Iowa: Known Issues with Screening, Assessment Instructions, Scoring and Materials

FastBridge has confirmed that Firefox is not a recommended browser. Users will likely experience inability to access some of the functions (such as the pause button) within assessments like aReading and aMath. The system requirements documentation and the diagnostic tool provided by FastBridge have not yet been updated.

Stopping timer with discontinue - The administration instructions are a bit ambiguous about whether to stop the timer on a discontinue (see screenshot below). According to FastBridge, if an assessment is discontinued, the timer should be stopped. The student may receive a prorated score based on the responses answered fully and correctly compared to the elapsed time.

This would only apply when using administering the inventory, except on rare occasions (i.e., the vast majority of students will not reach the end of the full form before 60 seconds have elapsed).

There are guidelines/steps that help administrators handle this:

When using the digital record form, the timer must be stopped before selecting the last item reached and the system calculates the adjusted score. When using the paper record form, there is a spot to record the time (i.e., 60 if doesn’t reach last item or a time under 60 if student attempts all items in less than a minute) and instructions to determine the adjusted score. In the earlyReading training module for Numeral ID, Lesson 2 Demonstration includes a video that describes stopping the timer if a student completes all items in less than 60 seconds.

When comparing the score visible on the teacher’s screening tab vs reports, a student’s score may occasionally differ by one point. This is not an error with the score itself but rather a known issue with inconsistent rounding rules applied in the score displays. The raw scores contain decimals and the screening tab rounds to the hundredths place while all other reports round to the tenths. 

In rare instances when a student’s score is just below the benchmark, the inconsistent rounding may cause the score on the teacher's screening tab to display a number that is just at benchmark with no risk indicator, and in all other reports the score will be one point below benchmark. The accurate interpretation in this instance is the score displayed on all reports that is below benchmark. 

FastBridge is aware of the issue and has indicated there is no timeline to resolve it in the foreseeable future. Please ensure that you use the student scores indicated in FastBridge reports when scores differ. 

Example: if a student’s raw score was 208.49 their score would display as 209 on the screening page view and 208 on all other reports. FastBridge norms and benchmarks were calculated based on rounding to the nearest tenth. This means that the score for this student of 208, the score displayed on reports, is the accurate score. 

In addition, FastBridge uses a statistical rounding rule that is designed to minimize rounding bias. For scores  ending in .50000 reports will always round to the nearest even whole number. In other words:

• 479.50000-480.50000 rounds to 480 ← 0.5 rounds down instead of up!
• 480.50001-481.49999 round to 481 
• 481.50000-482.50000 round to 482 ← 0.5 rounds down instead of up!
• 482.50001-483.49999 round to 483

This is different from conventional rounding, where .5 always rounds up.

There is a known issue where the system is not highlighting or administering all of the required subtests for earlyReading Spanish assessments. Example: earlyReading Spanish - grade one -Spring does not have Syllable Reading Spanish (SA) highlighted on the screening overview page and does not include that subtest when launched from the Composite clock but it is required. It must be launched from the clock under that subtest's column.

FastBridge is aware of the issue and has indicated there is no timeline to resolve it in the foreseeable future. Please ensure you are administering the required subtests that are outlined in EarlyReading Spanish Overview for an accurate composite score.

• Initial Report: Unknown
• Related ticket: 1137251
• Last Confirmed:

Apostrophes displaying as question marks on administration screen for CBMComp comprehension question #6. See screenshot below for an example.

• Initial Report: May 2023
• Related ticket: 970793
• Last confirmed: February 2024

Apostrophes displaying as question marks on administration screen for CBMComp comprehension questions. 

Student passage in materials says, "...and they acted just like crazy monkeys,"

Assessment administration page (teacher's computer screen) says, "...and they were very silly and loud."

This is not an error. Both the administration page AND student/administrator materials were updated over the summer. The "silly and loud" version is correct. Please score according to what the student sees.

There is an intermittent issue with the scoring algorithm, particularly for advanced learners. FastBridge is investigating options for a resolution but it will take time to run the simulations and implement it in the system. Common characteristics that identify the scoring issues are:

• the score is flagged and the additional questions do not resolve the flag
• a large decrease in score from the previous window, greater than 20 score points
• learners are 'stuck' on easier questions
• the reported score falls at the first or 99th percentile and is uncharacteristic of the learner's typical performance

If a student's score is significantly discrepant from what would be expected based on classroom performance and other assessments, please submit a support ticket with the student's name, grade, building and the suspected issue.