Alphabet Soup

Following is a list of common acronyms used by most school boards. It was compiled by Michelle Worley, ABC Provincial President, several years ago to help parents familiarize themselves with ‘eduspeak’. It will also be of interest to parents who were themselves educated in other provinces or countries.

ABC – Association for Bright Children of Ontario

AST – Area Support Teacher – A special education teacher assigned to several schools. They help in program strategies and may work directly with students.

BILL 82 – Gave the legal right for gifted students to receive special education. Now incorporated into the Education Act.

CAP – Centrally Assigned Principal – Oversees the delivery of Special Education Services.

CASE CONFERENCE – A meeting of educators or the school team held prior to formal identification or to review the programming and progress of exceptional students. Suggestions for change may be forwarded to the annual IPRC. Parents and students do not normally attend these meetings.

CONTINUUM OF SERVICE – Range of placements, programs and services from regular classroom, part-time withdrawal to selfcontained (congregated) classes.

EA – Educational Assistant

EDU – Ministry of Education. See website: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca

ELD – English Literacy Development

EO – Education Officer with the Ministry of Education. – EOs have a teaching background.

ESL – English as a Second Language

FORM 14 – A legal document giving permission to access a student’s medical and psychological records and for the exchange of information with the school board. This is governed by the Health Care Consent Act, 1996. Note: Parents/guardians should ensure that only specific information is made available, to specific educators for a specific time period.

IEP – Individual Education Plan – A plan for each special education student outlining programming goals and strategies for that student. It is a working document. See Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, Ministry of Education 2000, available on ministry website.

IPRC – Identification, Placement and Review Committee – Composed of at least three persons, one of whom must be a principal or supervisory officer. The IPRC makes decisions about the student’s identification and placement and may discuss program. This committee reviews the placement and identification annually. Note: Parents should attend the IPRC and provide input into the process. See Regulation 181/98 on ministry website.

ISA – Special Education Grant - Intensive Support Amount – School boards apply to the Ministry of Education for this grant which is generated by the board’s high needs, low incidence students.

MACSE – The Minister's Advisory Council on Special Education – Members are appointed by the Minister of Education to provide advice on any matter related to the establishment and provision of special education programs and services for exceptional students. Members include representatives of the exceptionalities, psychologists, social workers, principals, teachers and other groups involved in Special Education.

MTCU – Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

OSR – Ontario Student Record – Every student in Ontario has an OSR. It contains report cards, IPRC documents and other information on the student. Parents and students, 16 and over, have access to the OSR. Note: Parents should have copies of everything in the OSR. Parents should check the OSR regularly.

PAAC ON SEAC – Provincial Parent Associations Advisory Committee On Special Education Advisory Committees – Gives guidance to SEAC’s. Meets with Ministry of Education representatives. RANGE OF PLACEMENT OPTIONS – The extent of choices for programming. See continuum of service.

REG. 181/98 – Mandates IEP’s for all exceptional students, outlines IPRC procedures, and gives parents the right to have an advocate attend the IPRC, deals with appeal procedures. Revokes Reg. 305. REG. 306 – Regulations that deal with the categories and definitions in the Education Act and outlines the IPRC and Appeal process.

REG. 464/97 – Outlines Special Education Advisory Committees membership and role.

SEP – Special Education Plan – All school boards must have a SEP which must be reviewed annually and submitted to the Ministry of Education.

SEPPA – Special Education Per Pupil Amount – a Special Education Grant provided to a school board based on the total enrolment and intended to meet the needs of the majority of exceptional students.

SO – Supervisory Officer with a district board of education.

SEAC – Special Education Advisory Committee – The Education Act requires every school board to establish a SEAC. The SEAC may make recommendations to the board in respect of any matter affecting the establishment and development of special education programs and services in respect of exceptional pupils of the board. SEAC consists of a maximum of 12 local parent associations and their alternates and up to 3 trustees. Community representatives may sit on SEAC. A supervisory officer from the school board is a resource to the committee. See regulation 464/97 on the ministry website.

SECTION 27, SECTION 19 – Day Treatment and Residential Programs.

SERT – Special Education Resource Teacher – A teacher assigned to a school to act as a resource for the staff and to provide indirect or direct service for special needs students.

SNC – Special Needs Committee – Participants of Tracking Meetings, often composed of the principal, a SERT and the classroom teacher.

SPECIAL EDUCATION FOLDER – Contains the individual educational plan for an identified student.

SST – School Support Team – Principal, special education teacher, member of Student and Community Services and possibly others who work with classroom teachers.

TA – Teaching Assistant

TRACKING MEETING – A meeting to monitor the progress of a student in the program provided. Parents and students do not normally attend these meetings.

VP – Vice Principal