State of New Jersey Department of Education

Exploring New Jersey Statewide Assessments
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The Current NJ Statewide Assessment Program


The statewide assessment program is a series of assessments given to New Jersey students at different grade levels to measure student progress toward achieving the Core Curriculum Content Standards.  The NJCCCS which define what all New Jersey students should know and be able to do. For more information about the standards, check out the Standards FAQ.

The assessment program includes the Elementary School Proficiency Assessment (ESPA), given in the fourth grade, and the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), given in the eighth grade, and (beginning in 2001-2002) the HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment).  Check the implementation schedule for current testing plans. 

In this section you can explore:
Purposes of the Assessment Program
Features of the Assessment Program
New Jersey's Core Curriculum Content Standards