North Star Terms Glossary

The University of California and California State University subject requirements that high school students must complete to be eligible for admission.

Behavior is a skill that can be taught, hence it is a teachable, measurable, and functional skill rather than just an inherent personality trait.

The intentional alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment across grades and subjects to ensure consistent, connected learning experiences for all students.

CTE equips students with the academic, technical, and workplace skills needed for future careers.

State Adopted and Board Approved instructional materials to be used when providing content-specific instruction to students.

Educational equity means that every child receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential. (National Equity Project)

Formative assessment is a deliberate process used by teachers with students during instruction that provides actionable feedback that is used to adjust teaching and learning strategies to improve students’ attainment of learning targets and goals. Formative assessment is a process, not a test. (Formative Assessment and K-12 Assessment Types)

An approach to education based on the premise that all students (e.g., typically developing students, students with disabilities, English learners, students from varying income levels and backgrounds) should be accepted and valued for their unique abilities and included as integral members of the school. Schools that practice inclusion make an effort to include every student in the general education classroom and in extracurricular activities. (Vanderbilt University)

A collaborative relationship between district leadership and employee unions focused on shared decision-making to improve outcomes for students and staff.

Schooling structure that brings together educators' knowledge of context, science, and systems, resulting in positive benefits for each and every student. It is a three-tier organizing framework that uses specific data sources to inform decisions, coordinating diverse academic, behavioral, and social resources to meet the needs of each and every student in a dynamic and timely fashion. Tier 1 serves all students, Tier 2 provides targeted support for some students, and Tier 3 delivers intensive intervention for a few students with the greatest needs. (Leading Equity-Based MTSS for All Students, McCart, A. & Miller, D., 2020)

A budgeting and staffing system that tracks and manages each authorized employee position, and its associated cost, within a district to ensure fiscal accountability.

General, evidence-based methods used throughout the school to support academic and behavioral success. They are often foundational, school-wide efforts that apply to all students, particularly in MTSS Tier 1.

Reflects the critical role of positive relationships and emotional connections in the learning process and helps students develop a range of skills they need for school and life. SEL skills include the ability to: set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and understand and manage emotions. (California Department of Education)

The academic knowledge and skills students are expected to learn at each grade level, as defined by the state of California.

Specific evidence-based methods, techniques, or instructional approaches applied within an MTSS tier to improve student outcomes. Often more specific than a practice, but can be applied by teachers or specialists to target a skill deficit.

Summative assessments are given to students at the end of a course and should measure the skills and knowledge a student has gained over the entire instructional period. Summative feedback is aimed at helping students understand how well they have done in meeting the overall learning goals of the course.” (Teaching Commons and K-12 Assessment Types)