FastBridge

The MDE approved K-3 screening tool FastBridge includes Nonsense Words in its earlyReading measure but this measure does not have benchmark scores for Nonsense Words in grades 2 and 3. While the FastBridge dashboard does report risk levels for students in grades 2 and 3 these risk levels are based on grade 1 benchmarks and should NOT be used to determine risk for students in grades 2 and 3. As FastBridge does not have benchmark data for students in grades 2 and 3 based on norms for grades 2 and 3, MDE used Nonsense Word data from the June 15, 2025, Local Literacy Plan submissions to derive Minnesota norm-based cut scores for use in the 2025-26 school year.

Any student in grade 2 or 3 who is not reading at grade level on ORF words correct per minute and/or has an accuracy rate of less than 95%, must be screened with Nonsense Words through one of the options described above (integrated or gated). FastBridge schools must complete this screening using the FastBridge earlyReading Nonsense Words subtest but they MUST use these MDE cut scores to determine risk as the risk levels reported in the FastBridge dashboard compare students in grades 2 and 3 to first grade benchmarks. The chart below provides Minnesota norm-based cut scores that should be used to determine risk levels for grade 2 and 3 students administered the FastBridge earlyReading Nonsense Words subtest. See below for details on how these scores were derived. 

August 28 - September 26 (Fall)