Testing

Polk County Public Schools administers assessments to students in grades pre-kindergarten to 12th grade to measure their achievement on Florida’s education standards, which were developed and implemented to ensure that all students graduate from high school ready for success in college, career, and life. Assessment supports instruction and student learning, and test results help district leaders and stakeholders determine whether the goals of the curriculum and instruction are being met.

The following statewide assessments will be administered this year.

2022-2023 Testing Calendar
Florida Statewide Assessments Portal
FINDING TEST SCORES

Fact Sheets

Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.) Assessments

1. Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) Assessments

    • Grades VPK – 2 FAST STAR Assessments: Early Literacy, Reading, and Mathematics
    • Grades 3 – 10 Reading
    • Grades 3 – 8 Math

2. Other B.E.S.T. Assessments

    • Grades 4 – 10 Writing (Field Test in Spring 2023 – FLDOE-selected schools)
    • Algebra 1 EOC (1st administration is in Winter 2022)
    • Geometry EOC (1st administration is in Winter 2022)

Science, Social Studies, and FSA Retakes

  • Grades 5 & 8 Statewide Science Assessment
  • Biology EOC
  • Civics EOC (middle school)
  • U.S. History EOC (high school)
  • FCLE (Florida Civic Literacy Exam)
  • FSA ELA Retake
  • FSA Algebra Retake

Other Assessments

  • ACCESS for ELLs
  • Statewide Alternate Assessments
  • National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)

For more information, visit CollegeBoard.org

SAT Test Date* Registration Deadline Deadline for Changes, Regular Cancellation, and Late Registration
8/27/2022 7/29/2022 8/16/2022
10/1/2022 9/2/2022 9/20/2022
11/5/2022 10/7/2022 10/25/2022
12/3/2022 11/3/2022 11/22/2022
3/11/2023 2/10/2023 2/28/2023
5/6/2023 4/7/2023 4/25/2023
6/3/2023 5/4/2023 5/23/2023

ACT (American College Test)

For more information, visit ACTStudent.org

SAT Test Date* Registration Deadline Deadline for Changes, Regular Cancellation, and Late Registration
9/10/22 8/5/2022 8/19/2022
10/22/2022 9/16/2022 9/30/2022
12/10/2022 11/4/2022 11/11/2022
2/11/2023 1/6/2023 1/20/2023
4/15/2023 3/10/2023 3/24/2023
6/10/2023 5/5/2023 5/19/2023
7/15/2023 6/16/2023 6/23/2023

State and National Assessment Descriptions

Link to State or National Test Description/Purpose/Use
This assessment is designed to measure the progress of English Language Learners (ELLs) toward proficiency in English.  Results will be used for programmatic decisions and evaluation.
The ACT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject areas tests in English, Mathematics, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing test, that are designed to assess academic readiness for college. The ACT includes 215 multiple-choice questions and takes 3 1/2 – 4 hours to complete (depending on Writing test).  Each subtest, excluding writing, results in a test score of 1-36, which are then averaged together to generate an overall composite score of 1-36.
These standardized exams are designed to measure mastery of the content and skills of the specific Advanced Placement course.  A proficient score can lead to credit and advanced placement in college.
Beginning with the 2022–23 school year, Florida’s statewide, standardized assessments in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics will be aligned with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking (B.E.S.T.). The Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST), which includes VPK through grade 10 Reading and VPK through grade 8 Mathematics assessments, will be administered as a progress monitoring assessment, which students will participate in three times per year. B.E.S.T. assessments that are not part of the FAST progress monitoring program include grades 4–10 Writing and end-of-course (EOC) assessments in Algebra 1 and Geometry.
EOC assessments are computer-based, criterion-referenced assessments that measure the applicable standards (Florida Standards, State Academic Standards, B.E.S.T. Standards).  There are EOCs for Algebra 1, Biology, Civics (middle school), Geometry, and U.S. History (high school).  The EOC scores count toward 30% of the student’s overall course grade.
The Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) is a computer-based assessment that measures students’ civic literacy knowledge. In 2021, legislation was passed that requires all students enrolled in a U.S. Government course in high school to take the assessment (see s. 1003.4282(3)(d), F.S.).
The Florida Standards Alternate Assessment is designed to measure academic performance of students with significant cognitive disabilities for whom participation in the general statewide assessment is not appropriate, even with accommodations.
These assessments are for those students currently participating in the district’s International Baccalaureate Program.  The Diploma Programme primarily focuses on summative assessment designed to record student achievement at or towards the end of the course of study.  The approach to assessment used by IB is criterion-related, not norm-referenced. This approach to assessment judges students’ work by their performance in relation to identified levels of attainment, and not in relation to the work of other students.
The Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (P.E.R.T.) is an untimed, computer-based, adaptive test, specifically developed for Florida to determine if students are college-ready in reading, writing, and mathematics. Adaptive tests change the difficulty of questions the student receives based on his/her answers to previous questions. The P.E.R.T. consists of 30 multiple-choice questions/subtest.
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test measures reading, writing, language, and mathematics skills, as well as progress toward college and career readiness.  It also serves as the official route for entry into the National Merit Scholarship Program.  The test takes 2 hours and 45 minutes and consists of 139 questions/tasks.
The SAT is a national college admissions examination that consists of subject areas tests in Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (Reading Test and Writing & Language Test), Mathematics, and Essay (optional) that are designed to assess academic readiness for college. The total test time is approximately 3 hours, plus 50 minutes for the optional essay.  Scores range from 200-800 per subtest for a possible total score of 1600. Essay results are reported separately.
This assessment is used to assess student achievement in terms of the Next Generation Sunshine State Standards (NGSSS) for 5th and 8th grade students.

Private School Students

Spring 2024 Statewide Assessments

Testing window: May 2024
Online Registration Form (Available In Mid-January)

How To Help Your Child Succeed on Tests

Ensure your child has good attendance at school.

Assist your child with homework and ensure he/she is completing all assignments.

Stay in communication with your child’s teacher. Discuss any concerns about the test with the teacher or administration at the school.

Be sure that your child eats a healthy breakfast on the morning of the test.

Encourage your child to read as much as possible.

Keep track of your child’s testing dates on a calendar so you and your child are aware of the dates ahead of time.

Encourage your child to do his/her best, but do not put stress on him/her.

Make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep on the night before the test.

Ensure your child wakes up early to make sure that he/she arrives at school on time.

Give your child the chance to practice using the practice test platform. All practice tests: FSA and Pearson are found at https://fsassessments.org/families