ILTS key terms

A statement of what students should know and be able to do at a given grade or in a content area; it guides curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

A plan that maps test items to content standards, cognitive demand, and item types; it helps ensure balanced coverage and defensible scoring.

The reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning practices experts use within a specific discipline, such as citing evidence in history or interpreting data in science.

The match between content, task complexity, and instructional supports and the developmental and academic expectations for students at a particular grade level.

Planning and adjusting content, process, or product in response to students' readiness, interests, and learning profiles so each learner can access rigorous goals.

Ongoing gathering of evidence about student learning during instruction, used to give feedback and adjust teaching before a final evaluation.

Descriptions of language performance across interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes at defined proficiency levels, used to rate functional language ability.

Understanding and analyzing spoken, written, or signed messages created by others, without producing an original response in the target language.

Two-way, spontaneous communication in which participants negotiate meaning, ask for clarification, and respond to one another in the target language.

One-way communication prepared for an audience, such as a speech, report, or video, with attention to organization, language control, and cultural appropriateness.

The beliefs, values, attitudes, and assumptions that shape a culture's products and practices and help explain why members communicate and behave as they do.

Texts, recordings, and other resources created by native speakers for real-world purposes rather than for language-classroom instruction. They expose learners to natural language and cultural content.

A structured, recorded conversation between a trained tester and candidate, rated against a proficiency scale to estimate speaking ability.

A broad description of what a language user can do functionally across tasks and contexts, rather than a label for courses completed or grammar covered.

Describing, defining, or paraphrasing around an unknown word so communication continues without switching languages or stopping the message.

Correctness in grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and mechanics; it is one dimension of language performance and is judged in context.

The ease and flow of language production, including pace, pauses, and repair, when these features do not seriously interrupt communication.

The ability to choose language that fits the audience, setting, purpose, and cultural norms, including politeness and register.

A legal document for an eligible student with a disability that states present levels, measurable goals, services, accommodations, and placement.

The IDEA entitlement to special education and related services, at public expense, that meet state standards and confer meaningful educational benefit.

The IDEA requirement to educate students with disabilities alongside nondisabled peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supports are insufficient.

A multi-tier system of prevention and early intervention that uses screening, progress data, and increasingly intensive supports before or alongside special education referral.

A change in how a student accesses instruction or shows learning, such as extra time or a read-aloud, without changing content expectations.

Coordinated activities and services that prepare a student with a disability for postsecondary education, employment, independent living, and adult community participation.

A change to what a student is expected to learn or demonstrate, such as reduced content or alternate standards, which alters grade-level expectations.

Devices, software, or services that increase, maintain, or improve a student's functional capabilities and access to learning and school activities.

The ethical and legal duty to protect student information and share records only with authorized people who need them for legitimate educational purposes.

A group of professionals from different disciplines who collaborate on evaluation, planning, and services for a student, often including educators, specialists, and family members.

The legal obligation of specified professionals to report suspected child abuse or neglect to the designated child-protection agency promptly.

Immediate, short-term supports to stabilize safety, reduce distress, and connect a student or family with appropriate follow-up services.

A respectful, ongoing partnership with families that involves communication, shared decision making, and support for student learning and well-being.

Supportive services such as counseling, speech therapy, or transportation that are required for a student with a disability to benefit from special education.

Administrator practices that focus on improving teaching and learning through vision, coaching, data use, and protection of instructional time.

A data-informed document that sets schoolwide goals, strategies, timelines, and monitoring responsibilities for improving student outcomes and aligning resources.

The practice of using multiple sources of evidence, such as assessments and observations, to choose actions, monitor results, and adjust plans.

A structured process of observation, evidence collection, feedback, and professional growth planning intended to improve instruction and support accountability.

The shared norms, beliefs, relationships, rituals, and routines that shape how students and adults experience and behave in a school.

Purposeful involvement of families, staff, students, and community members in communication, planning, and decisions that affect the school.

Decision making grounded in integrity, fairness, legal requirements, and public trust, especially when balancing competing interests or pressures.

The process of distributing staff, time, money, and materials according to school priorities, legal requirements, and student needs.