Menlo-Atherton High School
Acronyms
| AP | Advanced Placement | High school course designed to prepare students for a college-level AP Test |
| API | Academic Performance Index | The cornerstone of California's Public Schools Accountability Act of 1999; measures the academic performance and growth of schools on a variety of academic measures, including California Standards Tests and the High School Exit Exam. |
| ARD | Academic Resource Department | Special Education department |
| AS | Advanced Standing | Honors-level course |
| AVP | Administrative Vice Principal | Vice Principal(s) in charge of discipline, school safety, athletics, facilities, extra-curricular activities, etc. |
| AYP | Adequate Yearly Progress | A statewide accountability system mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 which requires each state to ensure that all schools and districts make Adequate Yearly Progress. |
| A-G | A through G | Seven different course categories accepted by our UC and CSU System. |
| BB | Below Basic | Testing 3 - 5 levels behind current grade level |
| BearNotes | BearNotes | Weekly emailed news letter which regularly sends mass informational emails to M-A parents, students and community members who sign up. |
| BRT | Bilingual Resource Teacher | Certificated staff member designated to support English Learner population; serves as a liaison and advocate when dealing with administration, staff, guidance office, etc. |
| BTSA | Beginning Teacher Support & Assessment | State-sanctioned support program designed to mentor and support new teachers |
| CAASPP | California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress | California’s new standards-based testing & accountability system |
| CAHSEE | California High School Exit Exam | Standardized exam required for graduation in California (two tests: English & Math) |
| CCS |
Central Coast Section | High School sports section which includes the PAL (includes schools from South San Francisco to King City) |
| CDE | California Department of Education | Governmental department charged with overseeing and monitoring all things related to education in California |
| CIF | California Interscholastic Federation | High School sports state-wide governing body |
| CELDT | California English Language Development Test | Standardized test taken by English Learners to assess their language acquisition |
| CLAD | Cross-cultural, Language and Academic Development | Credential which confirms that teachers have been specially trained to instruct ELL students |
| CSF | California Scholarship Federation | State honors and scholarship program |
| CCSS | Common Core State Standards | Newly adopted state standards |
| EC | Education Code | State law governing all educational related matters |
| ED | Emotionally Disturbed | Special Education designation related to emotional/social difficulties |
| ELAC | English Learners Advisory Committee | Parent leadership organization dedicated to supporting English Learners |
| ELA | English/Language Arts | English/Language Arts |
| ELD | English Language Development | A type of instruction in English language designed for ELLs to incorporate features that their English-speaking peers have mastered in pre-school years. This instruction is different in focus and intensity from the instruction provided for native English |
| EL | English Learner | Student for whom English is a second (or third) language |
| ELL | English Language Learner | Student for whom English is a second (or third) language |
| EO | English Only | Student who only speaks English |
| ESLRs | Expected Schoolwide Learning Results | Goals for student learning |
| FBB | Far Below Basic | Testing 6 – 9 levels behind current grade level |
| FEP | Fluent-English Proficient | A designation for students who have demonstrated full proficiency in the English languag |
| FFF | Menlo-Atherton’s Foundation for the Future | Parent leadership organization dedicated to raising funds for M-A |
| FOL | Focus on Learning | Joint collaboration between WASC & CDE to help schools implement the self-study process |
| GATE | Gifted and Talented Education | Supplemental services for academically exceptional students |
| HI | Honors Institute | Summer boot camp for students from Ravenswood City School District who are entering 9th grade AS classes |
| HQ | Highly Qualified | Designation required by NCLB which requires specific qualifications to teach individual subjects Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE |
| IA | Instructional Associate | Classified staff member who assists in the classroom |
| IC | Infinite Campus | Web-based program to check grades and attendance |
| IEP | Individualized Education Program | Individual academic and behavioral support plan for students with learning difficulties |
| LD | Learning Disabled | Students exhibiting a discrepancy between intelligence and academic achievemen |
| LEP | Limited English Proficient | Students who are not yet fluent in English |
| M-A | Menlo-Atherton | Comprehensive public high school located in Atherton, California and serving several diverse communities |
| MACC | Menlo-Atherton Construction Committee | Staff/Parent/Student committee dedicated to overseeing and making decisions about all construction-related issues |
| NCLB | No Child Left Behind | Federal law governing public schools |
| PAL | Peninsula Athletic League | High school sports league of which M-A is a member (includes schools from South San Francisco down to M-A) |
| PAC | Performing Arts Center | M-A's theater |
| -P | College Prepatory | Indicates that the course is College Prepatory, or counts for a UC A-G category. |
| PTA | Parent-Teacher Association | Parent leadership organization open to all parents & staff |
| RFEP | Re-designated Fluent English Proficient | Students who recently met all criteria (including CELDT, CST, grades, teacher rec) for being reclassified as fluent in English |
| RSP | Resource Specialist Program | Special Education designation related to academic, mental and/or physical difficulties |
| SAC | Subject Area Council | District committee with representatives from each school and focused on a particular discipline |
| SARC | School Accountability Report Card | Summary of program and student achievement data published yearly and available to the public |
| SART | Student Assistance Team | Staff committee designed to intervene with struggling students |
| SAT | Scholastic Aptitude Test | National standardized test necessary to admittance into most Universities |
| SDC | Special Day Class | Special Education designation related to severe academic, mental and/or physical difficulties |
| SED | Socioeconomically Economically Disadvantaged | Federal designation for low-income students |
| SDAIE | Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English | Sheltered instruction for students who are still transitioning to being a fluent English speaker |
| SDMSC | Shared Decision Making Site Council | Staff/Parent/Student committee with the mission to lead Menlo-Atherton in all school wide issues |
| SEAC | Special Education Advisory Committee | Parent leadership organization dedicated to supporting Special Education students |
| SPED | Special Education | Education related to students with learning differences |
| SSC | School Site Council | Staff/Parent/Student leadership committee which functions as a sub-group of SDMSC |
| SUHSD | Sequoia Union High School District | High school district which includes: Carlmont, Menlo-Atherton, Redwood Continuation, Sequoia, Woodside |
| TIPS | Teacher Induction Program – Sequoia UHSD | Support program designed to mentor and support new teachers |
| TriVocis | TriVocis | Monthly publication by the PTA to all parents & staff of Menlo-Atherton |
| WASC | Western Association of Schools and Colleges | Independent organization charged with examining and accrediting all high schools in California |