Glossary of Terms

Academic Plan
Our skilled education team creates a unique academic framework for each student that is based on the student’s learning styles profile, talents, skills, and educational experiences.  The academic plan is created in collaboration with each student’s family, and serves as a guide that ensures students take courses that allow them to meet their academic and career goals.

Academic Suspension
Students are notified of Academic Suspension status when their coursework does not meet Laurel Springs academic standards. Students who are placed on Academic Suspension will be required to participate in a conference with a parent and school representative. During this conference, the student will write a Letter of Commitment that outlines the student’s intentions to make academic improvements. The Letter of Commitment includes a schedule for coursework submissions. Once a student is removed from Academic Suspension, the student is placed on Academic Probation for the remainder of the current enrollment period. Students who are on Academic Suspension or Probation may be dismissed from Laurel Springs School if there is not satisfactory communication and educational progress.

Admissions Coordinators
Admissions coordinators are essential to the enrollment process and work with families to identify student needs and appropriate course selection to facilitate students’ academic success.

Assessment
Assessment is a process by which we make inferences about a student’s knowledge, understanding, or performance based on standard measurements. Assessment may also be applied to the performance of teachers. Reliable assessment requires multiple sources of evidence. Types of assessment can include tests, portfolios, interviews, or surveys.

Attendance
Attendance at Laurel Springs School is defined as the submission of completed student work at a pace equivalent to a minimum of one lesson per course, per week. If circumstances prevent a student from submitting work at this pace, or if a student requires flexibility with work submissions, students are expected to communicate this information to their teachers to ensure that appropriate support is provided.

Authentic Assessment
Authentic assessment is measurement by multiple methods over time. Authentic assessment refers to the measurement of accomplishments that are worthwhile, significant, and meaningful, as compared to multiple choice standardized tests. When applying authentic assessment to student learning and achievement, a teacher applies criteria related to construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and the value of achievement beyond the school.

Benchmarks
Benchmarks are models related to the design, implementation, and assessment of student outcomes.

Customization
Customization is the creation of an individualized curriculum created by Laurel Springs in one or more content areas based on a student’s learning style. Students who demonstrate need in a specific content area may benefit from customized curriculum and additional teacher support, which is described in the individualized learning plan definition.

Diagnostic Assessment
Diagnostic assessment is an ongoing process designed to identify special areas of strength and weakness relating to grade-level content standards in K-8 students.

Feedback
Feedback has four key qualities: it must be timely, specific, appropriate for the student’s age and abilities, and allow for adjustment. At Laurel Springs, grades are considered to be a minimal level of feedback.

Full-time Enrollment
Full-time enrolled students take four or more courses in a year.

Homeroom Teachers (Grades 9-11)
Homeroom teachers are assigned to each full-time Laurel Springs high school student. These teachers serve as the central point of contact for the learning team (which consists of the student, parents or home mentor, teachers, administrative staff, and if applicable, tutor). Homeroom teachers assist in orienting new families to distance learning, and guide students during the online orientation course. Additionally, homeroom teachers direct parents to the appropriate administrative staff as needed, promote student and parent involvement in all facets of the learning process, recommend additional learning support when needed; they also inform, encourage, and remind students to practice time management, prepare for standardized tests, and maintain involvement in college and career planning.

Individualized Learning Plan
Individualized learning plan is a modified academic plan that alters the existing LSS curriculum to meet the needs of the student by coming up with a completely unique curriculum path. The individualized learning plan consists of materials, assignments, goals and objectives, and remains consistent with the scope and sequence necessary for progression to the next level in a specific content area. Individualized learning plans can be created for one subject or for an entire enrollment.

Learning Management System
The Learning Management System (LMS) is a tool used to deliver online courses to students, and to track student progress in text-based and project-based classes. Subject matter experts create courses in the LMS and support student learning by incorporating technical skills that are essential for asynchronous student-to-student interaction. Teachers develop strong relationships with their students by participating in a virtual dialogue and responding to student work with meaningful feedback. Additionally, teachers use online management tools, such as the online grade book and instant reporting to assess their students’ progress and to guide the learning process.

Learning Styles Consultation
A Learning Styles Consultation is an in-depth interpretation that includes a conversation with the student, parent, and Learning Success Coach. After the conversation, the family receives a report that includes recommendations for learning success and suggestions for learning activities, resources, and personalization.

Learning Styles Model
The Learning Styles Model is a student-centered approach to learning which acknowledges the natural rhythms of childhood, a child’s innate love of learning, and the unique talents inherent in each child.

Learning Styles Profile
The Learning Styles Profile is an analysis of five aspects that describe how a student learns: disposition, modality, interests, talents, and environment. The Learning Styles Profile includes study strategies that are adapted for each learning style. Once a student completes the Learning Styles assessment, a report is created that includes the details of the individual student’s Learning Styles profile.

Mastery-based Learning
Mastery-based learning is a philosophy of learning which contends that a student should have complete understanding of the content before progressing to subsequent topics. Our mastery-based learning model allows teachers to make corrections and suggestions to students during lessons and to ask for revisions, so that students may improve their understanding of subject matter.

Milestone Assessments
Milestone assessments are given at regular intervals, applied to the end of units, graded by rubrics, and used as mid-course feedback.

Norm-referenced Tests
Norm-referenced tests are assessments in which individual or group performance is compared with the performance of a larger group. The TerraNova is an example of a norm-referenced test used at Laurel Springs School. The TerraNova is a series of standardized achievement tests that is widely used in the United States to assess K-12 student achievement in reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, vocabulary, spelling, and other areas.

Online Classroom
An online classroom is a virtual, real-time classroom session where teachers welcome their students for group and one-on-one meetings.

Part-Time & Summer Enrollment
Part-time and summer enrollments apply to students who select courses that are pursued on a part-time or summer basis to receive credit from students’ current schools. To enroll in courses, students must meet prerequisites, and obtain their school’s approval to receive credit from Laurel Springs School.

Performance Assessment
Performance assessment is a broad term that encompasses many characteristics of both authentic and alternative assessment. Generally, performance assessments provide students with opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and to thoughtfully apply knowledge, skills, and academic habits in a variety of structured and unstructured situations. These assessments often result in a tangible product or observable performance.

Personalized Distance Learning Program
A personalized distance learning program is an individualized course of study that a student accomplishes in a self-paced environment, embracing a support structure that features one-on-one instruction, personalized counseling, and dynamic curriculum and assessment.

Placement Assessment
A placement assessment is a diagnostic tool that students take at the onset of study to help determine the student’s mastery of skills and proper course assignment. Placement assessments focus on a child’s primary understanding and skills. 

Portfolios
Portfolios are organized collections of milestone assignments from specific classes which contain a table of contents, student reflection, and a teacher grade form.

Rubrics
Rubrics guide students toward learning objectives and provide specific criteria that are used to evaluate student work. Teachers use rubrics to help students identify areas of strength and need, and encourage the student to review and improve their work to gain mastery of the content rather than memorizing facts without practical application.

School of Record
When a student chooses Laurel Springs as the School of Record, it means that the student receives the many benefits associated with full-time enrollment. Key benefits include: admissions coordinator services, complete textbook and online course materials, student support services and virtual office hours, an expert college counseling program, and extracurricular opportunities through clubs and National Honor Society. As the School of Record, Laurel Springs provides proof of enrollment, and retains the student’s cumulative school file (including all prior records on the student’s Laurel Springs transcript.)

Self-paced Environment
A self-paced environment refers to students and families working with Laurel Springs staff to determine individual learning schedules. Teachers communicate with students to support their work towards accomplishment of specific academic goals.

Senior Homeroom Teachers
Senior Homeroom Teachers provide extra support and guide students as they navigate their senior year. In addition to the services provided for grades 9-11, the Senior Homeroom Teachers work in conjunction with college counselors to advise and guide students, assists in the preparation of college application essays, writes up to five college recommendation letters, participates in the commencement ceremony in support of the student, and maintains contact with other 12th grade teachers to ensure that students are on track for graduation.

Standards-based
Standards-based educational content is designed to teach skills and knowledge relating to state or national educational content standards and benchmarks.

Subject Matter Experts
Subject matter experts are teachers with specific credentials and experience that support students in the areas of customization, gifted and talented curriculum, school counseling, and those students who are English language learners.

Virtual Office
The virtual office is available to help troubleshoot and answer questions for students and parents using a live online classroom.