State Department of Education officials have selected a vendor for the Spring 2006 state assessments in math and language arts literacy for grades 5, 6 and 7, acting Commissioner Lucille Davy announced on December 20. The tests will be administered April 4 through 6. 

After consulting with specialists and educators in the field, the SDOE selected Riverside Publishing Company’s New Jersey Proficiency Assessments of State Standards (NJ PASS), Davy said in a memo to chief school administrators.

NJ PASS is modeled on the existing NJ ASK (third- and fourth-grade) and the Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment, Davy explained. “Therefore, the format will be similar [and will combine] multiple-choice items and constructed-response items, all aligned to the Core Curriculum Content Standards. There will be one open-ended writing task at each grade level.”

The one-year contract is for $4.6 million, according to an article in the Star-Ledger.

“Implementing this interim program will allow us to meet federal requirements under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), while allowing us adequate time to develop a broad vision for a new statewide assessment system and to translate that vision into specific assessment policies and programs,” Davy stated.

Retooling the System In November, Davy announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Education to postpone implementation of a new state test for the fifth grade, as well as a plan to completely revamp New Jersey’s assessment program. The goal, she said, is to “make it more educationally useful for parents, teacher and administrators,” while still enabling the state to meet federal NCLB requirements.

NJSBA officials have expressed appreciation for Davy’s direction and progress on testing.

“Districts now know the game plan for this year,” said Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA executive director, in reference to the 2006 interim tests. “Commissioner Davy’s overall plan to revise testing will give our state the time needed to develop an accurate, meaningful assessment program—one that will enable educators to improve student learning and mastery of New Jersey’s academic standards.”