Everything You Need To Know About FAST Testing in Florida

Need to know more about school testing in Florida so you can understand your child's progress? Let's start with the basics. During the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), students are assessed three times per school year in the fall, winter, and spring. These sessions are referred to as Progress Monitoring (PM)1, PM2, and PM3. Scores from PM3 will measure student mastery of grade level standards and are used for school accountability.

how do schools measure success?

During each testing session, students encounter Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (BEST) standards relevant to their grade level. FAST assessments are computer adaptive, meaning the items presented to each student are chosen to fulfill blueprint requirements and adjust in difficulty based on the student's responses. In PM1, students are anticipated to achieve their lowest scores, as they have not yet been exposed to the majority of the BEST standards on the test. These scores serve as a baseline, providing teachers with insights into instructional needs. Nevertheless, student scores are expected to improve with each subsequent testing session as they receive more instruction on their grade-level curriculum.

what FAST test subjects are required?

English Language Arts (ELA) FAST

This test assesses grade-level BEST standards in English Language Arts (ELA) grades three through ten. Students must score a Level 2 or higher on PM3 during grade three to be promoted to grade four. Those who score a Level 1 at PM3 will be given summer learning and alternate testing opportunities to earn promotion to the next grade. There are some caveats and exceptions to this rule, so contact your school administrator to learn more about them.

During 10th grade, students are expected to score at a Level 3 (or higher) in order to meet high school graduation requirements. If a student does not score at a Level 3 or higher on grade 10 PM3, they will have additional opportunities to earn concordant scores through other testing, such as ACT, SAT, CLT, and FAST retakes. We recommend maintaining open communication with your child's school counselor regarding this process. Your child may also be referred to a support class, Intensive Reading, if they score a Level 1 and/or Level 2 starting in sixth grade. 

Math FAST

This test assesses BEST standards in mathematics grades three through eight, typically. Currently, there are no retentions based on math FAST scores. Once students are enrolled in Algebra 1, they will no longer take the math FAST. Instead, they will take the end-of-course (EOC) exam, which is also aligned to BEST standards. The EOC scores are broken down into levels like the FAST. Students must score a Level 3 or higher on their Algebra 1 EOC to meet high school graduation requirements. Those who do not earn a passing score will have additional opportunities to meet this requirement through the Geometry EOC, SAT, ACT, CLT, and Algebra 1 EOC retakes.

Graduation Requirements for Florida's Statewide Assessments

Additional Statewide Testing

• Students in grades 4-10 are required to participate in Florida BEST writing assessments at the end of each school year. It is important to note that BEST writing assessments will not be combined with FAST ELA Reading assessments to create an overall ELA score, and BEST Writing does not factor into student assessment graduation requirements. 
• Fifth and eighth-grade students will take Science assessments at the end of the school year. While these scores do not affect retention or promotion, they serve as a good indicator of whether your child is performing at grade level.
  
• Students taking Biology 1, Civics, and U.S. History will participate in EOC assessments. Scores do not factor into retention or graduation requirements. Again, scores reaching a Level 3 or higher indicate grade level (or above) performance.

what to do if your child is struggling with standardized tests in florida

If your child is consistently scoring below a Level 3 on their FAST tests by PM3 or EOC assessments, they may need more support and parents may want to know more about why. Students may require testing accommodations, or an underlying disability may be affecting them. Classroom grades may be inflated and may not show learning concerns. Pay attention to how your child performs on the District Common Summative Assessments (CSA) as well as FAST tests. Ask your child’s teacher for comparison data on all tests (e.g., how did my child perform compared to the class, school, district average?). This valuable data is readily available and supports informed decision-making.

If your child is struggling to keep up but you’re not sure where to start, Lifeologie Counseling St. John offers psychoeducational testing for ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, learning disabilities, and social emotional/behavioral concerns; consultations for ESE, gifted, and Section 504 evaluations; and executive functioning support for children and young adults.

Book a session with us today or call (904) 893-3237 to empower your family with information and help your child build resilience, learn skills, and gain support to thrive at school and at home!