New Jersey’s statewide assessment program, developed
and implemented by the Office of Evaluation and Assessment
(OEA), is designed to measure the extent to which all students
at the elementary-, middle- and secondary-school levels have
attained New Jersey’s Core Curriculum Content Standards.
The OEA works collaboratively, both within the department
and with districts and schools, to collect and report information
about student academic achievement in order to inform instruction,
increase student learning, and help parents and the public
to assess the current status of their schools.
New Jersey’s statewide assessment program currently
includes three major components:
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJ ASK),
administered in grades 3 and 4
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), administered
in grade 8; and
HIGH SCHOOL
High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), administered
in grade 11.
In addition, the statewide assessment program currently
includes three tests for specialized populations:
- Alternate Proficiency Assessment (APA), for students
with severe disabilities;
- High School Proficiency Test (HSPT11), for adult high
school and returning students. The final HSPT 11 will be
administered in spring 2004; and
- Special Review Assessment (SRA), for students who have
not demonstrated proficiency in one or more content areas
of the HSPA.
Merit’s Language Arts and math software programs correlate
to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and can
help students prepare for the State tests. The content and
format of Merit’s programs can help students develop
and strengthen their test-taking skills as well as their reading,
writing and math skills.
Merit reading software has been proven -- through rigorous,
scientifically based research -- to increase both student
reading comprehension and standardized test scores. Merit
research study findings reveal that education software is
an effective tool to improve test scores and academic performance.
Published: January 2005 |
