The Pinellas County School District is ending its use of the term "dropout" because it has a negative connotation.

The district's Dropout Prevention department is now called Educational Alternative Services. Area superintendent Barbara Hires told the Tampa Bay Times the district is updating its brochures and websites to reflect the re-branding.

And the change may be part of a trend. In Hillsborough County, dropout prevention specialists were renamed "success coaches" in July.

As noted by the Times, the state Department of Education has been moving away from legacy terms that could have a negative meaning. Students who have been held back a grade are often called "non-promotions" rather than "retentions."