Exceptional Student Testing Frequently Asked Questions
October 5, 2015
The information reflected in this FAQ is current as of the publication date. This document will be edited as needed to reflect updates from
the Florida Department of Education and changes to Florida statutes.
Florida Standards Alternate Assessment (FSAA)
1. What is the Florida Standards Alternate Assessment (FSAA)?
The Florida Standards Alternate Assessment (FSAA) is designed for students whose participation in the
general statewide assessment (FSA, FCAT, FCAT 2.0, and End-of-Course Exams) is not appropriate, even
with accommodations. The FSAA measures student academic performance on the Access Points (FS-AP)
in Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science.
2. Who participates in the FSAA assessment?
The decision for a student with a disability to participate in the statewide alternate assessment is made
by the IEP team and recorded on the IEP. The following criteria must be met: (1) the student has a
significant cognitive disability; (2) even with appropriate and allowable instructional accommodations,
assistive technology, or accessible instructional materials, the student requires modifications to the
grade-level state content standards; (3) the student requires direct instruction in academic areas of
English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science based on Access Points; and (4) the
parent must sign consent for instruction in Access Points and alternate assessment administration.
3. What are the Florida Standards Access Points?
The Florida Standards Access Points (FS-AP) are academic expectations written specifically for students
with significant cognitive disabilities. As part of the Florida Standards, Access Points reflect the core
intent of the standards that apply to all students in the same grade, but at reduced levels of complexity.
Access courses are designed to provide students with a significant cognitive disability with access to the
general curriculum.
4. Will the FSAA be administered on computer or paper/pencil? How will it be administered?
During the 2015-2016 school year, the Florida Standards Alternate Assessments will be administered in
paper format. They will be administered one-on-one for all students, with teachers presenting the test
items to each student, and the student indicating a response.
5. What subjects are assessed on the FSAA, and how long is each test?
The table below details participating students’ grade, subjects tested and number of sessions per
subject. All subtests are untimed.
Florida Standards Alternate Assessment
Grades
3-10
4-10
3-8
5 and 8
Enrolled in ACCESS
Algebra 1
Enrolled in ACCESS
Geometry
Enrolled in ACCESS
Biology 1
Subject
Number of Sessions
English Language
Arts
Writing*
Mathematics
Science
Algebra 1 EOC
1
1
1
1
1
Geometry EOC
1
Biology 1 EOC
1
*The Writing Assessment for this year will be an operational field test. This means that the students will
respond to writing items being tried out for future use in the assessment, but their performance on
those items will not count toward their English Language Arts score.
6. Do these tests count toward students’ grades?
The FSAA assessments do not count toward a student’s grade in a subject.
7. Do the results of these assessments count toward school grades?
Yes, the results of the FSAA assessments are included in the school grade calculation process.
8. Are the results of state required assessments used to calculate a portion of a teacher’s evaluation?
Yes, the student data portion of the teacher’s evaluation counts as 34% of the teacher’s overall
evaluation.
9. Who should I contact if I have additional questions related to the ACCESS for ELLs 2.0, Alternate
ACCESS for ELLs and/or the Florida Standards Alternate Assessment (FSAA)?
The first point of contact is the school principal.