Academic Skills - Skills that provide the basic foundation necessary to benefit from further training and education and for future employment. This category encompasses communication, comprehension, quantitative thinking, critical thinking, and science and technology skills.
Accreditation - Certification by an official review board that specific requirements have been met, such as institutional accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
Adult Basic Education (ABE) - Education for adults whose inability to speak, read or write the English language constitutes a substantial impairment of their ability to procure or retain employment commensurate with their ability; designed to help them be less dependent on others; to improve their ability to benefit from occupational training, to increase their opportunities for more productive and profitable employment and to make them better able to meet their adult responsibilities. Courses at or below the eighth grade level in the language arts, including English for Speakers of Other Languages, mathematics, natural and social sciences, consumer education, and other courses that enable an adult to attain basic or functional literacy.
Adult High School Program - provides courses of study leading to completion of credits and passing of state-mandated assessments necessary to qualify for a high school diploma.
Adult General Education - A comprehensive program of adult basic education, adult secondary education, general educational development (GED) test instruction, and/or vocational preparatory instruction.
Adult Literacy - The level at which an adult must be able to read, write, compute and otherwise use the skills of schooling in order to operate successfully in the workplace and society.
Adult Secondary Education - Courses through which a person receives high school credit that leads to the award of a high school diploma or programs of instruction through which a student prepares to take the general education test (GED).
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) – An Act, passed by Congress, that requires reasonable accommodations be made in public facilities, including postsecondary institutions, for those with a physical or mental disability.
Applied Technology Diploma (ATD) - Courses that are part of an AS or AAS degree and lead to employment in a specific occupation. An ATD may consist of either career credit or college credit.
Apprentice - A person at least 16 years of age who is engaged in learning a recognized skilled trade through actual work experience under the supervision of journeymen craftsmen; whose training should be combined with properly coordinated studies of related technical and supplementary subjects; and who has entered into a written agreement, hereinafter called an apprenticeship agreement, with a registered apprenticeship sponsor who may be either an employer, an association of employers, or a local joint apprenticeship committee.
Apprenticeship Training Programs - A program registered with the Department of Education or the state apprenticeship agency in accordance with the National Apprenticeship Act of 8/16/37, that is conducted or sponsored by an employer, group of employers, and a union. It contains all terms and conditions for qualifications, recruitment, selection, employment, and training of apprentices.
Articulation - The bringing together of the various parts (levels) of the educational system to facilitate the smooth transition of students through the system.
Articulation Agreement - The State Board of Education rule that establishes provisions that facilitate the smooth transition of students through the various levels of the educational system.
Articulation Coordinating Committee (ACC) - The statewide Articulation Coordinating Committee was established as part of the Articulation Agreement in 1971 to adjudicate institutional or student conflicts regarding student transfer and admissions, interpret and recommend amendments to the Articulation Agreement, and develop procedures to facilitate a "seamless" transfer system for students.
Associate in Applied Science (AAS) - Two-year technical degree indicating that a student has trained in a particular field and is prepared for employment.
Associate in Arts (AA) – Two-year degree that is designed for transfer.
Associate in Science (AS) - Two-year technical degree that contains 15-18 credit hours of transferable general education.
Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) – A four-year degree designed to accommodate the unique demands for entry and advancement within specific workforce sectors.
Basic Skills - Skills in reading, writing, math, speaking, listening and problem solving that are necessary for individuals to succeed in vocational and applied training programs.
Campus - An instructional and administrative unit of a Florida College System institution, consisting of college-owned facilities and staffed primarily by full-time personnel, housing a full range of instructional and support services sufficient to accommodate at least 1,000 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) students.
Center - An instructional and administrative unit of a Florida College System institution, consisting of college-owned or unowned facilities and staffed primarily by full-time personnel, housing a limited range of instructional and support services.
Citizenship - To prepare students for success in the Naturalization process required for all who have the United States Citizenship Test as a goal. The content includes preparation for the citizenship test by studying U.S. history, government, culture, and symbols, with specific emphasis on rights and responsibilities under the Constitution of the United States of America.
College Credit - The type of credit assigned to courses or course equivalent learning that is part of an organized and specified college degree and/or program.
College Credit Certificate - Short-term career education program which is part of an AS or AAS degree.
College Preparatory Instruction - Courses through which a high school graduate who applies for any college credit program may attain the communication and computation skills necessary to enroll in college credit instruction. Section 1004.02(11) Florida Statutes (F.S.)
College Reach-Out Program (CROP) - A program to strengthen the educational motivation and preparation of low income or educationally disadvantaged students who otherwise would be unlikely to seek admission to a Florida College System institution or university. The program targets 6th-12th graders.
Common Course Prerequisites – Lower division courses that students need to take prior to admission to an upper division program.
Competency - A learned skill performed in a knowledge and/or attitudinal area which can be accurately repeated or measured; an activity (cluster of skills and knowledge) that a person performs in an occupation that is both observable and measurable and that forms the basis for competency-based criteria.
Competency-Based Education - An educational approach based on a predetermined set of knowledge, skills, and abilities that the student is expected to accomplish.
Completer - A student who finishes a planned sequence of courses or competencies designed to meet an academic or vocational occupational objective and has met all of the requirements of the institution for program completion.
Concurrent-Use - Concurrent-use programs offer upper-division programs on existing Florida College System institution campuses in partnership with four-year public or private institutions to increase the production of bachelor’s degrees.
Continuing Contract - A contract for full-time employment for one year in a position classified as instructional with the implication that the contract will be renewed each year as long as the position is needed and the employee continues to perform satisfactorily.
Continuing Workforce Education - The classification of instruction designed to improve the job skills of employed persons. It may be tailored to a given employer and job (customized) or it may have broader applicability.
Cooperative Education - A program for persons who are enrolled in an educational program and who, through a cooperative arrangement between the institution and the employer, receive part-time vocational instruction in the institution and on-the-job training through part-time employment.
Credit - A unit of measure assigned to courses or course equivalent learning.
Credit by Examination - The award of credit based on the demonstration of learning as assessed on an examination.
Cut Scores - A term referring to scores that mark a cutoff point; for example, a student whose score on a placement test falls below the cutoff point (cut score) must take prerequisite instruction.
Direct Support Organization - A Florida nonprofit corporation organized and operated exclusively to receive, hold, invest, and administer property and to make expenditures to or for a Florida College System institution or the Florida Florida College System institution System.
Dual Enrollment – Enrollment of an eligible secondary student or home education student in a postsecondary course creditable toward high school completion and a career certificate or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Early Admission – A form of dual enrollment through which eligible secondary students enroll in a postsecondary institution on a full-time basis in courses that are creditable toward the high school diploma and the associate or baccalaureate degree.
Educator Preparation Institute (EPI) - Instructional institute located at self-selected postsecondary institutions, including Florida College System institutions, upon approval by the Department of Education in order to provide any or all of the following instruction: professional development for teachers for classroom improvement and for recertification purposes, training for substitute teachers, paraprofessional instruction, and competency-based instruction for baccalaureate degree holders leading to professional teacher certification. Educator Preparation Institutes provide an alternate route to teacher certification for mid-career professionals and college graduates who were not education majors.
First-Time-in-College - A student attending college for the first time with no credit toward a degree or formal award from any other institution who is enrolled in a course in an instructional area that leads to a degree or certificate.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – Official document used by every college and university to determine eligibility for Federal Student Aid
General Education - Basic liberal education in communications, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. A component of the Associate in Arts degree.
General Education Development (GED) Test Instruction - Noncredit courses that prepare students for success in the five GED subject area tests that lead to the award of the State of Florida High School Diploma.
Gordon Rule - The State Board of Education rule (6A-10.030, Florida Administrative Code), as recommended by Senator Gordon, that establishes mathematics and English requirements for the associate in arts and the baccalaureate degrees.
Information Technology (IT) - Information technology touches every aspect of Florida’s College System institution System – from the way it is used in the day-to-day operation of a campus to the courses students choose to take. IT has two major components: 1) the use of information technology to provide information, counseling and courseware to students; and 2) the commitment by Florida College System institutions to train workers for jobs in new technology fields.
Institutional Site - An instructional unit of a Florida College System institution consisting of unowned facilities, leased for no more than one year, and housing very limited instructional services and no support services. Institutional sites cannot receive PECO funds for facilities.
Inter-Institutional Articulation Agreement - A signed agreement between the superintendent of each school district in the service area and the president of the Florida College System institution outlining the overall terms of coordination between institutions.
Internship - Refers to postsecondary work-based learning in which a partnership is established between the schools, the employer or business, and the student for the purpose of providing practical education to the student through productive work opportunities. A signed agreement between all parties, outlining a student's cooperative learning plan, is a necessary component of an internship.
Joint-Use Facility - The cooperative development and use of a facility by two or more educational boards.
Lifelong Learning - The classification for noncredit instruction of a community service nature, other than recreational and leisure time, or the retaking of a course under specific circumstances.
Limited Access Program - A Florida College System institution technical program or university upper- division program in which student enrollment is limited due to space, equipment, faculty limitations, or other limitations.
Linkage Institute - A joint program of a designated Florida College System institution and university with a designated foreign country or region to develop stronger economic, cultural, educational, and social ties between Florida and the country or region, as provided for in s. 288.8175, Florida Statutes.
Long-Range Program Plan (LRPP) - An annual document provided to the Governor’s Office, which outlines the performance goals and budgetary request for the Florida Florida College System institution System.
Lower-Division - College attendees at the freshman and sophomore level.
Maintenance of Effort - The fiscal effort per student, or the aggregate expenditures of the State, from State sources, for vocational education for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the determination is made, must at least equal its effort or expenditures for vocational education for the second preceding fiscal year.
Matriculation Fee - The instructional fee paid by both resident and nonresident students per credit or credit equivalent.
Mission - As part of the needs assessment process, each institution includes its mission or reason for existence within the community.
Occupational Completion Point - A group of competencies/skills that are needed in order to obtain proficiency in a specific occupation as identified by an OES code (Occupational Employment Statistics), DOT code (Dictionary of Occupational Titles), or industry title.
On-the-Job (OJT) Training - An instructional methodology designed to provide students and other trainees with realistic on-the-job training experiences to acquire and apply knowledge, skills, and attitudes in an occupational field; a planned experience in a work situation through which the individuals, under supervision, learn to perform the job tasks.
Open Entry/Open Exit Courses or Programs - A program or course which enables the student to enter and/or exit at a point in time other than the term start and end dates specified on the academic calendar.
Out of State Fee - The instructional fee paid by nonresident students per credit or credit equivalent in addition to the tuition fee.
Perkins Act - The federal vocational education funding act.
Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) International Honor Society - Phi Theta Kappa is the International Honor Society established for outstanding students at accredited two - year Florida College System institutions. The purpose of Phi Theta Kappa is to recognize and promote the academic achievement of students and assist them in developing personal skills in teamwork and leadership. Phi Theta Kappa also acts as a support group for students with a common interest in learning and a desire to excel at life in general. The Society's existence is centered around activities which involve Scholarship, Service, Leadership and Fellowship- the four Hallmarks of the Society- as well as an annual study known as the honor's topic. To be eligible for membership, students must be enrolled in a regionally accredited institution offering an associate degree program; must have completed at least 12 hours of coursework leading to an associate degree program; have a grade point average of at least 3.5; and adhere to the moral standards of the society.
Postsecondary Adult Vocational Program (PSAV) - (Certificate Career Education) Job preparatory programs, excluding Continuing Workforce Education, through which a student receives a vocational certificate upon completion of instruction.
Postsecondary Vocational Program (PSV) - (Degree Career Education) College credit job preparatory programs, through which a student receives an Associate in Science or Associate in Applied Science Degree, college credit certificate, Applied Technology Diploma, or an Advanced Technical Certificate, upon completion of instruction.
Practicum - Instruction provided as part of a planned job preparatory program whereby the student is placed on the job for selected occupational experiences under the direct supervision of the teacher or job representative.
Program – (1) A defined sequence of courses leading to a recognized award including degree, certificate, diploma, GED, etc. (2) a set of activities designed to promote a specific goal.
Recreation and Leisure - The classification for noncredit, usually short courses, designed to enhance recreation and leisure.
Registration Fees - All instructional and other fees collected during the registration process.
Resident for Tuition Purposes - A student who meets the requirements of residency for tuition purposes as defined in s. 1009.21, Florida Statutes, and 6A-10.044, Florida Administrative Code.
Rule - A state agency statement of general applicability that implements, interprets, or prescribes law or describes the organization, procedure, or practice requirements of a state agency, such as a State Board of Education rule.
Specialized Accreditation - Accreditation of a given program within an institution.
Specific Job Training - Training and education for skills required by the employer that provides the individual student with the ability to obtain employment and to adapt to the changing demands of the work place.
State Agency - A unit of state government such as a state department. The Department of Education and the Executive Office of the Governor are examples.
Statute - A law enacted by the legislature.
Student with a Disability - For educational purposes, an individual who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities; has a record of such impairment or is regarded as having such an impairment; and who requires modifications to the educational program, adaptive equipment, assistive technology, or specialized instructional methods and services.
Test for Adult Basic Education (TABE) - Test of basic skills given to students within the first six weeks of entry into a career and technical education program. The requirements for the TABE are outlined State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.040.
Tuition Fee - The instructional fee paid by nonresident students per credit or credit equivalent in addition to the matriculation fee.
Upper-Division – College attendees at the junior and senior level.A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | Terms
A & P - Advanced and Professional, the classification for freshman and sophomore courses applicable to the baccalaureate.
AA - Associate in Arts, the degree designed for transfer.
AAS - Associate in Applied Science, the degree designed for job entry.
ABE - Adult Basic Education, education through the eighth grade for adults.
ACC - Articulation Coordinating Committee
ACE - American Council on Education
ACT - ACT Assessment, an achievement test from the American College Testing Program used for placement testing in some Florida College System institutions and for admissions screening in some baccalaureate institutions.
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act.
AE - Adult Education
AFR - Annual Financial Report.
AGE - Adult General Education
AHS - Adult High School
AP - Advanced Placement, a program of advanced level, high school courses and testing from The College Board.
APA - Administrative Procedures Act.
APR - Annual Personnel Report Data Base, used to complete federal and state personnel reports.
ARW - Annual Reports Workshop
AS - Associate in Science, the technical degree with a minimum of 15 hours of general education courses.
ASFP -Adult and Seasonal Farmworker Program
ATC - Advanced Technical Certificate, generally earned after completion of an A.S./A.A.S. degree.
ATD - Applied Technology Diploma
AWI -Agency for Workforce Innovation
BA - Bachelor of Arts
BAS - Bachelor of Applied Science
BOG – Board of Governors/State University System
BS - Bachelor of Science
CBO -Community Based Organization
CCTCMIS - Florida College System institution and Technical Center Management Information System
CEO - Chief Executive Officer
CHEA – Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a national, nongovernmental, self regulatory organization to foster and facilitate the role of accrediting bodies in promoting and ensuring the quality and diversity of American postsecondary education.
CIA - Council on Instructional Affairs, an organization of the chief instructional officers in the Florida College System institutions.
CIO -Chief Informational Officer
CIP - Classification of Instructional Programs; also, Capital Improvement Program
CIT - Citizenship
CLEP - College-Level Examination Program, tests used to award college credit based on test scores.
CO & DS - Capital Outlay and Debt Service, a term used for funds from motor vehicle licensing fees.
COBA – Council of Business Affairs
COP - Council of Presidents
CROP - College Reach-Out Program, named after song entitled “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”
CS - Committee Substitute
CSA - Council of Student Affairs, an organization of the chief student affairs officers in the Florida College System institutions.
CWE - Continuing Workforce Education
DCF - Department of Children and Families
DE - Data Element
DED - Data Element Dictionary
DMS - Department of Management Services
DOE - Department of Education
DOH - Department of Health
DSO - Direct Support Organizations
DSP – Disability Service Provider
EA/EO - Equal Access/Equal Opportunity
EAP – English as a Second Language for Academic Purposes (includes ESL and ESOL)
EEC - Enrollment Estimating Conference
EPI – Educator Preparation Institute
ESL - English as a Second Language
ESOL - English for Speakers of Other Languages
FAC - Florida Administrative Code, the collection of the rules of the state, including the rules of the State Board of Education.
FAC/CODB - Facilities and Capital Outlay Data Base
FACRAO - Florida Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (representing public and private postsecondary institutions in Florida)
FACU - Florida Association of Colleges and Universities
FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid
FASTER - Florida Automated System for the Transfer of Educational Records
FCRAO – Florida College Registrars and Admissions Officers
FCS - Florida College System
FCRD - Florida Council for Resource Development
FDB - Finance Data Base
FEFP - Florida Education Finance Program, the primary source of operating funds from the state for the public school system.
FETPIP - Florida Education and Training Placement Information Program, which provides placement information about graduates.
FS - Florida Statutes
FSAG - Florida Student Assistance Grant, a state financial aid program
FTE - Full-Time Equivalent, which in the case of students is one per thirty college credits and one per nine hundred hours of instruction in noncollege credit instruction.
FTIC - First Time in College
FWEP - Florida Work Experience Program
GPA - Grade Point Average, a method of calculating the average of grades earned.
GR - General Revenue
HB - House Bill (house bills are odd numbered)
HS/HW - High Skills/ High Wages
IB - International Baccalaureate, a rigorous high school diploma program intended for international recognition.
ICS - Information Classification Structure, common framework for classifying information.
ICUF - Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, an education association for regionally accredited, non-profit, independent institutions
IPEDS - Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, a federal data system
JAPC - Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
LBR - Legislative Budget Request
LEA -Local Education Agency
LEP - Limited English Proficiency
LMI -Labor Market Information
LOF - Laws of Florida
LRPP - Long-Range Program Plan - an annual plan submitted to the Governor’s Office by all state agencies. The LRPP aligns itself with the Legislative Budget Request (LBR).
MIS - Management Information System, used both generically and in reference to information technology
MISATFOR - Management Information System Advisory Task Force, the advisory group for the Florida College System institution Management Information System
NCES - National Center for Educational Statistics, a federal agency
OCP - Occupational Completion Point
OESC - Occupational Education Standing Committee of the Council on Instructional Affairs, a committee of the vocational deans/directors in the Florida College System
OJT - On-the-Job Training
OPPAGA - Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
PCB - Proposed Committee Bill
PDB - Personnel Data Base
PECO - Public Education Capital Outlay, state funds for construction, remodeling, renovation, and for site acquisition and development.
PSAV - Postsecondary Adult Vocational, the classification for non-college credit job preparatory courses
PSAVC - Postsecondary Adult Vocational Certificate
PSV - Postsecondary Vocational, the classification for college credit, career education courses
PSVC - Postsecondary Vocational Certificate, college credit
PTK – Phi Theta Kappa
QRT - Quick Response Training
SAT - Scholastic Achievement Test of The College Board sometimes used to satisfy placement testing requirements in Florida College System institutions and for admissions testing in baccalaureate institutions.
SB - Senate Bill (senate bills are even numbered)
SBE - State Board of Education, the governor and the Cabinet (until January 2003)
SCNS - Statewide Course Numbering System, a system for numbering and equating courses offered in Florida College System institutions, universities, and area vocational-technical centers.
SDB - Student Data Base
SREB - Southern Regional Education Board
SSH - Student Semester Hour, an enrollment measure equating to a college credit.
TAA - Trade Adjustment Assistance, federal programs to provide for retraining and reemployment services for individuals who become unemployed as a result of increased imports from anywhere in the world
TABE - Test for Adult Basic Education
TANF -Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, temporary cash assistance, formerly referred to as AFDC (Aid for Dependant Children)
UFF - United Faculty of Florida, a teachers' union.
UI - Unemployment Insurance
USDOL - United States Department of Labor