In this series, I hope to guide you in acquiring the vocabulary that you will need to know to be considered a competent education professional. In this article, we will discuss education vocabulary centered on education reform.

Click here to view all of the articles in the series.

A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Education Reform A 1983 report suggesting that student performance and other problems with the U.S. educational system placed the nation at risk of falling well behind other industrialized nations.

Decentralized System 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.

Diverse Educational Models refers to the various educational models, developed through successive reforms that are available for schools to adopt in an attempt to implement reform in their particular district or community.

Educational Reform refers to the changes that continually take place to address the changing needs of the national society and workforce at school level. These changes to the educational system are intended to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of students in the United States.

Equity refers to policies and practices that are impartial, seeking not to favor certain groups over others. In terms of educational funding, equity relates to an equitable and balanced distribution of funds to both poor and wealthy districts.

Five-Factor Theory is a theory proposing that schools with effective leadership, ongoing monitoring, safe environments, clear vision, and high expectations of students and teachers have a higher likelihood of being more effective.

Schools-within-Schools refers to a practice based on research showing that students in smaller classes do better, particularly in higher grades. Using the same resources and staff, student groups are subdivided to allow them to receive focused or specialized training, according to their needs.

Standards-Based Education is an approach adopted on a nationwide level to create uniformity around what students are expected to gain from their school career. This is intended to ensure that all students participating in the educational system are offered the same education, regardless of their choice of school.

Virtual Schools refer to schools that are predominantly based on virtual interactions; that is, interactions mediated through the use of technology independent of student or teacher location. This is also known as eLearning.

Are there any terms that I missed?