• Provide feedback on individual student progress in achieving the standards.
• Help schools make adjustments to curriculum and teaching to enable students to learn the standards.
• Give an annual picture of the state’s progress toward meeting the standards.

New Jersey has begun to move toward annual testing of students in grades 3-8 as a result of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). New Jersey’s current assessments are given in grades 3,4,8, and 11.

New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK)

• Given to students in grades 3 and 4.
• Tests language arts literacy and math.

Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA)

• Given to students in grade 8.
• Tests language arts literacy, math, and science.

High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA)

• Given to students in grade 11.
• Tests language arts literacy and math.
• Passing is required to earn a high school diploma.

Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA)

• Given to students with severe disabilities.
• Can be used in place of the NJASK, GEPA, or HSPA.

Special Review Assessment (SRA)

• Given to students who have not demonstrated proficiency in one or more areas of the HSPA.
• SRA Performance Assessment Tasks (PATs) are available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Gujarati.

Special education students must take the appropriate NJASK, GEPA, or HSPA unless their individualized education program (IEP) specifies that they should take the Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA) in place of one or more sections. The APA is a portfolio-style assessment used to assess the academic progress of students with severe disabilities. Special education students requiring accommodations or modifications should be tested using the modified testing procedures specified in their IEP.

Limited English proficient students must take the state assessments and may be tested with one or more of the following accommodations: additional time, translations of the test directions only into the student’s native language, and use of a bilingual translation dictionary. Currently, the SRA Performance Assessment Tasks are available in Spanish, Portuguese, and Gujarati. This is the only assessment available in languages other than English.

Helpful Links:

New Jersey’s 2004-2005 Assessment Schedule can be found here. The schedule gives dates for regular and make-up testing for the HSPA, GEPA, and NJASK. http://www.state.nj.us/njded/assessment/schedule.pdf.

A Web page on the NJASK from the State of New Jersey Department of Education. http://www.nj.gov/njded/assessment/es/

A link to an NJASK Information Manual for parents, teachers, and students provided by ETS, creators of the NJASK assessment for third and fourth graders. The bilingual manual provides information on the test, sample test questions, and more. http://ets.org/njask/2004_parstu_teach_manual.pdf

Click here for sample questions for the GEPA science examination. http://www.njpep.org/assessment/TestSpecs/science_test_specs/Science_GEPA_HSPA/
GEPA_Sample_Items/GEPA_Sample_Items.html

Here are some sample questions for the HSPA science exam. http://www.njpep.org/assessment/TestSpecs/science_test_specs/Science_GEPA_HSPA/
HSPA_Sample_Items/HSPA_Sample_ItemsP60.html

Sample questions for GEPA and HSPA math sections. Scroll down and click on macros to find ample test questions. This site is most suitable for teachers. http://www.njpep.org/assessment/TestSpecs/MathTestSpec/GEPAMath/MathIndex.html

Information from the State of New Jersey Department of Education on the state’s Special Review Assessment for students who have not demonstrated proficiency in one or more content areas of the HSPA. http://www.state.nj.us/njded/assessment/hs/index.shtml#sra

Here is the NJ state report card. http://education.state.nj.us/rc/rc03/letter.html

Score information from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) assessment. http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/