IJECE Published Articles

Abstract The implementation of progress-monitoring assessment systems has reshaped instructional and leadership practices in U.S. schools under accountability-driven reforms. This study examined the utilization of the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking (FAST) and its contribution to students’ academic performance through teachers’ instructional performance and principals’ leadership performance in Florida charter schools. Using a quantitative descriptive–correlational design, data were collected from 47 charter schools in Palm Beach County, Florida, involving principals and teachers, with schools treated as the unit of analysis. FAST utilization was measured across student performance monitoring, analysis of assessment results, and data-driven decision-making, while students’ academic performance, teachers’ performance, and principals’ leadership performance were obtained from institutional records. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test direct and mediating relationships among variables. Results revealed that FAST was utilized at an excellent level across all dimensions. Students demonstrated generally strong academic performance, teachers were predominantly rated as highly effective, and principals exhibited outstanding leadership performance. Structural model findings showed that FAST utilization significantly influenced the analysis and use of assessment data for decision-making, which in turn had a strong positive effect on principals’ leadership performance. Principals’ leadership performance significantly mediated the relationship between FAST utilization and students’ academic performance, while teachers’ instructional performance did not directly mediate this relationship. However, teachers’ instructional performance significantly mediated the relationship between leadership performance and student outcomes. Overall, the model explained 68.1% of the variance in students’ academic performance. The findings indicate that the impact of FAST on student achievement is largely realized through leadership-driven decision-making processes rather than through direct instructional effects alone. The study underscores the central role of school leadership in translating assessment data into effective instructional practices and improved academic outcomes, highlighting the importance of integrated data-use frameworks in charter school settings.