ILTS Learning Behavior Specialist I (290) key terms

Free appropriate public education (FAPE) is a legal right under IDEA requiring public schools to provide each eligible student with a disability an appropriate education at public expense, with special education and related services designed to meet the student's individual needs.

Least restrictive environment (LRE) is the principle that students with disabilities should be educated with nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, and removed to separate settings only when supplementary aids and services cannot support success.

A state and school district obligation to identify, locate, and evaluate all children who may need special education, including children enrolled privately or experiencing homelessness, so eligible students receive services.

A multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) is a schoolwide framework using data to provide increasingly intensive academic and behavioral supports to all students, with decisions based on screening and progress monitoring rather than waiting for formal diagnosis.

Response to intervention (RTI) is a prevention-oriented approach that screens students, delivers evidence-based instruction in tiers, and monitors response to decide whether additional support or special education evaluation is warranted.

A disability category for students whose academic achievement is significantly below expectations in areas such as reading, math, or writing despite appropriate instruction, and whose learning is not primarily explained by other disabilities.

A developmental disability category characterized by differences in social communication and interaction plus restricted or repetitive behaviors, interests, or sensory responses that affect educational performance.

A disability category involving significantly below-average intellectual functioning and limitations in adaptive behavior that begin before age 18 and affect daily functioning and learning.

A disability category for students with severe emotional or behavioral difficulties over time that adversely affect educational performance, not explained primarily by intellectual, sensory, or other factors.

An Individualized Education Program (IEP) is a legally required written plan for an eligible student with a disability that describes present performance, measurable goals, services, accommodations, placement, and progress reporting, developed by a team and reviewed at least annually.

A section of the IEP describing the student's current academic achievement and functional performance, including strengths, needs, and how the disability affects involvement and progress in the general curriculum.

IEP statements describing what a student should reasonably achieve in one year, written with observable behavior, conditions, and criteria so progress can be monitored and reported objectively.

Changes in how content is presented, how a student responds, timing, or setting that remove barriers without changing what the student is expected to learn or the standards being measured.

Changes to what a student is taught or expected to demonstrate, such as reduced content or alternate standards, which alter the level or complexity of the learning expectations.

Support services required for a student with a disability to benefit from special education, such as speech therapy, occupational therapy, counseling, transportation, or school health services.

A coordinated process, required no later than age 16, that prepares a student for postsecondary education, employment, and independent living through goals, services, and agency linkages based on student strengths and preferences.

The range of educational settings, from general education with supports to more restrictive specialized programs, used to provide the least restrictive appropriate environment for each student.

A test scored by comparing a student's performance with a representative sample of same-age or same-grade peers, often reported as standard scores or percentiles.

An assessment that compares a student's performance to a defined standard or skill criterion rather than to other students, helping teachers identify specific mastered and unmastered skills.

A set of brief, standardized academic probes administered repeatedly to measure growth in basic skills such as reading fluency or math computation and to inform instructional changes.

The frequent, ongoing collection and analysis of student performance data to determine whether instruction or intervention is working and to adjust support accordingly.

Functional behavioral assessment (FBA) is a systematic process for identifying the events, settings, and consequences that trigger and maintain a student's challenging behavior, used to design effective behavioral support rather than rely on punishment.

A behavior intervention plan (BIP) is a written plan based on functional assessment data that specifies prevention strategies, replacement skills to teach, and responses to challenging behavior, with progress monitored for effectiveness.

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an instructional planning framework that builds multiple means of engagement, representation, and action or expression into lessons so diverse learners can access content and show learning.

An approach in which teachers adjust content, process, products, or learning environment based on student readiness, interests, and learning profiles within the same classroom.

A structured teaching approach that clearly states learning goals, models skills, guides practice with feedback, and gradually releases responsibility to students for independent application.

Temporary supports, such as cues, models, or step-by-step prompts, that help a student complete a task successfully and are gradually removed as competence increases.

Breaking a complex skill into smaller, teachable steps that can be modeled, practiced, and monitored, often used for daily living, academic, or vocational routines.

Any device, software, or service that increases, maintains, or improves the functional capabilities of a student with a disability, including low-tech tools and high-tech communication systems.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) refers to methods and tools that supplement or replace speech for individuals with limited verbal communication, ranging from gestures and picture boards to speech-generating devices.

Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) is a tiered schoolwide framework that teaches and reinforces positive behavior, uses data to identify needs, and provides increasingly intensive supports for students with challenging behavior.

The practice of educating students with disabilities in general education classrooms with appropriate supports, fostering belonging and access to the same curriculum as peers without disabilities.

A collaborative arrangement in which a general educator and a special educator share planning, instruction, and assessment responsibilities for a diverse classroom, often using models such as station or parallel teaching.

Legal protections for families under IDEA, including notice, consent, access to records, independent evaluations, dispute resolution, and due process hearings, ensuring informed participation in special education decisions.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act protects education records, giving parents rights to inspect and amend records and limiting disclosure of personally identifiable information without consent.

Instruction and assessment that recognize, respect, and incorporate students' cultural backgrounds, languages, and experiences, while avoiding bias in referral, evaluation, and teaching practices.

An approach that treats families as partners, respects their priorities and culture, and builds collaboration through clear communication, shared decision making, and support for family involvement.

A voluntary, ongoing partnership among educators, families, and related-service providers who share expertise, planning, and responsibility to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.

Brief administered assessments of all students in a grade or school to identify those who may need additional academic or behavioral support before difficulties become severe.