LSI Leaves Legacy Leading Florida's First-Ever PreK-2 Assessment Program

Tallahassee, Fla. – Beginning in 2022, the Learning Systems Institute (LSI) at Florida State University provided guidance and support to the Florida Department of Education's first-ever PreK-2 assessment program. LSI's involvement in this phase of the project will be completed in August, but not before 4,000 test items have been created and 200 practitioners in Florida have been trained.

"The Florida Department of Education Test Development Center's (TDC) partnership with LSI has significantly strengthened the development of high-quality, Florida-aligned assessments based on the B.E.S.T. Standards and the Florida Early Learning and Developmental Standards: 4 Years Old to Kindergarten," said Racquel Harrell Executive Director at the Florida Department of Education Test Development Center. 

"LSI's research-driven approach and careful attention to developmental appropriateness were invaluable in designing assessment items for our youngest learners. Working closely with Florida educators and item writers, LSI demonstrated a strong commitment to producing innovative, high-quality assessment items that support meaningful learning statewide. TDC greatly appreciated this collaboration and the shared dedication to advancing assessment quality for Florida's VPK-2 students."

LSI was awarded the “Coordinated Screening and Progress Monitoring” grant from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) with institute director Rabieh Razzouk serving as the principal investigator. The goal was to develop test items aligned with new math and English language arts standards adopted by FLDOE in 2022 and to develop those test items for students in prekindergarten through second grade. Previously testing began in third grade.

“LSI was thrilled to be awarded the grant to lead this project and help develop a completely new assessment from the ground up,” said Razzouk. “It was a tremendous recognition of the work and the people that make LSI one of the leaders in industry-learning methods and a clear demonstration of how we deliver strong results. We are extremely proud to support the Florida Department of Education and of the foundation we have laid for years of future success to contribute to excellence in Florida’s early learning system.” 

During the three years leading the project, LSI and the Florida Center for Research in STEM (FCR-STEM) teams created professional learning workshops that helped teachers explore assessments from multiple points of view including aligning the assessments to best practices in early childhood pedagogy, creating items that will allow for feedback based on learning trajectories and help pinpoint common misconceptions students may have based on research and ensuring true alignment to Florida B.E.S.T. standards. 

"We were honored to provide guidance and support to FLDOE first PreK-2 Assessment program," said co-Principal Investigator Carrie Meyers, who led the Florida Center for Research in STEM (FCR-STEM) team on the math assessment items. "Our teams working on the project at LSI and FCR-STEM ensured that Florida teachers were involved from the beginning, creating test item specifications in committee meetings, attending professional development on best practices from early grades assessments, to writing and reviewing test items that will directly assess Florida BEST standards."

While creating test items was the primary goal of the project, the work was conducted on multiple fronts. The assessment teams developed test item specifications for math and ELA to guide the development of initial and future test items for the assessment in collaboration with the FLDOE.

"I have been so impressed with our assessment teams at LSI and FCR-STEM and the Florida educators working to develop test items for the ELA and math assessments," said co-Principal Investigator Dr. Stephanie Zuilkowski, who led the LSI team on the ELA assessment items. "The primary goal of these assessments is to provide information about student learning in Florida, which aligns with the work LSI does with learning systems here in Florida and all over the world.

"This project was a collective effort between our teams at LSI and hundreds of Florida educators to create ELA and mathematics assessment items to assist 800,000 students in their educational goals."

LSI and FCR-STEM were able to leverage previous research in literacy and reading, along with their Math Formative Assessment System and Cognitive Guided instruction, to help guide the project and ensure best practices for the statewide assessment. 

"This project was truly a glowing light, not just for students, but to support and hear teachers through their creativity," said Abbie Bracelin of the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida

When planning the execution of Florida's first-ever PreK-2 assessment program, LSI team members knew that classroom educators would be at the center of the process. Throughout the two years, it was the teachers who guided the project and their voices are represented in the test items. 

"The PreK2 assessment project as a whole put me in the company of some of the most brilliant and creative minds in education," said Jamaal West, Orange County Public Schools. "I made lifelong collaborators and more than that, I made lifelong friendships.

"I felt that the work I was doing was important and impactful. I felt seen as an educator. I felt like my voice finally mattered. I felt like my voice wasn't just 'my voice' but the voice of so many other teachers who couldn't be in the room, and that I represented them. I was fighting the fight for those that couldn't get in the ring. I made it a point to ensure that the concerns of Title I teachers were heard.  I made it a point to make sure our black and brown students felt represented and seen when they came up against assessments and instruction. Being part of this project has made me a better teacher, a better leader, and a better person."

LSI strives to lead the way in creating innovative educational solutions that seamlessly connect theory with practice. Through advanced research, we develop industry-leading methods and implementation strategies to enhance systematic learning at all levels and in all environments. For more than five decades, LSI has been committed to driving measurable improvements in the performance of both individuals and organizations.