Exact Path Used to Predict Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Scores

A 2024 study provides evidence that Exact Path diagnostic assessments yield highly accurate predictions of student test results on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST). This research study linked fall and winter Exact Path diagnostic scores to FAST scores from the first two progress monitoring windows (PM1/fall and PM2/winter) in grades 6-8 in math and 6-10 in English language arts. Linking study results demonstrated that Exact Path Diagnostic scores could be used to predict whether students would be above or below the FAST passing cut score with 82%-91% accuracy.

In preparation for FAST assessments, educators can use Exact Path diagnostic results to

• predict students’ proficiency on the FAST
• identify students who need additional support
• prioritize content areas to focus on
• inform data-driven instruction and targeted intervention