BPS Launches FastBridge Benchmark Assessments

Last year the Oklahoma State Department of Education revised the list of acceptable vendors that met the requirements of the Reading Sufficiency Act legislation.  For many years we administered DIBELS to meet the reading assessment requirements. A committee reviewed the vendors and chose to use FastBridge as the screener to meet RSA requirements and district benchmarks.  The FastBridge assessment suite, at no additional cost, also provides assessments in math and behavior. Fourth grade through eighth grade will use the FastBridge assessments for their benchmarking assessment.

The FastBridge screeners will be given three times a year:  Fall (September), Winter (January/February), and Spring (April/May).   Progress monitoring assessments will be given on a regular basis to those students who are identified as needing extra support.   Students will be assessed in reading and may be assessed in math.

Kindergarten and First grade students will be assessed with the EarlyReading assessment.  This assessment is much like DIBELS assessment with the teacher assessing one student at a time, face to face.  

Second and Third Grade students will be assessed with aReading, AutoReading and CBM Reading.  These assessments are a combination of computer assessments and face to face assessments with the teacher.  

Fourth through eighth grade will participate in aReading and AutoReading and aMath.  In addition, as needed, some students may be assessed with CBM Reading and CBM Math.

FastBridge reports student scores in the following performance levels:  Advanced, Low Risk, Some Risk, and High Risk. This information will be used by schools to identify supports for individual students.  

It is our goal, through the use of these assessments, to support students so that they are successful in their academic endeavors.