Assessment testing season is approaching
The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking — FAST — testing season for pre-K through 10th grade students is fast approaching for students.
Pushed back because of Hurricane Ian, FAST will be administered starting on May 15.
There are brand new curriculum and assessments for elementary, middle and high school English language arts and math.
“We were originally earlier in the window as a district,” School District of Lee County Elementary Teaching and Learning Director Dr. Bethany Quisenberry said of the testing schedule. “We adjusted it to the end of the window to give our students more time.”
Students in pre-K through eighth grade will take a FAST test in math. Students from pre-K through 10th grade will take the FAST English language arts assessment.
“The end-of-the-year assessments are written to the Florida Best Standards. We focus on Florida Best Standards throughout the school year,” she said. “All of our instructional guides and assessments they take throughout the school year are written the way they are asked to the end-of-year assessments.”
Students took a mid-year assessment in January and, based upon those student scores, level one and two, additional resources for intervention were pushed out.
Quisenberry said at the elementary grade level they found that students are behind in math and science. With FAST assessments they were able to dig into the data and look at specific benchmarks, which revealed that targets missed have not yet been taught.
“That was very positive. We have built the plans in to ensure they were taught,” she said, adding that the district will make up that time before the end of the year assessment.
For high school, mathematics were behind the benchmark, as students lost time from the hurricane.
“There were definitely more benchmarks not instructed upon. Mathematics we still had greater needs,” Quisenberry said.
She said it might be tutoring after school, intervention groups during the day, as well as additional support from teachers.
“Right now one of our biggest focuses is pacing. We missed a lot of days with the hurricane. It pushed our pacing behind, especially in subjects like math and science,” Quisenberry said, adding that teachers have worked on plans to ensure they are on pace to meet all the benchmarks by the date of the end-of-year assessments.
Secondary Teaching and Learning Director Candace Allevato said the FAST English Language Arts assessment goes through 10th grade, as it is their graduation requirement.
“A lot of families are hearing the Department of Education (saying it is a) hold to harmless year. Our sitting 10th-graders right now, they need to pass this assessment for graduation purposes,” she said. “We are down to five weeks that they are in school.”
It is important that students show up and give their all in class, Allevato said.
Unique to high school, students do not take the FAST math test, as they have end-of-course exams, such as algebra and geometry, as well as biology and U.S. history.
Intervention for high school students comes in many forms, one of which is Back on Track. Allevato said students can recover credit and engage in after-hours with teachers, both face-to-face and virtual hours. Students are able to work on specific needs with teachers and subject areas.
Districtwide, students have the ability to participate in Connect with Lee from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday with a certified teacher.
“That will be absolutely something families can take advantage of when they get into state assessment season,” she said.
Quisenberry said the FAST state assessments are unique in a positive way, as parents can see scores immediately through the FOCUS parent portal. There is a Florida Department of Education tab next to the child’s name, which will take the parent straight to the state portal.
For those looking outside the district for additional help there are various options.
Among them is Sylvan Learning, which has a location in Cape Coral.
Director Caoilfhionn Dolley said although parents and their children can walk-in, a phone call is easier, as an appointment can be set up to go over concerns and needs before setting up an individualized plan that meets their need.
“What we like to do is help give them confidence. A lot of what happens with kids is testing anxiety. They don’t know how to approach the testing,” she said.”What we try to do is be proactive. The more familiar with testing, the more they understand what is on the test and the more they have time to prepare. The more prepared they feel, the less anxious they are going to be.”
Dolley said some of that confidence can be built in asking a teacher for a study guide and learning if the test is either multiple or short answer questions. The more familiar students are, the more confidence they have when they sit down for a test.
“You don’t want to start prepping two weeks before the test. Your body goes into flight-or-fight mode,” she said.
Sylvan Learning utilizes a study skills program that focuses on either a visual or tactile learning strategy.
“The most popular age we start getting is third grade. Third and up would be the most popular age that we do,” Dolley said.
For more information, visit sylvanlearning.com.