The following list includes definitions of many key terms included in this strategic plan.
Access. Providing students pathways, resources, and supports to equal and equitable opportunities during their full educational journey from preschool through grade 12, as well as in postsecondary education.
Advanced Placement (AP). A program of courses developed by the College Board to give high school students an introduction to college-level classes. These courses are accompanied by exams that allow students to demonstrate mastery and potentially receive academic credit once enrolled in a two- or four-year college or university. (College Board, 2021)
Artificial Intelligence (AI). A field of computer science focused on creating systems that can perform tasks typically done by humans, such as understanding language, recognizing images, making decisions, and solving problems. (PWCS.edu)
AR/VR. Abbreviation for augmented reality/virtual reality.
Augmented Reality. A technology that overlays digital information onto the real world. It is typically experienced using a smartphone or tablet camera, which captures the user’s surroundings and adds digital elements to it in real-time. (Princeton Review, 2026)
Attendance Works. A nonprofit organization that works with schools, districts, states, and community partners to address chronic absence by promoting early, supportive approaches that help students attend school regularly. (AttendanceWorks.org)
Authentic Learning. Educational and instructional techniques that connect what students are taught in school to real-world issues, problems, and applications. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013)
Bilingual. Describes a person fluent in two languages.
Biliterate. Describes a person able to read and write proficiently in two different languages.
Building Automation Systems (BAS). Automatic centralized control of a building’s HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), electrical, lighting, shading, access control, security systems, and other interrelated systems.
Cambridge. Cambridge International AS & A Level courses and exams prepare U.S. high school students with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in college and university. Rigorously developed to meet the highest standards, the Cambridge curriculum brings college-level work to students, typically in their last two years of high school. (Cambridge Assessment International Education, 2021)
Carnegie Unit. The traditional foundational metric in education, measuring student engagement in terms of time spent learning a subject. In Virginia, the standard Carnegie unit of credit for graduation is based on a minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction. (PWCS), (Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching)
Chronic Absenteeism. Defined generally as a student missing 10% or more of school over the course of the school year for any reason, including excused and unexcused absences. (VDOE, 2026)
Climate (school climate). The quality and character of school life. School climate is based on patterns of students’, parents’, and school personnel’s experience of school life. It reflects norms, goals, values, interpersonal relationships, teaching and learning practices, and organizational structures. (National School Climate Center, 2021)
Cohort. A group of students who begin a program at the same time and remain together throughout the duration of that program. An example of this is an on-time graduation cohort. (VDOE, 2021)
Culture (school culture). The guiding beliefs and values evident in the way a school operates. School culture can be used to encompass all the attitudes, expected behaviors, and values that impact how the school operates. (Fullan, 2007)
Curricula. The plural of “curriculum.”
Curriculum. The lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program.
Data-Driven. Describes decisions and practices in education that are based on the collection and analysis of data, such as student performance, program outcomes, or instructional effectiveness, to inform teaching, learning, and resource allocation.
Data Literacy. The practice of examining and understanding data to draw and communicate conclusions and make decisions. (Data Quality Campaign, 2014)
Digital Literacy. The skills associated with using technology to find, evaluate, organize, create, and communicate information, as well as to develop digital citizenship and the responsible use of technology. (Museum and Library Services Act of 2010)
Diversity. Values and respects differences of each individual person regardless of race, ethnicity, age, gender, ability, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or political ideology.
Dual Enrollment. A program in which a student is enrolled in both high school and college courses simultaneously.
Dual Language Immersion (DLI). A program in which students study academic content in two languages. Students work on reading, writing, listening, and speaking in both languages throughout each year in the program. (PWCS)
Economically Disadvantaged. A designation for any student who is eligible for free/reduced meals, whose family receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or is eligible for Medicaid. (VDOE, 2026)
Education Equity. Eliminating the predictability of student outcomes based on race, gender, zip code, ability, socio-economic status or languages spoken at home. (VDOE, 2021)
Emerging Technologies. New or rapidly developing digital tools and systems that have the potential to significantly impact teaching, learning, and educational practice, even if they are not yet widely adopted or fully understood. (Joshua Vidal, 2023)
Employability. The combination of attributes, behaviors, and foundational skills that enable a person to gain, maintain, and succeed in employment. PWCS will assess employability based on Virginia’s 22 workplace readiness skills.
Energy Use Intensity (EUI). The total amount of energy a building uses per square foot per year. This nationally recognized metric allows ensures fair comparisons across schools. (Energy Star)
English Learner. A student whose first language is not English and needs additional resources and supports to fully participate in an English teaching and learning experience.
Environmental Literacy. Having the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to solve problems and resolve issues individually and collectively that sustain ecological, economic, and social stability. (VDOE)
Environmental Literacy Plan (ELP). A PWCS initiative informed by national research, outlining how students will develop skills for understanding and addressing environmental issues and practice personal and civic responsibility for environmental decisions. (PWCS)
Equitable Representation. The identification and development of all students who are capable of high levels of achievement when compared to others of the same age, experience, environment, or cultural background. (VDOE)
Equity. The fair and impartial provision of resources, access, and opportunities to all students based on their individual need regardless of race/ethnicity, socio-economic status, area of residence (rural locations), or sexual orientation. (Superintendent’s Advisory Council for Equity, 2021)
Evidence-Based. Concepts or strategies that are derived from or informed by objective evidence—most commonly, educational research or metrics of school, teacher, and student performance. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2016)
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing. One of two main parts of the SAT, evaluating a student’s skills in reading comprehension, reasoning, grammar, language usage, expression of ideas, analyzing evidence, and interpreting and improving written passages. (Princeton Review) (The College Board)
Family Engagement. Shared responsibility between schools and families. This type of partnership allows families to be met where they are and authentically engage as key decision-makers and champions of their student’s success. (NAFSCE, 2021)
Fiscal Year (FY). A 12-month accounting period used by governments and organizations for budgeting, financial reporting, and planning. For PWCS, the fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year and is used to manage and report school division revenues and expenditures.
Global Learning. An approach to learning that helps students understand how people, cultures, and systems around the world are connected, how those connections affect daily life, and how to work respectfully with others to address shared challenges.
High-Quality Work-Based Learning (HQWBL). A school-coordinated experience within the workforce that allows students to engage with industry professionals and apply their coursework learning to a real-world setting. PWCS coordinates these experiences in partnership with local businesses and organizations. (VDOE), (PWCS)
Inclusive School Communities. Environments where all students, educators, and families feel supported and are extended a sense of belonging regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, identity, learning preferences, socio-economic status, or education. (VDOE)
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). The condition of the air inside school buildings as it affects the health, comfort, and ability of students and staff to learn and work. IAQ thresholds include CO₂, temperature, and humidity.
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). The physical conditions inside a building, such as air quality, lighting, acoustics, and thermal comfort.
Instructional Core. Includes three related components: teachers’ knowledge and skill, students’ engagement in their own learning, and rigorous content. (Elmore, 2004)
International Baccalaureate (IB). An intense high school program which provides a rigorous curriculum to students in grades 11 and 12 that emphasizes intercultural understanding and enrichment It culminates in six rigorous subject exams. (International Baccalaureate, 2021)
Investment-Grade Audits. A detailed assessment of how a school uses energy, including systems like heating, cooling, and lighting. The audit identifies practical ways to reduce energy use and costs and provides reliable estimates to help schools decide which energy upgrades to invest in and how to pay for them.
Life-Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA). An approach that considers all costs associated with a system over its full life span, including initial purchase, operation, maintenance, replacement, disposal, and energy use. This approach supports more accurate HVAC renovation estimates and helps ensure adequate funding is planned for each project.
Multi-Tiered System of Supports. An adaptive and responsive framework that helps schools identify and provide targeted supports for students who are struggling academically and/or behaviorally. (PWCS. edu)
Pass/Advanced Rate. The percentage of students who achieve the highest performance level on the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, demonstrating advanced proficiency in a subject. (VDOE)
Postsecondary Opportunities. Options beyond high school graduation that include college, university, technical school, career, or military experiences.
Professional Development. Specialized training, formal education or advanced professional learning intended to help administrators, teachers and other educators improve their professional knowledge, competence, skill, and effectiveness. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013)
Profile of a Leader. A framework that defines the values, behaviors, and expectations for leaders across PWCS. It serves as the foundation for leadership development, hiring, and evaluation, helping ensure a consistent, inclusive, and high-impact leadership culture at all administrative levels. (PWCS)
Project-Based Learning (PBL). A teaching method that allows students to learn concepts and skills by working together on real world projects. (Structural Learning, 2025)
Research-Based. Practices that were developed based on the best research available in the field. This means that users can feel confident that the strategies and activities included in the program or practice have a strong scientific basis for their use.
Resource Equity. The allocation and use of people, time, and money to create student experiences that enable all children to reach empowering and rigorous learning outcomes. (ERS, 2018)
Restorative Practices. An emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections with communities. Restorative practice interventions may involve one of several possible approaches including community conferencing, community service, the circle process, preventative and post-conflict resolution programs, and/or peer mediation and social-emotional learning. (International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) and the Schott Foundation for Public Education)
Rigorous. Describes instruction, schoolwork, learning experiences, and educational expectations that are academically, intellectually, and personally challenging. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2015)
SAT. Scholastic Assessment Test, also known as a college entrance exam. (College Board, 2021)
School Community. A general sense of belonging and respect amongst a group of individuals. (VDOE, 2021)
School Year. The annual period during which a school provides instruction and educational services to students, typically beginning in late summer or early fall and ending in late spring or early summer. In Virginia public schools, the school year includes the required number of instructional days established by the Virginia Department of Education. (VDOE)
Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). The process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities; manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals; feel and show empathy for others; establish and maintain supportive relationships; and make responsible and caring decisions. (CASEL)
Standards of Learning (SOL). Describes Virginia’s expectations for student learning and achievement in grades K–12 in English, mathematics, science, history/ social science, technology, the fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education and driver education. (VDOE, 2021)
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). An educational focus that integrates science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to help students develop foundational content knowledge and problem-solving skills, enabling them to understand and apply these interrelated fields to real-world challenges and become STEM-literate citizens. (VDOE, 2026)
Sustainability. Causing little or no damage to the environment, resulting in the ability to continue for a long time. (Cambridge Dictionary)
Targeted Students. Students who need additional resources to support their academic success.
Transition. The three major transitional points in the public-education system: when students move from elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, and from high school to college. (The Glossary of Education Reform, 2013)
Underrepresented Student Groups. Refers to student groups who lack representation within a course, program, or opportunity.
VDOE. Virginia Department of Education.
Virginia’s 22 Workplace Readiness Skills. The core skills that Virginia employers and educators have identified as essential for successful employment and that are embedded in the state’s Career and Technical Education framework and assessment. (Virginia CTE Resource Center)
Virtual Reality. A computer-generated simulation of a three-dimensional environment that can be interacted with in a seemingly real or physical way. It is typically experienced through the use of a VR headset, which tracks the user’s movements and adjusts the display accordingly to create an immersive experience. (Princeton Review, 2026)
Work-Based Learning (WBL). Opportunities for authentic, on-the-job learning that help students build the skills and experience needed to succeed in high-demand career fields. Work-based learning experiences typically fall into three categories: career awareness, career exploration, and career preparation. (PWCS)
“You Belong Here.” PWCS’ hiring initiative to clarify and standardize job descriptions and align our selection protocols to attract candidates who reflect the diversity and excellence of our community. (PWCS)