Building Your Foundation: Terminology

Special Education terminology: commonly used acronyms

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act
ED U.S. Department of Education
EIS Early Intervening Services (could also be Early Intervention Services)
ESSA Every Student Succeeds Act (the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ESEA])
504 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1974
FAPE Free Appropriate Public Education
FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
IDEA Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IEP Individualized Education Program
LEA Local Education Agency (school district)
LRE Least Restrictive Environment
NAPCS National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
NLCB No Child Left Behind (the previous reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act [ESEA])
OCR Office for Civil Rights
OSEP Office of Special Education Programs
RTI Response to Intervention
SEA State Education Agency

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