Florida Standards Assessment (FSA) information

Dear Parent/Guardian,

The purpose of this letter is to inform you that your student will take the paper-based Florida Standards Assessments (FSA) in ELA Writing (Grades 4, 5) / ELA Reading (Grades 3, 4, 5) / Mathematics (Grades 3, 4, 5) and 5^th Grade Science.

Per the Florida Department of Educations (FDOE), no remote administrations are available for any statewide summative assessments.

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 the devices 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 are not permitted during Grades 3-6 Mathematics tests
• Testing Rules Acknowledgment—All FSA tests include a Testing Rules Acknowledgment printed in the student’s 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 Testing—The 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, on 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 blogs or social media websites, etc. 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 Independently—Students 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 be invalidated.
• Testing Accommodations—If your student has an Individual Education Plan (IEP), a Section 504 plan, or is an English Language Learner (ELL), please contact the school to discuss the testing accommodations that will be provided.  

• Leaving Campus—If your student leaves campus before completing a test session (for lunch, an appointment or illness, etc.), he or she will not be allowed to return to 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.

If you have any questions related to this test administration, you may contact Kaye Haddock at 850-535-2486 or email her at [email protected].  For more information about the FSA program, please visit the FSA Portal at www.FSAssessments.org.  This website also includes resources such as practice tests and student presentations at www.FSAssessments.org/students-and-families/practice-tests/paper-based-practice-test-materials/ Thank you for supporting your student and encouraging him or her to do his or her best during this test.

Sincerely,

Steve Griffin

Principal