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1. What score is needed on the Department of Defense Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) for a student to qualify for the streamlined portfolio appeal option?

Students who meet or exceed the minimum required ASVAB composite score of 35 qualify for the streamlined portfolio appeal option to demonstrate graduation readiness. As part of the collected documentation maintained on site for each student’s portfolio appeal, there must also be a record of any ASVAB scores used to qualify the student for the streamlined portfolio appeal option. 

2. What are the constructed response task (CRT) requirements for a streamlined portfolio appeal submission?

For a student who qualifies for a streamlined ELA portfolio appeal:  

• One reading task (either literary or informational) must be successfully completed; and  
• One writing task that is connected to the selected reading task (either informative/explanatory, argument, or narrative) must be successfully completed.  

For a student who qualifies for a streamlined mathematics portfolio appeal:  

• One modeling task (representing one of the 5 conceptual categories not used for reasoning) must be successfully completed; and  
• One reasoning task (representing one of the conceptual categories not used for the modeling task) must be successfully completed. 

3. Do I have to include a new Statement of Assurance (SOA) with each portfolio appeal submission?

 Yes. Every time a Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet is submitted in Homeroom, a signed SOA must be submitted, too. The data on each spreadsheet should be restricted to a single school within the LEA or APSSD. The dates at the end of each file name for a submission should match. Examples for an individual submission are listed below.

• 2025SOAPortfolioAppeals991234050-1.2.25.pdf
• 2025PortfolioAppealsData991234050-1.2.25.xlsx

4. Can students use different pathways to meet the graduation assessment requirement for English language arts (ELA) and/or mathematics?

 Yes. If, after completing the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) in grade 11, students did not demonstrate graduation readiness on the ELA and/or mathematics component, such students may access the following pathways:

• Second Pathway: By meeting the designated cut score on a substitute competency test such as the PSAT, SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER; or
• Third Pathway: By submitting, through the LEA or APSSD, a student portfolio appeal to the New Jersey Department of Education.

The pathway(s) selected by individual students may vary. For example, after taking the NJGPA, one student may use the second pathway for mathematics and the third pathway for ELA. Another student may use the third pathway for both mathematics and ELA. A student who met the requirements of the NJGPA for only one component (ELA or Mathematics) may use either the second or third pathway for the missing component.

Please note, there is no requirement that a student attempt one or more assessments included in the second pathway prior to accessing the third pathway. The decision regarding which pathway or pathways a student will pursue if needed after taking the NJGPA will depend on a variety of factors (e.g., student’s post-secondary plans, etc.).

5. Can we use the same constructed response tasks (CRTs) developed in prior years?

Yes. Provided the constructed response tasks meet the requirements as specified in the Informational Guide for the English Language Arts Portfolio Appeals Process and/or the Informational Guide for the Mathematics Portfolio Appeals Process, LEAs and APSSDs may use the same CRTs for any students who need to participate in portfolio appeals. LEAs and APSSDs may ask for feedback on their CRTs by emailing assessment@doe.nj.gov.

6. Can students type their responses for the CRTs? 

Yes. Student responses for the CRTs may be either typed or handwritten. In either case, the LEA or APSSD is responsible for maintaining a copy of the response on file.

7. Which CDS code should be used for students who are out of district?

The CDS (County District School) code listed in the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet must be the code for the accountable district and school. For instance, if a student from District A attends District B for educational services not available in District A, the CDS code submitted in the data spreadsheet must be for District A. This code should include all three components: the 2-digit county code (99), the 4-digit district code (9999), and the 3-digit school code (050).

The CDS code listed on the portfolio appeals outcome letter will be the code for the LEA or APSSD that submitted the portfolio appeal, which must be listed on the SOA and may be different from the CDS code included in the data spreadsheet.

8. Must every cell in the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet contain data? 

No. In general, if there is no applicable data available for a cell, it may be left blank. However, since only two of the three possible writing tasks must be submitted (narrative, informative/explanatory, argument), the ELA writing task columns not used may be left blank or contain NA for those cells as per the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet Field Definitions document (available in Homeroom).

9. Is there a special file format I need to use for my submitted files? 

Yes. The Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet must be submitted as an Excel file (.xlsx). The SOA must be submitted as a PDF (.pdf) with either digital or wet signatures.

10. Do I need to wait until all my appeals are completed before submitting them for review?

 No. Submissions may occur on a rolling basis. However, each submission must include the required Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet and accompanying SOA. Submitting these two documents at different times in Homeroom could disrupt the processing of the appeal. Therefore, all documents for submission (the SOA and the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet) must be submitted at the same time (e.g., on the same day) to ensure timely processing.

When submitting student information on the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet, only submit those students who have completed the portfolio appeals process for at least one component (ELA and/or mathematics). For example, if you have a student who needs both ELA and mathematics but who has only finished their ELA portfolio appeal so far, indicate “Y” for Column Y (Portfolio Appeal for ELA) and “N” for Column Z (Portfolio Appeal for Mathematics) and include only their ELA data in the spreadsheet.

11. Is there a specific way I must name the files? What if I am resubmitting corrected files?

Yes. To ensure proper processing of the appeals, documents should follow the naming conventions detailed in the Portfolio Appeals Electronic Submission Process. The submission dates at the end of the file name for both the SOA and the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet should match. If you are submitting multiple versions of the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheets over time, please ensure that the new submission date is correct in the file name. Also, if you are resubmitting corrected files, please add the word “RESUBMISSION” at the end of the file name to provide clarity during processing. Examples of initial and resubmitted files are listed below.

•  Initial Submission:
  •  2025SOAPortfolioAppeals991234050-1.2.25
  •  2025PortfolioAppealsData991234050-1.2.25
•  Corrected/Resubmitted File Submission:
  • 2025SOAPortfolioAppeals991234050-1.2.25RESUBMISSION
  • 2025PortfolioAppealsData991234050-1.2.25RESUBMISSION

12. What are some common errors to avoid? 

Common errors that may affect the timely processing of portfolio appeals are listed below:

• Submitting student information with incomplete data – When submitting student information on the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet, only submit those students who have completed the portfolio appeals process for at least one component (ELA and/or mathematics). The data entered into Column Y (Portfolio Appeal for ELA) and Column Z (Portfolio Appeal for Mathematics) must be accurate for the submission. “Y” indicates data is included for this submission while “N” indicates data is not included for this submission.  Do not submit data for students who are expected to complete their portfolio appeal later. If a student completes the process later, an additional submission may be made.
• Using rubric scores where percentage scores are expected – Certain scores that are submitted must be rubric scores, while others must be given as whole number percentage scores. Refer to the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet Field Definitions document (available in Homeroom) for further guidance.
• Using percentage formatting for cells – Even though certain columns expect percentage scores, these cells must not be formatted as “Percentage.” Rather, maintain “General” formatting for all cells within the spreadsheet.
• Submitting scores that are beyond the expected range – The expected ranges vary for different columns. Student appeals with score data beyond the expected value ranges will not receive approval. Be sure to review the Portfolio Appeals Data Spreadsheet Field Definitions document (available in Homeroom) for further guidance.

13. What do I do if I have further questions regarding the portfolio appeals process?

 If you have any questions, please contact the NJDOE’s Office of Assessment at assessment@doe.nj.gov or (609) 376-3960.