All terms
| ACCEL | Academically Challenging Curriculum to Enhance Learning. Florida's 18-credit accelerated diploma option, an alternative to the standard 24-credit diploma. See Graduation Requirements. |
|---|---|
| ACT | A standardized college entrance exam. ACT no longer stands for an official expanded name; it's a competitor to the SAT, and colleges generally accept either. |
| AICE | Advanced International Certificate of Education. Cambridge International's advanced, pre-university curriculum offered at Mandarin. Can lead to a separate Cambridge AICE Diploma. See AICE Program. |
| AP | Advanced Placement. The College Board's program for college-level courses and exams taken in high school. |
| AS Level | Advanced Subsidiary Level. The first, lower tier of a Cambridge AICE exam, worth 1 Cambridge credit toward the AICE Diploma. Compare A Level. |
| A Level | Advanced Level. The full, higher tier of a Cambridge AICE exam, worth 2 Cambridge credits toward the AICE Diploma. Not the same as a U.S. AP course. |
| Bright Futures | Florida's state merit scholarship program. Has four award tiers: FAS, FMS, GSC, and GSV. See Bright Futures Eligibility. |
| CAPE | Career and Professional Education. Florida's program for earning industry certifications in high school; certain CAPE certifications count as college credit and qualify a student for the Gold Seal CAPE Scholarship (GSC). |
| CLT | Classic Learning Test, a standardized college entrance exam Florida accepts as an alternative to the SAT and ACT, including for Bright Futures. |
| DCPS | Duval County Public Schools, the school district Mandarin High School belongs to. |
| DVIA | Duval Virtual Instruction Academy, the district's online school. Duval FLEX is its part-time program. See Duval FLEX Enrollment. |
| EA (Early Action) | A non-binding college application plan: you apply and hear back early, but you aren't required to commit until the normal decision deadline. See College Application Hub. |
| ED (Early Decision) | A binding college application plan: if accepted, you agree to attend and withdraw all other applications. See College Application Hub. |
| ELA | English Language Arts, Florida's name for English/reading coursework and the related state test. |
| EOC | End-of-Course exam. A state test tied to a specific class, like Algebra 1, that counts toward the course grade and graduation requirements. See Weighted GPA & Class Rank for how it blends into a final grade. |
| ERW | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, one of the two sections (with Math) that make up an SAT score. |
| FAFSA | Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the federal form every student needs to file for federal financial aid and most scholarships. See FAFSA. |
| FAS | Florida Academic Scholars, the higher award tier of Bright Futures. See Bright Futures Eligibility. |
| FAST | Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, Florida's current statewide standardized testing program. |
| FFAA | Florida Financial Aid Application, the state form (separate from the FAFSA) required to be considered for Bright Futures. |
| FLDOE | Florida Department of Education, the state agency that sets Florida's graduation, testing, and diploma rules. |
| FSA ID | Federal Student Aid ID, the username and password used to log into and sign the FAFSA. The student and one parent each need their own. |
| FSCJ | Florida State College at Jacksonville, a local Florida College System school some students dual-enroll at or apply to. |
| FMS | Florida Medallion Scholars, the second award tier of Bright Futures. See Bright Futures Eligibility. |
| GPA | Grade Point Average. A number summarizing a student's grades, usually on a 4.0 scale. Different programs (Bright Futures, weighted school GPA) can calculate it differently. See Weighted GPA & Class Rank. |
| GSC | Gold Seal CAPE Scholars, a Bright Futures award earned through CAPE industry certifications rather than GPA or a test score. See Bright Futures Eligibility. |
| GSV | Gold Seal Vocational Scholars, a Bright Futures award for students combining strong grades with a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course record. See Bright Futures Eligibility. |
| HOPE | Health Opportunities through Physical Education, Florida's official name for the required PE course that also integrates health education. |
| IB | International Baccalaureate, another advanced diploma track offered at some Duval schools. AICE and IB are separate programs; Mandarin offers AICE. |
| IRS | Internal Revenue Service, the federal tax agency. The FAFSA can import tax information directly from the IRS with parent/student consent. |
| NCAA | National Collegiate Athletic Association, which sets academic eligibility rules for students who want to play sports at the college level. |
| NMSQT | National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Taken together with the PSAT in 10th or 11th grade; a qualifying score can lead to National Merit recognition. |
| PE | Physical Education, a required graduation credit. At Mandarin this is typically satisfied through the HOPE course. |
| P.E.R.T. | Postsecondary Education Readiness Test. Florida's college-placement test, used for Dual Enrollment eligibility and as an alternative to the ACT/SAT score for the Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship (GSV). See PERT Practice Test for a free practice test. |
| PSAT | Preliminary SAT. A practice version of the SAT, usually taken in 10th grade, that also serves as the qualifying test for National Merit (see NMSQT). |
| RD (Regular Decision) | The standard, non-binding college application timeline most students use, with typical deadlines in January. See College Application Hub. |
| SAR | Student Aid Report, the summary you receive after submitting the FAFSA. Review it for errors. |
| SAT | A standardized college entrance exam from the College Board. SAT no longer stands for an official expanded name. |
| SSN | Social Security Number, one of the documents needed on hand when filing the FAFSA. |
Still confused by a term? Your school counselor can explain any term or acronym in the context of your student's specific plan.
Compiled from the terms and acronyms used throughout this site's own pages. Not an official DCPS or FLDOE glossary; some programs and agencies may define terms slightly differently.