Assessment tests for K-12 students will feature a big change
By: Mary Ann Koruth
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... New Jersey's public school students will be taking a new, adaptive, standardized assessment next spring, [2026]
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The key word here is "adaptive," which refers to computerized tests in which each student sees different questions based on their responses to previous questions. This is a significant shift from the current formate of the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments for younger students and the Graduation Proficiency Assessment for 11th grade.
..... Students in grades three to nine will take the new adaptive learning assessment test in English language and math form April through May 2026.
..... Students in 11th grade will take the adaptive graduation proficiency test in March 2026.
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The NJSLA science tests for fifth, eight and 11th graders will not be adaptive. they are administered annually.
..... Field testing of the new system will occur using adaptive graduation proficiency tests given this fall to 11th graders to evaluate their quality, clarity and fairness before they are sued next the spring, [2026] Jordan Schiff, an assistant commissioner of the state Education Department, said in a letter issued August 13 [2025] telling school administrators about the change and the 2025-2026 school year testing schedule.
..... The state is partnering with Cambium Assessment Incorporated to deliver the tests. That likely means its yearlong contract with Pearson Education is coming to a close. The state did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of the contract with Pearson Education and what drove New Jersey's adoption of the adaptive model.
..... The digital SAT, a college admissions tests, became adaptive with a national launch in March 2024.
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computerized adaptive testing however, began to be widely adopted in the last decade, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana and Maine are among a consortium of states that began using these tests around 2010. Delaware was an early adopter, said K-12 news platform Education work.
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Adaptive testing has won support by reducing the amount of time students spend taking tests, while providing more reliable information about what students know - including those who tend to fall on the high and low-achieving ends of the scale.
..... On the flip side, adaptive test can be costly, work better for multiple choice and one-word response questions than longer answers and essays, and require a larger bank of test questions and assess achievement of students performing significantly below or above average, said the Institute for Education Sciences.