TExES PPR EC-12 (160) key terms

The state-mandated standards that specify what students should know and be able to do in each grade and subject. Teachers build lessons, activities, and assessments around them.

A planning approach in which the teacher first identifies the desired results, then designs assessments that reveal whether students met them, and only then plans instruction. It keeps activities tied to the end goal.

A clear statement of what students should be able to do by the end of a lesson, written in observable terms. It guides the choice of activities and gives students a visible target.

Ongoing, low-stakes checks during instruction, such as exit tickets, questioning, or quick quizzes, used to adjust teaching while learning is still happening. Students receive descriptive information rather than a final grade.

An evaluation at the end of a unit, grading period, or course that measures how much a student learned overall. Results are used mainly for reporting and placement, not for in-the-moment teaching decisions.

A hierarchy of thinking skills moving from remembering and understanding up through applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. Teachers use it to write questions and tasks at varied levels of challenge.

Vygotsky's term for the gap between what a learner can do alone and what the learner can do with guidance. Instruction aimed at this range, with support, stretches students without overwhelming them.

The organized information and experiences a student already holds about a topic. New learning sticks when teachers activate and connect to what students already know; gaps here produce misconceptions.

A test scored against a fixed standard or set of skills rather than against other students' performance. It shows whether a student mastered specific grade-level expectations.

The degree to which a test measures what it claims to measure and supports the conclusions a teacher draws from it. A valid fractions quiz tests fractions, not reading difficulty.

The consistency of a test's results across occasions, forms, and scorers. A reliable assessment yields similar scores for the same student performance, so ordinary day-to-day variation is not mistaken for learning.

A check of students' skills and misconceptions given before a unit begins, used to set starting points and plan grouping. It is not graded for mastery but informs instructional decisions.

The overall emotional and social tone of a classroom: how safe, respected, and included students feel. It shapes participation, willingness to take risks, and behavior more than any single rule.

Agreed expectations for behavior plus step-by-step routines for recurring tasks such as entering the room, turning in work, and transitions. Clear procedures reduce disruption and free attention for learning.

Adding a desirable consequence, such as praise, points, or privileges, after a behavior to make it more likely to recur. Effective use is specific, immediate, and paired with clear expectations.

A theory that basic needs such as safety, belonging, and food must be reasonably met before higher needs like esteem and achievement can drive behavior. It explains why an unsafe or hungry student struggles to learn.

The drive to engage in an activity because it is interesting or satisfying in itself rather than for a reward. It grows when students have choice, challenge they can meet, and a sense of purpose.

Kounin's term for a teacher's awareness of everything happening in the room and the timing to address small problems before they grow. It is communicated through scanning, positioning, and calm quick responses.

A written, individualized plan, often part of an IEP, that identifies a problem behavior, its triggers and function, and the supports and replacement skills the team will teach and monitor.

Schoolwide and classroom practices, including clear reporting routes, active supervision, and bystander skills, that reduce repeated physical, verbal, or online aggression and protect targeted students. Texas law requires district anti-bullying policies.

Adjusting content, process, product, or environment based on students' readiness, interests, and learning profiles so each works at an appropriate level of challenge. Goals stay the same; the path varies.

Temporary, structured support such as models, prompts, sentence stems, or chunked steps that lets a student complete a task not yet doable alone. The support is gradually removed as competence grows.

The pause of several seconds after posing a question and again after a student responds. Longer pauses increase response length, participation by hesitant students, and use of reasoning.

Questions that require analysis, evaluation, or creation rather than recall, such as asking what evidence supports a claim. They push students to explain reasoning and transfer ideas to new situations.

Temporarily grouping students by need, interest, or task and regrouping as evidence changes. Because groups are not fixed labels, students avoid permanent tracks and work with varied peers.

Structured small-group work in which students depend on one another to reach a shared goal while remaining individually accountable. Assigned roles, clear tasks, and group processing separate it from unstructured group work.

Instruction that treats students' cultural backgrounds, languages, and experiences as assets and uses them as bridges to new content, while holding high expectations for every learner and examining the teacher's own assumptions.

Feedback that names specifically what a student did well and what to do next, tied directly to the learning goal. It is timely and actionable, unlike a score or a vague compliment.

Changes in how a student accesses instruction or demonstrates learning, such as extended time, read-aloud, or preferential seating, that do not alter the content standard. They remove barriers without lowering expectations.

A tiered, data-driven framework: strong core instruction for all students, targeted small-group support for some, and intensive individualized help for a few, with progress monitored to decide next steps.

The state's enforceable standards for educator conduct, covering professional behavior toward students, colleagues, and the community, plus ethical use of one's position. Violations can lead to state certification sanctions.

A federal law protecting the privacy of student education records and limiting who may inspect them. Teachers share student information only with those who have a legitimate educational need to know.

The legal duty of educators to report suspected child abuse or neglect promptly to the designated state or local authority. Failure to report can bring criminal penalties and certification consequences.

A legally binding plan developed by a team for a student who qualifies for special education, stating present levels of performance, measurable annual goals, services, accommodations, and placement.

A plan under a federal anti-discrimination law that provides a student with a disability the accommodations needed to access general education, without the specialized instruction an IEP provides.

The legal requirement that students with disabilities be educated alongside typically developing peers to the maximum extent appropriate, with removal only when supports and services cannot make success possible there.

An ongoing, two-way partnership with parents and caregivers through conferences, regular updates, and shared decision making that supports student learning. It works best when communication is consistent, respectful, and accessible in the family's language.

A team of educators who meet regularly to examine student evidence, share instructional practice, and plan improvements together. The focus stays on results for students rather than on isolated workshop attendance.