Assessment Tool Descriptions

Fastbridge Universal Screener Assessment Tools

Descriptions:

• aMath:  This is a computer adaptive measure of a broad range of math skills and is individualized for each student. The type of questions and response is similar in nature to that of many standardized assessments. The assessment adapts to individualize the assessment for each student’s development level. Items assess a variety of skills including counting and cardinality, operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base 10, number and operations, measurement and data, geometry. Items are based on the recommendations of the National Math Panel (2008) and National Common Core Standards (CCSS; 2010).

• aReading: aReading is a computer-administered adaptive screener that measures broad reading ability. It targets concepts of print, phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension and aligns with national reading standards. This test is not timed and includes approximately 30 items.

• AUTOreading: is a suite of five subtests that measure the accuracy and rate of phonological (sound), orthographic (spelling), and semantic (meaning) skills. AUTOreading can be used by students in grades K through 12. When used for screening, specific sets of subtests are used together, with the screening subtests varying by grade level. Subtests for grades 5-12 include: word identification, vocabulary, matching synonyms, decoding, and morphology.

  1. • Word Identification: Assesses a student’s accuracy and automaticity with identifying frequently occurring words

     • Vocabulary: Measures how well students know definitions of tier 2 words, or words that are used in multiple contexts but may require some vocabulary instruction to achieve understanding

     • Matching Synonyms: Assesses students’ accuracy and speed in matching words that are similar in meaning

     • Decoding: Measures a student’s accuracy and automaticity with reading decodable nonsense words that represent appropriate developmental progress in word reading

     • Morphology: Assesses whether a student can accurately and automatically identify word structures and relationships based on the appropriate use of morphemes, roots, and affixes

Scoring - Fastbridge screening scores are reported in scale score, risk level, and percentile at nation.

• Scale Score: shows the raw score that can be used to compare scores between grade levels.

• Percentile at nation: shows how the student performed in comparison to their peers around the nation.

• Risk Level:

  • Exceeds Expectations (EE). Students who score in the 71st percentile or higher are likely to be exceeding the benchmark and are very likely to meet learning goals.

  • Low risk. Students whose screening score is at or above the 40th percentile on FastBridge assessments are very likely to meet later learning goals. In this regard, such students are described as being at low risk of learning problems. Keep in mind that there is no such thing as no risk because many factors influence a student’s school performance and no one assessment can predict with 100% certainty if a student will succeed in the future.

  • Some risk. This descriptor applies to students with scores between the 15th and 40th percentiles. Such scores are predictive of some current or later learning difficulty. Students identified as being at some risk are likely not to meet a later learning goal unless an instruction is changed in some way. Such changes could include additional lesson time or a different type of lesson.

  • High risk. Students who score below the 15th percentile on FastBridge assessments are likely to be at high risk of current and later learning difficulties. These students are very unlikely to meet later learning goals unless intensive instructional support is provided immediately. In some cases, students whose scores are in the high-risk range will not be able to catch up and meet grade-level learning goals in the current school year, but they can catch up if intensive intervention is provided over a longer period of time.