Data Glossary

Overview

This glossary defines key terms and concepts you'll encounter while using Standard Education. Whether you're a teacher, administrator, or data analyst, you'll find clear, non-technical definitions of the metrics, assessments, and processes that power our platform.

Terms are organized by topic. Use the table of contents below or search for specific terms to find what you need.

Platform Terms

Dashboard - An interactive page with charts, tables, and visualizations showing your student data. Dashboards are customizable and allow you to view information at the school, grade, classroom, or individual student level.

Filter - A control at the top of a dashboard that lets you narrow the data to specific schools, grades, or demographic groups. Filters help you focus on the data most relevant to your needs without leaving the dashboard.

Export - The ability to download data from a table into a file (like CSV or Excel) for offline use. Exported files can be analyzed in spreadsheet programs or shared with stakeholders who don't have dashboard access.

Card - An individual chart, table, or number displayed on a dashboard. Cards can show trending data, comparisons between groups, or key metrics at a glance.

SIS (Student Information System) - The system your district uses to manage student records, like PowerSchool, Skyward, or Infinite Campus. Your SIS is the primary source of truth for student demographic information, enrollment, and attendance data.

Data Refresh - The nightly automated process that updates your dashboards with the latest data from your SIS and assessment platforms. Data refreshes happen automatically overnight, so your dashboards show current information each morning.

Assessment and Screening Terms

SRSS (Student Risk Screening Scale) - A brief teacher-completed behavioral screening used to identify students at risk for behavioral or emotional difficulties. Teachers rate student behaviors on a simple scale, and results help determine which students may benefit from additional support.

SRSS-IE (SRSS Internalizing/Externalizing) - The variant of the SRSS for K-12 students that produces separate externalizing and internalizing behavior scores. This version allows educators to see whether a student's risk factors are primarily outward behavioral challenges or inward emotional challenges.

SRSS-EC (SRSS Early Childhood) - The early childhood variant of the SRSS for PreK students, producing an externalizing behavior score. This shortened version is designed for younger children and focuses on observable behavioral indicators.

FOCUS - An adaptive self-report screener for middle and high school students that measures social-emotional and behavioral health directly from the student's perspective. Unlike teacher-completed screeners, FOCUS captures how students themselves view their emotional wellbeing and social interactions.

MAP Growth - An adaptive computer-based assessment from NWEA that measures student achievement and growth in reading, math, language usage, and science. MAP Growth adjusts question difficulty based on student responses, making it efficient and precise for tracking learning progress.

RIT Score - The unit of measurement for MAP Growth assessments. RIT (Rasch Unit) scores fall on a continuous scale, typically between 100 and 350, and track growth over time. A student's RIT score indicates their current achievement level, and growth is measured by comparing RIT scores across multiple testing periods.

ASQ-SE-2 (Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional, 2nd Edition) - An early childhood screening tool measuring social-emotional development in children ages 3 months to 5 years. ASQ-SE-2 identifies young children who may benefit from support in social interaction, self-regulation, or emotional expression.

SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) - A brief behavioral screening questionnaire that measures emotional, conduct, hyperactivity, peer, and prosocial behaviors. The SDQ provides a quick overview of a student's emotional and behavioral profile and is used to identify students who may need targeted support.

Universal Screening - The practice of screening all students (not just those already flagged) to proactively identify who may need support. Universal screening helps districts find at-risk students early, before academic or behavioral problems become severe.

Screening Window - A designated period (Fall, Winter, or Spring) during which teachers complete screenings for their students. Screening windows allow your district to collect data on a consistent schedule and track student progress across multiple time points throughout the school year.

Roster - A file listing which students belong to which teachers, used to set up screening assignments. Rosters ensure that teachers receive screening invitations for the correct students and that screening results are accurately assigned to the right student-teacher pairs.

Behavioral Indicator Terms

Externalizing Behaviors - Outward behavioral patterns like aggression, defiance, disruptive behavior, and rule-breaking. Externalizing behaviors are typically observable to others and may disrupt the classroom or school environment.

Internalizing Behaviors - Inward behavioral patterns like anxiety, withdrawal, sadness, and social isolation. Internalizing behaviors are often less visible to observers but can significantly impact a student's wellbeing and academic engagement.

Risk Tier - A classification (Low, Moderate, or High) based on screening scores that indicates the level of support a student may need. Low tier students are generally thriving; Moderate tier students may benefit from targeted interventions; High tier students typically require more intensive support.

Attendance Terms

Chronic Absence - Missing 10% or more of enrolled school days (includes both excused and unexcused absences). Students with chronic absence patterns miss significant instructional time and often fall behind academically.

At Risk (Attendance) - Missing between 5% and 9.99% of enrolled school days. Students in this category show emerging attendance concerns and may benefit from early intervention before the situation escalates to chronic absence.

Satisfactory (Attendance) - Missing fewer than 5% of enrolled school days. Students in this category have strong attendance and are receiving consistent classroom instruction.

Excused Absence - An absence with an approved reason (illness, family emergency, etc.) as determined by school policy. Excused absences are legitimate and are not counted the same way as unexcused absences in some attendance tracking systems.

Unexcused Absence - An absence without an approved reason. Unexcused absences indicate that a student was not in school and no valid explanation was provided.

ISS (In-School Suspension) - A disciplinary action where a student is removed from regular classes but remains on school grounds. ISS days are tracked separately and do not count toward the chronic absence percentage because the student is still physically present at school.

OSS (Out-of-School Suspension) - A disciplinary action where a student is not permitted on school grounds. OSS days are tracked separately and do not count toward the chronic absence percentage because they represent a disciplinary action rather than a truancy issue.

Days Enrolled - The total number of school days a student has been enrolled, used as the denominator in absence percentage calculations. Absence percentages are calculated as (absences ÷ days enrolled) × 100.

Demographics Terms

SWD (Students with Disabilities) - Students who receive special education services under an Individualized Education Program (IEP). SWD data allows you to examine outcomes and trends specific to your special education population.

ED (Economically Disadvantaged) - Students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch or meet other economic criteria set by the state. ED is an important demographic indicator for understanding equity gaps and directing resources to students with greater economic need.

Section 504 - A federal civil rights law providing accommodations for students with disabilities who may not qualify for special education services. Students with 504 plans receive accommodations to ensure they have equal access to education.

MTSS Framework Terms

MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) - A framework for organizing student support into three tiers based on intensity of need. MTSS helps schools allocate resources effectively by providing different levels of support to different groups of students.

Tier 1 - Universal support provided to all students (core instruction, school-wide programs). Tier 1 is the foundation and benefits the entire student population.

Tier 2 - Targeted support for students identified as at-risk (small group interventions, check-ins). Tier 2 provides more intensive support to students who show early warning signs but do not yet need individualized services.

Tier 3 - Intensive, individualized support for students with the highest level of need. Tier 3 may include special education services, one-on-one tutoring, or other highly specialized interventions.

Data Flow Terms

SFTP (Secure File Transfer Protocol) - The secure method used to transfer data files from your SIS to Standard Education each night. SFTP encrypts data during transfer to protect student privacy and comply with security standards.

Nightly Feed - The automated data transfer that happens overnight, pulling updated student records from your SIS into Standard Education. The nightly feed ensures that any changes made in your SIS (new students, grade changes, demographic updates) are reflected in Standard Education by the next morning.

Data Connection - The configured link between your district's SIS and Standard Education that enables automated data transfers. Your IT team sets up the data connection during the initial Standard Education implementation, and it runs automatically thereafter.

Next Steps

• Need more context on a specific topic? Check the Platform Overview for a broader introduction to Standard Education
• Want to understand how to interpret assessment scores? See Score Interpretation for guidance on using screening and assessment data
• Questions about data privacy or security? Contact your Standard Education representative for details about how your data is protected