New Jersey Start Strong Fall 2021 Assessments in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science

On April 6, 2021, the United States Department of Education (USED), recognizing that “we are in the midst of a pandemic that requires real flexibility,” informed the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) that the administration of Start Strong assessments in 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. This flexibility shall apply only to the 2020-2021 school year, and the Start Strong assessments in fall 2021 will be used in lieu of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA) that were scheduled to be administered in spring 2021. Additional information for the assessments can be found here.

New Jersey Student Learning Assessment English Language Arts and Mathematics (NJSLA-ELA/Math)

The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for English Language Arts and Mathematics (NJSLA-ELA/Math) measures the extent to which students are, or on track to being college or career ready in each of the two respective areas. The test in English Language Arts assesses student proficiency in reading and comprehending a range of grade appropriate material independently. It also provides a measure of how effectively a student writes when using and/or analyzing sources. The test in Mathematics measures student competencies in the major and additional/supporting content in mathematics for grade or course, as well as student grade-appropriate mathematical reasoning and modeling skills. Additional information for the assessments in the above areas can be found on the Office of Assessments website.

New Jersey Student Learning Assessment Science (NJSLA-Science)

The New Jersey Student Learning Assessment for Science (NJSLA-Science) replaced the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) for Science and the New Jersey Biology Competency Test (NJBCT). This new assessment measures student proficiency in science according to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. These standards require schools to teach students to use science and engineering practices, to make sense of phenomena, and to design solutions to problems. The NJSLA-Science uses the same familiar testing platform that NJSLA-ELA/Math uses.)

NJSLA Resources for Parents

Science Resources