FastBridge Assessment

In SASD, we strive to close the assessment-to-instruction gap by administering a combination of ComputerAdaptive Tests (CAT) and Curriculum-Based Measures (CBM) to drive district- and school-level instructional decision-making about supports students need to meet learning needs and goals. New in 2023, we are using FastBridge, a formative assessment system for teachers, at the 4k-8 grade levels. Our FastBridge assessments, described below, ensure educators have the right tools and the right data to provide timely, targeted supports for their learners. 

Grades 4K-1: Fastbridge earlyReading Composite is an assessment of essential early reading skills such as concepts of print, phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency.  It is individually administered by teachers to each student in grads 4K-1 in the Fall, Winter, and Spring, measuring student progress in reading foundational skills.

Grades 2-8: At the 2-8 grade levels, our Fastbridge assessments are a computer-adaptive assessment that is administered in the Fall, Winter, and Spring each year measuring student progress and growth in reading and math. This assessment complements state and classroom-level assessments that are used to monitor progress in student learning, inform curriculum development, and guide programming decisions.

Please see the chart below for a more detailed overview of assessments given by grade level:

SASD FastBridge Reading Assessments Overview

SASD FastBridge Math Assessments Overview

Grade	Fall	Winter	Spring
4K-1	Teachers administer assessments within our 4K-1 Curriculum
2-8	FASTtrack Math Measures CBM Math Automaticity General Outcome Measures by Grade Level) aMath(Broad Measure; Similar to former Star; Computerized self-assessment)	FASTtrack Math Measures CBM Math Automaticity General Outcome Measures by Grade Level) aMath (Broad Measure; Similar to former Star; Computerized self-assessment)	FASTtrack Math Measures CBM Math Automaticity General Outcome Measures by Grade Level) aMath (Broad Measure; Similar to former Star; Computerized self-assessment)

 

Communication with Families

After each assessment window, teachers will share information on progress with families. Results from the fall assessment window will be shared with families at Fall Family Conferences and/or sent home if families are unable to attend conferences. FastBridge reports include indicators of student risk for not reaching learning goals. These are known as benchmarks and include indicators for the following levels: 

Advanced: very likely to meet grade-level goals 

Low Risk: likely to meet grade-level goals 

Some Risk: unlikely to meet grade-level goals •

High Risk: very unlikely to meet grade-level goals 

This information is used by schools to identify supports for individual students. Some supports are class or grade level wide, meaning that we are adjusting our universal instruction to meet needs of many students. It is important to remember that the assessments described above, is one gauge  of your student’s knowledge and skills. It is only through multiple assessments and checks for understanding that we are able to develop a clearer picture of your student’s current level of academic performance as well as their growth over time in the areas of reading and mathematics. Teachers are eager to communicate our progress and plan with you to meet your child’s  learning goals.