FastBridge 

Each year, District 15 carefully monitors each child’s academic progress. Part of this monitoring includes using a series of quick, standardized tests using the FastBridge Assessment System. This data, combined with information from other assessments, is used to guide instruction and assess growth. 

In addition to your student’s Composite score, a National Percentile is also provided. This number represents how your child’s score compares to other students in the same grade level across the nation. For example, if your child scored in the 70th percentile, your child scored better than 70% of other students at their grade level across the nation who also took that assessment. 

Please see the chart and information below to learn more about which FastBridge assessments your child will take based on their grade level and time of year. You will receive information about your child’s performance three times a year, after each benchmarking period.

In kindergarten and first grade, every student completes a group of short early reading and early math tests from the FastBridge assessment system. These assessments are designed to measure and monitor the development of students’ basic reading and math skills. Both the earlyReading and earlyMath assessments are comprised of 12 subtests. Four of these subtests are administered at each benchmark period (fall, winter, spring). These are quick and flexible monitoring tools; the total assessment time for all four subtests is approximately 5-10 minutes per student.

Depending upon your child’s grade level and the benchmark period, reading subtests may include concepts of print, onset sounds, letter sounds, word segmenting, sight words, sentence reading, and reading grade level passages (also called a Reading Curriculum-Based Assessment or R-CBM). Math subtests may include number identification, number sequencing, decomposing, place value, and story problems. 

In kindergarten, at the start of each school year, for early reading, students are asked to identify concepts of print, identify the initial sounds in spoken words, name letters from a list, and say letter sounds when shown a list of letters. Around January, students are reassessed on their ability to identify initial sounds in words and state letter sounds. New skills assessed in January include breaking words into syllables and blending letter sounds to read short made-up words (Nonsense Words). Around April, students are reassessed on the ability to state letter sounds from a list, breaking spoken words into syllables, and blending letter sounds to read made-up words. New skills assessed include reading sight words. For students in self-contained bilingual and dual language classrooms, subtests presented at the beginning of the year include concepts of print, onset sounds, letter sounds and syllable reading. In January, the concepts of print subtest is replaced by word segmenting and in April, sight words is replaced by onset sounds.

In kindergarten, at the start of each school year, for early math, students are asked to label numbers from a list, match numbers to their corresponding quantities, and their ability to count, forward and backward (Number Sequence). Around January, students are reassessed on their ability to label numbers from a list and identify numbers that would be needed to complete a sequence. A new skill assessed in January is decomposition. Students are shown a set of food items and are then asked, “I ate ___, how many are left?” Around April, students are reassessed on their ability to label numbers from a list, identify numbers that would be needed to complete a sequence, and on decomposition. For students in self-contained bilingual and dual language classrooms, assessments are translated into Spanish. 

In first grade, at the start of each school year, for early reading, students are asked to break words into syllables (Word Segmenting), blending letter sounds to read short made-up words (Nonsense Words), read sight words, and read a short passage with picture supports (Sentence Reading). Around January, students are reassessed on their ability to break words into syllables (Word Segmenting), blend letter sounds to read short made-up words (Nonsense Words), and read sight words. A new skill assessed in January includes a Reading Curriculum Based Measure (R-CBM), which requires the student to read a grade level passage for one minute. The number of words read correctly and any errors are scored. Around April, students are reassessed on their ability to break words into syllables (Word Segmenting), blend letter sounds to read short words (Decodable Words), read sight words, and read a grade-level passage. For students in self-contained bilingual and dual language classrooms, subtests presented at the beginning of the year include word segmenting, sight words, sentence reading and syllable reading. In January and April, sentence reading is replaced by CBM Reading.

In first grade, for math, at the start of each school year, students are asked to label numbers from a list, identify numbers that would be needed to complete a sequence and decomposition. For the number sequencing assessment, students hear numbers and are asked to keep counting, state the number after, or number after. For the decomposition assessment, students are shown a number and a set of dots and are then asked, “How many to make ____?” Around January, students are reassessed on decomposition and their ability to hear numbers and keep counting, state the number before, or number after. A new skill assessed in January is place value. Students are asked to complete a short paper-pencil test where they must identify quantities represented by 1-unit and 10-unit blocks. Around April, students are reassessed on decomposing and place value. A new skill assessed in April is Story Problems. Students are asked to listen to a word problem (sometimes with a picture, and sometimes not) and then solve it (e.g. “There were ___ cookies. A girl ate ___. How many are left?”). 

In second grade, all students are tested in the Fall, Winter and Spring for both literacy and math. Literacy assessments include reading grade level passages (also called a Reading Curriculum-Based Assessment or R-CBM), which requires the student to read grade level passages for one minute. The student reads 3 of these passages, for one minute each time. The number of words read correctly and any errors are scored. For the final score, the middle score of words read correctly and the middle score of number of errors is recorded. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Math assessments include completing a variety of mixed math facts within four minutes as quickly as possible (also called a Math Curriculum Based Assessment or CBMmath Automaticity). The number of correctly answered math problems is recorded. All students in the grade level receive the same questions. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Total testing time can be 60-80 minutes for both literacy and math combined. 

In third grade, all students are tested in the Fall, Winter and Spring in literacy. The literacy assessment for third grade is reading grade level passages (also called a Reading Curriculum-Based Assessment or R-CBM).  Students are required to read grade level passages for one minute.  The student reads 3 of these passages, for one minute each time.  The number of words read correctly and any errors are scored.  For the final score, the middle score of words read correctly and the middle score of number of errors is recorded.  

In third grade through sixth grade, students below the 15th %ile on Reading MAP testing, complete additional FastBridge Assessments in the Fall and Spring. The exception is that in the Spring only, sixth grade students below the 30th %ile on Reading MAP complete additional FastBride assessments to help determine possible eligibility for reading intervention support in Junior High. In the Winter, only students receiving intervention complete FastBridge assessments. The literacy assessments for third through sixth grade include reading grade level passages (also called a Reading Curriculum-Based Assessment or R-CBM). Students are required to read grade level passages for one minute. The student reads 3 of these passages, for one minute each time. The number of words read correctly and any errors are scored. For the final score, the middle score of words read correctly and the middle score of number of errors is recorded. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Total testing time for literacy can be 30-40 minutes. 

In third grade through sixth grade, for math, students below the 15th %ile on Math MAP testing, complete additional FastBridge Assessments in the Fall and Spring. In the Winter, only students receiving intervention complete FastBridge assessments. Math assessments include completing a variety of mixed math facts within four minutes as quickly as possible (also called a Math Curriculum Based Assessment or CBMmath Automaticity). The number of correctly answered math problems is recorded. All students in the grade level receive the same questions. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Total testing time for math can be 30-40 minutes. 

In seventh grade and eighth grade, only students receiving intervention complete FastBridge Assessments for literacy and/or math in the Fall, Winter and Spring. The exception is that in the Spring only, seventh grade students below the 30th %ile on Reading MAP complete additional FastBridge assessments to help determine possible eligibility for reading intervention support in eight grade. Literacy assessments include reading grade level passages (also called a Reading Curriculum-Based Assessment or R-CBM). Students are required to read grade level passages for one minute. The student reads 3 of these passages, for one minute each time. The number of words read correctly and any errors are scored. For the final score, the middle score of words read correctly and the middle score of number of errors is recorded. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Math assessments include completing a variety of mixed math facts within four minutes as quickly as possible (also called a Math Curriculum Based Assessment or CBMmath Automaticity). The number of correctly answered math problems is recorded. All students in the grade level receive the same questions. Also, students complete an untimed, computer-based assessment of 30 questions, which adapts to their skill level. Total testing time can be 60-80 minutes for literacy and math assessments combined. 

District 15 considers students at the 15th percentile or lower on the NWEA MAP (as well as other factors such as additional testing, previous school experiences, etc.) for Tier 2 reading and/or math intervention support.

Please feel free to contact your child’s teacher with any questions or concerns.