FSA

The Foundation Skills Assessment (FSA) is an annual province-wide mandatory set of tests in reading, writing and numeracy which is given to all grade 4 and 7 students in BC public schools and provincially-funded independent schools between February 4 to 15, 2008. The main purpose of the assessment is to help the province, school districts, schools and school planning councils evaluate how well students are achieving basic skills, and make plans to improve student achievement. The secondary purpose is to give parents, teachers and principals information about individual students.

FSA provides a “snapshot” of how well BC students are doing on foundation skills. It helps answer important questions such as “Are students learning vital skills they will need later?” “Is student achievement improving over time?” “Are there any trends in student performance at the school, district or provincial levels?” and “How are specific groups of students doing?”

FSA results can show students, parents and teachers where students are doing well and skills they need to work on. FSA results complement classroom work and report card information and usually there is a good match between these different types of information. When there are differences, parents should check with their child’s teacher. The tests take approximately four and a half hours to complete. FSA is designed and developed by British Columbia educators. The skills tested are linked to the provincial curriculum and provincial performance standards

FAQ

Please download these Frequently Asked Questions (pdf)

Links:

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/assessment/fsa/

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/assessment/fsa/2008_changes.htm