Governor Mikie Sherrill • Lt. Governor Dr. Dale G. Caldwell

NJSLA-A ELA Blueprints

New Jersey Student Learning Assessment-Adaptive (NJSLA-A) blueprints for English language arts (ELA) provide information on the structure and content of the assessment for a given grade.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 32
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 12 14
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 12 14
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

*The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (4 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

**The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (4 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 34
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 13 15
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 13 15
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

*The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (4 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

**The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (4 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 34
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 13 15
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 13 15
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language *
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

* The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (4 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing **
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

**The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (4 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 36
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

* The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (5 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

**The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (5 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 36
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

*The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (5 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

** The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (5 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 36
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reading Literacy Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

* The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (5 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (5 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Overview: ELA-Reading and ELA-Writing
Items and Passage Sets Count
Total Number of Items 36
Reading: Total Passage Sets 4
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 3
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 1
Reporting Category: Reading Literary Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1
Reporting Category: Reading Informational Texts
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 14 16
Reading: Total Passage Sets 2 2
Reading: Total Single Passage Sets 1 2
Reading: Total Multiple Passage Sets 0 1

Items

Reporting Category: Language*
Items Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 4 6

* The Language reporting category includes 4–6 vocabulary items associated with reading passage sets and the Conventions (5 pts) rubric score.

Reporting Category: Writing**
Items and Passage Sets Minimum Maximum
Total Number of Items 1 1

The Writing reporting category includes the Composition (5 pts) rubric score, as well as a "just proficient mean." The just proficient mean is the average rubric score for students who scored at the proficient level cut score.

Page Last Updated: 07/01/2026