Formative Assessment System for Teachers (FAST™) earns prestigious industry recognition
MINNEAPOLIS (May 13, 2019) The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA), the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry, has named FAST from FastBridge Learning LLC a 2019 SIIA CODiE Award finalist in the Best Formative Student Assessment Solution category. Award finalists represent applications, products and services from developers of educational software, digital content, online learning services, and related technologies across the PreK-20 sector.
Used in more than 40 states, including a statewide adoption in Iowa, FAST improves student outcomes by giving K-12 educators a unique combination of an all-in-one screening and progress monitoring solution, expert analysis, and coaching to successfully implement a tiered system of support. FAST was initially developed with research grants from the Department of Education and is backed by more than 40 collective years of research. As a result, FAST offers a rigorously-developed, highly efficient and instructionally relevant solution for educators to quickly gather and process data to guide instruction for all students.
On average, teachers who use FAST spend up to 50 percent less time testing because it is the only solution that combines Computer-Adaptive Testing (CAT) with Curriculum-Based Measures (CBM) across reading, math and behavior, providing an all-in-one solution that provides the right assessment tools for the right purpose. This combined approach improves the reliability and validity of decisions by providing teachers with student learning data faster than other leading solutions. In doing so, teachers can intervene sooner, helping students who need additional support get back on track.
“The FastBridge Learning team is humbled and honored to be recognized by SIIA as part of their 2019 CODiE Awards,” said Terri Soutor, President & CEO of FastBridge Learning. “FAST was created by educators, for educators, and we strive to constantly innovate to bring teachers a next-generation formative assessment solution that delivers research-based assessments and reliable student data to improve student achievement. This recognition is evidence that we are fulfilling our mission to help educators transform the way they assess and address the unique needs of every student.”
The SIIA CODiE Awards are the premier awards for the software and information industries and have recognized product excellence for more than 30 years. The awards offer 76 categories that are organized by industry focus of education technology and business technology. FAST was honored as one of 139 finalists across the 32 education technology categories.
“The 2019 CODiE Award finalists represent the finest in innovation and creativity in educational technology,” said President Jeff Joseph at SIIA. “These breakthrough products are opening doors for learners of all ages by developing and utilizing new technologies to respond to diverse student and educator needs.”
The SIIA CODiE Awards are the industry's only peer-reviewed awards program. Educators and administrators serve as judges and conduct the first-round review of all education nominees. Their scores determine the SIIA CODiE Award finalists, and SIIA members then vote on the finalist products. The scores from both rounds are tabulated to select the winners.
Winners will be announced during a CODiE Award Celebration at the Ed Tech Industry Conference & CODiE Awards in San Francisco on June 11.
Details about each finalist are listed at https://www.siia.net/codie/2019-Finalists.
About FastBridge Learning
FastBridge Learning is the brainchild of the leading educational researchers in the country, including those from the University of Minnesota — the birthplace of CBM and CAT methodologies. At FastBridge Learning, we believe teachers deserve the best tools to help students stay on track, and we strive to transform the way teachers assess and address the learning needs of students by providing one simple solution for faster results that are proven effective. To learn more, visit fastbridge.org.
About the SIIA CODiE™ Awards
The SIIA CODiE Awards is the only peer-reviewed program to showcase business and education technology’s finest products and services. Since 1986, thousands of products, services and solutions have been recognized for achieving excellence. For more information, visit siia.net/CODiE.
About Software and Information Industry Association (SIIA)
SIIA is an umbrella association representing 800+ technology, data and media companies globally. Industry leaders work through SIIA’s divisions to address issues and challenges that impact their industry segments with the goal of driving innovation and growth for the industry and each member company. This is accomplished through in-person and online business development opportunities, peer networking, corporate education, intellectual property protection, and government relations. For more information, visit siia.net.
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