Glossary
The education field is so full of acronyms and specialized words that it can seem like a confusing alphabet soup! Find out what AYP, IEP, 504, and many other abbreviations and words mean in this glossary of frequently used terms.
- Unified School District (USD)
- USD is a common acronym used in education plans to refer to the elementary, middle, and high schools within the school district.
- Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
- UDL provides a framework for creating flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that accommodate learner differences.
For more information visit the Center for Applied Special Technology website.
These terms and definitions were collected from the following sources: Dr. Jean Lokerson, ERIC Digest; Southwest Educational Laboratory (SEDL); Dr. Linda Wilmshurst and Dr. Alan Brue, A Parent's Guide to Special Education, American Management Association, 2005; The Partnership for Reading; Learning Disabilities Council; Dr. Don Deshler, University of Kansas.
*Source: Common Core State Standards. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Council of Chief State School Officers, 2010.