Glossary

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American Indian/Alaska Native

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment. (OMB directive, 1997)

Asian

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Island, Thailand, and Vietnam. (OMB directive, 1997)

Asian/Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam, the Philippine Islands, Samoa, and other Pacific Islands. (OMB directive, 1977)

Black or African American

A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. (OMB directive, 1997)

Bureau of Indian Education school and district

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.

elementary/secondary education

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

full-time equivalency (FTE)

The amount of time required to perform an assignment stated as a proportion of a full-time position and computed by dividing the amount of time employed by the time normally required for a full-time position.

guidance counselor/director

Professional staff assigned specific duties and school time for counseling students and parents, addressing learning problems, evaluating student abilities, and assisting students in career and personal development. The state applies its own standards in apportioning the aggregate of guidance counselors/directors into the elementary and secondary level components.

Hispanic

A person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. (OMB directive, 1997)

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instructional aide

Staff assigned to assist a teacher with routine activities associated with teaching (i.e., activities requiring minor decisions regarding students), such as monitoring, conducting rote exercises, operating equipment, and clerking. Includes only paid staff, and excludes volunteer aides.

instructional coordinator and supervisor

Staff supervising instructional programs at the school district or subdistrict level, including supervisors of educational television staff; coordinators and supervisors of audiovisual services; curriculum coordinators and in-service training staff; Title I coordinators and home economics supervisors; and supervisory staff engaged in the development of computer-assisted instruction. School-based department chairpersons are excluded.

kindergarten

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

librarian or media specialist

A professional staff member or supervisor assigned specific duties and school time for professional library services activities. These include selecting, acquiring, preparing, cataloging, and circulating books and other printed materials; planning the use of the library by students, teachers, and instructional staff; and guiding individuals in the use of library books and material maintained separately or as a part of an instructional materials center.

library and media support staff

Staff member who renders other professional library and media services; also includes library aides and those involved in library/media support. Duties include selecting, preparing, caring for, and making available to instructional staff, equipment, films, filmstrips, transparencies, tapes, TV programs, and similar materials maintained separately or as part of an instructional materials center. Also include activities in the audiovisual center, TV studio, related work-study areas, and services provided by audiovisual personnel.

local education agency (LEA)

The government agency at the local level whose primary responsibility is to operate public schools or to contract for public school services.

local education agency (LEA) administrative support staff

Staff members providing direct support to LEA administrators, business office support, data processing, secretarial and other clerical staff.

local education agency (LEA) administrative

Chief executive officers of education agencies, including superintendents, deputies, and assistant superintendents; other persons with district-wide responsibilities; e.g., accountants, auditors, business managers, facilities managers, technology or information system administrators, or supervisors of transportation, food services, or security. Excludes supervisors of instructional coordinators, supervisors of guidance counselors, and supervisors of student support staff. (These staff are reported under “student support services staff.”)

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands. (OMB directive, 1997)

other support staff

Support staff not reported in instructional or student support. Include employees such as plant and equipment maintenance, bus drivers, security, and food service workers.

prekindergarten student

A student who is enrolled in 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 part of an authorized public education program of a local education agency.

public school

An institution that provides educational services and: (1) has one or more grade groups (prekindergarten through grade 12) or is ungraded; (2) has one or more teachers to give instruction; (3) is located in one or more buildings or sites; (4) has an assigned administrator; (5) receives public funds as primary support; and (6) is operated by an education agency.

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school administrative support staff

Staff whose activities are concerned with support of the teaching and administrative duties of the office of the principal or department chairpersons. Include clerical staff and secretaries.

school administrator

Staff whose activities are concerned with directing and managing the operation of a particular school. Category includes principals, assistant principals, and other assistants; and persons who supervise school operations, assign duties to staff members, supervise and maintain the records of the school, and coordinate school instructional activities with those of the education agency, including department chairpersons.

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.

student support services staff

Professional staff members whose activities are concerned with the direct support of students and who nurture, but do not instruct, students. Include attendance officers; staff providing health, psychology, speech pathology, audiology, or social services; and supervisors of the preceding staff. Include coaches, athletic advisors, and athletic trainers if position does not require teaching credentials.

student/teacher ratio

The ratio of students to teachers in a school district, based on the total number of students (student membership) and the total full-time-equivalent (FTE) number of teachers reported in the schools associated with the school district. The student/teacher ratio does not represent class size, but rather is a district-level measure of students and teachers.

teacher

A professional school staff member who instructs students in prekindergarten, kindergarten, grades 1–12, or ungraded classes and maintains daily student attendance records.

Two or more races

A person choosing more than one of the five race categories. (OMB directive, 1997)

ungraded class

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.

White

A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the Middle East. (OMB directive, 1997)

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