Refers to an organizational structure where decision making and authority, particularly with regards to finances and policy, are transferred away from state and district administrators and progressively handed over to schools. This facilitates more efficient and relevant administration.

Was a reform movement in education which began in the 1880s and lasted over 60 years. The progressive movement emphasized learning by doing and the creation of curricula to suit children’s interests.

Refers to the act of taking something away, or separating something from something else, though not necessarily with a decrease in complexity.

Is the most frequently administered IQ assessment for students 6–16 years of age, developed by David Wechsler in the late 1940s. Scale ranges from 10–140. Measures a variety of skills and aptitudes, and is most frequently used as a predictive indicator of academic success.

Refers to the values, traditions, and infrastructure in each school. These characteristics govern how the school functions as an entity.

Is a collective, descriptive label for the social interactions and relationships among students — with each other and with their teachers — and teachers’ interactions with their peers and administrators. The ways students experience the school and culture: the ways teachers and administrators interact and collaborate.

Refers to a theory proposed by educational psychologist Howard Gardner, suggesting that certain areas of specialized intelligence become more developed than others. Includes 10 distinct areas of intelligence: visual/spatial, mathematical/logical, musical/rhythmic, kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, naturalistic and existentialist.

Are two key terms referring to characteristics of a culturally responsive curriculum that ensures all students are welcomed and included in all aspects of the school while acknowledging their unique differences with respect and acceptance.

Is an education plan developed specifically for each student with a disability. In Canada and the United Kingdom, an equivalent document is called an Individual Education Plan. A well thought out Individualized Education Plan (IEP) represents some of the best personalized planning in education. The IEP lays out a year’s

Defined variously as an IQ test score over 130, and/or a high level of natural ability, motivation, and creativity in a given field or area of study. It can refer to a combination of these elements.