Education terms: T

72 terms starting with T, with where each one is used. Choose a term for related terms.

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T Level (Technical level) England: A two-year technical qualification for 16 to 19 year olds in England, equal in size to three A levels, including a substantial industry placement of at least 315 hours.
Talk for Writing All four UK nations (details may differ): A widely used approach in which children learn to orally retell model texts before adapting and writing their own.
Target grade All four UK nations (details may differ): A grade a pupil is aiming for, often set from prior attainment data.
Teacher appreciation week United States: A week each May in the US when students and families thank teachers.
Teacher assessment (TA) England Wales Northern Ireland: Judgements made by teachers about pupils' attainment, sometimes statutory (such as KS2 writing in England) and checked by moderation.
Teacher certification United States: The process of meeting a state's requirements, such as a degree, a preparation programme and exams, to receive a teaching license.
Teacher Degree Apprenticeship (TDA) England: A four-year route in England for non-graduates to gain a degree and QTS while employed by a school.
Teacher exchange International: A programme in which teachers swap posts with or visit colleagues in another country, such as the US Fulbright Teacher Exchanges.
Teacher in-service day United States: A US school day when students do not attend so teachers can train or plan. UK: INSET day.
Teacher of record United States: The teacher officially responsible for a class and its grades.
Teacher of the deaf (ToD) All four UK nations (details may differ): A qualified teacher with an additional mandatory qualification to teach children and young people who are deaf.
Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) England Wales: The defined-benefit pension scheme for teachers in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own schemes.
Teacher training bursary England: A tax-free payment from the DfE for trainees on eligible courses in subjects with shortages.
Teacher-assessed grades (TAGs) England: Grades determined by teachers in 2021 when exams were cancelled, based on evidence of a student's work.
Teachers' Standards England: The professional standards in England that trainees must meet for QTS and that set the minimum level of practice expected of teachers.
Teachers' union All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: An organisation representing teachers in pay and conditions negotiations and individual cases, such as the NEU, NASUWT and NAHT in the UK or the NEA and AFT in the US.
Teaching assistant (TA) All four UK nations (details may differ): A member of support staff who helps the class teacher, for example by supporting individual pupils or small groups.
Teaching assistant (US college) (TA) United States: In US universities, a graduate student who helps teach a course, leads discussion sections or grades work.
Teaching for mastery England: An approach to maths teaching in England, inspired by East Asian practice, in which the whole class moves through content together with deep understanding and fluency.
Teaching license United States: A state-issued credential required to teach in US public schools; also called a teaching certificate or credential. Requirements differ by state.
Tech level England: A level 3 technical qualification for students wanting to work in a particular occupation; many are being replaced by T Levels.
Technical award England: A level 1/2 vocational qualification for 14 to 16 year olds in England that can count in school performance tables alongside GCSEs.
Tenth grade United States: A US grade for students aged about 15 to 16 (sophomore year). Equivalent in age to Year 11 in England.
Tenure United States: Job protection for teachers after a probationary period, meaning they can be dismissed only for cause through due process.
Tenure track United States: A US academic career path leading to a tenure decision after a probationary period.
Term All four UK nations (details may differ): One of the three main parts of the school year in the UK: autumn, spring and summer, each usually split by a half-term holiday.
Test-optional United States: A college admissions policy in which applicants may choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
Testing accommodations United States: Adjustments to standardised test conditions, such as extended time or a separate room, for eligible students.
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) International: A core IB Diploma course that asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know.
Think-pair-share All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International: A discussion technique in which pupils think alone, discuss with a partner and then share with the class.
Third grade United States: A US elementary grade for children aged about 8 to 9, the first grade with annual state tests under ESSA; equivalent in age to Year 4.
Three-cueing United States: A reading strategy prompting children to guess words from meaning, sentence structure and visual cues; several states have banned it in favour of phonics.
Three-dimensional learning United States: The NGSS idea of combining science and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts and disciplinary core ideas in teaching.
Three-tier system England: A school structure, used in a few parts of England, of first, middle and upper (or high) schools instead of the more common primary and secondary split.
Threshold England Wales: The point at which a teacher moves from the main to the upper pay range after an assessment.
Tier 2 vocabulary All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: Words common in academic texts across subjects but not everyday speech, such as analyse or significant (from Beck's three tiers).
Tier 3 vocabulary All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: Subject-specific technical words, such as photosynthesis or denominator.
Tiered entry All four UK nations (details may differ): Exams offered at two levels, foundation and higher, each giving access to a different range of grades; used in subjects such as GCSE maths, science and languages.
Times tables All four UK nations (details may differ): Multiplication facts; the English national curriculum expects pupils to know them up to 12 x 12 by the end of Year 4. US: multiplication facts.
Timetable All four UK nations (details may differ): The schedule of lessons, rooms and teachers for every class across the week or fortnight. US: schedule.
TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) International: An international study of maths and science achievement at grades 4 and 8, run by the IEA every four years.
Title I United States: The largest federal K-12 funding programme, giving extra money to schools and districts with high numbers of children from low-income families.
Title III United States: The part of ESSA that funds language instruction for English learners and immigrant students.
Title IX United States: The 1972 federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in education programmes that receive federal funding, including in athletics and responses to sexual harassment.
TLR (Teaching and learning responsibility payment) England Wales: An extra payment to a teacher for taking on a significant responsibility, such as leading a subject.
TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) International: An English proficiency test from ETS used for admission to English-speaking universities.
Topic-based learning All four UK nations (details may differ): Primary teaching organised around a theme, such as the Romans, that links several subjects.
Total qualification time (TQT) England: An estimate of all the time a typical learner needs to achieve a qualification, including guided learning and independent study. One credit equals 10 hours of TQT.
TRA (Teaching Regulation Agency) England: The DfE agency that regulates the teaching profession in England, including awarding QTS and handling serious misconduct cases.
Tracking All four UK nations (details may differ): Recording and monitoring pupils' attainment and progress over time, often in a school data system.
Traineeship England: A former programme in England of work preparation and placements for 16 to 24 year olds, closed in 2023.
Training day All four UK nations (details may differ): A day when the school is closed to pupils so staff can train; also called an INSET day or teacher day.
Transcript United States International: The official record of a student's courses, grades and credits.
Transfer student United States: A student who moves from one college to another, such as from a community college to a university.
Transfer test Northern Ireland: The common name in Northern Ireland for the unregulated entrance tests used by grammar schools to select pupils at the end of primary school.
Transition (school) All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: Moving from one school or phase to the next, such as primary to secondary, often supported by visits and information sharing.
Transition plan United States: The part of an IEP, required by age 16, that sets goals and services for life after high school.
Transitional kindergarten (TK) United States: An extra early year before kindergarten, offered in some states such as California for children who are 4.
Trauma-informed practice All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: An approach in which staff recognise how trauma and adverse experiences can affect children's behaviour and learning, and respond in ways that build safety and trust.
Trigraph All four UK nations (details may differ) United States: Three letters that make one sound, such as igh.
Trimester United States: One of three parts of a school year used by some schools for grading.
Triple science England Wales Northern Ireland: Studying biology, chemistry and physics as three separate GCSEs. Also called separate sciences.
TRN (Teacher reference number) England: A seven-digit number that identifies a teacher in England's teacher records.
Truancy United States All four UK nations (details may differ): Unexcused absence from school.
Trust school England: A foundation school that has formed a charitable trust with an outside partner such as a business or charity.
Trustee England: A member of the board of an academy trust who is also a company director and charity trustee, responsible for the trust's strategy and finances.
TSI (Targeted support and improvement) United States: The ESSA category for schools where one or more student groups are consistently underperforming.
Tuition fees All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International: The charge for teaching on a course, usually paid per year at university.
Tutor group All four UK nations (details may differ): A group of pupils, often from one year group, who meet with their form tutor for registration and tutor time. Also called a form.
Tutoring All four UK nations (details may differ) United States International: Extra teaching for an individual or a small group, inside or outside school, to help pupils catch up or get ahead.
Twelfth grade United States: The final year of US high school, for students aged about 17 to 18 (senior year). Equivalent in age to Year 13 in England.
Twilight session All four UK nations (details may differ): A training session for staff held after school, often used instead of a full INSET day.

Being checked against official sources. Definitions are written in our own words; always check the official guidance for your country.

Education glossary A–Z

Definitions are written by Classfern in our own words for teachers in the UK and the US. They are short explanations, not legal or official definitions: always check the official guidance for your country, nation or state. Classfern is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government department, inspectorate or exam board named here.

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