The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) is a progress monitoring system that is administered three times per year (PM1, PM2, PM3) to track your student’s progress in learning the Benchmarks of Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Standards throughout this school year.

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will take the exams (FAST PM3) according to their grade level. For dates and other necessary exam information, please check below or click on the appropriate PDF. AFTER THE TEST, your child's homeroom teacher will provide another letter with an individual student code to access your child's scores. The scores should be released a couple days after each test on the online FAST PORTAL. Therefore, please ask your child for the letter after their first FAST assessment.

The results from PM3 will show how well your student has mastered the grade level content standards, and you will be provided with information about how to access the results after testing is completed.

Your student’s FAST assessments are computer-adaptive tests taken on a computer or tablet. The questions get less or more difficult depending on how a student responds, and each student will see different questions from a common item bank.

Starting in grade 3, each test attempt (PM1, PM2, and PM3) will present items that cover the entire test “blueprint,” meaning students will encounter items representative of the standards within the subject or grade level.

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

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact the Front Desk at 941-714-7260.

For more information about the Florida Statewide Assessments program, please visit the portal at FLFAST.org.

Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test administration.

Testing dates:

• April 18: Renaissance Star Reading for Grades 1 and 2

• April 20: Renaissance Star Early Literacy for Kindergarten

• April 25: Renaissance Star Math for Grades 1 and 2

• April 27: Renaissance Star Math for Kindergarten

If you or your student would like to review the Star Early Literacy, Star Reading, and/or Star Math sample items at home, sample test items are available at https://flfast.org/resources/renaissance-star/renaissance-star.

The Star Early Literacy assessment typically takes less than 15 minutes to complete. The Star Reading assessment is usually completed in less than 20 minutes, and the Star Math assessment typically takes less than 30 minutes to complete.

Testing dates:

• May 2: FAST Reading (ELA) for Grades 3 through 10

• May 16: FAST Math for Grades 3 through 8 (pre-algebra students only)

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.

Please review the following policies with your student before testing:

• Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, including, but not limited to, cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing or during breaks (e.g., restroom), even if the devices are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device or is found using Bluetooth/wireless headphones/earbuds during testing, his or her test will be invalidated.

• Calculator Policy—For Grades 7–8 FAST Mathematics assessments, approved handheld scientific calculators may be used. For Grade 6 FAST Mathematics, a handheld four-function calculator may be used. The school will provide approved calculators for use during the test.

• Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment that reads: “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.” Before testing, test administrators read the rules to students, and students acknowledge that they understand the testing rules by clicking the box in the secure browser indicating they understand the testing rules.

• Discussing Test Content after Testing—The last portion of the testing rules read to students before they click the box to accept the Testing Rules Acknowledgment states that because the content of all statewide assessments is secure, students may not discuss or reveal details about the test content (including test items and passages) after the test. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting to social media sites. Please make sure your student understands this policy prior to testing and remind them that “discussing” test content includes any kind of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, posting to social media, or sharing online. While students may not share information about secure test content after testing, this policy is not intended to prevent students from discussing their testing experiences with their parents/families.

• Working Independently—Students are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others. If students are caught cheating during testing, their tests will be invalidated.

• Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing a test (e.g., for an appointment), he or she will not be allowed to return to that test. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day. Please remember not to schedule appointments on testing days.

• Testing Accommodations—If your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a Section 504 Plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL) or a recently exited ELL, please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.