FAST Florida Statewide Assessment of Student Thinking

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking aka FAST is a way of monitoring student progress and holding educators accountable for learning.  The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking FAST testing tests students at the beginning, middle, and end of the year to measure growth.  You are probably thinking, the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking sounds a lot like progress monitoring.  If so, you are correct.

The Good

People like the idea of using something other than high-stakes standardized testing.  After all, it is not something teachers nor students enjoy.  So, what is great about progress monitoring with the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking? 

1.  Shorter tests:  The tests are computer adaptive tests which select items based on the tester’s ability.  It uses algorithms to personalize tests to the individual.  This means the test can be short, accurate, and fair.  When a student gets questions correct, questions become harder.  When he or she misses questions, they become easier until the system levels out knowing exactly where the child is performing.  Students have a better experience as they see questions that are relevant to their personal needs giving them an appropriate challenge without being too difficult.  They are able to test at their own speed reducing fatigue.  Why ask students a bunch of questions out of their ability range?  Now teachers can know exactly where their students are performing.  Not to mention, students have two opportunities to show improvement.  The fact that it is customizable, informative, and measures growth brings positive things to students.

2.  Data Driven Instruction:  With these tests being three times a year, teachers can use the data to drive student instruction.  It will allow teachers to identify gaps in learning so that these gaps can be filled in.  Without data, it is like a doctor prescribing a treatment based on a child’s age rather than symptoms.  With data, teachers have the right diagnosis and can use the data to look for patterns of weakness.  This will allow teachers to make informative decisions about instruction.

3.  Measures Growth:  Growth is the ultimate goal.  Students in the same grade are at a huge range of levels.  Students feel successful when they see how much they have learned.  It also reflects the teacher’s impact on student learning. 

The Bad

Some are distrustful of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking.  Will test scores be misused for promotion?  Does accountability function well in this platform?  Are Common Core ideas threaded into the BEST standards in a way that they will be tested?  There are a lot of looming questions.  Bottom line, students will still be tested and educators will still feel pressures of accountability.  The three little tests will be shorter so this may ease pressure.  However, not all are convinced this will happen.  It may simply mean that three times a year students and teachers will have the pressure associated with testing.

The Ugly

I’m just going to say it.  It may offend some, but here it is.  I have witnessed what happens with progress monitoring.  When the first test is given, teachers want their students to score on the lower end.  Why?  More opportunities for growth.  In fact, my own children’s teachers have actually told them they shouldn’t do their very best on the initial test.  I’m not judging them, because I get it.  Teachers want to shine by showing students learned more and students want to shine showing they learned more.  In fact, there have been years my kids have been penalized for not showing growth.  Some teachers would give an end of the year party for students having a certain percentage of growth.  Over the summer, my kids always did enrichment programs causing them to score high on beginning of the year tests.  They scored well over grade level meaning that everything taught that year was below their actual level.  As a result, they did not show growth or showed little growth.  It didn’t take long for them to realize that they needed to bomb the first test to show growth on the rest in order to receive the reward.  I’m not saying this will happen, but there is a chance.  I’m just putting it out there.  I told you it was ugly.

What about writing essays?

“Here is what is wonderful about writing,” said the writing teacher. Writing always allows students to write at their level.  Whether a child is writing on a third or tenth grade level, he or she can write using the same prompt while demonstrating an individual ability level.  For example, “Should animals be kept in zoos?”  As long as the texts are not too difficult, a teacher can see a wide range of levels for this given prompt.  Three times a year students can write an essay to be officially scored.  If a teacher is providing valuable writing instruction regularly, guess what?  Growth is going to happen!  I have just the website to provide this instruction, Write Bright.  Make sure to take advantage of the free trial!

Florida Assessment of Student Thinking is a great way to search for a better way.  We must continue to evolve.  Our world is changing and testing should too.  Let’s continue to progress toward the B.E.S.T education for all students.