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FAST Testing

In March 2022, legislation was signed that eliminated the Florida Standards Assessment and replaced it with a progress monitoring tool to measure students’ growth in language arts and math. This state-mandated progress monitoring tool, known as the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking or FAST, is aligned to the B.E.S.T standards. These tests are given three times a year and are referred to as PM1, PM2, and PM3.

About the Test

The FAST is administered on the computer and is adaptive in nature. This means that the test will adjust up or down depending on how your child responds. If your child answers an item correctly, the test will adjust and introduce a more challenging question. If your child answers incorrectly, the test will adjust and present your child with a less challenging question. Because the test is adaptive, no two students are taking the exact same test. PM1 and PM2 are for informational purposes only. PM1 is designed to provide a baseline score so teachers can track progress from PM1 to PM2. PM2 will provide a mid-year score to compare to the baseline score from PM1. PM3 will provide a summative score that will accurately measure students mastery of the B.E.S.T. standards at the end of the school year. PM3 will be used for accountability beginning in the 2023-2024 school year.

Click below for more information about the FAST Test:

Testing Windows

The administration windows for the FAST tests in 2022-2023 are listed in the table below. The state has provided the district with broad testing windows. To find out when your child will take his/her assessment, please contact your child’s school.

Grade	PM1	PM2	PM3
VPK	August 8-September 30	December 5-January 27	May 1- June 2
K-2	August 8-September 21	December 5-January 27	April 17 - June 2
3-8	August 15-September 30	December 5-January 27	May 1- June 2
9-10*	August 15-September 30	December 5-January 27	May 1- June 2

*English Language Arts only

Preparing for FAST Testing

You can view sample FAST test items (grades VPK-2) or take a sample FAST test (grades 3-10) by visiting the following sites:

FAST Grades VPK-2
FAST Grades 3-10
- FAST ELA Reading Sample Items (Grades 3-10)
- FAST Math Sample Items (Grades 3-8)

Accessing Your Child's FAST Results

Once your child has tested, you can access the results through the Pasco Parent Portal. Go to http://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/parents and scroll down to the School/Classroom Resources section and select myStudent. From this page, you can log in or create an account. If you try to go directly to the Florida Department of Education Family Portal, it will ask for an access code. These codes are already uploaded into the Pasco Parent Portal so that you may have a seamless transition between the two portals. You do not need the access code.

To access basic information, click on your child’s picture/first name on the left-hand side of the screen. Then choose Test History. A list of the tests that your child has taken will appear. To view the results of a test, click on the light gray arrow to the right of the name of the test. Basic testing information will appear.
To access additional information from the state portal, click on the Portal icon in the top left-hand corner. Then click on the Florida Statewide Assessments icon that appears to the right of the Reports tab. Scores will be reported in the state Family Portal within 24 hours from the time the assessment was completed. Additional information, such as a simple Individual Student Report including a longitudinal chart, will be available in the Family Portal in early August.

Interpreting Your Child's FAST Results

When you log into the Florida Statewide Assessments portal and access your child's results, you will notice that there are three icons in the top right-hand corner; Glossary, Guide, and Resources. Click on the Guide icon. You will find a resource that will take you step-by-step through your child's report. Remember that since this is new, not all of the information may be loaded into the state's system yet. Information explaining your child's test results can be found by clicking below: