Glossary

Searchable glossary containing hundreds of definitions and descriptions of education terms, acronyms and abbreviations used by the LTS online service and in Scottish education.

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Race	This is a controversial term, which comes from historical, attempts to categorise people according to their skin colour and physical characteristics. The word has no scientific basis for divisions into biologically determined groups. Individuals, not 'races' are the main sources of human variation. It is however in everyday use and is enshrined in legislation in the Race Relations Acts.
Race equality policy	This is the education equivalent of a race equality scheme and describes the framework provided to education authorities and schools to help them meet the race equality legislative requirements.
Race equality scheme	Public authority action plans to address race equality legislative requirements.
Racial grounds	Defined within the Race Relations Act 1976 as covering: Race, colour, nationality or citizenship, or ethnic or national origin.
Racial harassment	Harassment occurs when someone’s actions or words, based on racial grounds, are unwelcome and violate another person’s dignity or create an environment that is intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive.
Racialism	As distinct from racism the term racialism is used to refer to an active belief system, and its associated behaviours, based on the basic belief of racial difference in the human experience. This perspective is founded on a belief in the fixed nature of races and in their different status and value. Racialism has often historically been used as a rationale for colonial or imperial oppression at times where people from one part of the world have conquered others elsewhere.
Racism	Broadly used to refer to the ideology of superiority of a particular race over another. This notion of superiority is then applied to and embedded in structures, practices, attitudes, beliefs and processes of a social grouping which then serves to further perpetuate and transmit this ideology. Racism appears in several, often interrelated forms e.g. personal, cultural, institutional and societal. For more information about different forms of racism, go to www.antiracisttoolkit.org.uk and click on Glossary.
Racist incident	Any incident that is perceived to be racist by the victim or any other person. The definition adopted as a result of the Lawrence Inquiry and now widely used across national agencies, police forces and public authorities in Scotland.
Radical	Person who advocates fundamental or extreme social, religious or political changes.
Rainbow groups	Each pupil in a group is given a number or a colour. When the group has worked together, all the pupils with the same number or colour form new groups to compare what they have done. In this way pupils’ initial thoughts and suggestions can be challenged and extended by others.
Range of evidence (of learning)	For improved learning and teaching within a coherent assessment system a range of assessments over a period of time are required as evidence. This range of evidence should include formative and summative assessment, provided by both teachers and the pupils themselves, and may take a number of forms: drawings, artifacts, solo talks, musical performance. It does not necessarily need be written.
Ranking	Placing pupils in order according to their performance in classwork or tests/examinations.
Rastafarianism	Rastafarianism is a religion that was created in the early 1900s due to the social and poor economic conditions of the black people in Jamaica. The followers of Rastafarianism believe that Haile Selassie the former Emperor of Ethiopia is the Black Messiah who appeared in the flesh for the redemption of all Blacks exiled in the world of white oppressors. The movement views Ethiopia as the Promised Land. The group has no individual leadership. Dreadlocks are a common characteristic among Rastas, symbolizing deep devotion to the holy God.
Reasoning	Thinking that is coherent and logical.
Recording (of learning)	Recording is the continual process of summarising evidence gathered through a range of assessment activities as learning and teaching take place.
Relaxed alertness	A relaxed, stress-free learning environment where children are stretched to maximise their potential. Effort is made to eliminate fear for the learner while maintaining a highly challenging environment.
Reliability (of assessment)	This is about how well an assessment actually measures what it is intended to measure and how precisely an assessment measures a pupil’s level of ability, depth of knowledge, mastery of skill, or whatever the test or teacher’s rating scale is intended to measure.
Religion	The term comes from the Latin religare, which means to tie or to bind. Religions are belief systems rather than individual discrete beliefs. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
Remedial programmes	Programmes of work designed to meet the additional learning needs of children.
Residential care	Care homes provide residential care for young people who are generally of secondary school age, although some may be younger.
Resilience
Resolution	The number of pixels used in an image – the number of pixels used relates to the quality of the image.
Respect	Treating someone in keeping with or belief in someone's self-worth, admiring those qualities in another.
reviewer	An individual in school, usually line manager, who supports another colleague in the process of professional review and development.
Rites of Passage	Ceremonies, actions or celebrations, which mark important life events, e.g. birth, death, marriage etc.
RM	RM is a leading provider of ICT software, services and infrastructure to UK schools, colleges and universities. Founded in 1973, it designs transformational solutions for education that are based on the needs of teachers and learners in the classroom. RM has been chosen to become the supplier for the Scottish Schools Digital Network (SSDN) National Intranet contract.
RME (Religious and Moral Education)	One of the 5–14 curriculum areas. Personal and social development is a fundamental aspect of the education of the whole child. It is essentially concerned with the development of life skills. All aspects of a child's experience at home, in school and outwith school contribute to personal and social development.
RMPS (Religious, Moral and Philosophical Studies)	One of the 5–14 curriculum areas. Personal and social development is a fundamental aspect of the education of the whole child. It is essentially concerned with the development of life skills. All aspects of a child's experience at home, in school and outwith school contribute to personal and social development.
RO (Religious Observance)	One of the 5–14 curriculum areas. Personal and social development is a fundamental aspect of the education of the whole child. It is essentially concerned with the development of life skills. All aspects of a child's experience at home, in school and outwith school contribute to personal and social development.
RollerCoaster Tycoon game
Rote learning	Learning or memorisation by repetition, often without an understanding of the reasoning or relationships involved in the material that is learned.
RSAMD (Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama)	An NQ subject.
RSS	Really simple syndication.
Rubrics	A set of graded criteria, often in the form of a grid, which describe the essential quality indicators of a piece of work or product, in order for it to be accurately assessed. Rubrics provide learners with learning intentions and success criteria, and can also be useful for encouraging interactive dialogue about quality. For example, they can demonstrate the key features at a variety of levels, which indicate to learners what would be a poor, an average and a very good piece of work. They can be used before, during and after activities, and can be helpful in providing learners with quality feedback as well as enabling opportunities for self and peer assessment.