FAST Testing PM3

Dear Sherwood Elementary Families,

Your student will participate in the third administration (PM3) of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Reading and Mathematics assessments from April – May, 2024. The results from PM3 will show how well your student has mastered grade level Florida's B.E.S.T. Standards.

For more information on the test design, please visit https://www.fldoe.org/accountability/assessments/k-12-student-assessment/best/.

If you or your student would like to interact with the online testing platform or review FAST Reading and Mathematics sample items at home, sample test materials are available at https://flfast.org/families.html.

For directions on how to view the PM3 scores, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and help understanding the reports you recieve, see the information below. Please contact your child’s teacher if you would like to meet to discuss your child’s FAST PM3 results. Any parent/legal guardian that needs their child’s FAST PM3 results translated into their native language, please contact the front office.

Mrs. Danielle Lavelle, Assistant Principal

QUESTION: What are FAST Assessments?

ANSWER: In March 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed new legislation that replaces the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics with the Coordinated Screening and Progress Monitoring System, also called the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). FAST ELA assessments are administered in VPK-Grade 10, and FAST Mathematics assessments are administered in Kindergarten-Grade 8.

QUESTION: When are FAST assessments administered?

ANSWER: FAST assessments are administered three times during each school year: once at the beginning of the year (PM1), once in the middle of the year (PM2), and once at the end of the year (PM3).

QUESTION: What is the purpose of each PM opportunity?

ANSWER: Each PM opportunity is used for slightly different purposes. Here are the descriptions of each PM opportunity for students:

• PM1 – This administration occurs at the beginning of the school year and is designed to provide a baseline score so teachers can track student progress in learning the B.E.S.T. Standards from PM1 to PM2.
• PM2 – This administration occurs at the mid-year point to track student progress from the beginning of the year on learning the B.E.S.T. Standards.
• PM3 – This last administration will provide a summative score that will accurately measure student mastery of the B.E.S.T. Standards at the end of the school year. While PM1 and PM2 are for informational purposes only, PM3 will be used for school accountability.

QUESTION: My student said there were concepts not yet taught on the FAST assessment, is that true?

ANSWER: Each progress monitoring test covers the full “test blueprint,” meaning that all content expectations for that subject and grade level are assessed. Therefore, for PM1 and PM2, your student may encounter test items about concepts not yet taught. As we move into PM2, students will have had an opportunity to learn more grade-level standards, and this administration will provide a mid-year score to compare to the baseline score from PM1.

QUESTION: What does the scaled score mean on FAST K-2 reports?

ANSWER: FAST K-2 assessments are administered using the Renaissance Star suite of assessments. Renaissance has a range of scaled scores used for all students taking the same assessment. A scaled score is calculated based on the difficulty of questions and the number of correct responses for each student. Providing scores on the same scale allows for the comparison of student performance across grade levels.

QUESTION: What does the percentile rank mean on FAST K-2 reports?

ANSWER: Percentile ranks indicate the percentage of students taking the same test who obtained lower scores. Percentiles range from 1–99 and express student ability relative to the scores of other students on the same assessment. For example, if a student has a Percentile Rank of 78, the student’s skills are greater or equal to 78% of other children who were assessed. It is important to note that Percentile Rank is not the same as Percent Correct.

QUESTION: What is the difference between percentile rank and percent correct?

ANSWER: Percentile rank and percent correct are different measures. Percentile rank is the percentage of values below a specific value (see above). Percent correct is the number of items answered correctly divided by the total number of items. For example, if an assessment has 50 items and a student answers 27 correctly, the percent correct is 54% (27 ÷ 50 = 54%).

QUESTION: The Star Reading Parent Report shows an Instructional Reading Level (IRL). What do these numbers mean?

ANSWER: The IRL is an additional measure to help understand your student’s reading capabilities. The IRL is the grade level where your student is at least 80% proficient recognizing words and comprehending reading materials. For example, an IRL of 2.0 indicates 80% proficiency with second grade materials.

QUESTION: The Star Reading Parent Report shows a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). What do these numbers mean?

ANSWER: The ZPD is an additional measure to help understand your student’s reading capabilities. The ZPD shows the range of reading levels that are appropriately challenging for your student. For example, a ZPD of 2.3-3.3 indicates your student should be selecting books with a reading level between 2.3-3.3 for optimal growth in reading.

QUESTION: Are the results my student earned on PM1 a prediction for the entire year?

ANSWER: The PM1 results are not a prediction for the entire year, as the purpose of PM1 is to provide a baseline score so teachers can track student progress in learning the B.E.S.T. Standards from PM1 to PM2. It is important to understand that score results are for informational purposes only and should be used to identify areas that may need additional instruction and support, including content that has not been taught yet. PM1 results should not be considered student achievement designations for the entire school year.

QUESTION: How can I find out more information about the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)?

ANSWER: Click the link here for the Florida Department of Education’s Student’s and Families Portal.

Understanding FAST Assessment Early Literacy Score for VPK - 1st grade

Understanding FAST Assessment STAR Reading Score for 2nd grade

Understanding FAST Assessment Star Math for K - 2nd grade

QUESTION: What are FAST Assessments?

ANSWER: In March 2022, Governor Ron DeSantis signed new legislation that replaces the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics with the Coordinated Screening and Progress Monitoring System, also called the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). FAST ELA assessments are administered in VPK-Grade 10, and FAST Mathematics assessments are administered in Kindergarten-Grade 8.

QUESTION: When are FAST assessments administered?

ANSWER: FAST assessments are administered three times during each school year: once at the beginning of the year (PM1), once in the middle of the year (PM2), and once at the end of the year (PM3).

QUESTION: What is the purpose of each PM opportunity?

ANSWER: Each PM opportunity is used for slightly different purposes. Here are the descriptions of each PM opportunity for students:

• PM1 – This administration occurs at the beginning of the school year and is designed to provide a baseline score so teachers can track student progress in learning the B.E.S.T. Standards from PM1 to PM2.
• PM2 – This administration occurs at the mid-year point to track student progress from the beginning of the year on learning the B.E.S.T. Standards.
• PM3 – This last administration will provide a summative score that will accurately measure student mastery of the B.E.S.T. Standards at the end of the school year. While PM1 and PM2 are for informational purposes only, PM3 will be used for school accountability.

QUESTION: My student said there were concepts not yet taught on the FAST assessment, is that true?

ANSWER: Each progress monitoring test covers the full “test blueprint,” meaning that all content expectations for that subject and grade level are assessed. Therefore, for PM1 and PM2, your student may encounter test items about concepts not yet taught. As we move into PM2, students will have had an opportunity to learn the grade-level standards, and this administration will provide a mid-year score to compare to the baseline score from PM.

QUESTION: The Individual Student Report (ISR) for Grades 3-10 FAST assessments shows a scale score. What does this mean?

ANSWER: Each Grades 3-10 FAST assessment has a range of scaled scores used for all students taking the same assessment. A scaled score is calculated based on the difficulty of questions and the number of correct responses for each student. Providing scores on the same scale allows for the comparison of student performance on an assessment.

QUESTION: The Individual Student Report for Grades 3-10 FAST assessments shows an achievement level. What does this mean?

ANSWER: Achievement levels describe a student’s success with the content assessed. Achievement levels range from 1 to 5, with Level 1 as the lowest and Level 5 as the highest. For all assessments, Level 3 indicates on-grade-level performance.

QUESTION: Why isn’t there a percentile ranking on the Individual Student Report for Grades 3-10 FAST assessments?

ANSWER: Percentile rank is not calculated for Grades 3-10 until all students in the entire state of Florida are done with each PM opportunity. Updated ISRs will be available in mid-October with the percentile ranking on the FLDOE Family Portal.

QUESTION: What is the difference between Percentile Rank and Percent Correct?

ANSWER: Percentile rank and percent correct are different measures. Percentile rank is the percentage of values below a specific value (see above). Percent correct is the number of items answered correctly divided by the total number of items. For example, if an assessment has 50 items and a student answers 27 correctly, the percent correct is 54% (27 ÷ 50 = 54%).

QUESTION: Are the results my student earned on PM1 a prediction for the entire year?

ANSWER: The PM1 results are not a prediction for the entire year, as the purpose of PM1 is to provide a baseline score so teachers can track student progress in learning the B.E.S.T. Standards from PM1 to PM2. It is important to understand that score results are for informational purposes only and should be used to identify areas that may need additional instruction and support, including content that has not been taught yet. PM1 results should not be considered student achievement designations for the entire school year.

QUESTION: What other information is available besides scale score and achievement level for Grades 3- 10 FAST assessments?

ANSWER: ISRs on the FOCUS Portal for your student will contain additional information about your student’s FAST performance in Grades 3-10, such as:

• Performance by Reporting Category: This section displays the student’s achievement level (below, at/near, above the standard) for each reporting category in the test. These classifications indicate a student’s level of success with items that assess the benchmarks within each category.
• Longitudinal Trend Chart: This area displays a student’s achievement level over time. The bottom of the chart indicates the date when the student took each test so you can compare performance between PM1, PM2, and PM3.
• Student Performance on Items: This section shows how your student did on each test question, including the reporting category, benchmark, and points earned.

QUESTION: How can I find out more information about the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST)?

ANSWER: Click the link here for the Florida Department of Education’s Student’s and Families Portal.

Understanding Assessment Score for 3rd- 6th grade

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