Statewide Assessment Schedule

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STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE FOR 2009-2010 SCHOOL YEAR

April 13, 2009

TO:	Chief School Administrators Charter School Lead Persons
FROM:	Lucille E. Davy, Commissioner
SUBJECT:	Statewide Assessment Schedule for 2009-2010 School Year

The attached Statewide Assessment Schedule lists New Jersey test administration dates for the 2009-2010 school year for grades 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and high school. There is significant information for all grade levels. Please review this information carefully.

NEW JERSEY STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT SCHEDULE
2009 – 2010 SCHOOL YEAR

GRADE 3 TESTING

New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK3): for all third-grade students.

May 10, 11, 12, 13, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)
May 17, 18, 19, 20, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

GRADE 4 TESTING

New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK4): for all fourth-grade students.

May 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2, Science)
May 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

GRADE 5 TESTING
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK5): for all fifth-grade students.

May 3, 4, 5, 6, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)
May 10, 11, 12, 13, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

GRADE 6 TESTING
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK6): for all sixth-grade students.

May 3, 4, 5, 6, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)
May 10, 11, 12, 13, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

GRADE 7 TESTING
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK7): for all seventh-grade students.

April 27, 28, 29, 30, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics Days 1 and 2)
May 3, 4, 5, 6, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

GRADE 8 TESTING
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK8): for all eighth-grade students.

April 27, 28, 29, 30, 2010	Regular Testing (Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2, Mathematics, Science)
May 3, 4, 5, 6, 2010	Make-up Testing (Flexible; but no more than one content area per student per day)

Special Note: As an option, districts with separate K-5 schools and middle schools may choose to administer the NJ ASK 3-5 during the May 10 through May 21 period, and administer NJ ASK 6-8 during the April 27 through May 6 period. Interested districts must contact the Office of State Assessments to obtain approval for implementing this alternate schedule.

HIGH SCHOOL TESTING

OCTOBER 2009 HSPA ADMINISTRATION
High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA): for retained eleventh graders, twelfth graders, retained twelfth graders, returning students, and adult high school students.

October 6, 7, 8, 2009	Regular Testing (Mathematics and Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2)
October 13, 14, 15, 2009	Make-up Testing (Mathematics and Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2)

MARCH 2010 HSPA ADMINISTRATION

High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA): for all first-time eleventh graders and retained eleventh graders, twelfth graders, retained twelfth graders, returning students, and adult high school students.

March 2, 3, 4, 2010	Regular Testing (Mathematics and Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2)
March 9, 10, 11, 2010	Make-up Testing (Mathematics and Language Arts Literacy Days 1 and 2)

END OF COURSE BIOLOGY TEST	May 17, 2010 (Regular testing day)
	May 20, 2010 (Make-up testing day)

Who Must Take the End of Course Biology Test?

All New Jersey public high school students, regardless of grade level, who are enrolled in a first-year biology course any time during the 2009-2010 school year, must take the End of Course Biology Test. The following course titles are included as exemplars:
Resource Center Biology
ESL Biology
General Biology
Life Science
Foundations in Biology
College Prep Biology
Honors Biology
Accelerated Biology
Advanced Placement Biology (see below)
Integrated Science (see below)

The additional criteria for participation in the End of Course Biology Test must be followed:

Students taking AP Biology, without having completed a biology prerequisite, must take the May 2010 End of Course Biology Test.

Students taking AP Biology, after having completed a biology prerequisite, must not take the May 2010 End of Course Biology Test.

Students taking Integrated Science as an alternative to the biology offerings listed above, must take the May 2010 End of Course Biology Test.

Students taking Integrated Science as a prerequisitecourse for a biology course must not take the May 2010 End of Course Biology Test. These students will take the End of Course Biology Test during the school year that they are enrolled in the biology course.

Districts are advised to align their biology course offerings with the New Jersey High School Biology/Life Science Syllabus. The syllabus and related information can be downloaded from the NJDOE web site at: http://www.nj.gov/education/aps/cccs/science/

END OF COURSE ALGEBRA I TEST (Mafor all students grades 7-12 taking Algebra I or equivalent)	May 24, 2010 (Regular testing day)
	May 27, 2010 (Make-up testing day)

Who Must Take the End of Course Algebra I Test?

All New Jersey public school students, regardless of grade level, who are enrolled in an Algebra I course or its equivalent any time during the 2009-2010 school year, must take the End of Course Algebra I Test.

Districts are advised to align their Algebra I course offerings with the New Jersey/Achieve High School Algebra I Syllabus. The syllabus and related information can be downloaded from the Achieve web site at:

http://www.achieve.org/AlgebraITestOverview.

END OF COURSE ALGEBRA II TEST
(participating districts only)

May 17 - May 28, 2010

Districts are advised to align their Algebra II course offerings with the New Jersey/Achieve High School Algebra II Syllabus. The syllabus and related information can be downloaded from the Achieve web site at: http://www.achieve.org/AlgebraIITestOverview.

2009 – 2010 New Jersey Assessment Calendar
October 2009
6	HSPA	Mathematics
7	HSPA	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
8	HSPA	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
13	HSPA	Make-up Testing Mathematics
14	HSPA	Make-up Testing Language Arts Literacy Day 1
15	HSPA	Make-up Testing Language Arts Literacy Day 2

March 2010
2	HSPA	Mathematics
3	HSPA	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
4	HSPA	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
9	HSPA	Make-up Testing Mathematics
10	HSPA	Make-up Testing Language Arts Literacy Day 1
11	HSPA	Make-up Testing Language Arts Literacy Day 2

April 2010
27	NJ ASK7	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
	NJ ASK8	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
28	NJ ASK7	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
	NJ ASK8	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
29	NJ ASK7	Mathematics Day 1
	NJ ASK8	Mathematics
30	NJ ASK7	Mathematics Day 2
	NJ ASK8	Science

May 2010
3	NJ ASK5	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
	NJ ASK6	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
	NJ ASK7	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK8	Make-up Testing
4	NJ ASK5	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
	NJ ASK6	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
	NJ ASK7	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK8	Make-up Testing
5	NJ ASK5	Mathematics Day 1
	NJ ASK6	Mathematics Day 1
	NJ ASK7	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK8	Make-up Testing
6	NJ ASK5	Mathematics Day 2
	NJ ASK6	Mathematics Day 2
	NJ ASK7	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK8	Make-up Testing
10	NJ ASK3	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
	NJ ASK4	Language Arts Literacy Day 1
	NJ ASK5	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK6	Make-up Testing
11	NJ ASK3	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
	NJ ASK4	Language Arts Literacy Day 2
	NJ ASK5	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK6	Make-up Testing
12	NJ ASK3	Mathematics Day 1
	NJ ASK4	Mathematics Day 1
	NJ ASK5	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK6	Make-up Testing
13	NJ ASK3	Mathematics Day 2
	NJ ASK4	Mathematics Day 2
	NJ ASK5	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK6	Make-up Testing
14	NJ ASK4	Science
17	NJ ASK3	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK4	Make-up Testing
	EOC Biology	Regular Testing day
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
18	NJ ASK3	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK4	Make-up Testing
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
19	NJ ASK3	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK4	Make-up Testing
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
20	NJ ASK3	Make-up Testing
	NJ ASK4	Make-up Testing
	EOC Biology	Make-up Testing day
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
21	NJ ASK4	Make-up Testing
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
24	EOC Algebra I	Regular Testing day
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
25	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
26	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
27	EOC Algebra I	Make-up Testing day
	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only
28	EOC Algebra II	Participating districts only

ADDITIONAL EXPLANATORY GUIDANCE
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK)

The 2010 schedule for the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK) in grades 3 through 8 is a four-week testing window covering the calendar period April 26, 2010 through May 21, 2010. In expectation that many districts will be closed the prior week for spring vacation, the first day of testing is Tuesday, April 27, 2010. We expect that a three-week testing window in grades 3 through 8 will be necessary the following year, i.e., May 2 through May 20, 2011, in order to adjust for the occurrence of major religious holidays in late April of that year. Districts are advised to plan accordingly.

High School Assessments

Over the next several years, the department will be transitioning from the integrated high school assessment model embodied by the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) to a secondary school competency assessment model using competency (end of course) tests for specific course content disciplines. Some of these tests, such as Biology and Algebra I, are already developed and being piloted; others will be developed in the coming years. As in the earlier transition from the Grade 11 High School Proficiency Test (HSPT11) to the HSPA in the period 2001-2004, there will be a period during which both testing programs will be operative.

High School Proficiency Assessment

All first-time eleventh graders will take the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA) in mathematics and language arts literacy in March 2010: March 2-4 (regular); March 9-11 (make up). Districts are urged to avoid scheduling in-service or other special events during the period March 1-12, 2010, in the event that weather emergencies require the rescheduling of HSPA testing. All retained eleventh graders, twelfth graders, retained twelfth graders, returning, and adult high school students who have not yet passed both sections of the HSPA must participate in the October 2009 administration: October 6-8 (regular) and October 13-15 (makeup) and, if necessary, the March 2010 administration.

Biology

The 2010 End of Course Biology Test will be administered Monday, May 17, 2010, with make-up testing on Thursday, May 20, 2010. Criteria for determining who must participate in the End of Course Biology Test are presented in the attached schedule. Districts are reminded that the department is adopting new graduation requirements under which all secondary school students must take biology (or the content equivalent) in order to attain a New Jersey diploma.

As part of the 2010 End of Course Biology Test, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) intends once again to implement a biology performance assessment prompt (approximately 90 minutes) in May 2010. Further information about the 2010 biology performance assessment will be disseminated in the coming months.

Algebra I & II

The NJDOE will administer the End of Course Algebra I Test in May 2010 to all students in grades 7-12 taking Algebra I or its equivalent. The End of Course Algebra I Test will be administered on May 24 (regular) and May 27, 2010 (make-up).

The department will pilot the Algebra II Test to a limited number of districts in May 2010, to assist districts in aligning their mathematics curricula appropriately. The Algebra II test may be administered any days within the May 17 through May 28 window, as long as students are not taking more than one statewide assessment in the same day.

Special Review Assessment (SRA)

Several significant changes to the SRA process are planned for 2009-2010 and beyond. The department will communicate with districts shortly regarding these anticipated changes.

Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA)

The portfolio-based Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA), for students with severe cognitive disabilities, collects evidence of student achievement over a designated period. Districts may expect to receive detailed information on the 2009-2010 APA portfolio design and time frame in the coming weeks.

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

The next round of the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) testing mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) will take place during the period of January 25 through March 5, 2010. The NAEP 2010 will include operational components of United States history, civics and geography, and pilot/field testing in reading and mathematics at grades 4, 8 and 12. Additional NAEP assessments may be announced as funding permits. The Office of State Assessments will update you accordingly, as we hear further from the NAEP program in Washington, D.C.

The department appreciates the feedback it receives regarding testing schedules. If you have any questions about the statewide assessment schedule for 2009-2010, please contact Timothy Peters, director, Office of State Assessments, by telephone at (609) 984-7761, or by email at timothy.peters@doe.state.nj.us.

LED/JJ/TP/testingschedule2009-2010
Attachment

Members, State Board of Education
Senior Staff
Erika Leak
Kim C. Belin
Timothy Peters
Sandra Alberti
Kenneth Figgs
Mary Jane Kurabinski
Roberta Wohle
Executive County Superintendents
County Test Coordinators
District Test Coordinators
Directors of Approved Private Schools for the Disabled
Directors of College-Operated Programs
Directors of a State Facility
NJ LEE Group
Garden State Coalition of Schools