Terms Used In Vermont Statutes > Title 15A > Chapter 3 > Subchapter 5 - Petition to Terminate Relationship Between Parent and Child

• Accredited postsecondary institution: means a postsecondary institution that has been accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges or another regional accrediting agency recognized by the U. See
• Adult education and literacy: means a program of public education adapted to the needs of persons who are beyond compulsory school age, and who have not completed high school education. See
• Agency: means the Department or a child-placing public or private entity that is licensed in this State to place minors for adoption. See
• Agency of Education: means the Secretary and staff necessary to carry out the functions of the Agency. See
• Answer: The formal written statement by a defendant responding to a civil complaint and setting forth the grounds for defense.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Appropriation: The provision of funds, through an annual appropriations act or a permanent law, for federal agencies to make payments out of the Treasury for specified purposes. The formal federal spending process consists of two sequential steps: authorization
• Approved independent school: means an independent school that is approved under section 166 of this title. See
• Approved provider: means an entity approved by the Secretary to provide educational services that may be awarded credits or used to determine proficiency necessary for a high school diploma. See
• between: as used in this title in respect to a specified age of a student, shall mean the period of time commencing on the birthday of the child when he or she becomes the age first specified and ending on the day next preceding the birthday of the child when he or she becomes the age last specified. See
• Blended learning: means a formal education program in which content and instruction are delivered both in a traditional classroom setting and through virtual learning. See
• Career development: means the identification of student interests and aptitudes and the ability to link these to potential career paths and the training and education necessary to succeed on these paths. See
• Carnegie unit: means 125 hours of class or contact time with a teacher over the course of one year at the secondary level. See
• Child: means a minor or an adult son or daughter, by birth or adoption. See
• comprehensive health education: means a systematic and extensive elementary and secondary educational program designed to provide a variety of learning experiences based upon knowledge of the human organism as it functions within its environment. See
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Dual enrollment: means enrollment by a secondary student in a course offered by an accredited postsecondary institution and for which, upon successful completion of the course, the student will receive:

• Early college: means full-time enrollment, pursuant to subsection 4011(e) of this title, by a 12th grade Vermont student for one academic year in a program offered by a postsecondary institution in which the credits earned apply to secondary school graduation requirements. See
• Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Flexible pathways to graduation: means any combination of high-quality academic and experiential components leading to secondary school completion and postsecondary readiness, which may include assessments that allow the student to apply his or her knowledge and skills to tasks that are of interest to that student. See
• following: when used by way of reference to a section of the law shall mean the next preceding or following section. See
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Independent school: means a school other than a public school, which provides a program of elementary or secondary education, or both. See
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Kindergarten: means an educational program for children of one year adapted to the needs of students who will attend first grade the following year. See
• Local adult education and literacy provider: means an entity that is awarded federal or State grant funds to conduct adult education and literacy activities. See
• Minor: means a person who has not attained 18 years of age. See
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Parent: means a person who is legally recognized as a mother or father or whose consent to the adoption of a minor is required under subdivision 2-401(a)(1)-(4) or (6) of this title. See
• Person: shall include any natural person, corporation, municipality, the State of Vermont or any department, agency, or subdivision of the State, and any partnership, unincorporated association, or other legal entity. See
• Physical custody: means the physical care and supervision of a minor. See
• Postsecondary planning: means the identification of education and training programs after high school that meet a student's academic, vocational, financial, and social needs and the identification of financial assistance available for those programs. See
• Postsecondary readiness: means the ability to enter the workforce or to pursue postsecondary education or training without the need for remediation. See
• Public school: means an elementary school or secondary school operated by a school district. See
• Relinquishment: means the voluntary surrender to an agency by a minor's parent or guardian, for purposes of the minor's adoption, of the rights of the parent or guardian with respect to the minor, including legal and physical custody of the minor. See
• School district: means town school districts, union school districts, interstate school districts, city school districts, unified union districts, and incorporated school districts, each of which is governed by a publicly elected board. See
• Secretary: means the Secretary of Education. See
• State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
• State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See
• State Board: means the State Board of Education established by chapter 3 of this title. See
• Superintendent: means the chief executive officer of a supervisory union and each school board within it. See
• Supervisory union: means an administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State Board under section 261 of this title, that consists of two or more school districts; if the context clearly allows, the term also means a supervisory district. See
• Town: shall include city and wards or precincts therein; "selectboard members" and "board of civil authority" shall extend to and include the mayor and aldermen of cities; "trustees" shall extend to and include bailiffs of incorporated villages; and the laws applicable to the inhabitants and officers of towns shall be applicable to the inhabitants and similar officers of all municipal corporations. See
• Virtual learning: means learning in which the teacher and student communicate concurrently through real-time telecommunication. See