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newsid=1172

NJDOE Announces Cancellation of Algebra I &

II Exams
Changes on Event Horizon for Statewide Assessment with
Transition to Common Core
April 21, 2011

Acting Commissioner Christopher Cerf outlined several major changes in assessment April 11. The
changes are outlined below.

Algebra I & II Exams Come to End

This spring will be the last administration of NJDOE’s Algebra I and Algebra II exams. The contract
to develop the exams through a multi-state consortia led by Achieve, Inc. a national consulting firm,
expires in June. The group will shift attention to a federally-funded process designed to create new
tests based on the “common core” standards which NJ has already adopted.

In addition, there will be no high stakes attached to the Algebra tests this year. Originally the Algebra
I exam was scheduled to become a graduation requirement for new freshmen. The Department backed
off that deadline after last year’s pilot scores showed only 29% of the 113,000 students tested were
proficient. A lesser requirement issued last fall that students who failed the test must repeat an
Algebra I course has also been lifted.

Measurement Inc Contract Future Unknown

Next year the Department’s contract with Measurement, Inc, the commercial testing vendor who
manages the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA), the Alternative High School Assessment
(AHSA) and the Biology Exam also expires. While these exams will be given in 2011-2012, their
future after that is unclear.

PARCC The Future

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New Jersey Principals And Supervisors Association — Member... http://www.njpsa.org/agr/news.cfm?newsid=1172

The State wants to replace the current tests with the new “common core” assessments being
developed by two consortia funded with money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
(ARRA) ((New Jersey Part of State Coalitions Awarded RTTT $ to Improve Assessment, September
3, 2010). Earlier this week, the State officially announced that it had signed on as a “governing
partner” with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) a
multi-state group also led by Achieve, Inc, opting out of its relationship with SMARTER Balanced
Assessment. The State had unofficially announced their decision back in March to the State Board
(Acting Commissioner Argues for Charter School Success at March 7 State Board Meeting,
March 8, 2011).

The two consortia of states are tasked with developing new assessments, which will judge students on
a national set of standards for what they should learn from third grade through high school in math
and language arts classes. The new tests will be designed to give teachers more frequent feedback of
student progress, move beyond bubble tests to more varied and challenging questions, and will be
aligned to the common core standards that 36 states have adopted thus far. The new tests should be
ready for use in schools by the 2014-2015 academic year following four years of
development. PARCC includes 26 states, and the SBAC is comprised of 31 states. PARCC won $170
million to develop assessments of students’ ability to comprehend complex text, conduct research
projects, excel at in-class speaking and listening assignments, and work with digital media.

In the Meantime

In the interim, the State is seeking a “ transitional strategy at the high school level”, potentially
extending the use of NJ’s existing assessments for several years until new assessments are available or
replacing the existing HSPA and AHSA with some other commercially-available standardized
assessment. Districts are invited to submit suggestions for a “transitional strategy” to the Department
at assessment@doe.state.nj.us by May 15.

Source: NJDOE / Education Law Center

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