As a State education agency, the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) must ensure that State assessments are of high quality. While State assessments are a single measure of how students are performing academically, they are an important lever towards better understanding a student’s academic needs in English language arts, mathematics, and science. State assessment results are used alongside other quantitative and qualitative measures to inform communities about productive utilization of district resources; identify schools and districts that require additional support from the NJDOE; and most importantly, provide critical information for enhancing curriculum and instruction in classrooms across the State.

New Jersey is required to administer the statewide assessments by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and by state statute. The statewide assessments administered on a yearly basis are:

  • New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive (NJSLA-Adaptive)
  • New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Science (NJSLA-S)
  • Dynamic Learning Maps (DLM)
  • ACCESS for English Language Learners (ELLs)
  • New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-Adaptive)
  • National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP)

Resources

Middle School Mathematics ESSA Waiver Draft for Public Comment

The New Jersey Department of Education is making available today for public comment a draft of its request to the United States Department of Education (USDE) to allow grade 7 students enrolled in an advanced mathematics course to participate in the end-of-course assessment for that course in lieu of the grade 7 mathematics assessment. Comments, concerns, and general feedback must be submitted by email to ESSA@doe.nj.gov by November 26, 2025 at 5:00 pm.

Middle School Math Waiver Request 2025 For Comment (PDF)