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District 196 trims local testing time and adopts FastBridge as universal screener, officials say
Summary
District research and assessment staff presented a restructured assessment model intended to reduce testing time, align screening tools and provide faster results to teachers and families; local screening will use FastBridge and a CAPD diagnostic for literacy.
Rachel Hughes, director of instruction, achievement, presented an informational update on District 196's restructured assessment model, telling the board the work is intended to reduce unnecessary testing time while improving the usefulness of assessment data for instruction.
Hughes said the Research, Assessment and Analytics (RAA) team built the updated model over two years to eliminate redundant assessments and align screening, diagnostic and outcome measures with district priorities and Minnesota MTSS. The district now uses FastBridge as the universal screener for literacy and math (Hughes said FastBridge takes about 20 minutes per student) and plans to roll out CAPD Read Basics this year as the literacy diagnostic aligned with the Read Act.
Hughes told the board that students in District 196 now spend less than eight hours per year on local assessments, a figure she contrasted with state maximums (10 hours for grades K-6 and 11 hours for grades 7-12). She said the changes free instructional time: teachers at the elementary level will have substantially fewer testing hours compared with prior years, and middle-school testing time per student was also reduced. Assessment windows are being coordinated across schools and most assessments will be digital, leveraging the district's 1:1 device program; paper testing remains available for accommodations.
The presentation emphasized data and assessment literacy for educators so that results feed immediate instructional decisions. Hughes said the changes are aligned with Minnesota MTSS core components and intended to support equity by identifying gaps that building leaders can address. There was no action requested; Hughes said updated FastBridge results would be shared later in the fall and that the district plans professional learning for teachers on administering and using assessments.
Board members thanked Hughes and asked clarifying questions about instructional time reclaimed and the role of 1:1 devices in enabling digital administration.
