Pauline Liu: Educators need lesson in dropping the jargon

If you've ever felt as though educators are speaking a foreign language, you're not alone. I used to feel that way as a child, and now that I'm grown up with a child of my own, it's become a case of deja vu.

It wasn't just educational buzzwords, such as "proficiency" and "cut-scores" that left me in the dark.

There also were a seemingly endless array of acronyms that I struggled to understand. Right now, the hottest acronym refers to teacher and principal evaluations. It's the APPR, or Annual Professional Performance Review. There's also been plenty of talk about RTTT, or the federal Race to the Top competition.

Have I lost you yet?

The news media have poked fun at educational jargon. They've called it "ed-speak" or "educationese." In my role as education reporter and columnist, I've worked hard to get a handle on much of the terminology. At times, I now feel like a translator.

Still, there are terms that I stay away from. I try to find easy ways to explain some complex ideas. For example, here and only here, I will use the buzzword, "proficiency," which refers to a student's mastery of a subject. Even people at the New York State Education Department think it's complicated. "And 'proficiency' is a term that has legal implications," said State Education Department spokesman Jonathan Burman.

Then there's the term "cut-scores," used to grade students on state tests. They are remarkably clumsy and difficult-to-understand buzzwords. Who talks like this? Educators. Aren't they the ones who are supposed to teach our kids to communicate?

If you've wondered why educators need their own jargon, numerous studies have been written on the subject. Some studies have been written by educators themselves.

According to one school of thought, educators feel the need to distance themselves from others and carve out their own turf. "I think it's the way it is because people don't want to be understood," said Steve Reese, president and publisher of School Wise Press. "It's a protective response to a profession that feels embattled."

Although Reese pokes fun at ed-speak on his website with a glossary of educational terms, his company works with school districts to help them compile their fiscal reports.

He explains that he has a lot of respect for educators. "I'm not as brave as they are. I admire people who are willing to tackle the tough job of education," Reese said.

Another site that has fun with ed-speak is It offers an even longer glossary of educational terms and gleefully declares, "Amaze your colleagues with finely crafted phrases of educational nonsense!"

The confusion created by educational terminology is not lost on the State Education Department, with pages on its website dedicated to "Frequently Used Acronyms."

Most parents are not about to try to tackle ed-speak — and many experts suggest: Don't bother. If you don't get it, don't feel ashamed. Make them break it down for you.

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