Dear Parent/Guardian,

This spring, students across New Jersey will participate in the state’s required annual assessments. These statewide assessments provide one important way for schools and families to understand how well students are learning grade-level skills in English Language Arts, mathematics, and science.

Depending on their grade level, your child may participate in one or more of the following assessments:

• New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment – Adaptive (NJGPA-A) for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics
• New Jersey Student Learning Assessments – Adaptive (NJSLA-A) for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics
• New Jersey Student Learning Assessments – Science (NJSLA-S)

All statewide assessments are aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), which describe what students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level. While the format of some assessments has changed this year, they continue to measure the same academic skills and knowledge expected of students.

Testing Schedule
Irvington Public Schools will administer the assessments during the following windows:

Your child’s school will communicate the specific testing schedule.

Purpose of Statewide Assessments

Students take a variety of assessments throughout the school year, each designed to serve a different purpose. New Jersey’s statewide assessments provide important information about how well students, schools, and districts are meeting the expectations of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

These results help educators:

• Monitor student progress over time
• Identify areas where students may need additional support
• Strengthen classroom instruction and curriculum alignment
• Ensure students have access to rigorous, grade-level learning opportunities

State assessment results also help families understand how their child is progressing academically.

About the English Language Arts and Mathematics Assessments

Beginning this year, the statewide English Language Arts and Mathematics assessments (NJGPA-A and NJSLA-A) will be computer-adaptive. This means the test adjusts the difficulty of questions based on how a student answers previous questions.

If a student answers a question correctly, the next question may be slightly more challenging. If a student struggles, the assessment may provide a less difficult question. This process allows the test to more accurately measure a student’s understanding of grade-level content.

Although students may receive different questions, all questions measure the same grade-level standards and skills.

Each ELA and Mathematics assessment includes the following units:

About the Science Assessment
The New Jersey Student Learning Assessments – Science (NJSLA-S) is a fixed-form assessment, meaning all students receive the same test questions. The science test remains aligned to the same content and standards as previous years.

Additional Information
For more information about these assessments, please visit the New Jersey Department of Education assessment website at:

https://www.nj.gov/education/assessment/adaptive

Parents and families may also visit the New Jersey Assessments Portal and the New Jersey Science Assessments Resource Center for additional resources and information.

If you have questions regarding the upcoming assessments, please contact your child’s school.
Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting your child’s academic success.

Sincerely,

Dr. April Vauss
Superintendent of Schools
Irvington Public Schools