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Special education glossary

The language of IDEA, defined and cited.

75 terms with the regulation or case behind each one.

Accommodation
A change in how a student accesses instruction or demonstrates learning, such as extended time, read-aloud, preferential seating or a scribe, that does not lower the content or performance standard. IDEA requires the IEP to state the individual appropriate accommodations needed to measure academic and functional performance on state and districtwide assessments. Accommodations used on state tests must be permitted by the state's accommodations policy.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(6)
Age of majority
The age, set by state law and usually 18, at which IDEA rights transfer from the parent to the student unless the student has been found legally incompetent. Beginning at least one year before the student reaches that age, the IEP must include a statement that the student has been informed of the rights that will transfer. After transfer, the district must still send required notices to both the student and the parent.
34 CFR §§ 300.320(c), 300.520
Aim line
A straight line on a progress monitoring graph drawn from the student's baseline score to the target score at the goal date, showing the rate of growth needed to meet the annual goal. Teams compare plotted data points against the aim line using decision rules, for example changing instruction when three or four consecutive points fall below it. The aim line is the expected path; the trend line is the actual one.
Alternate assessment based on alternate academic achievement standardsAA-AAAS
A statewide assessment for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, measured against alternate academic achievement standards aligned to grade-level content. The IEP team decides, using state guidelines, whether a student participates, and must explain why the regular assessment is not appropriate. Under ESSA, statewide participation in the AA-AAAS is capped at 1 percent of all assessed students per subject, and students who take it must have short-term objectives or benchmarks in their IEP.
34 CFR §§ 300.160(c), 300.320(a)(6)(ii); 34 CFR § 200.6(c)
Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third EditionBASC-3
A norm-referenced set of teacher, parent and self-report rating scales used to measure behavioral and emotional strengths and problems in children and young adults ages 2 through 21. Results are reported as T-scores with a mean of 50 and a standard deviation of 10, where scores of 60 to 69 are usually labeled At-Risk and 70 or above Clinically Significant on problem scales. It is commonly used in evaluations for emotional disturbance, other health impairment and autism.
Behavioral intervention planBIP
A written plan, built from a functional behavioral assessment, that names target behaviors and the positive behavioral interventions, supports, replacement skills and environmental changes that address them. IDEA requires a BIP, or review of an existing one, when a behavior is found to be a manifestation of the student's disability. For any student whose behavior impedes learning, the IEP team must consider positive behavioral interventions and supports.
34 CFR §§ 300.324(a)(2)(i), 300.530(f)
Benchmark
A major milestone that marks the expected level of performance at a set point in the IEP year, such as the end of each grading period, on the way to an annual goal. Benchmarks are required for students who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate achievement standards, and many states require them for all students. They differ from short-term objectives, which break a skill into intermediate component steps.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(2)(ii)
Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley
The 1982 Supreme Court decision that first interpreted FAPE, holding that a school meets its obligation when it complies with IDEA's procedures and offers an IEP reasonably calculated to enable the child to receive educational benefits. Rowley rejected a standard requiring schools to maximize each child's potential. Its benefit standard was clarified and raised in Endrew F. in 2017.
458 U.S. 176 (1982)
Child find
The affirmative duty of every state and district to identify, locate and evaluate all children with disabilities who may need special education, regardless of severity. It covers children who are homeless, wards of the state, highly mobile, migrant, attending private schools, and those advancing from grade to grade. A district cannot wait for a parent to request an evaluation when it has reason to suspect a disability.
34 CFR §§ 300.111, 300.131
Children's Online Privacy Protection ActCOPPA
A federal law, enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, that governs how operators of online services collect personal information from children under 13. In the school context, the FTC has allowed schools to authorize collection on parents' behalf when the data is used only for the educational purpose and not for commercial purposes. Edtech vendors serving elementary students must meet COPPA alongside FERPA.
15 U.S.C. §§ 6501 to 6506; 16 CFR Part 312
Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, Fifth EditionCELF-5
A norm-referenced battery used by speech-language pathologists to identify and describe language disorders in students ages 5 through 21. It yields a Core Language Score and index scores such as Receptive Language and Expressive Language, each with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. It is a common data source for speech or language impairment eligibility and for language goals.
Compensatory education
An equitable remedy that provides services to make up for educational benefit a student lost because the district denied FAPE, for example missed speech sessions or an IEP that was never implemented. Hearing officers and courts award it under their authority to grant appropriate relief, and state complaint investigations may order compensatory services. The amount is usually set by what is needed to restore the student to where they would have been, not a strict hour-for-hour count.
20 U.S.C. § 1415(i)(2)(C)(iii); 34 CFR § 300.151(b)(1)
Coordinated early intervening servicesCEIS
Academic and behavioral supports for students in kindergarten through grade 12, with emphasis on K to 3, who are not identified as needing special education but need extra help to succeed in general education. A district may voluntarily spend up to 15 percent of its IDEA Part B allocation on CEIS. A district identified with significant disproportionality must reserve 15 percent for comprehensive CEIS.
34 CFR §§ 300.226, 300.646(d)
Corrective action plan
A written plan, required by the state educational agency after it finds noncompliance through monitoring, a state complaint or a data review, that lists the steps, evidence and deadlines a district must meet to fix the problem. IDEA requires identified noncompliance to be corrected as soon as possible and in no case later than one year after the state's written finding. Correction usually means fixing each individual student's file and showing current practice is now compliant.
34 CFR § 300.600(e)
Curriculum-based measurementCBM
A family of brief, standardized, timed probes, such as oral reading fluency, math computation or written expression, given frequently to track growth over time. Because each probe is of equivalent difficulty, scores can be graphed weekly or biweekly and compared against an aim line. CBM is the most common data source for measurable baselines and progress reports on academic IEP goals.
Directory information
Information in an education record that would not generally be considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if disclosed, such as name, grade level, photograph and participation in activities. A district may disclose it without consent only after giving annual public notice of the categories it designates and a chance for parents to opt out. Disability status and special education information can never be directory information.
34 CFR §§ 99.3, 99.37
Due process complaint
A written complaint filed by a parent or a district on any matter relating to the identification, evaluation, educational placement or provision of FAPE to a child, which starts the path to an impartial hearing. It must generally be filed within two years of when the party knew or should have known of the issue, unless the state sets a different limit. A resolution period precedes the hearing, and a final decision is due within 45 days after that period ends.
34 CFR §§ 300.507, 300.508, 300.515(a)
Education record
Under FERPA, any record directly related to a student and maintained by an educational agency or institution or a party acting for it, in any format, including IEPs, evaluation reports, progress data and emails about the student. Parents have the right to inspect and review education records, and IDEA requires districts to respond to a request without unnecessary delay and within 45 days. Sole-possession notes kept by one staff member as a memory aid are excluded.
20 U.S.C. § 1232g(a)(4); 34 CFR §§ 99.3, 300.613
Educational service agencyESA
A regional public multiservice agency authorized by state law to develop, manage and provide services or programs to districts, such as a BOCES in New York or Colorado, an intermediate unit in Pennsylvania or an educational service district in Washington. IDEA treats an ESA as a local educational agency for many purposes. ESAs often run regional special education programs, related service staffing and shared IEP systems for small and rural member districts.
34 CFR §§ 300.12, 300.28(b)
Eligibility determination
The decision, made by a group of qualified professionals and the parent after an evaluation, on whether the child has one of IDEA's disability categories and, because of it, needs special education and related services. A child cannot be found eligible if the determinant factor is lack of appropriate instruction in reading or math or limited English proficiency. The district must give the parent a copy of the evaluation report and eligibility documentation at no cost.
34 CFR §§ 300.8(a), 300.306
Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District RE-1
The 2017 unanimous Supreme Court decision holding that, to meet its substantive FAPE obligation, a school must offer an IEP reasonably calculated to enable a child to make progress appropriate in light of the child's circumstances. The Court rejected the merely more than de minimis standard some circuits had applied and said every child should have the chance to meet challenging objectives. It is the benchmark against which PLAAFPs, goals and progress data are now judged.
580 U.S. 386 (2017)
Extended school year servicesESY
Special education and related services provided beyond the normal school year, at no cost to the parent, when the IEP team determines they are necessary for the child to receive FAPE. A district may not limit ESY to particular disability categories or unilaterally limit its type, amount or duration. Many states guide the decision with factors such as regression and recoupment and emerging skills.
34 CFR § 300.106
Family Educational Rights and Privacy ActFERPA
The federal law that protects the privacy of student education records at schools receiving U.S. Department of Education funds. It gives parents, and eligible students at 18, rights to inspect records, request amendment and consent before most disclosures, with exceptions such as the school official exception that covers contracted vendors under direct control. IDEA adds its own confidentiality rules for special education records on top of FERPA.
20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99; 34 CFR §§ 300.610 to 300.626
Free appropriate public educationFAPE
Special education and related services provided at public expense, under public supervision and without charge, that meet state standards and are delivered in conformity with an IEP. Every eligible child ages 3 through 21 is entitled to FAPE, including children who have been suspended or expelled. Whether FAPE was offered is judged procedurally and substantively under Rowley and Endrew F.
20 U.S.C. § 1401(9); 34 CFR §§ 300.17, 300.101
Functional behavioral assessmentFBA
A structured process of interviews, direct observation and data collection, such as antecedent-behavior-consequence records, used to identify the purpose a problem behavior serves for a student. Its hypothesis drives the behavioral intervention plan. IDEA requires an FBA in certain discipline situations, and because it is individualized it is generally treated as an evaluation that requires parental consent.
34 CFR § 300.530(d)(1)(ii), (f)(1)(i)
General supervision
The state educational agency's responsibility to ensure that every public agency in the state meets IDEA requirements, through monitoring, dispute resolution, data collection, technical assistance and enforcement. OSEP reviews each state's general supervision system as part of its own monitoring. For districts it means state file reviews, data verification and corrective action when noncompliance is found.
20 U.S.C. § 1412(a)(11); 34 CFR §§ 300.149, 300.600
Independent educational evaluationIEE
An evaluation conducted by a qualified examiner not employed by the district. A parent who disagrees with a district evaluation may request one at public expense, and the district must, without unnecessary delay, either pay for it or file a due process complaint to show its own evaluation was appropriate. The team must consider any IEE that meets agency criteria, and a parent gets only one publicly funded IEE each time the district conducts an evaluation the parent disagrees with.
34 CFR § 300.502
Indicator 4: Suspension and expulsion
The SPP/APR indicator measuring whether districts have a significant discrepancy in the rate of suspensions and expulsions of more than 10 days in a school year for children with IEPs, overall (4A) and by race or ethnicity (4B). When a discrepancy is found, the state must review the district's policies, procedures and practices on IEPs, behavioral supports and procedural safeguards. Indicator 4B is a compliance indicator with a target of 0 percent.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(a)(3)(A); 34 CFR § 300.170
Indicator 5: Educational environments
The SPP/APR results indicator reporting where children with IEPs ages 5 in kindergarten through 21 are served: inside the regular class 80 percent or more of the day, inside the regular class less than 40 percent of the day, and in separate schools, residential facilities or homebound and hospital placements. It is the main statewide measure of least restrictive environment. States set their own annual targets with stakeholder input.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(a)(3)(A); 34 CFR § 300.114
Indicator 11: Child find timeline
The SPP/APR compliance indicator measuring the percent of children evaluated within 60 days of receiving parental consent for initial evaluation, or within the state's own timeline if it has set one. The target is 100 percent, and every late evaluation must be accounted for and corrected. States typically collect it from district evaluation logs and verify it through file review.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(a)(3)(B); 34 CFR § 300.301(c)(1)
Indicator 12: Early childhood transition
The SPP/APR compliance indicator measuring the percent of children referred by IDEA Part C before age 3 who are found eligible for Part B and have an IEP developed and implemented by their third birthday. The target is 100 percent. Districts must participate in transition planning conferences arranged by the Part C lead agency.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(a)(3)(B); 34 CFR § 300.124(b)
Indicator 13: Secondary transition
The SPP/APR compliance indicator measuring the percent of youth with IEPs aged 16 and above whose IEP includes appropriate measurable postsecondary goals, updated annually and based on age-appropriate transition assessment, plus transition services, a course of study and annual goals related to those needs. It also checks that the student was invited to the meeting and, with consent, that relevant agencies were invited. The target is 100 percent, and states verify it with a file review checklist.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(a)(3)(B); 34 CFR § 300.320(b)
Indicator 17: State Systemic Improvement PlanSSIP
The SPP/APR results indicator requiring each state to carry out a multi-year plan to improve one State-identified Measurable Result for children with disabilities, such as early literacy or graduation rates. The state reports annually on its theory of action, the evidence-based practices it is scaling and progress toward its target. Districts chosen for SSIP work often receive coaching and must report implementation data.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(b)
Individualized Education ProgramIEP
The written statement for each eligible child, developed, reviewed and revised by the IEP team, that sets out present levels, measurable annual goals, how progress will be measured and reported, the special education, related services and supplementary aids to be provided, the extent of nonparticipation with nondisabled peers, assessment participation and service dates. An IEP must be in effect at the start of each school year and reviewed at least annually. The initial IEP meeting must be held within 30 days of the eligibility determination.
34 CFR §§ 300.22, 300.320, 300.323, 300.324
Individualized Family Service PlanIFSP
The written plan for early intervention services for an infant or toddler with a disability, birth to age 3, and the child's family under IDEA Part C. It addresses family priorities and outcomes, services delivered in natural environments to the extent appropriate, and a service coordinator, and it is reviewed at least every six months. A state may allow an IFSP to serve as the IEP for a child ages 3 through 5 if the parent agrees.
34 CFR §§ 303.20, 303.340 to 303.346; 34 CFR § 300.323(b)
Individuals with Disabilities Education ActIDEA
The federal law that guarantees a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment to eligible children with disabilities and funds states to provide it. Part B covers children ages 3 through 21, and Part C covers early intervention for infants and toddlers. The law was last reauthorized in 2004, and its Part B regulations are at 34 CFR Part 300.
20 U.S.C. §§ 1400 et seq.; 34 CFR Parts 300 and 303
Least restrictive environmentLRE
IDEA's requirement that, to the maximum extent appropriate, children with disabilities are educated with children who are not disabled, and that removal from the regular class happens only when education there with supplementary aids and services cannot be achieved satisfactorily. Districts must make a continuum of alternative placements available. Placement is decided at least annually, is based on the IEP and is as close as possible to the child's home school.
34 CFR §§ 300.114 to 300.117
Local educational agencyLEA
A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a state to direct or administer public schools, usually a school district, and in many states also charter schools that are their own LEA and educational service agencies. The LEA is responsible for child find, evaluations, IEPs and FAPE for eligible children it serves. LEAs receive IDEA Part B subgrants through the state.
20 U.S.C. § 1401(19); 34 CFR § 300.28
Maintenance of effortMOE
The requirement that a district not reduce the level of local, or state and local, funds it spends on special education from one year to the next, measured in total or per capita. IDEA lists specific allowable exceptions, such as the departure of staff or a decrease in enrollment of children with disabilities. A district that fails MOE must repay the shortfall from non-federal funds.
34 CFR §§ 300.203 to 300.205
Manifestation determination
A review, held within 10 school days of any decision to change the placement of a child with a disability for violating a code of student conduct, to decide whether the conduct was caused by, or had a direct and substantial relationship to, the disability, or was the direct result of the district's failure to implement the IEP. If either answer is yes, the conduct is a manifestation and the child generally returns to the prior placement with an FBA and BIP. Weapons, drugs and serious bodily injury allow removal to an interim setting for up to 45 school days regardless of the result.
34 CFR § 300.530(e) to (g)
Mediation
A voluntary dispute resolution process, provided by the state at no cost to the parties, in which a trained and impartial mediator helps the parent and district reach agreement. Discussions are confidential and cannot be used as evidence in later hearings. Any agreement is written, signed by both parties and enforceable in state or federal court.
34 CFR § 300.506
Modification
A change in what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate, such as reduced content, alternate grading criteria or below-grade-level assignments, that changes the standard rather than only the access route. Modifications appear in the IEP as program modifications and must be decided by the team. Because they can affect credit, diplomas and state assessment validity, the IEP should state the effect clearly to the parent.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(4)
Multi-tier system of supportsMTSS
A schoolwide framework of evidence-based academic and behavioral practices organized in tiers of increasing intensity, with universal screening and regular progress monitoring to guide instructional decisions. Federal law defines the term in ESSA. MTSS data can support a disability evaluation, but MTSS cannot be used to delay or deny an evaluation when a disability is suspected.
20 U.S.C. § 7801(33)
National Data Privacy AgreementNDPA
A standard student data privacy contract published by the Student Data Privacy Consortium for use between school districts and edtech vendors, with a common national core and state-specific exhibits. It sets terms for data ownership, permitted use, security, breach notice and data deletion. A vendor can offer a signed NDPA to other districts in a state through a general offer of terms, saving each district a separate negotiation.
Office of Special Education ProgramsOSEP
The office within the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services that administers IDEA, distributes Part B and Part C grants and monitors states. Each year OSEP reviews state SPP/APR submissions and issues determinations of meets requirements, needs assistance, needs intervention or needs substantial intervention. It also issues policy letters and guidance that interpret IDEA.
20 U.S.C. § 1402; 34 CFR § 300.603
Other health impairmentOHI
An IDEA disability category for limited strength, vitality or alertness, including heightened alertness to environmental stimuli that limits alertness to the educational environment, caused by chronic or acute health problems. The regulation lists examples such as ADHD, asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, a heart condition, sickle cell anemia and Tourette syndrome. The condition must adversely affect educational performance.
34 CFR § 300.8(c)(9)
Percentile rank
The percentage of students in the norm group who scored at or below a given score, so a percentile rank of 25 means the student scored as well as or better than 25 percent of same-age or same-grade peers. Percentile ranks are not equal-interval units, so differences near the middle of the distribution represent smaller changes in skill than the same differences at the extremes. They are easier for parents to read than standard scores but should not be averaged.
Present levels of academic achievement and functional performancePLAAFP
The IEP statement describing how the child is currently performing academically and functionally, including how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general education curriculum, or for preschoolers in appropriate activities. It should rest on current, measurable data such as evaluation results, CBM baselines and teacher observation. Every annual goal and service in the IEP should trace back to a need named in the PLAAFP.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(1)
Present levels of educational performancePLEP
The name used for the present levels statement in IDEA before the 2004 reauthorization, which replaced it with present levels of academic achievement and functional performance. Some states, districts and IEP systems still use PLEP or PLOP as a label. The legal content requirements are those of the current PLAAFP regulation.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(1)
Prior written noticePWN
Written notice the district must give a parent a reasonable time before it proposes or refuses to initiate or change the identification, evaluation, educational placement or provision of FAPE to a child. It must contain seven elements, including a description of the action, the reasons, the data relied on, other options considered and sources of help. It must be written in language understandable to the general public and provided in the parent's native language unless clearly not feasible.
20 U.S.C. § 1415(b)(3), (c)(1); 34 CFR § 300.503
Procedural safeguards notice
The document explaining parents' rights under IDEA, including IEEs, prior written notice, consent, records access, complaints, mediation, due process, discipline and private school placement. It must be given once a year and also on initial referral or parental request for evaluation, on the first state complaint or due process complaint in a school year, on a disciplinary change of placement and on request. Most states publish a model notice that districts adopt.
34 CFR § 300.504
Resolution meeting
A meeting the district must convene within 15 days of receiving a parent's due process complaint, with the parent and relevant IEP team members, to try to resolve the dispute before a hearing. The district may not bring an attorney unless the parent brings one. It can be skipped only if both parties agree in writing to waive it or agree to mediation, and the hearing timeline begins after a 30-day resolution period.
34 CFR § 300.510
Response to interventionRTI
A process that measures how a student responds to scientific, research-based intervention, and that states must permit districts to use as part of identifying a specific learning disability. Data from repeated assessments at reasonable intervals must be shared with parents. RTI cannot be used to delay or deny a timely initial evaluation when a disability is suspected.
34 CFR §§ 300.307(a)(2), 300.309(b)
Section 504
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights law that prohibits disability discrimination by recipients of federal funds and requires public schools to provide a free appropriate public education to qualified students with disabilities. Its definition of disability is broader than IDEA's, so many students with ADHD, diabetes or anxiety receive a 504 plan rather than an IEP. It is enforced by the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights.
29 U.S.C. § 794; 34 CFR Part 104
Short-term objective
An intermediate, measurable step between the student's present level and an annual goal, typically breaking the target skill into component skills or conditions. IDEA 2004 requires short-term objectives or benchmarks only for children who take alternate assessments aligned to alternate academic achievement standards, though some states require them for every student. Well-written objectives make quarterly progress reporting straightforward.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(2)(ii)
Significant disproportionality
A state finding, based on a standard methodology using risk ratios, that a district identifies, places or disciplines children of a particular race or ethnicity at markedly higher rates than other children. Districts so identified must review and revise policies, practices and procedures and must reserve 15 percent of their IDEA Part B funds for comprehensive coordinated early intervening services. States set their own risk ratio thresholds and minimum cell and n sizes.
20 U.S.C. § 1418(d); 34 CFR §§ 300.646, 300.647
SMART goal
An annual IEP goal written to be specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented and time-bound, usually stating the condition, the observable behavior, the criterion and the measurement method. IDEA itself requires measurable annual goals designed to meet the child's disability-related needs; SMART is a practitioner format for meeting that standard. A goal that cannot be graphed or scored by a second person is not measurable.
34 CFR § 300.320(a)(2)(i)
Specific learning disabilitySLD
A disorder in one or more basic psychological processes involved in understanding or using language, which may show up as an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do math, and which is the largest IDEA eligibility category nationally. States may not require a severe discrepancy between intellectual ability and achievement, must permit a response to intervention process and may permit other research-based alternatives. The team must document that underachievement is not due to lack of appropriate instruction.
34 CFR §§ 300.8(c)(10), 300.307 to 300.311
Standard score
A score that expresses performance relative to a norm group on a scale with a fixed mean and standard deviation, most often a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15 on cognitive, achievement and language tests. Scores from 85 to 115 fall within one standard deviation of the mean and include about 68 percent of students. Because standard scores are equal-interval, they can be compared across subtests normed on the same scale.
State complaint
A signed written complaint, filed with the state educational agency by any individual or organization, alleging that a public agency violated IDEA within the past year. The state must investigate, including an on-site review if needed, and issue a written decision within 60 days unless exceptional circumstances justify an extension. Remedies can include compensatory services, monetary reimbursement and corrective action for future practice.
34 CFR §§ 300.151 to 300.153
State educational agencySEA
The state board of education or other agency primarily responsible for state supervision of public schools, such as a state department of education. Under IDEA the SEA receives Part B funds, sets state rules within the federal floor, monitors districts, runs the state complaint system and arranges due process hearings and mediation. It submits the SPP/APR to OSEP each year.
20 U.S.C. § 1401(32); 34 CFR § 300.41
State Performance Plan and Annual Performance ReportSPP/APR
The State Performance Plan sets measurable targets on OSEP's indicators for a multi-year period, and the Annual Performance Report, due each February, reports the state's actual data against those targets. States must publicly report each district's performance against the targets. OSEP uses the SPP/APR, with other data, to make annual state determinations.
20 U.S.C. § 1416(b); 34 CFR §§ 300.601 to 300.603
Stay put
The rule that, while a due process complaint or appeal is pending, the child remains in the current educational placement unless the parent and district agree otherwise. For an initial admission to public school, the child is placed in the public school program with parental consent until proceedings end. Discipline appeals involving interim alternative settings follow separate rules.
20 U.S.C. § 1415(j); 34 CFR §§ 300.518, 300.533
Student Privacy Pledge
A voluntary public commitment, launched in 2014 by the Future of Privacy Forum and the Software & Information Industry Association, in which edtech companies promise responsible handling of student data. Signers commit not to sell student personal information, not to use it for targeted advertising and not to build profiles except for educational purposes. The Future of Privacy Forum retired the Pledge in April 2025; districts now rely on signed data privacy agreements such as the SDPC NDPA to hold vendors to the same commitments.
Supplementary aids and services
Aids, services and other supports provided in regular education classes, other education-related settings and extracurricular and nonacademic settings so that children with disabilities can be educated with nondisabled children to the maximum extent appropriate. Examples include a co-teacher, paraprofessional support, assistive technology and modified materials. A district must consider them before removing a child from the regular class.
34 CFR §§ 300.42, 300.114(a)(2)(ii)
Surrogate parent
A person appointed to act for a child in special education matters when no parent can be identified or located, when the child is a ward of the state, or when the child is an unaccompanied homeless youth. The surrogate cannot be an employee of the SEA, district or any agency involved in the child's education or care and must have no conflicting interest. The appointment must be made within 30 days of the determination that the child needs one.
34 CFR § 300.519
Transition services
A coordinated, results-oriented set of activities that moves a student from school to post-school life, including postsecondary education, vocational training, employment, adult services, independent living and community participation. Beginning with the first IEP in effect when the student turns 16, or younger if the team or state decides, the IEP must include measurable postsecondary goals based on age-appropriate transition assessments and the transition services needed to reach them. The student must be invited to the meeting where these are discussed.
34 CFR §§ 300.43, 300.320(b), 300.321(b)
Trend line
A line of best fit drawn through a student's progress monitoring data points, often by ordinary least squares regression, showing the actual rate of improvement. Comparing the trend line's slope with the aim line tells the team whether the student is on track to meet the goal. Most decision rules call for six to eight data points before a trend is interpreted.
Triennial reevaluation
The reevaluation that must take place at least once every three years unless the parent and district agree it is unnecessary, and no more than once a year unless both agree. It begins with a review of existing evaluation data by the IEP team and other qualified professionals, who decide what additional data, if any, is needed. Parental consent is required for new assessments, though the district may proceed if it made reasonable efforts and the parent did not respond.
34 CFR §§ 300.300(c), 300.303(b), 300.305
Tuition reimbursement
Repayment of private school costs that a hearing officer or court may order when parents unilaterally place a child privately because the district did not make FAPE available in a timely manner and the private placement is appropriate. Reimbursement may be reduced or denied if parents did not give notice of their concerns and intent at the most recent IEP meeting or in writing 10 business days before removal. The Supreme Court recognized the remedy in Burlington (1985) and extended it in Carter (1993) and Forest Grove (2009).
34 CFR § 300.148(c) to (d); 471 U.S. 359 (1985)
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third EditionVineland-3
A norm-referenced measure of adaptive behavior, gathered through interview or parent and teacher forms, covering the Communication, Daily Living Skills and Socialization domains, with optional Motor Skills and Maladaptive Behavior sections. It yields an Adaptive Behavior Composite with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Adaptive deficits measured this way are a required element of intellectual disability eligibility in most states.
Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth EditionWISC-V
An individually administered cognitive ability test for children ages 6 years 0 months through 16 years 11 months. It yields a Full Scale IQ and five primary index scores, Verbal Comprehension, Visual Spatial, Fluid Reasoning, Working Memory and Processing Speed, each with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. School psychologists use it in evaluations for SLD, intellectual disability and giftedness.
Woodcock-Johnson IVWJ IV
A family of co-normed batteries, the Tests of Achievement, Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Tests of Oral Language, normed for ages 2 through 90 and older. The achievement battery reports reading, math and written language clusters as standard scores with a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Its co-norming lets evaluators compare a student's cognitive and achievement profiles directly.

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