Glossary of Terms
Academic Advisor (AA): The Academic Advisor is a Washington State certified teacher who assists new students and families with the selection of courses and curriculum, and answers learning-related questions (as opposed to enrollment-related questions) during the registration process. Academic Advisors are also available to assist returning students and families during scheduled breaks when teachers are not available.
Alternative Learning Experience (ALE): A public education program offered at a distance within Washington State. The specific legal requirements can be found in WAC 392-121-182.
Annual Assessment: A state-mandated assessment that measures a student’s academic progress each year.
Choice Transfer: Parents visit their resident district to request a choice transfer to one of our CVA partner districts, as directed by their CVA enrollment advisor.
Communication: This is direct, two-way, personal interaction between the student and his or her CVA teachers. The primary mode of interaction happens when CVA teachers provide written feedback to assignments, assessments, work samples and learning reflections submitted by students. Other opportunities for interaction include: phone conversations, face-to-face meetings, video and voice conferencing, and email communications.
Digital Learning Department (DLD): The DLD provides information, guidance, and technical assistance in the areas of Online Learning, Alternative Learning, and Open Educational Resources. The DLD support school districts, families, and course providers serving Washington's K-12 students.
Enrollment Advisor (EA): The Enrollment Advisor responds to inquiries, provides general information about the structure of the CVA program, reviews applications, maintains student records and assists throughout the registration process.
Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs): Learning standards developed from the Basic Education Act of 1993 that define what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level. You can find these standards here.
Family Educational Team: A group consisting of the parent/guardian, student, CVA teacher, principal and other qualified teachers in additional areas of expertise (as needed) responsible for formulating and guiding student instruction.
Florida Virtual Schools (FLVS): FLVS is an online public school from Florida that partners with CVA to provide online courses.
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): An enrollment term that provides the basis for basic education funding. A student who is enrolled in CVA taking five courses is considered one FTE. If a student wishes to take fewer than five courses at CVA with an additional course or courses at his or her resident district, the CVA teacher must be advised so an Interdistrict Agreement for Shared FTE may be created between CVA and the resident district.
Homeroom Teacher: The homeroom teacher is responsible for guiding student learning activities as related to the Written Student Learning Plan. The homeroom teacher is the primary point of contact for each student. He or she will: have two-way communication with each student at least once a week, review and discuss learning progress each month as related to the goals of the WSLP, recommend curriculum and will help match each student to appropriate learning activities.
Individualized Education Program (IEP): An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is the document that describes the special education program developed and designed by the IEP team (which includes parents) to address a student’s unique needs. The IEP is the cornerstone of a quality education for each child with a disability.
Instructional Resources: Curricular materials used to facilitate instruction of a student.
Learning Management System (LMS): An LMS is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of electronic educational technology education courses or training programs.
Monthly Review: Summary of student learning progress in each subject area within the Written Student Learning Plan, recorded in the student data management system each month. The CVA teacher will consider information collected through weekly student contact and work samples to make a professional determination as to whether or not the student is making satisfactory progress toward accomplishment of the learning goals in the Written Student Learning Plan.
Non-Returnable Instructional Resources: Items not reusable by more than one student, such as workbooks, lab materials, etc. These items are considered “used up” during the course and need not be returned.
OSPI: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), is the primary agency charged with overseeing K-12 public education in Washington State. Led by the State School Superintendent, OSPI works with the state’s 295 school districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
Partner District: A public school district in Washington State that has partnered with CVA to offer CVA’s ALE program. Students assigned to partner districts will be served by that district’s Washington State certified and Highly Qualified ALE teachers.
Principal: The principal (or sometimes lead teacher or superintendent) supervises the CVA teachers and is available to resolve any concerns that a student or parent or guardian may have that are not successfully resolved with the CVA teacher.
Returnable Instructional Resources: Those materials that retain their value and can be re-used by other students, such as textbooks and literature books. These items must be returned to CVA, at CVA’s expense, immediately after the course has been completed, ended or the student has withdrawn.
RCW: RCW stands for Revised Code of Washington. An RCW, or law, is the result of legislation that has been passed by the House and Senate and has been signed by the Governor. The Revised Code of Washington contains all laws that have been adopted in the State of Washington, as well as a history of all laws that have previously existed or been amended. The education laws are found in RCW Title 28A Common School Provisions.
Shared Enrollment: Shared enrollment occurs when your student is enrolled both in CVA and another public or private educational program for part of his or her learning experience.
Student Records System (SRS): SRS was developed to improve customer service, integrate and consolidate information, and provide functionality that is not available with other CVA information systems. SRS was designed to meet four basic goals:
- Manage ALE requirements
- Support the educational/partnership model of CVA
- Improve the family experience
- Enhance CVA teacher/student collaboration.
State Assessments: The state assessments include these annual tests: Smarter Balanced Assessments in ELA and Math (SBAs); Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS); Washington Access to Instruction and Measurement (WA-AIM); English Language Proficiency Assessment for the 21st Century (ELPA21); WIDA (World-class Instructional Design and Assessment , the alternate for the ELPA21); Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS); Off-Grade Level graduation alternatives.
WAC: WAC stands for Washington Administrative Code. WACs are administrative codes, or rules, that are adopted by agencies, including OSPI, to enact legislation and RCWs. The Washington Administrative Code contains all rules that have been adopted, as well as the history of all previously existing WACs and amendments in Washington. OSPI rules are found under Title 392 WAC Rules and Regulations of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The State Board of Education's rules are found under Title 180 WAC Rules and Regulations of the State Board of Education.
Written Student Learning Plan (WSLP): A written plan developed to guide student learning goals and performance objectives for the school year. The WSLP is developed for the student by the Family Educational Team, personalized and written by the CVA teacher with input from the student, parent or guardian. The WSLP is a requirement for all enrolled students and forms the basis on which Monthly Reviews are conducted.