This is a press release from New Jersey Department of Education from Assistant Commissioner Jordan Schiff to superintendents, directors of special education schools, district/school test coordinators, and technology coordinators. The DOE is announcing a new set of statewide assessments in reading and math developed by Cambium Assessments. These tests, which will begin next spring, are computer-based and will adapt the level of difficulty of questions to a student’s performance.

New Jersey Department of Education (Department) is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 school year assessment schedule and the implementation of new statewide assessments in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics.

2025-2026 Statewide Assessment Schedule

The schedule for the statewide assessment program for the 2025-2026 school year is now available on the Assessment webpage under Resources. Information regarding the various assessment administrations will be shared with local education agencies (LEAs) and approved private schools for students with disabilities (APSSDs) through separate broadcast memos when additional details are available.

Students in the class of 2026 will have the opportunity to participate in the current version of the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) this fall. All grade twelve students, or students who are intending to graduate with the class of 2026, who do not have a valid score on one or both components of the NJGPA must test during this fall 2025 administration. This includes multilingual learners who were newly enrolled in a U.S. school after June 1, 2025 and students who were unable to test for any reason during a previous NJGPA administration. Please refer to the Fall 2025 New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment Key Dates and Information broadcast, which is available on the Department Broadcasts webpage.

Announcement of New Statewide Assessments

The New Jersey Department of Education, in partnership with Cambium Assessment, Inc. (CAI), is pleased to announce the launch of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive (NJSLA-Adaptive) and the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPAAdaptive). These assessments will be aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards (NJSLS) for ELA and mathematics, and are designed to continue to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in a meaningful way. These assessments reflect an effort to improve the testing experience while maintaining a strong connection to the NJSLS.

The rollout of the NJSLA-Adaptive and the NJGPA-Adaptive will occur following the fall administration of the prior NJGPA with a field test administration. This field test is essential to evaluate the quality, clarity, and fairness of the assessment items before they are used in live administrations this coming spring. Please see the Statewide Assessments Testing Schedule 20252026 for the dates of each administration in this upcoming school year. Training dates for key district personnel will be provided to districts and schools in the next two weeks to support effective planning and implementation. Additional resources will be forthcoming.

A key feature of these assessments is their adaptive format. As students progress through the test, future questions are determined based on their responses, creating a more personalized and appropriate experience for each learner. This approach can help reduce testing anxiety by presenting students with questions closer to their current level, encouraging confidence and focus. An adaptive assessment may also lead to more accurate results by measuring each student’s performance with greater precision since the students will be receiving more items closer to their current level. In addition, because each test is likely to differ from student to student, the system offers stronger security and strengthens the integrity of the test administration. Students will continue to have the ability to review and change their answers within each section of the assessment, ensuring they remain fully engaged and in control of their testing experience. The Department is working with CAI to minimize seat time while building the bank of additional test items necessary to ensure psychometric validity and reliability of the adaptive assessment. Importantly, students with specialized learning needs will continue to receive approved accommodations to ensure equitable access and remove barriers during testing.

Contact Information For questions, please contact the Office of Assessments at (609) 376-3960 or assessment@doe.nj.gov.