Schools

Fall Statewide Tests Discontinued In NJ

NJ students and teachers no longer have to take standardized tests in the fall, which began in fall 2020, as the NJSLA resumes.

The Start Strong assessment will be discontinued starting Fall 2023 now that the NJSLA tests have resumed, says a letter from NJ Department of Education acting assistant commissioner Dr. Jorden Schiff.
The Start Strong assessment will be discontinued starting Fall 2023 now that the NJSLA tests have resumed, says a letter from NJ Department of Education acting assistant commissioner Dr. Jorden Schiff. (Shutterstock)

NEW JERSEY — Students won't have to take a statewide test in the fall any more, as the New Jersey Department of Education has discontinued the pandemic-era "Start Strong" assessment.

The state started these assessment tests for fall 2020 to gauge students' academic needs, after spring New Jersey Student Learning Assessments was suspended amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The DOE continued administering them in subsequent years to be able to compare results.

The Start Strong assessment will be discontinued starting Fall 2023 now that the NJSLA tests have resumed, says a letter from NJ Department of Education acting assistant commissioner Dr. Jorden Schiff.

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"The resumption of the NJSLA will allow the Department to continue to offer a high-quality assessment to determine the academic needs of New Jersey’s students to engage in grade-level content as Start Strong comes to an end," said Schiff.

Schiff said the DOE will be reallocating funds of the Start Strong program to support other initiatives in the New Jersey Partnership for Student Success (NJPSS).

Find out what's happening in Across New Jerseywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The test drew criticism from some corners, in part because it is another layer of standardized testing on top of multiple district-level assessments given to students throughout the school year in New Jersey.

The state-mandated Start Strong assessments included English language arts for fourth through 10th graders; in math for fourth through eighth grades plus students taking Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II; and science for sixth, ninth, and 12th graders.


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