Florida no longer uses the Common Core standards. Governor Ron DeSantis ordered them removed in January 2019, and the state formally replaced them in February 2020 with the Benchmarks for Excellent Student Thinking, known as the B.E.S.T. Standards. Every Florida public school now teaches to B.E.S.T., and students are measured against it three times a year through an assessment system called F.A.S.T.
How Florida Dropped Common Core
Florida had adopted Common Core in 2014 under the label “Florida Standards.” On January 31, 2019, Governor DeSantis signed Executive Order 19-32, directing the Commissioner of Education to eliminate Common Core and recommend a full replacement by January 2020. The order also called for a return to foundational reading, writing, and arithmetic and for stronger civics instruction.1State of Florida Office of the Governor. Executive Order Number 19-32
The Florida Department of Education then assembled groups of Florida teachers to draft new standards from scratch. B.E.S.T. was officially adopted on February 12, 2020, and became the first state framework in the country to weave civic literacy into every grade level.2Executive Office of the Governor. Governor Ron DeSantis Announces Florida’s New B.E.S.T. K-12 Standards The aligned F.A.S.T. testing system was first administered during the 2022â2023 school year, fully replacing the old Florida Standards Assessment.3Florida Department of Education. 2025-26 FAST 3-10 Fact Sheet
What Changed in the Classroom
Compared with Common Core, B.E.S.T. shifts emphasis toward mastering foundational skills before adding complexity. Early grades put more weight on phonics and basic arithmetic. Later grades add practical skills like financial literacy and deeper work in American history and government.
In English Language Arts, the standards are organized around Foundations, Reading, Communication, and Vocabulary, with explicit systematic phonics in the early grades and continued support for older students who still have reading deficiencies. The official document calls for “knowledge-rich curricula” built around “great works of literature, history, and the arts” rather than isolated reading strategies.4Florida Department of Education. ELA B.E.S.T. Standards Florida also became the first state to include a Kâ12 Civic Literacy Reading List within its ELA standards, with dedicated funding for schools to purchase the books.5Florida Department of Education. High Quality Curriculum for Reading and Civics
In mathematics, B.E.S.T. prioritizes computational fluency and problem-solving. Students are expected to perform basic arithmetic accurately before moving into abstract concepts. A dedicated financial literacy strand runs through the standards, and a high school course called Math for Data and Financial Literacy gives students practical money skills before graduation.6Florida Department of Education. B.E.S.T Mathematics Resources
How Students Are Tested Now
Student progress is measured through the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking, or F.A.S.T., a screening and progress monitoring system required by section 1008.25 of the Florida Statutes. Instead of one end-of-year test, F.A.S.T. runs three times a year:3Florida Department of Education. 2025-26 FAST 3-10 Fact Sheet
- PM1 at the start of the year sets a baseline score.
- PM2 in the middle of the year measures progress against that baseline.
- PM3 at the end of the year is the summative assessment. PM3 scores drive promotion decisions and school accountability grades.
The three-checkpoint design gives teachers data to identify struggling students early rather than after the year has already ended.
Third-Grade Promotion Rules Parents Should Know
The B.E.S.T. framework has its sharpest consequence in third grade. Under Florida law, a third grader must score at Level 2 or higher on the statewide ELA assessment to be promoted to fourth grade. A student who doesn’t reach that threshold must be retained, and the statute explicitly prohibits social promotion based on age alone.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 1008.25 – Public School Student Progression
There are narrow good-cause exemptions. They cover English learners with less than two years in an ESOL program, certain students with disabilities, students who show acceptable performance on a state-approved alternative reading assessment, students who demonstrate Level 2 work through a portfolio, and students who have already been retained once and received intensive reading intervention for two or more years. A student cannot be retained more than once in third grade. Children promoted through an exemption still receive intensive reading instruction in fourth grade, and parents can request more frequent progress updates.7Florida Senate. Florida Code 1008.25 – Public School Student Progression
Which Schools Have to Follow B.E.S.T.
All traditional public schools and public charter schools in Florida must teach the B.E.S.T. Standards and administer F.A.S.T. Charter schools sit under the same accountability framework as district schools.
Private schools do not. The Florida Department of Education has no jurisdiction over them, and state law avoids regulating, approving, or accrediting private educational institutions. Private school owners set their own curriculum, teacher qualifications, assessments, and promotion rules.8Florida Department of Education. General Requirements A private school may choose to align with B.E.S.T., but nothing requires it.
Home education programs also operate outside B.E.S.T. Homeschooled students must be evaluated annually through either a portfolio review by a certified teacher or a standardized test, but the family picks the curriculum. The evaluation confirms adequate progress, not adherence to any particular state framework.