Glossary of Terms

Academic Stream: a selection of secondary school courses designed to prepare the graduating student for university entrance

Attrition: the rate at which students drop a school program

Basic French: see Core French

Compact Core French: an FSL program that provides students with a concentrated exposure to the regular core French curriculum during a shortened period of time

Core French: a program in which French is taught as a subject for one period each day or several periods each week; also called basic French in Manitoba and FSL in Alberta

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Curriculum: the program of learning developed for students

Differential Fees: fees charged by some school boards for participation in or transportation to an optional program

Dual-Track: describes a school in which both French immersion and English programs exist

Early French Immersion: a French-immersion program with entry point typically in kindergarten or Grade 1

Entry Point: the designated starting grade or grades of a program

Extended Core French: an FSL program designed to provide more exposure to French than in a core French program: French is the language of instruction for one or more subjects (e.g. social studies, physical education) in addition to core French

Extracurricular: describes activities outside the classroom, such as summer language camps, which provide additional experiences with the target language

French-First Language: describes any program designed to teach Francophone students in French

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French Immersion: an FSL program in which French is the language of instruction for a significant part of the school day

FSL: see French-second-language

Immersion: see French Immersion

Indicators: measures of student achievement that allow the drawing of comparisons and the understanding of trends

Intensive French: a core French program that provides students with a significant increase in instruction in French over a given period, during which the regular curriculum is condensed.

Language Arts: a school subject that focuses on listening, reading, writing, speaking, and viewing skills in a given language

Late French Immersion: a French-immersion program with an entry point in Grade 6 or later

Longitudinal Studies: studies in which data are obtained on the same individuals two or more times during a period of time (usually of considerable length, such as several months or years)

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Main Curriculum: the subject areas that are treated as essential learning: often mandatory school subjects

Middle French Immersion: a French-immersion program with an entry point in Grade 4 or Grade 5

Multigrade Class: a class in which students from two or more grade levels learn in the same classroom; also known as a split or combined class

Official Languages in Education Program: a program administered by Canadian Heritage, a department of the federal government, to fund the provinces and territories to assist them in providing official minority-language and second-language education programs

Outcomes: descriptions of what students are expected to learn

Per Pupil Funding: a means by which to allocate funds for a program by matching a specific dollar amount to the number of students in the program
Pilot Course/Program/Project: a course, program, or project being tried out for possible future introduction in a school system

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Protocol: the terms of agreement reached between the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (on behalf of the provinces and territories) and the federal government for distribution of OLEP funds

Provincial and Territorial Action Plans: plans written by provinces and territories to explain how OLEP funds will be used in a province or territory

Provincial and Territorial Guidelines: descriptions of ways to organize and deliver FSL programs

Regular Program: the English program in contract to immersion programs

Resource Teacher: a teacher who provides assistance to students experiencing learning difficulties

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Retention: in the context of enrolment, the rate at which students continue in a program; in the context of language proficiency, the long-term maintenance of acquired language skills

Second-Language Education: instruction in the minority language (English in Quebec, French outside Quebec) for children of the majority-language group

Sheltered Courses: postsecondary courses taught in a student's second language which accommodate the student's second-language-learning needs

Special Education: programs designed to meet special learning needs of students

Split Grade: See Multigrade Class
Transfer Rates: a measurement of student movement between educational programs

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