Public school students took a new test this year, and compared to the rest of the state, it could be said that Miami-Dade’s kids aced it.
“It shows a pattern of upward trajectory,” said Dr. Jose Dotres, Miami-Dade County Public Schools superintendent.
He’s talking about the results of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, the FAST test. It’s computerized, and unlike previous assessments such as the FSA and FCAT, the FAST test is given three times a year instead of just once. Educators like it because they can immediately provide students with remediation of enrichment.
“We provide intervention, we’re able to break down the data by standards, by benchmarks,” said Michelle Sanchez-Perez, principal of West Lab K-8 School.
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“There’s nothing more important than, as a teacher, being able to administer an assessment, take a look at how the students did, and then adjust their instruction,” Dotres said.
The FAST test has 14 categories, covering English from third through 10th grade and math from third grade through 8th grade, and Dotres says his school district excelled in all 14 areas.
“We are not only exceeding the state or meeting the state, we are also exceeding and outpacing all of the other large school districts in Florida,” Dotres said. “It is incredibly encouraging because we know what we’ve been dealing with, what our teachers have been confronting, the pandemic, the influx that we’ve had in this school district, more than any other district, of children, students from other countries.”
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More than 20,000 immigrant students enrolled in Miami-Dade Schools during this past school year, many speaking no English when they arrived.
“That is what moves me the most, that is why this community is so special, because you have principals that are devoted to the education of children, you have teachers working day in, day out doing whatever it takes to make sure students succeed,” the superintendent said.
Dotres said it’s important to also credit the district’s outside partners, such as the Children’s Trust, which provides enrichment and academic support throughout the school year. He says the FAST results should be another selling point to parents considering public school versus private school for their children.
