Math & reading standards and testing in Florida
Updated June 2026
Florida replaced Common Core with its own B.E.S.T. Standards, emphasizing foundational skills, fluency, and content knowledge. Florida now uses the FAST progress-monitoring system given three times a year, so the spring (PM3) results count most.
Does Florida hold kids back in 3rd grade for reading?
Yes. Florida retains 3rd graders who score Level 1 on the FAST ELA assessment unless they qualify for a good-cause exemption (alternative assessment, a portfolio showing Level 2 work, or certain ELL or IEP situations).
Standards
B.E.S.T. Standards
Florida sets its own grade-level expectations rather than using Common Core, though the core math and reading skills are similar grade to grade.
The key test
The Florida state test
FAST covers both math and reading in grades 3-10 ELA, 3-8 Math.
Reading the results
Three progress-monitoring windows (fall, winter, spring); the spring PM3 is the main summative.
Levels 1 to 5; Level 3 is on grade level.
On grade level means Level 3 or above on FAST ELA; Level 1 in 3rd grade triggers mandatory retention absent an exemption.
What's distinctive about Florida
Florida replaced the FSA with FAST (3x/year, computer-adaptive), and its B.E.S.T. standards emphasize phonics and require cursive.
Practice the skills, by grade
Whatever Florida calls its test, the underlying math and reading skills are grade-level. Practice them directly:
Practice the skills behind the test
Florida writes its own standards. What a third grader has to do does not change: multiply, find the main idea, read a paragraph and say what it meant. KangarooKiddo drills those skills in daily sessions of a handful of questions that end on their own. You see where your kid actually stands, they earn rewards you set up and approve.
Source: Florida Department of Education. Verified for the 2025-26 school year; policies can change, so confirm with your school.