- emergent reader
- Child on the path to fluent literacy, before conventional reading and writing skills emerge. Emergent readers demonstrate alphabet knowledge, a concept of what a word is, a sense of story (beginning, middle, end), listening and retelling skills, phonemic awareness, and verbal expression.
- end-of-course test
- Tests given in North Carolina at the end of high school courses to assess competencies defined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Tests are administered during the last ten days of an academic year.
- end-of-grade test
- Tests given in North Carolina to students in grades 3–8 designed to assess competencies defined by the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. Tests are administered during the last three weeks of the school year.
- English as a foreign language
- The study of English by non-native speakers or the teaching of English to such learners.
- English as a second language
- Designation for students whose native language is not English or for programs designed to teach such students. As a method of instruction, ESL usually involves pulling students out of the regular classroom for English instruction.
- English language development
- Curriculum of instruction for English language learners.
- English language learners
- Students (in U.S. schools) whose native language is other than English working to master English. They may be immigrants or children born in the United States. Usually such students receive bilingual education or English as a second language services.
- English-only movement
- Movement to make English the only language used in U.S. public education. English-only proponents argue that bilingual education and bilingualism threaten a sense of national identity and create divisions along ethnic lines.
- equity
- A state of educational fairness, justice, and impartiality in which all children receive a high-quality education and have equal access to services. Equity implies a state of sameness and uniformity of opportunity. Of special consideration are those students who have been denied access in the past, including minorities, female students, and students with special needs.
- exceptional children
- Designation for students who have different educational needs than the average child. Many children in exceptional children's (EC) programs have physical, mental, or social disabilities, but in North Carolina academically gifted children are also classified as EC.
- experiential education
- Instructional approach based on the idea that ideal learning occurs through experience. Learning tasks require the active participation of the student in hands-on opportunities and must connect content to the student's life.
- extinction
- Extinction is the contingent removal of reinforcement when a student engages in mildly inappropriate behavior.
- extrinsic motivation
- Motivating students by extrinsic or external means; encouraging on-task behavior with promise of reward, praise, or avoidance of punishment.
K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education
