Standardized Assessments
New Jersey State Assessments
New Jersey State Assessments
Standardized assessments are administered annually to measure student achievement in English language arts and Mathematics in Grades 3-8, and Science in Grades 5 and 8. The following assessments are mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). For more information regarding New Jersey State Assessments, visit the NJDOE Assessment website here. For upcoming Statewide Assessment Testing Schedules and Statewide Assessment Unit Times, please follow the links below. Information will be updated as it is received from the NJDOE.
Start Strong Fall 2021 Administration
Start Strong Fall 2021 Administration
The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) notified districts in spring 2021 that the administration of the Start Strong assessment in the fall 2021 will satisfy the federal statewide assessment requirement to administer general assessments in English language arts (ELA), mathematics, and science for the 2020-2021 school year. The Start Strong assessments are intentionally brief, designed to maximize instructional time and quickly provide critical data to teachers and school leaders. These assessments provide schools and districts the flexibility to address students’ unique needs at the beginning of the school year.
For additional information regarding the Start Strong assessments, please visit the Start Strong Testing Resources website.
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-ELA & Mathematics
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-ELA & Mathematics
The State of New Jersey has ended its membership of the interstate consortium that produced the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) Assessments. While the online platform remains the same, the state's mathematics and English language arts (ELA) assessments are no longer called Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC).
The New Jersey statewide assessments for ELA and mathematics are called:
- New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-ELA (NJSLA-ELA)
- New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Mathematics (NJSLA-M)
All NJSLA units are computer-based, utilizing modern 21st century technology and offering accessibility features for all students. Paper-based options are available for students with disabilities. Students can interact with all computer-based item types for all grade levels and subjects using the NJSLA Practice Tests and Tutorials. Click on the links below to view NJSLA test blueprints and companion guides.
An Individual Student Report (ISR) for English language arts and mathematics will be mailed home the following school year, after results are received by the district (approximately mid to late August). The ISR provides a summary of how a student is progressing with grade level content as defined in the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS). The report also indicates where a student is doing well and where he or she may need additional support.
The Digital Item Library provides access to released items from the NJSLA ELA and mathematics assessments. Tools available in the library can help search for specific items, or sort items by Evidence Statements or standards. The items are displayed online and allow users to view and interact with the items in the exact same manner as student test-takers.
Another addition to score reporting is an online portal for parents/guardians. The online portal includes the student's scale score, quick access to resources that fit a student's needs, and a video score report. The portal also allows parents/guardians to track a student's scores from year to year, beginning with Spring 2019. To access the online portal, parents/guardians must create an account using the unique claim code that is located on their child's paper ISR.
The video score report that is available through the online portal communicates information from the ISR through animations and a voiceover in New Jersey's top five languages: English, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, and Arabic. To further assist parents/guardians, the NJDOE has developed a Score Interpretation Guide for ELA and mathematics.
Click the link below for a Slide Presentation of the Spring 2019 Standardized Testing Results.
NJSLA Results-Spring 2019 New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Science
New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Science
All students in Grades 5 and 8 must be administered the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Science (NJSLA-S), which has replaced the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK) Science Assessment in Grades 4 and 8.
The test items focus on the standards of the grade band for which the assessment is developed:
- The Grade 5 assessment contains questions on the standards from grades three to five;
- The Grade 8 assessment focuses on all middle school standards.
All NJSLA-S units are computer-based with paper-based options for students with disabilities. An Individual Student Report (ISR) for science will be mailed home the following school year, after the results are received by the district. The ISRs provide your child's data for science. A written explanation indicates where your child is doing well and where he or she may need additional help. The report also includes charts and graphics that visually show how well your child is performing in relation to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Science (NJSLS-Science) and how your child's performance compares to other students in his or her school, district, and state.
To further assist parents/guardians, the NJDOE has developed a Score Report Interpretation Guide for science. For additional information and resources to help support your child, visit the NJSLA-S website.
To view NJSLA-S information guides and practice tests, click on the links below.
Click the link below for a Slide Presentation of the Spring 2019 Standardized Testing Results.
NJ Parent Portal
NJ Parent Portal
The New Jersey Parent Portal provides parents and guardians online access to how their child performed on the NJSLA.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is an English language proficiency assessment administered to kindergarten through 8th grade students who have been identified as English language learners (ELLs). The assessment is administered annually to monitor students' progress in acquiring academic English. The assessment measures each of the four domains of Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking.
ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 is given to all ELLs during the annual testing window, which typically lasts from mid-February through mid-April. The test is offered in an online format for Grades 1-8 (Writing portion is paper-based in Grades 1-3). The paper testing mode is offered for Grade K and by request for all other grade levels. ACCESS for ELLs 2.0 test results are mailed home the following school year, after the results are received by the district.
Click here for more information about ACCESS for ELLs 2.0.
-
Sample Items & Test Practice (must use with Chrome browser)
- Additional ACCESS Test Practice & Sample Items
- 2020-21 State Assessments