FSA Testing Information

Throughout the school year, your child has been instructed on the skills and content assessed on the FSA assessment. If you or your student would also like to review practice tests at home, the practice tests and answer keys for English Language Arts and Math are available at available at http://www.fsassessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/paper-based-practice-test-materials/.  We recommend that you sit with your child to review a practice test to become familiar with the structure of the questions. 

The FSA is a state assessment that provides a single snapshot of your child’s knowledge of the content tested. Teachers use FSA data as well as many other indicators of your child’s learning to inform their instruction of your child.

The Department of Education has asked that we share their testing policies with you. These policies are on the back of this document. Classroom teachers will also review these policies with your student.

If you have any questions about testing administration or testing dates, please do not hesitate to contact a member of our leadership team.

For information regarding test session lengths for all FSA assessments, please visit the FSA Portal at www.fsassessments.org, click on the Students and Families icon, select the Frequently Asked Questions card, then select the question, “How long are the tests?”

Please review the following policies with your student before testing:

  • Electronic Devices—Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices, including but not limited to cell phones, smartphones, and smartwatches, at any time during testing OR during breaks (e.g., restroom), even if they are turned off or students do not use them. If your student is found with an electronic device, his or her test will be invalidated.

  • Calculators—Calculators may not be used on State assessments in in grades 3 - 6.If students have handheld calculators during testing, their tests will be invalidated.

  • Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All FSA tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment printed in the test and answer book that reads, “I understand the testing rules that were just read to me. If I do not follow these rules, my test score may be invalidated.” Prior to testing, test administrators read the rules to students, and students acknowledge that they understand the testing rules by signing below the statement in their test and answer book.

  • Discussing Test Content after TestingThe last portion of the testing rules read to students before they sign below the Testing Rules Acknowledgment states, “Because the content in all statewide assessments is secure, you may not discuss or reveal details about the test content (including test items, passages and prompts) after the test. This includes any type of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting online, for example, like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram.” Please make sure your student understands that “discussing” test content includes any kind of electronic communication, such as texting, emailing, or posting to social media, or sharing online. While students may not share information about secure test content after testing, this policy is not intended to prevent students from discussing their testing experiences with their parents/families.

  • Working IndependentlyStudents are responsible for doing their own work during the test and for protecting their answers from being seen by others. If students are caught cheating during testing, their tests will be invalidated. In addition, the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) employs Caveon Test Security to analyze student test results to detect unusually similar answer patterns. Student tests within a school that are found to have extremely similar answer patterns will have their results invalidated.

  • Leaving Campus—If your student begins a test session and leaves campus before completing it (for lunch, an appointment or illness, etc.), he or she will not be allowed to complete that test session. If your student does not feel well on the day of testing, it may be best for him or her to wait and be tested on a make-up day. Please remember not to schedule appointments on testing days.

  • Testing Accommodations—If your student has an IEP, Section 504 plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL), please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided for your student.