Testing and Assessment

Patrick Bender
Supervisor of Testing and Assessment
[email protected]
201-369-2858

Department Overview

The testing and assessment department oversees the preparation, implementation, and reporting of all state assessments, including the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA), ACCESS for ELLs 2.0, the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA), and the PSAT/SAT suite of assessments. The department works with school administrators to disaggregate and analyze data to drive instruction and identify areas of need. In addition, the department also oversees the staff evaluation system and reporting of scores to the New Jersey Department of Education.

Statewide Assessments

State Assessment	Participating Grades	Assessment Window	Testing Times	Score Reporting
New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) Fall Administration	Grade 12 Note: Students who have not yet taken the assessment.	October 6, 2025 through October 10, 2025 Makeup: October 14, 2025 through October 17, 2025	ELA - Two 90 minute units Math - Two 90 minute units	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through the schools.
New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment – Adaptive (NJGPA-Adaptive) Fall Field Test	Grade 11 - ELA Only	October 27, 2025 through November 14, 2025 Note: There will be no testing on November 4, 6, 7, or 11	Reading - 60 minutes Writing - 120 minutes	No reporting
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments – Adaptive (NJSLA-Adaptive) Fall Field Test	ELA: Grades 4 - 10 Math: Grades 4 through high school (Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II based on course completion during the 2024-2025 school year).	October 27, 2025 through November 14, 2025 Note: There will be no testing on November 4, 6, 7, or 11	Reading - 60 minutes Writing - 120 minutes Math - 60 minutes	No Reporting
Portfolio Appeals	Grade 12 Note: Current seniors, class of 2026, who still need to meet the state graduation assessment requirement.	January 6, 2026 through May 1, 2026	N/A	N/A
ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS for ELLs	ACCESS: Grades K - 12 Alt. ACCESS: Grades 1 - 12	February 2, 2026 through March 27, 2026 Makeup: March 30, 2026 through April 3, 2026	Listening - 35 minutes Reading - 35 minutes Writing - 60 minutes Speaking - 35 minutes	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through the schools.
New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment – Adaptive (NJGPA-Adaptive)	Grade 11	March 16, 2026 through March 20, 2026 Makeup: March 23, 2026 through March 27, 2026	TBD	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through the schools.
Dynamic Learning Maps Year End (YE) Model: ELA, Math & Science	ELA and Math: Grades 3 - 8, and Grade 11 Science: Grade 5, Grade 8 and Grade 11	April 6, 2026 through May 22, 2026 Makeup: May 26, 2026 through May 29, 2026	Individually Administered	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through the schools.
New Jersey Student Learning Assessments – Adaptive (NJSLA-Adaptive)	ELA: Grades 3 - 9 Math: Grades 3 - high school (Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II as needed based on accountability requirements).	April 27, 2026 through May 22, 2026 Makeup: May 26, 2026 through May 29, 2026	TBD	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through the schools.
NJSLA-Science Administration	Science: Grades 5, 8 and 11	April 27, 2026 through May 22, 2026 Makeup: May 26, 2026 through May 29, 2026	Grades 5-8: Four 45 minute units Grade 11: Four 60 minute units	Individual Student Reports (ISRs) sent to parent/guardian through schools.
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)	Students in grades 4, 8 and 12 at schools selected by NAEP.	January 26, 2026 through March 20, 2026	TBD	National Report Card

Statewide Assessments Results

Spring 2025 ACCESS Test Results

2023-2024 Spring NJSLA, NJGPA, ACCESS, and AP Score Presentation

High School Graduation Requirements

Statute requires the state graduation proficiency assessment to be administered to all grade 11 students (N.J.S.A. 18A:7C-6). The NJGPA is designed to measure the extent to which students are graduation ready in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. The ELA component is aligned to the grade 10 standards. The Mathematics component is aligned to Algebra I and Geometry standards. Graduation readiness is reported separately for each content component. On May 3, 2023, the State Board of Education approved the graduation ready cut score for the ELA and mathematics components of the NJGPA, as well as the menu of alternative assessments and aligned cut scores. On October 8, 2025 the New Jersey Legislature re-adopted the graduation requirements for the class of 2026.

High School Requirements