GACE Paraprofessional key terms

The set of academic content standards adopted by Georgia that describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject and grade level from kindergarten through high school.

A planning document that sequences units, topics, and standards across a school year so teachers can see what is taught when and how lessons connect over time.

A short, specific statement describing what students should be able to demonstrate by the end of a lesson or unit, usually tied to a content standard.

Adjusting content, process, or product so students with varied readiness, interests, and learning profiles can work toward the same learning goals through different pathways.

Temporary supports such as models, prompts, or step-by-step guides that help a student complete a task, gradually removed as the learner gains independence.

Ongoing checks for understanding during instruction, such as questioning, exit tickets, or observations, used to adjust teaching before a final grade is given.

An evaluation at the end of a unit, course, or grading period that measures how much a student has learned against standards, such as a final test or project.

An assessment administered and scored under uniform conditions so results can be compared across students, classrooms, or schools, such as Georgia's statewide assessments.

A change in how a student accesses instruction or testing, such as extended time or a read-aloud, that removes barriers without changing what is being measured.

A change to what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate, such as reduced content or altered grading criteria, which does change the standard being measured.

A legally required written plan for a student with a disability that specifies goals, services, accommodations, and placement, developed by a team including parents and school staff.

A plan under federal disability law that provides accommodations and services so a student with a disability can access the general education program on an equal basis.

The legal principle that students with disabilities should be educated alongside peers without disabilities to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supports cannot make inclusion successful.

Placing students with disabilities in general education classrooms with appropriate supports and services so they participate in the same curriculum and activities as their peers.

A model in which a general education teacher and a special education teacher plan and deliver instruction together in the same classroom, sharing responsibility for all students.

A multi-tiered framework of increasingly intensive instruction and progress monitoring used to identify students who need extra academic support and to inform instructional decisions.

Regular, frequent measurement of a student's skill growth using brief probes or records so educators can judge whether an intervention is working and adjust it.

A student whose primary language is not English and who is developing English proficiency, often receiving language support services while learning grade-level content.

A set of English language development standards used by Georgia and many other states to describe language expectations for English learners across content areas and proficiency levels.

A school employee who works under the supervision of a certified teacher or other professional to support instruction, student supervision, and classroom routines, sometimes called an instructional aide.

The legal and ethical duty to keep student records and personal information private, sharing them only with staff who have a legitimate educational need to know.

The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which protects the privacy of student education records and gives parents rights to inspect and correct them.

A person legally required, because of their role with children, to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated state agency promptly.

The legal obligation of school staff to supervise students reasonably and take action to prevent foreseeable harm during school activities and on school grounds.

A written plan based on a functional behavioral assessment that describes strategies, supports, and responses to help a student replace challenging behavior with appropriate alternatives.

A structured process of gathering information to identify the purpose or function that a student's challenging behavior serves, used to design effective behavior supports.

A schoolwide framework that teaches and reinforces expected behaviors, uses data to guide decisions, and provides tiered supports for students needing more help.

A consequence that follows a behavior and increases the likelihood it will happen again, such as praise, points, or a preferred activity.

The range of tasks a learner can complete with guidance but not yet alone, used to decide when and how much support to provide.

The ability to notice, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words, such as blending or segmenting sounds, a foundational early reading skill.

Instruction in the relationships between letters and the sounds they represent, used to help students decode unfamiliar printed words.

The ability to read text accurately, at an appropriate rate, and with expression, which supports comprehension.

The process of constructing meaning from text by connecting ideas, using background knowledge, and applying strategies such as questioning, summarizing, and inferring.

An understanding of numbers, their quantities, and relationships, including the ability to compare, estimate, and reason flexibly with numbers.

Concrete objects such as blocks, counters, or fraction tiles that students handle to build understanding of abstract concepts, especially in mathematics.

Using assessment results and other student data to plan lessons, group students, and adjust teaching so instruction targets identified needs.

A team of educators who meet regularly to examine student data, share practices, and improve instruction collaboratively rather than working in isolation.

Georgia's professional standards outlining expected conduct for educators, including honesty, appropriate relationships with students, and compliance with laws and school policies.