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Glossary

(AAC) Augmentative and alternative communication The supplementation or replacement of natural speech and/or writing using aided and/or unaided symbols. Blissymbols, pictures or pictographs, and electronically-produced speech are examples of aided symbols.  Manual hand signs, gestures, and finger spelling are examples of unaided symbols.

Accountability  The demand by a community (public officials, employers, and taxpayers) for school officials to prove that money invested in education has led to measurable learning.

(ADA)  Americans with Disabilities Act  Federal legislation enacted in 1990 to prohibit discrimination in employment, public accommodations, and public services on the basis of disability.

Alternate Assessment  An assessment that is an alternate to an assessment that is more widely used.  In Indiana, IASEP is an alternate to the more widely used ISTEP+

Assessment  The process of testing and observing the child in order to understand the nature, personality, learning style and abilities of the child to help make decisions about the kind of educational programming required.

(AT)  Assistive Technology  Any technology used to enable individuals to perform tasks that are difficult or impossible due to disabilities.

Audio clips  segments of recorded speech or sounds which have been transformed into electronic format for storage on a disk or computer.

DIAS (Documentation of Indiana Academic Standards)  A system being developed to help assess students' progress in relation to the Indiana Academic Standards

Digital camera  A special kind of camera which allows you to take pictures like you would with a regular camera, but produces the picture in electronic form to be stored on a disk or  computer.

Documentation  Any records or work of your child which demonstrates his/her abilities in a particular area.  Documentation may include (but is not limited to) artwork, writing samples, pictures, videos, tape recordings, or written observations by professionals.

Domains  Areas of activities and skills.  Domains assessed by IASEP include information acquisition and use, personal adjustment, social adjustment, recreation & leisure, and vocational experience.  Domains assessed by ECAS include sensory motor, communication, self-help, social, and cognitive.

ECAS ( Early Childhood Assessment System)  An electronic system of ratings and supporting documentation and information to be used for measuring progress in and planning activities for children of preschool age.

Electronic portfolio  A collection of video clips, audio clips, digitized photos, and/or written notes which together reflect the abilities of a particular child or student.

Essential skill  A task which a child or student must be able to perform in order to meet a proficiency.

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)  The federal law which sets forth rules about a parent's right to view or suggest changes to his/her child's educational records.

File  Information and data stored on a computer disk or in a computer.

IASEP (Indiana Assessment System of Educational Proficiencies)  An alternate assessment system designed to meet the assessment and accountability needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities whose education curricula include skills for living and learning in addition to academics.  IASEP is an electronic system of ratings and supporting documentation and information.

IEP (Individualized Education Program)  The written educational plan for the student in special education with goals and objectives to be learned.  Each student has his/her own IEP.

IFSP (Individualized Family Service Plan)  A written plan for each infant or toddler receiving early intervention services that includes goals for the family and a transition plan for the child into services for children age three (3) and above.

Indiana Academic Standards  A collection of statements which specify what Indiana children are expected to know and to be able to do at each grade level.

ISTEP+ (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress)  The statewide assessment instrument used to assess the academic skills of most students in the state of Indiana.

IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act)  Federal legislation that requires all states to provide all children with disabilities free, appropriate public education.

Peripheral device  Piece of hardware separate from the computer such as a printer, scanner, or video camera.

Pilot  site  A  location used  for testing and improving the assessment system 

Procedural Safeguards  The steps taken to insure that a person's legal rights are not denied.

Proficiency  A statement which identifies a child's or student's ability to function within a subdomain.  Each proficiency is dependent upon the ability to perform one or more essential skills.  A proficiency for the subdomain of language might be "The student/child communicates using expressive language skills."

Rubric  A scoring guide  for rating proficiencies and skills. 

Scanner  A hardware device which allows you to make an electronic picture from your paper or photograph.  This picture can then be stored on a disk or computer.

Subdomain  One of several areas of skills or activities which compose a domain.  For example, the personal adjustment domain in IASEP is composed of the subdomains personal care, domestic living, and responsibility.

Video clips  segments of a video which have been transformed into electronic format for storage on a disk or computer.

Definitions for this glossary have been taken in part from IASEP Training Manual (1999) and In*Source Parent Packet (1995).