Glossary

This glossary contains some of the words you will encounter in the professional development modules that may be unfamiliar to you. Many of these are explained in further detail in the professional development modules in either the Related Concepts slides or the content of the module itself.

Contents: 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

No Filter Accommodation and Adaptations Assistive Technology Communication Data and Progress Analysis ELA Instructional Methods Math NCSC Resources Service Providers and Educational Roles

A

Adapted Text - Adapted text is text that has been changed or augmented to provide accessibility for a student. Adapted text can be used during reading instruction. It is important to retain enough of the original text characteristics necessary for the development of targeted skills. There are several strategies described below. These strategies can be individualized for students.

• Shortened text – reducing the amount of text but retaining the essence of the passage. If the student if working on characterization or setting, ensure that the remaining text includes enough details for the student to understand the concepts.
• Rewrite text as a summary – A summary of text is very different that shortening text. A summary is a brief statement that presents the main points in a concise form. It would not have the details needed for literary skill instruction.
• Reduce lexile level – The Lexile measure represents the student’s level on a developmental scale of reading ability (using the Lexile Scale). Reducing the lexile level of a passage might assist students who are introduced to grade level content. The lexile level is different than grade equivalence which represents a student’s ability level in comparison to other students in their age appropriate grade.
• Augment - with picture, objects, repeated story line to support students as they access grade level content. The student’s communication system would help determine the type of augmentation needed for a passage or text.

Aided Language Stimulation - Systematic procedure often used by teachers to model the use of pictures or voice output device by actually using the device while communicating.

Alternative Communication - A form of communication used by individuals unable to produce oral speech.

Auditory Training - The process that involves teaching the brain how to listen.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication - Communication used when an individual is unable to produce intelligible oral speech.

Augmentative Communication - A form of communication to supplement or clarify existing oral speech.

Authentic Communication - Extending the communication exchange into a conversation.

C

College and Career Readiness -

• Consistent goals
• Real-world learning goals
• Graduating from high school prepared for college, career, and life

College and Career Readiness Skills - Important for ALL students, including those with significant cognitive disabilities, whether or not they go to college:

• Communicative competence
• Social skills to function well in small groups
• Independent and team work skills
• Problem Solving
• Reading/writing/math
• Skills for identifying and requesting supports

Common Core State Standards (CCSS's) - Your State has either developed their own grade level state standards or has adopted the Common Core State Standards to establish guidelines for learning in Math and English Language Arts from kindergarten through 12th grade. Achieving the learning goals put forth in the standards will prepare students for college and career.

Concept Reinforcement Activity - The first and third lesson in each ELA and Math UDL units are Concept Reinforcement Activities. They are there to assist students by providing the following:

• Concept background knowledge
• Added supports
• Data collection
• A way for the teacher to determine the student's concept instructional needs

Communication - In order to establish a consistent communication system for students with significant disabilities who have complex communication needs (CCN)

• We MUST have a commonly understood definition of communication when working with students with significant disabilities.
• The entire team must understand acknowledge and whenever possible, honor student communication.
• Communication is both receptive and expressive.

Conventional Communication - Easily understood modes of communication.

Core Content Connectors (CCC's) - The Core Content Connectors identify the most salient grade-level, core academic content in ELA and Mathematics found in both the Common Core State Standards and the Learning Progression Frameworks. CCCs have been formatted into 2 sub-groupings under an umbrella term Graduated Understandings. They are the Instructional Families and Element Cards.

D

Data Line - Number of sessions or days indicated by multiple data points.

Data Point - Number of correct responses, or percent of correct responses, divided by the number of opportunities given to a student in a session.

Data Trend - A line that bisects the data points and indicate whether data is increasing or decreasing.

Direct Selection - This is a method of access for a communication system. Direct selection can be accomplished by touching or pointing to the selected item or symbol.

Dynamic Display - The display on the communication system changes depending on the student’s selection. For example, when a student selects the symbol for ‘math’ on their home screen, the display changes to present vocabulary associated with ‘math’.

E

Element Cards (EC's) - The Element Cards help teachers instruct students at various levels as they move toward full understanding of content standards. They include:

• Core Content Connectors
• Progress indicators from one or more Learning Progression Frameworks
• Concepts of Universal Design for Learning
• Essential Understanding(s).

Expressive Language - Conveying a message.

G

Graduated Understandings (GU's) - The Graduated Understandings are comprised of two resources: The Instructional Families and the Element Cards. The Instructional Families and Element Cards present the areas of curricular emphasis within and across grades and the progression of learning within domains of the Common Core State Standards. Similar curricular emphasis can be identified in state standards.

Grid Display - The symbols on the communication device are arranged in lines and columns.

H

High Tech Communication Device - The most sophisticated of communication devices. These devices are computer-based and allow the user to generate their own messages. These devices tend to be expensive and may require training for programming and use.

I

Instructional Families (IF's) - The Instructional Families are a series of tables depicting relationships among the CCSS, the CCC’s, and the LPF’s. They present the curriculum visually within and across grade levels. The Instructional Families are presented in three different views: 1) By grade band and Learning Progression Strands; 2) By grade and CCCs; and, 3) By Instructional Family and CCCs.

Intent - An individual’s reason for communicating.

Intervener - A paraprofessional with specialized skills and training who provide support to students who are deaf/blind for all or part of the instructional day.

L

Learning Progressions Framework (LPF's) - The Learning Progressions Frameworks describe pathways for learning that focus on the big ideas of a discipline; help educators design instruction and assessments that move students toward deeper and broader understanding of the content; and, include progress indicators; descriptions of observable learning along the learning continuum in each strand.

Listener Comprehension - Person’s ability to understand the meaning of words that are heard and relate them in some way.

Literacy - Literacy for students with significant intellectual disabilities.

Reading includes:
• Words
• Picture symbols
• Tactile representations
• Other communication tools

Low Tech Communication Device - Communication devices that involve the use of simple electronics. These devices are usually battery operated and are typically limited to preprogrammed messages.

M

Mode - The specific behaviors used by the individual to communicate.

N

NCSC Curriculum & Instructional Resources Schema - The NCSC curriculum and instructional resources schema defines the “what” and “how” when planning for and teaching academic content to students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. The Schema is on the wiki main page and corresponding links to curriculum and instructional resources appear at the top of the page under wiki resources. The elements of the schema are linked to the resources within the wiki. Simply click on the element title (e.g., Common Core State Standards) and you will be directed to the appropriate page in the wiki.

• The purple band or top half of the schema describes the “what to teach” based on the Common Core Sate Standards, the Learning Progressions, and the Core Content Connectors that are linked to both. The CCSS and most state standards have a specific format but are very similar when stating what a student should know and be able to do. This similarity carried over to the Learning Progressions Framework and the Core Content Connectors.
• The orange band or bottom half of the schema provides instructional tools to support how to teach this content - based on over a decade of research on academic instruction, and learner characteristics of students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

No Tech Communication Device - The least expensive communication devices that a frequently hand made with readily available materials. It is recommended that every student have at least one no teach device as a backup regardless of how complex his or her primary communication instrument is.

P

Principles of Effective Writing Instruction - Students need:

• Frequent, predictable times to write.
• An explicit writing process of writing drafts, revising, and editing using the supports needed by the student.
• To be able to choose writing topics which may motivate writing.
• Authentic opportunities to write for real purposes and real audiences.
• Use writing as a tool to strengthen reading comprehension.

Probe - To assess.

R

Reading Fluency - Reading fluency is the ability to read phrases and sentences smoothly and quickly, while understanding them as expressions of complete ideas. Fluency can be determined by measuing the rate at which a student reads.

Receptive Language - What the student understands.

Response to Intervention (RTI) - Response to Intervention is a multi-tiered instructional approach designed to identify students in both general and special education who need support in learning and behavior. Interventions are provided in tiers which increase in intensity and duration as needed, based on data collection evidencing student progress and the students’ response to the interventions. The integration of supports and services in both general and special education, and the provision of these services by a variety of personnel, lead to an integrated, effective approach to educational decision-making. An important goal of RTI is to identify student needs through early and regular screening.

S

Scanning - This is a method of access for a communication system. Scanning systems present one choice at a time, with the student indicating when the desired choice is presented.

Shared Reference - Also known as “joint attention”, two individuals share a visual referent.

Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) - Individuals who assess, diagnose, treat and help to prevent communication and swallowing disorders in patients.

Static display - On a communication device with a static display all the symbols remain the in same location and in the same order.

Student Preferences - Things that the student responds or alerts to when presented or available.

Systematic Presentation - Teaching procedure that allows us to control or manipulate the parts.

Symbolic Representation - Process of expressing mental processes and ideas in a symbolic way, by the use of words or sound.

T

Text Complexity - The Common Core State Standards uses a 3-part model to determine text complexity. Each component is equal in importance to the others. The model is a way to measure or examine text in a standardized way by looking at the levels of meaning, or qualitative, the length of words and sentences, or quantitative, and the readers’ motivation, background knowledge and experience. These can be defined further as such:

• Qualitative - refers to levels of meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands.
• Quantitative - refers to those aspects of text complexity, such as word length or frequency, sentence length, and text cohesion, that are difficult to evaluate efficiently.
• Reader and task considerations - variables specific to a particular reader, such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences. This is important to students with disabilities. Although students may be missing experiences, they should not be held back from grade-level content. Background knowledge woven into new content instruction is very much a part of the daily lessons.

U

Unconventional Communication (idiosyncratic) - Modes of communication that are more challenging to understand.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) - Universal Design for Learning is a set of principles that guide development of curriculum. When implemented, UDL provides opportunities for learning to all individuals by utilizing: Multiple Means of Engagement; Multiple Means of Representation; and, Multiple Means of Action and Expression.

V

Visual Scene Display - A picture of a common location or event with several hot spots. The hot spots are people, items or locations on the picture that represent the location where the AAC device stores the word or message that hot spot represents.

W

Writing Instruction - Writing instruction for students with intellectual disabilities.

• Writing instruction is most successful when……
• It is based on effective writing practices for all students, and
• It is embedded in a framework of communication instruction that includes opportunities for reading, writing and discussion.
• Teaching writing may be new to many teachers who are just starting content instruction for their students.