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The New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) is New Jersey's statewide test for students in grades 3-8. NJSLA evolved from the PARCC assessment and measures mastery of the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS), updated in 2023. Spring 2026 is a historic moment: NJSLA goes computer-adaptive for the first time (called NJSLA-A), meaning the test changes difficulty based on each student's answers. Spring 2026 is also the first NJSLA administration aligned to the 2023 standards. Two big changes in one year — practice tests written for older NJSLAs are partially obsolete.
Spring 2026: NJSLA-Adaptive (ELA + Math) runs April 27 - May 22, 2026. NJSLA-Science (still fixed-form) runs April 15 - May 22, 2026. NJGPA-Adaptive for grade 11 runs March 16-20, 2026.
| Grade | Subjects Tested |
|---|---|
| Grade 3 | ELA and Mathematics |
| Grade 4 | ELA and Mathematics |
| Grade 5 | ELA, Mathematics, and Science (NJSLA-S) |
| Grade 6 | ELA and Mathematics |
| Grade 7 | ELA and Mathematics |
| Grade 8 | ELA, Mathematics, and Science (NJSLA-S) |
New Jersey uses the following performance levels. Level 4 ('Met Expectations') is the proficiency target — NOT Level 3. New Jersey uses 5 levels, and Level 3 ('Approached') is still below proficient. The Level 4 cut on the 650-850 scale is 750.
Student needs significant support to reach grade-level standards.
Student demonstrates limited understanding of NJSLS standards.
Student is close to proficiency but has notable gaps.
Student demonstrates grade-level mastery of NJSLS standards.
Student demonstrates advanced mastery beyond grade level.
NJSLA goes computer-adaptive for the first time in Spring 2026. The test starts at medium difficulty; questions get harder when your child answers correctly and easier when they struggle. Two children in the same classroom will see different questions. Harder questions = good sign.
Writing is NOT a separate test — it sits inside NJSLA-ELA as Prose Constructed Response (PCR) tasks: Literary Analysis (LAT), Research Simulation (RST, requires synthesizing 2-3 sources), and Narrative Writing (NWT). Grade 3 uses a 0-3 rubric; grades 4-11 use a 0-4 rubric.
NJSLA-Science (grades 5, 8, 11) is NOT adaptive — it stays as a fixed-form NGSS-aligned test. Same questions for every student. The adaptive switch only affects ELA and Math.
NJDOE announced in February 2026 that automated/AI scoring will be used on NJSLA-Adaptive writing tasks. This puts NJ in similar territory to Texas STAAR's AI-scoring debate. Human re-scoring is available on appeal.
Three changes converge in Spring 2026 — and most parents don't know about them yet. (1) NJSLA goes computer-adaptive for the first time. (2) Tests align to the 2023 NJSLS, not the older 2016 standards. (3) Writing tasks are scored by AI for the first time. NJDOE released year-over-year comparability via Student Growth Percentiles, but independent journalists at NJ Education Report filed an OPRA request for the technical equating study and were told the records 'are not made or maintained' by the department. Year-over-year score comparisons after Spring 2026 should be read carefully.
New Jersey released its 2025 NJSLA results on August 27, 2025. Both ELA and math improved year-over-year, but neither subject is back to pre-pandemic levels. The full per-grade table below comes from the New Jersey Department of Education via NJ Education Report — the only outlet that published the grade-level breakdown in readable form. Percentages reflect students at Level 4 ('Met') or Level 5 ('Exceeded') on the 650-850 scale.
| Grade / Subject | % Meeting or Exceeding | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 ELA | 45% | Lowest ELA grade in 3-8 |
| Grade 3 Math | 50% | Highest math proficiency in 3-8 |
| Grade 4 ELA | 54% | |
| Grade 4 Math | 47% | |
| Grade 5 ELA | 53% | |
| Grade 5 Math | 44% | Largest math gain (+4 ppt YoY) |
| Grade 5 Science (NJSLA-S) | 30% | NGSS-aligned |
| Grade 6 ELA | 56% | |
| Grade 6 Math | 40% | |
| Grade 7 ELA | 57% | |
| Grade 7 Math | 39% | |
| Grade 8 ELA | 57% | Highest ELA grade in 3-8 |
| Grade 8 Math | 21% | Massive drop — strong G8 students take Algebra 1 EOC |
| Grade 8 Science (NJSLA-S) | 19% | Lowest M+E in 3-8 |
The bottom of the table is the story. Grade 8 Math (21%) and Grade 8 Science (19%) look catastrophic until you realize many strong 8th-graders take Algebra 1 EOC instead of grade-level math — they're not counted in the 8th-grade math number. ELA grew at every grade level. Pre-pandemic ELA peaked at 57% in 2019 and math at 45.6% in 2018; New Jersey is close on ELA, still behind on math.
Dr. Lily Laux became Acting Commissioner of the NJ Department of Education on February 4, 2026, appointed by Governor Mikie Sherrill (D, who took office January 2026). Before NJ, Laux was Deputy Commissioner at the Texas Education Agency, where she led school-finance reform and statewide literacy. She passed her NJ Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing on February 19, 2026. Her stated priorities: K-12 literacy outcomes, high-impact tutoring expansion, the teacher shortage, and modernizing the school-funding formula. Laux replaced Kevin Dehmer, who left to become NJ's Chief Technology Officer under the new Sherrill administration. Note: many other sources still reference Dehmer — they're stale.
First-ever NJSLA-Adaptive administration began April 27, 2026. Window runs through May 22, 2026 for ELA + Math grades 3-8. Science (grades 5, 8, 11) remains fixed-form.
NJDOE confirmed automated/AI scoring will be used on NJSLA-Adaptive writing tasks starting Spring 2026. Human re-scoring available on appeal.
Acting Commissioner Laux sworn in. Passed Senate Judiciary confirmation hearing Feb 19, 2026. Senate full-floor vote followed.
New Jersey has one of the widest district-level inequalities in the country. The 31 former Abbott districts (now called SDA districts) receive state-funded facilities under the Abbott v. Burke school-funding decisions, but the spread between them and wealthy suburbs is dramatic. Numbers below reflect 2025 NJSLA performance from NJDOE or, where 2025 district-level breakdowns aren't yet published, the most recent year released.
Among NJ's top 3 wealthy suburbs alongside Princeton and Tenafly. Economically Disadvantaged: 1.4% — one of the lowest in the state. Algebra 1: 83% M+E. Source: nj21st.com 7-district preliminary dashboard.
Princeton High feeds heavily into selective colleges. Economically Disadvantaged: 10.5%. District publishes its 2024-25 NJSLA breakdown only via internal Google Slides; the 2024 numbers are the most recent public figures.
Median-affluent NJ suburb. Demographics: 51% White, 17% Asian, 15% Hispanic, 9% Black. Economically Disadvantaged: 14%. Close to the state average — a useful anchor for parents from Camden County or Burlington County.
Largest district in NJ. 58% Hispanic, 34% Black, 100% minority enrollment. ~54% Economically Disadvantaged (district-only). Grade 3 ELA hit 27.7% in 2025, up from 23.4% in 2024 — Newark's most-watched grade since its literacy push. Top Newark elementary (Michelle Obama Elementary): 79.4% Grade 3 ELA proficiency proves the ceiling within the district.
Under NJDOE state-takeover authority since 2013 — among the longest interventions in NJ. Elementary tier ~9% ELA / ~7% Math. Camden charter students are 71% more likely to read at grade level than district peers (NJ Urban News). Camden's officially reported Economically Disadvantaged % (34.6%) appears under-counted versus community estimates in the 60-80% range.
Headline equity spread: Millburn 84% ELA versus Camden City ~10% ELA = roughly 74 percentage points. The widest single-state gap of any state we've researched in our top 10 — larger than Massachusetts's 61-point Lexington-Lawrence gap on Grade 5 Math.
New Jersey has among the strongest aggregate scores of any state nationally, and the widest district-level inequality in the country. The 74-percentage-point Millburn-versus-Camden gap is real and verified. Newark's district-only Grade 3 ELA scores rose from 23.4% in 2024 to 27.7% in 2025, but Newark charters (a separate sector) post double-digit higher rates and read at grade level 71% more often than their district peers (per NJ Urban News). Pre-pandemic, statewide ELA peaked at 57% in 2019 and math at 45.6% in 2018 — both still unreached. For families: the gap is real, but it's tied to district wealth more than to the test itself. Steady at-home practice, especially on NJSLA's three writing task types, moves performance bands inside one school year regardless of zip code.
Three policy moves are reshaping NJSLA in Spring 2026, and most parents have not heard about them.
State Board adopted the 2023 NJSLS for both ELA and Math in October 2023 — first standards revision since 2016. ELA implementation deadline was September 2024. Math was originally September 2024, then extended to September 2025. Spring 2026 NJSLA-A is the first administration on the new standards for both subjects. Old practice content aligned to the 2016 standards is partially obsolete.
After a Fall 2025 field test (October 27 - November 14), NJSLA-Adaptive became operational on April 27, 2026 for grades 3-9 ELA, grades 3-8 Math, and Algebra I/Geometry/Algebra II. NJDOE has not publicly released the technical equating study that would prove Spring 2026 scaled scores are comparable to past years — NJ Education Report filed an OPRA request and received a response that the records 'are not made or maintained' by the DOE.
NJDOE announced in February 2026 that automated/AI scoring will be used on NJSLA-Adaptive writing tasks. NJ joins a growing list of states using AI scoring on standardized tests; Texas STAAR's AI-scoring program prompted lawsuits in 2024. Human re-scoring is available on appeal in NJ.
NJSLA-Adaptive launched Spring 2026 — first time computer-adaptive in NJ history. ELA, Math, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II are all adaptive. Science stays fixed-form.
Writing is embedded inside ELA via 3 prose-constructed-response task types (LAT, RST, NWT). New Jersey is one of the only states that requires multi-source synthesis essays (RST) starting in grade 3.
NJSLA uses 5 proficiency levels (most states use 4). Level 4 is proficient, not Level 3 — this confuses parents who assume the middle level is 'passing.'
Spring 2026 is the first administration on the 2023 NJSLS standards. Old practice content built on the 2016 standards is partially obsolete.
AI scoring on writing started in Spring 2026 — among the first states in the country to use it operationally.
The format changed dramatically in Spring 2026. Tell your child the test will get harder when they answer correctly and easier when they struggle — harder questions are a good sign, not a punishment.
Level 4 is proficient, NOT Level 3. With 5 levels, it's easy to assume the middle (Level 3) is 'passing' — it's not. The score-scale cut is 750 out of 850.
Writing is inside the ELA test, not separate. Practice the three task types — Literary Analysis, Research Simulation (synthesize 2-3 sources), and Narrative — with clear topic sentences and text evidence.
NJSLA scores are NOT used for grade promotion in New Jersey. The test informs school accountability and federal compliance, not whether your child moves up a grade.
Science (NJSLA-S) is fixed-form, not adaptive, in grades 5 and 8. Don't let the buzz around adaptive testing make you skip science prep — it's a separate test with its own format.
NJSLA-Adaptive (NJSLA-A) is the computer-adaptive version of New Jersey's grades 3-8 state assessment. It launched April 27, 2026. The test starts at medium difficulty; questions get harder when your child answers correctly and easier when they struggle. Two students in the same classroom see different questions, but final scaled scores are intended to be comparable. NJSLA-Science remains fixed-form (not adaptive).
NJSLA-Adaptive (ELA + Math) runs April 27 - May 22, 2026 for grades 3-9. NJSLA-Science (grades 5, 8, 11) runs April 15 - May 22, 2026. NJGPA-Adaptive (the grade 11 graduation test) runs March 16-20, 2026. Make-up testing follows in late May.
No — NJSLA grades 3-8 scores are NOT used for grade promotion in New Jersey. They inform school accountability and federal compliance, not whether your child moves up. For graduation, students take the NJGPA in grade 11, which is a separate assessment with its own pathway.
NJSLA uses 5 levels: 1 (Not Yet Meeting), 2 (Partially Met), 3 (Approached), 4 (Met), and 5 (Exceeded). Level 4 is the proficiency bar — NOT Level 3, despite Level 3 being the middle. On the 650-850 score scale, the Level 4 cut is 750. Many parents misread Level 3 as 'passing' — it is not.
NJDOE says yes — Student Growth Percentiles (SGPs) measure each student's growth relative to academic peers, not absolute scores. However, NJ Education Report filed an OPRA request asking for the technical equating study that would link Spring 2026 scores to past years, and NJDOE responded that the records 'are not made or maintained' by the department. Year-over-year comparisons after Spring 2026 should be read carefully.
No — writing is embedded in NJSLA-ELA, not a standalone test. Your child will see three task types: Literary Analysis (LAT), Research Simulation (RST, which requires synthesizing 2-3 informational sources), and Narrative Writing (NWT). Grade 3 uses a 0-3 PCR rubric; grades 4-11 use 0-4.
Yes. In February 2026, NJDOE announced that NJSLA-Adaptive writing tasks would use automated/AI scoring starting Spring 2026. New Jersey joins a small group of states (including Texas) using AI scoring on standardized writing. Human re-scoring is available on appeal.
New Jersey has no formal opt-out process. Districts may permit 'refusal' arrangements where the student is supervised during testing, but the student is counted as 'not proficient' for accountability purposes. There is no academic penalty to the child personally.
NJSLA-Science (NJSLA-S) is administered in grades 5, 8, and 11 — and remains fixed-form (not adaptive) in 2026. It is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The 2025 statewide M+E rates were 30% (grade 5), 19% (grade 8), and 31% (grade 11).
The 2023 NJSLS (adopted October 2023) was the first standards revision since 2016. ELA Companion Standards were integrated into Reading: Informational Text. Math K-5 split 'Measurement and Data' into separate 'Measurement' and 'Data Literacy' domains. Climate-change education was added across both subjects, making NJ one of the only states with K-12 climate-change context embedded in core standards.
Grade 8 Math proficiency looks alarmingly low (21% M+E in 2025), but the number is partially a measurement artifact. Many strong 8th-graders take the Algebra 1 End-of-Course test instead of grade-level math, so they are NOT counted in the 8th-grade math figure. Algebra 1 EOC proficiency was 38% in 2025.
NJSLA is the grades 3-8 (and 9 ELA) annual assessment of NJSLS standards. NJGPA (New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment) is a separate grade-11 test used for the high-school graduation pathway. Both went adaptive in Spring 2026. NJSLA does not affect promotion; NJGPA does affect a graduation pathway.
The NJSLA is New Jersey's standardized assessment for grades 3-8. Students are tested in Math and English/RLA every year, and Science in grades 5 and 8.
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