior needs.

Question 8

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)

Accepted Answer

Federal law that requires schools to serve the educational needs of eligible students with disabilities.

Question 9

ELL (English Language Learner)

Accepted Answer

Students who are in the process of acquiring English language skills and knowledge.

Question 10

SPED (Special Education)

Accepted Answer

Customized instructional services to support students with disabilities or special needs.

Question 11

ESL (English as a Second Language)

Accepted Answer

Instructional program for students whose dominant language is not English. The purpose is to increase the students' English proficiency.

Question 12

Bilingual Education

Accepted Answer

Education program in which two languages are used to provide content matter instruction.

Question 13

IEP (Individualized Education Program)

Accepted Answer

A document developed for each public school child who needs special education.

Question 14

504 Plan

Accepted Answer

A plan developed to ensure that a child who has a disability identified under the law and is attending an elementary or secondary educational institution receives accommodations that will ensure their academic success and access to the learning environment.

Question 15

LEP (Limited English Proficiency)

Accepted Answer

A term that refers to students who lack the English language skills necessary to succeed in school.

Question 16

LPAC (Language Proficiency Assessment Committee)

Accepted Answer

A school-based committee charged with reviewing and monitoring the progress and accommodations of English Language Learners.

Question 17

PGP (Personal Graduation Plan)

Accepted Answer

A plan that outlines a student's intended course of study as they progress towards graduation.

Question 18

Istation

Accepted Answer

An online adaptive assessment and individualized reading instruction tool.

Question 19

TELPAS (Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System)

Accepted Answer

An assessment program designed to measure the progress that limited English proficient (LEP) students make in learning the English language.

Question 20

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Accepted Answer

An educational framework that guides the development of flexible learning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences.

Question 21

Metacognition

Accepted Answer

Awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes.

Question 22

Zone of Proximal Development

Accepted Answer

The difference between what learners can do without help and what they can achieve with guidance and encouragement from a skilled partner.

Question 23

Scaffolding

Accepted Answer

A variety of instructional techniques used to move students progressively toward stronger understanding and, ultimately, greater independence in the learning process.

Question 24

Differentiated Instruction

Accepted Answer

A teaching philosophy based on the premise that teachers should adapt instruction to student differences.

Question 25

Bloom's Taxonomy

Accepted Answer

A set of three hierarchical models used to classify educational learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity.

Question 26

Constructivism

Accepted Answer

A philosophy of learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world.

Question 27

Behaviorism

Accepted Answer

A theory of learning that focuses solely on observable behaviors and discounts any independent activities of the mind.

Question 28

Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development

Accepted Answer

A comprehensive theory about the nature and development of human intelligence, developed by Jean Piaget.

Question 29

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Accepted Answer

A theory in psychology proposed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper "A Theory of Human Motivation" in Psychological Review.

Question 30

Montessori Method

Accepted Answer

An educational approach developed by Maria Montessori where the child is viewed as one who is naturally eager for knowledge and capable of initiating learning in a supportive, thoughtfully prepared learning environment.

Question 31

Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development

Accepted Answer

A series of eight stages that a healthy developing individual should pass through from infancy to late adulthood.

Question 32

Vygotsky's Social Development Theory

Accepted Answer

The central theme of Vygotsky’s theoretical framework is that social interaction plays a fundamental role in the development of cognition.

Question 33

Formative Assessment

Accepted Answer

An assessment that's both diagnostic and instructional. It provides feedback to both the student and the teacher about how learning is progressing.

Question 34

Summative Assessment

Accepted Answer

An evaluation of student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark.

Question 35

Norm-Referenced Test

Accepted Answer

A type of test, assessment, or evaluation which yields an estimate of the position of the tested individual in a predefined population.

Question 36

Criterion-Referenced Test

Accepted Answer

A style of test which uses test scores to generate a statement about the behavior that can be expected of a person with that score.

Question 37

Authentic Assessment

Accepted Answer

A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.

Question 38

Gifted and Talented

Accepted Answer

Refers to students who have the potential to perform at an exceptionally high level compared to others of the same age, experience, or environment.

Question 39

Charter Schools

Accepted Answer

Publicly funded schools that are typically governed by a group or organization under a legislative contract (or charter) with the state or jurisdiction.

Question 40

Magnet Schools

Accepted Answer

Public schools with specialized courses or curricula designed to attract students wishing to enhance particular skills.

Question 41

School Vouchers

Accepted Answer

Certificates of government funding for a student at a school chosen by the student or the student's parents.

Question 42

At-Risk Student

Accepted Answer

A student who is statistically more likely than others to fail academically due to various personal, social, economic, or educational circumstances.

Question 43

Title I Schools

Accepted Answer

Schools receiving federal funds to help students at risk of failure and living at or near poverty.

Question 44

Dyslexia

Accepted Answer

A specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.

Question 45

Dysgraphia

Accepted Answer

A neurological disorder characterized by writing disabilities. Specifically, the disorder causes a person's writing to be distorted or incorrect.

Question 46

Dyscalculia

Accepted Answer

A specific learning disorder that is characterized by impairments in learning basic arithmetic facts, processing numerical magnitude and performing accurate and fluent calculations.

Question 47

PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)

Accepted Answer

An evidence-based three-tiered framework to improve and integrate all of the data, systems, and practices affecting student outcomes every day.

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards