Formative Assessments

Teachers need good data to accelerate the learning of the students they teach. The Formative Assessments of Student Thinking in Reading (FAST-R) were created in response to requests from teachers and administrators for timely, easy-to-use data about student learning. The Boston Plan for Excellence developed this suite of over 55 mini-assessments to help teachers to understand the thinking students do while they read — and where students need help to get to the next level.

How it works

FAST-R assessments measure students’ strengths and weaknesses with finding evidence and making inferences, the two reading comprehension skills that cross all subject areas and grade levels. By examining data and asking questions about how students are thinking, teachers are better able to target their lessons and feedback to students.

Boston teachers use FAST-R assessments as a part of ongoing cycles of inquiry that help them address the needs of students who are off track for promotion and graduation. Armed with FAST-R data, teachers discuss their practice with colleagues and revise their lessons to maximize growth over a single school year. FAST-R’s popularity with teachers led to the development of similarly designed anchor assessments and mid-year assessments for use across middle and high schools.

Why it matters

FAST-R focuses teachers’ efforts on the reading comprehension skills that are essential for understanding any text. FAST-R data fosters powerful conversations about classroom practice among teachers — the type of conversations that build a strong professional culture. In just a few years, FAST-R has helped change how data are used in the Boston Public Schools.
 
The Boston Public Schools recently rolled out a comprehensive set of formative assessments for all schools, though some teachers and schools continue to use FAST-R for quick checks of student understanding.