2026.05.05 Iowa's EWS/MTSS News: Screening, Default Assessment Selections, EOY Tasks, Panorama, FastBridge, ISASP, House File 2618

Last updated: July 6, 2026

Only a few more weeks and school is out for the summer! Here are a few reminders about tasks that need attention for literacy legislation, math legislation, MTSS, and FastBridge.

2025-2026 Spring Screening Window (Literacy and Mathematics)

The spring screening window closes on May 29. Make sure to share ideas with parents of students who are at risk so that they can keep their child’s skills active throughout the summer months. See the following links for resource ideas that can be shared for both literacy and math. 

2026-2027 Approved Literacy and Mathematics Assessments

The current approved screening assessments are posted on the Department’s website (Literacy Assessments &  Math Assessments). It is anticipated that updated 2026-2027 assessment lists will be posted by July 1. These updated lists may include additional assessments to those currently posted.

2026-2027 Literacy and Mathematics Screening Window Dates

The screening window dates have been approved and can be found by clicking here: 2026-2027 Screening Window Dates.

Action Needed: Select Default Assessment for 2026-27 in CASA (Principal and Superintendent)

  • Spring collection of literacy and math default assessment selection will be open May 11-June 5.

  • Fall collection of literacy and math default assessments for those that did not make spring selections, and confirmation of spring default selections will be August 1-21.

  • District approved default assessment selections can be found here: K-6 Default Assessment Selections from CASA - Public

Action Needed: End-of-year Tasks

  • There are tasks that need to be attended to before certain information goes away at the end of the school year. See the full list in Iowa End of Year and Rollover Information.

  • FastBridge rollover date selection is in progress. We encourage the second rollover date and discourage the late date because you likely will not have student rosters loading until September. 

Summer School Information

Here’s a link to a detailed article about what you need to know about using FastBridge and Student Success over the summer: Summer School in Fastbridge and Student Success.

Panorama Student Success Student Profile Page Redesign

  • A beta version of the redesigned individual student profile page has been released, with a training opportunity in May (see below). The changes are related to design and organization, all of the information on the student profile remains the same. 

  • Users are able to toggle back to the ‘legacy’ view on the student profile page until the official release of the new profile on July 14. Additional information can be found in this Student Data Profile article.

  • Note: The literacy and math statuses are not visible on the beta profile but will be coming soon. 

  • Join us on May 12, 2026 from 11 am - 12 pm for an overview of the new Student Profile in Panorama Student Success. It will be recorded and posted in the knowledge base, as well as emailed to registrants. Please use this registration link. This session will highlight how the updated profile brings academics, attendance, behavior, support notes, and student supports into one streamlined view. Participants will learn how to navigate the new layout, quickly find key student information, and take action.

2026-2027 Literacy and Math Status Calculations

The literacy and mathematical risk status calculations used by Student Success will be changing to better align with legislative language. This change will occur over the summer and should be in place by the end of August 2026. The updated calculations may result in changes from the student’s spring risk status when they return in the fall. More will be communicated in the fall. 

2026-2027 FastBridge Benchmark Updates

  • Renaissance has notified the Department that benchmarks and norms for screening and progress monitoring assessments will be updated for the 2026-2027 school year. The new benchmarks and norms are set to release on July 31, 2026, and will be available in the FastBridge platform under the Training & Resources tab.

  • FastBridge periodically updates its benchmarks and norms so educators can accurately understand how students are performing and make sound instructional decisions. As student populations and learning conditions change over time, updated benchmarks ensure expectations reflect current realities rather than outdated performance patterns. This helps schools correctly identify which students are on track and which need additional support. Ultimately, these updates support effective MTSS implementation over time. 

  • Important: Beginning in the fall of 2026, schools need to update local resources and support to match the new benchmarks and norms.

Beware of disabled PM on the district calendar in FastBridge

  • FAST District Managers, please check your PM district calendar and make sure that all weeks are enabled where anyone in the district may need to collect monitoring data, including June/July when PM may be collected during summer school. Toward the end of the year and around vacations we encounter situations where teachers are unable to complete progress monitoring because the PM has been disabled for the week. Disabled PM weeks must be re-enabled PRIOR to the Sunday of the affected week. 

  • Remember that progress monitoring plans end when they are set to end! Check the end dates of individual PM plans and extend them, if needed. 

  • Be aware that plans will show as “Ended” once the last schedule form has been administered, not the calendar week, which can be confusing for non-weekly frequency plans. Example: a bi-weekly PM plan has an end date of 5/22 but due to the frequency, the last scheduled form is released the week of 5/10. The teacher administers the test on 5/13 and the plan is then labeled as “Ended” even though the end date is 5/22.

Action Needed: Purchase FastBridge Assessments for 2026-27

As a reminder, only K-6 literacy assessments are included in the Iowa contract with Renaissance. Districts must purchase licenses for any PK-12 math assessments, and PK, 7-12 literacy assessments, if needed. Please reach out directly to the Iowa Renaissance account manager Kim Curry at kim.curry@renaissance.com for more information.

ISASP 2026 Spring Data in Panorama Student Success

Spring 2026 ISASP data will be added to the Panorama Student Success platform when available, although later in the fall than in previous years.  

House File 2618 and Supporting Retention Conversations

As schools prepare for retention conversations this spring under House File 2618, it is important to note that ISASP data will not be available due to ongoing standards-setting work. In the absence of ISASP results, schools are encouraged to use all currently available data to inform these discussions. This includes spring screening results, formative assessment data, and ongoing classroom performance, along with meaningful consideration of parent input. Retention conversations should reflect a comprehensive, up-to-date understanding of each student’s progress and needs, ensuring decisions are grounded in the best available evidence.