FAST, national level English Reading Assessment for Grades 2-6

The importance of reading is indisputable. As a value, it is celebrated and aspirational. As a skill for academic and career success, it is crucial. Research from around the world has shown that children who read for pleasure outperform those who don’t at multiple levels.

However, before children are able to read for pleasure, they should experience learning to read in English a deliberate, systematic and incremental manner so that they are met with success right froman early age. This creates a pull for reading for pleasure. Global indicators also show that a child should be an independent reader with fluency and comprehension by the time he finishes grade 3.

India was part of the group of 75 countries/economies that participated in PISA 2009. Two of the states from India participated – Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. After a dismal performance in 2009, India did not participate in the subsequent rounds of PISA until now. However, the HRD Ministry under Honourable Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar has decided that India will again participate in PISA in year 2021.

Equipped with this strong belief, Stones2Milestones developed a national pure-play reading assessment (FAST), which is capable of giving system-wide diagnostic reports of English reading levels for policy as well as teaching input. FAST assessment process and data driven approach has been reviewed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), the same body that has been leading the consortium that developed and administered PISA for several years since inception.

FAST is an online system-wide diagnostic tool that tests children’s meaning-making (comprehension) and word-use-fluency (vocabulary) at various degrees of complexity. The test has been built upon latest technology stack to work in remote areas with intermittent/slow Internet connections, and has been developed using international test quality standards and data modelling approach, including Item Response Theory. In 2017, 19766 children from 107 schools across 21 states took FAST. The assessment is capable of showing distribution of children across a verticalscale anchored with reading skills, hence each reading level also shows the skills that children falling under such levels have acquired.

FAST 2017 results showed that:

• Almost 11% of grade 4 students who appeared in FAST don’t even have the skills to meet the lowest reading level (Level 1) on FAST reading scale. This means that children are graduating from one grade to the next without the most basic tools required for academic success across subjects, and are dangerously close to falling behind through high school.
• For grades 5 and 6, out of the 12,477 children who appeared for FAST assessment, only 337 students achieved the highest reading level on FAST scale that indicates full readiness to tackle unfamiliar concepts in their curriculum and the world around them. Readers at this highest level have strong comprehension ability and a strong knowledge of age-appropriate synonyms and antonyms skills with the ability to predict, infer, and evaluate the author’s intended effect on the reader.

Research has shown that being able to read at expected grade level fluency with comprehension bythe end of grade 3 is the single largest predictor of all future academic success. First, a child learns toread, and then s/he reads to learn. Unless the child can read effectively s/he would not be able toexcel in any other subject as well. A nationwide sub-programme of SSA – “Padhe Bharat BadheBharat” – is also planned in a two-track approach out of which one important track has beenidentified as early reading and writing with comprehension. In its New India @ 2022 Conference ofGovernors, Niti Aayog has identified “participation in PISA from 2021” as one of the top 3agendas in Education and Skill Development programs under Social Development plans. Webelieve that children’s performance on FAST would prove to be an effective measuring tool to aid in preparation for PISA 2021.

 
Special Features of the Product

• Skills based English reading assessment for Grades 2-6
• Administered online to avoid data entry errors
• Scientifically designed using internally accepted frameworks
• Test data is analysed using complex statistical tools like Item Response Theory
• Partnered with Australian Council for Educational Research to review test data, analysis and reporting
• Provide customized solutions for schools, teachers and parents to address the reading gap as per the assessment

Project: Readvantage with Aura Education Trust

As part of the project, we provide our offerings to low income schools/APS with the help of corporate support. We are currently working with approx. 8500 children in this segment across 8 cities in India. Some of our CSR partners are Teach For India, Manyavar (Fashion label), VMart (Retail outlet), Deepak Foundation, Youwecan Foundation etc.

Our services include providing an English reading program with diagnostic and impact assessment. It is a combination of technology products for teachers, parents and children and offline support, training and printed material that go to school.

Most of our CSR partners have extended their CSR contribution beyond the first year. We share periodic reports with the management to keep them updated on the progress, impact and next steps.