Appendix B: Common Core of Data Glossary

Items in boldface are defined in this glossary.

A | B | C | E | F | I | K | L | M | P | R | S | U

added agency

An agency that is reported for the first time although it has been in operation for more than one year.

Bureau of Indian Education schools and districts

A school or district that is directly funded by the Bureau of Indian Education (formerly Bureau of Indian Affairs), U.S. Department of the Interior.

changed boundary agency

An agency that was included in the prior year's CCD, but that has undergone a significant change in geographic boundaries or instructional responsibility.

charter school

A school that provides free public elementary and/or secondary education to eligible students under a specific charter granted by the state legislature or other appropriate authority and that is designated by such authority to be a charter school. Charter schools can be administered by regular school districts, state education agencies (SEAs), or chartering organizations.

elementary/secondary education

Programs providing instruction, or assisting in providing instruction, for students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1 through 12, and ungraded programs.

federally-operated agency

A federal agency charged, at least in part, with providing elementary/secondary instruction or education support services.

future agency

An agency that is scheduled to become operational within two years.

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inactive agency

An agency that is temporarily closed and expected to reopen within three years.

independent charter school districts

School districts that include only charter schools. The structure of the CCD requires that each school have an associated agency. Thus, there are cases in which a charter school is reported as its own school district.

kindergarten

A group or class that is part of a public school program and is taught during the year preceding first grade.

large city

A principal city of a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area with the city having a population of 250,000 or more.

large town

An incorporated place or Census-designated place with a population of 25,000 or more that is located outside a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area or inside a Micropolitan Core-based Statistical Area.

local education agencies (LEAs)

Those agencies at the local level whose primary responsibility is to operate public schools or to contract for public school services.

mid-size city

A central city of a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area (CBSA) with the city having a population of less than 250,000.

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prekindergarten

A group or class that is part of a public school program taught during the year or years preceding kindergarten, excluding Head Start students, unless Head Start is part of an authorized public education program of an LEA.

public school

An institution that provides education services and has one or more grade groups (prekindergarten through grade 12) or is ungraded; has one or more teachers to give instruction; is located in one or more buildings or sites; has an assigned administrator; receives public funds as primary support; and is operated by an education agency.

regional education service agency

An agency that provides services to a variety of local education agencies, or a county superintendent serving the same purposes.

regular school districts

Public elementary and/or secondary school districts that provide instruction and other education services and that do not focus primarily on special education or vocational education. Education service agencies are also excluded from this category.

rural, inside a Core-based Statistical Area

An incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory within a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area that is defined as rural by the Census Bureau.

rural, outside a Core-based Statistical Area

An incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory not within a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area or within a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area that is defined as rural by the Census Bureau.

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small town

An incorporated place or Census-designated place with a population less than 25,000 and at least 2,5000 that is located outside a Metropolitan Core-based Statistical Area or inside a Micropolitan Core-based Statistical Area.

state-operated agency

a state agency providing elementary and/or secondary instruction or education support services. This category is not limited to the state education agency.

student membership

Annual headcount of students enrolled in school on October 1 or the school day closest to that date. In any given year, some small schools will not have any students.

supervisory union

An education agency that performs administrative services for more than one school district through a common superintendent.

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ungraded

A class that is not organized on the basis of grade grouping and has no standard grade designation. This includes regular classes that have no grade designations and special classes for exceptional students that have no grade designations. Such a class is likely to contain students of different ages who, frequently, are identified according to level of performance in one or more areas of instruction rather than according to grade level or age level.

unified school districts

School districts that provide both elementary and secondary education services and instruction.

urban fringe of a large city

Any incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory within a Core-based Statistical Area (CBSA) of a large city, and defined as urban by the Census Bureau.

urban fringe of a mid-size city

Any incorporated place, Census designated place, or non-place territory within a Core-based Statistical Area (CBSA) of a mid-size city, and defined as urban by the Census Bureau.

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