District Title Definitions

Superintendents/School Boards

Superintendents
Responsible for the overall operation of all schools within a district.

Assistant/Deputy Superintendents
Assists the superintendent administratively, often in the areas of curriculum and finance.

School Board Presidents
Chairperson of the school committee or school board representing community interest.

Business Personnel

Business/Finance/Purchasing
The district’s chief manager of fiscal services.

Buildings and Grounds
Responsible for maintenance of buildings and grounds.

Food Services
Supervises the food service program.

Transportation
Responsible for bus scheduling, maintenance, etc.

Health Services
Supervises physical and mental health services.

Teacher Personnel
Responsible for hiring teaching staff.

Public Information
Responsible for activities involving community relations, communications, and/or publications.

Title IX Affirmative Action
Supervises equal opportunity education and employment practices.

Information Systems
Responsible for preparation, storage, and retrieval of data for management and reporting.

Safety/Security
Coordinates inspection of facilities/grounds; educates students and faculty on crime, violence, and drug abuse.

Accountability
Submits and updates data to meet state and federal requirements, such as enrollment statistics and performance ratings.

Technology/Media

Instructional Technology
Responsible for recommending, purchasing, and implementing the use of computer-related products for instruction.

Instructional Media Services
Responsible for total media programs, including audiovisual, instructional television, and library services.

Video
Oversees the purchase of video hardware and software.

Network System Administrators
Maintains the district’s networked system of computers, servers, printers, and other network technologies.

Webmasters
Designs and maintains the district’s website.

Federal Programs

Federal Programs
Administers federal funding programs, including Title I and Title V.

Title I (College- and Career-Ready)
Administers federal assistance programs for compensatory education for disadvantaged children.

Title II (Improving Teacher Quality)
Allocates Title II federal funds for programs designed to improve the quality of the teaching staff through staff development, training, and certification.

Title V (School Choice and Innovative Programs)
Administers federal school improvement programs, including the acquisition of educational materials, programs for at-risk students, and innovative improvement programs.

Bilingual/ELL (Language Acquisition)
Coordinates programs funded by ESEA Title III Language Acquisition grants and all programs supporting English Language Learners.

Migrant Education
Administers programs to assist migrant children with overcoming cultural and language barriers and other challenges that place them at risk for completing their education.

Guidance and Testing

Guidance/Counseling
Coordinates the counseling activities with students and parents, including testing, college placement, and referral.

Academic Assessment
Responsible for overseeing academic testing that evaluates student academic progress or achievement.

Psychological Assessment
Responsible for administering psychological tests, evaluating student behavior, and providing counseling.

Student Personnel Services
Oversees services provided for overall student welfare.

Substance Abuse Prevention
Responsible for administering comprehensive district-wide drug and alcohol abuse education programs.

AIDS Education
Coordinates comprehensive AIDS education programs.

Character Education
Coordinates programs which develop student character traits, including citizenship, honesty, respect for self and others, kindness, courage, and fairness.

At Risk
Administers district-wide programs aimed at students who are at risk of dropping out of school.

Social Work
Responsible for identifying and resolving social, emotional, and behavioral problems that interfere with academic performance.

Parental Involvement
Responsible for coordinating programs that actively involve parents in the education of their children.

Curriculum

Research and Development
Responsible for evaluating and developing curriculum.

Early Childhood Ed
Responsible for the Pre-K through Grade 3 curriculum.

Adult Ed
Supervises activities designed to meet the unique needs of adults and youths beyond the age of compulsory attendance.

Gifted/Talented
Coordinates the curriculum and instruction for academically gifted/talented students.

Before- and After-School
Responsible for programs that provide supervision and activities to children during the hours before and/or after the regular school day.

Summer School
Oversees the summer school programs at all schools throughout the district.

Teacher Mentors
Coordinates programs that provide assistance and guidance to new or less experienced teachers.

In-Service Training/Staff Development
Provides programs for professional development of instructional staff.

Magnet School
Responsible for the curriculum development of magnet schools, which are organized to provide enriched curricula for a diverse student population.

Multicultural Curriculum
Responsible for development and supervision of programs ensuring culturally diverse curricula.

Response to Intervention (RtI)
Responsible for the implementation of RtI programs and services for all students within their district. Coordinators also identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions, and adjust interventions based on student responsiveness.

STEM
Responsible for overseeing, promoting, assessing, and strengthening the district’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) competencies for every K-12 student, allowing them to succeed in a knowledge-based workplace and community.

Curriculum – Core Subject

Curriculum/Instruction
Oversees all areas of curriculum and instruction.

English/Language Arts
Supervises the English/language arts programs.

Reading
Responsible for reading curriculum and instruction programs.

Mathematics
Oversees the math curriculum and instruction.

Science
Supervises the science curriculum and instruction programs.

Social Studies
Supervises the social studies curriculum and instruction.

Curriculum – Non-Core

Art
Responsible for all art programs and courses.

Music
Supervises the vocal and instrumental music curriculum.

Foreign/World Languages
Responsible for foreign/world languages programs.

Religious Ed
Directs, supervises, and/or coordinates the religious curriculum instruction (Catholic dioceses only).

Health/Phys Ed
Coordinates the health, sex education, and physical education programs.

Driver Ed/Safety
Responsible for coordinating the driver education programs within the school district.

Athletic Directors
Directs athletic programs for all sports.

Special and Remedial Education

Special Ed
Supervises programs for the mentally/physically challenged or children with learning differences.

Remedial Reading
Directs, supervises, and/or coordinates remedial reading curriculum and instruction.

Career & Technical Education

Career & Technical Ed
Responsible for career and technical education programs, planning, and administration (includes business education, industrial arts, consumer education, etc.).

Technology Ed
Supervises career and technical education programs in trade and industry skills.

Family/Consumer Sciences
Supervises activities including home economics, family living, clothing and textiles, and consumer education.

Business Ed
Supervises all business education activities, such as keyboarding, shorthand, bookkeeping, clerical, etc.

Marketing/Distributive Ed
Oversees programs designed to acquaint students with service and retail professions (may include on-the-job training and work-study programs).

Tech Prep
Responsible for the program that combines academics with technical education in a program of study linking secondary with postsecondary education.

Career Ed/School-to-Work
Oversees career education programs that acquaint students with the world of work and various career choices.

Selection Definitions

Adoption States/Open Territories
In adoption states, the textbook selections/adoption decisions are made at the state level, and districts must choose from a state-approved list in order to receive state funds for instructional materials purchases. In open territories, districts make their own selections/adoption decisions.

Adult Education
Indicates schools that offer adult education classes in addition to regular classes for any K-12 grades. Adult education, sometimes called Continuing Education or Adult Basic Education, is instruction for adults and youths beyond the age of compulsory school attendance.

Advanced Placement
Schools and districts with Advanced Placement (AP) programs offer accelerated courses which qualify for college credit.

Affluence Indicator
Rank institutions by socioeconomic status. Data points ranging from specific variables to census data are incorporated into the formula. The indicator is available on schools, districts, public libraries, day cares, and colleges. The underlying algorithm for each entity is created specifically for that type of institution, using data variables and attributes specific to their institution types.

Alternative Schools/Programs
Alternative education offers a specialized curriculum designed to meet the needs of a particular group of students who are frequently at risk of dropping out of school and require a more structured environment.

Average Tuition (Day Care Centers)
The average monthly tuition for a day care center.

Before- and After-School Programs
This selection identifies schools and districts that provide before-/after-school supervision for children who are in kindergarten and elementary schools. Also, day care centers offering supervision of school-age children before and after regular school hours are identified.

Bilingual Education Funding
Targets districts by the amount of bilingual and ELL education funding they receive from federal (Title III) and state sources. The grants support English Language Acquisition programs in districts and the schools in those districts.

Blue Ribbon Schools
Identifies public and non-public schools that have been formally recognized as “excellent” learning institutions by the U.S. Department of Education.

Buyers at Schools/Colleges/Day Care Centers/Libraries
Targets educators by name identified as direct mail buyers by leading education direct marketers.

Multibuyers
Educators who have responded to or purchased from more than one direct mail company.

Recency of Purchase
Verified teacher buyers who have purchased through the mail within the past 6 or 12 months.

Charter Schools
These public schools have been given certain freedoms from state and local requirements, regulations, and policies, allowing for more administrative independence. However, some are managed privately by Charter Management Organizations (CMOs). Charter schools may offer alternative types of curriculum and innovative approaches.

Charter Schools Managed by a CMO
Selects public charter schools that are managed by a CMO.

CMO Size
Identifies CMOs by the number of schools managed.

CMO Type
Select CMOs by Profit or Non-Profit status.

Classroom Subject Specialists
Many classroom teachers, especially in Grades 5-8, also specialize in a particular subject (such as reading, math, science, or social studies).

College-Bound Students
The percentage of twelfth-grade students within a district planning on attending two- or four-year colleges.

Customized Titles
When selecting name records, the chosen job function accompanies the personal name on the output. This option overrides the job function and replaces it with a custom title line (up to 30 characters).

Day Care Funding
This selection identifies day cares according to the type of external funding they may receive. Options include federal and/or state funding sources.

Defaulting System
Each name on the MDR database is linked to a specific job title. Since the ideal job title for your mailing may not exist in every school or district, MDR’s free defaulting system allows the next best title or name to be selected.

Email Response Index (ERI)
This select is similar in principle to the DRI (Direct Response Index) selects. ERI is an indicator that has been shown to be predictive of email response. ERI also factors in availability of funds and need indicators. Choose from five categories—high to low.

Enrollment Shift Indicator
Indicates the range of percentage change (increase or decrease) in school and district enrollments from the prior year.

E-Rate
Discounts used for telecommunications services, such as basic phone service, Internet access, or internal wiring.

Administrators
Identifies the individual who submitted and authorized the required E-rate funding applications.

Applicants
Identifies districts, dioceses, public and non-public schools, and public libraries that have applied for E-rate discounts.

ELL Enrollment
Identifies districts and their schools by the number or percentage of English Language Learners being served in appropriate programs of language assistance.

ELL Programs
Identify districts and schools teaching English language classes to students whose first language is not English.

Expenditures Per Student
Two types are available on districts and public schools.

All Instructional Materials (AIM) Expenditures
Represents the district’s spending for all supplies and materials used for instructional purposes; it is the total amount of expenditures for textbooks and other instructional materials.

Current Expenditures
Represents the total operating cost for the district, including teacher salaries, instruction, support service, and food service.

Fax Numbers
This is the fax number for a school or district. Use this option cautiously and within the guidelines of the FCC.

First-Year Teachers
Identifies those teachers who are new to the profession.

Gifted and Talented
Identifies schools and districts that provide students with high-aptitude, accelerated academic opportunities.

Grade or Grade Range
Target a building by a specific grade level or range of grades.

Highest Degree Level
Identifies teachers who hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree.

Household Income
Based on Census data and updated using modeling techniques, this is the median household income found in the neighborhood surrounding a district, school, day care center, college, or public library.

International Baccalaureate
Identifies schools and districts that are part of the IB organization of schools that offer a challenging curriculum for students aged 3 through 19. The program aims to develop the intellectual, personal, emotional, and social skills to live, learn, and work in a rapidly globalizing world.

Library Media Centers
Identifies schools with a library media center.

LifestyleNE Indicator
New Evolution (NE) segmentation from Claritas, Inc., includes 14 lifestyle categories based on urbanicity, income, education level, housing type, and product purchases. Use to indicate the type of lifestyle found in the neighborhood surrounding a district, school, day care center, college, public library, or educators at home.

Magnet Programs/Schools
A public school offering enriched curricula to attract students from a broad cross section of the community. Magnet programs also exist in regular schools in special subject areas.

Market Power
Market Power (MP) ranks buildings by a combination of enrollments and expenditures, targeting the smallest number of buildings with the largest percentage of spending.

Maximum Per Building
When using personal names, this function controls the number of pieces sent to each building.

Metro Status
Divides schools into four areas—Urban, Suburban, Rural, and Town—based on the NCES locale code.

Minority Percentage
The percentage of students in a public school belonging to a specific ethnic group: Asian, African-American, Native American, Hispanic, and Caucasian.

Name and Title Selection
This adds the assigned title or job function to a personal name record.

NCES Locale Codes
Code is assigned to public schools and districts based on population and population density within ZIP Codes. One of 12 codes is available.

New Schools
These are schools that have opened within the past year.

New Teachers
Names added to MDR’s database during the current school year.

Number of Teachers
The number of full-time equivalent teachers in a public school or district. This may be less than the total number of teachers employed and does not include administrators, library/media specialists, and guidance staff.

Poverty Level
The percentage of children in the district from families below the poverty line based upon school district data files from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Power Buyers
This selection combines MDR’s exclusive DRI with the recency of purchase selection to identify ready-to-buy educators in the most responsive schools.

Presence of Job
This allows for the selection of buildings based on the fact that a person holding the selected job function actually exists in those buildings. The option of targeting different individuals by name within those buildings is available.

Programs Offered (Day Care Centers)
Select day cares by the programs they offer at the center, such as preschool and kindergarten.

Radius
Identifies institutions located within concentric circles from a given geographic location.

Random (Nth) Select
This generates a random sort of your lists for testing purposes.

School Break Dates
Identifies public districts and schools based on dates they are closed for mid-winter and spring break vacations. Any range of dates can be used to select institutions by their mid-winter or spring break start and end dates. The majority of institutions are closed for a one-week span—Monday through Friday.

Second-Year Teachers
Names of teachers who are in their second year of teaching.

Special Education Enrollment
Selects districts and their schools by the number or percentage of students having a written Individualized Education Plan (IEP), indicating their participation in a Special Education program.

Special Education Funding
Targets districts by the amount of Special Education funding they receive from federal and state sources. The grants support programs for special needs students in districts and the schools in those districts.

Student Need Indicator
The percentage of a public school’s enrollment which qualifies for the free and reduced-price lunch program. Qualification is based on family size and income criteria. The lower the percentage, the better the economic situation in the home of students attending that school.

Student-to-Teacher Ratio
The total number of students per teacher.

Teachers New to Their Jobs
Identifies by-grade teachers (Pre-K through Grade 12) who are new to their jobs in the current school year. The majority change the grade they teach (i.e., a fifth-grade teacher who taught third grade last year), while others may add or drop a grade or subject assignment.

Technology Champions
These individuals are the “hidden” technology experts in their schools. They hold administrative or teaching positions and are looked to by their peers for advice and assistance in technology-related matters. No duplication exists between these individuals and school-level technology coordinators.

Title I Allocation
Identifies public districts and their schools by the amount of Title I funding the district receives. This federal program is also referred to as College- and Career-Ready. The funds are primarily spent on teacher salaries, technology products, and reading materials for economically disadvantaged children.

District Allocation
The total dollars allocated to a district.

Dollar Increase
Identifies the districts and their schools that received a significant increase in their Title I total dollar allocation as compared with the prior school year.

Per Student Allocation
The total district allocation divided by the district enrollment.

Percentage Increase
Identifies districts and their schools by the percentage increase over their prior year Title I dollar allocation.

Title I Enrollment
The total number of students who are eligible for the free and reduced-price lunch program.

Title I Schoolwide Program
Identifies schools that are allowed to merge local funds, Title I, and other federal monies to upgrade the school’s entire education program.

Title II Professional Development
Targets districts and public schools by the amount of Title II funding the district receives. Funds are primarily spent on professional development and recruiting highly qualified teachers. Also referred to as the Improving Teacher Quality Grant.

TV Viewing Area Selections
DMA (AC Nielson’s Designated Market Area) represents a county-based system measuring television viewing patterns.

Verified Title
This verifies that a person with the selected job actually exists in the building. Title addressing is available up to 30 characters. The option exists to take one title per building, any set quantity, or all occurrences of the job function that exist.

Years at a School
This identifies the number of years a teacher, or other educator, has been at their school. Reach teachers by the minimum known level of teaching experience.

Years of Experience
Identifies teachers by the exact number of years they have been in the profession.

ZIP+4
An extension to the traditional 5-digit ZIP Code, automatically included on all orders.