State Postpones Start of Standardized Testing in Schools

Students across New Jersey will get a brief reprieve from standardized testing as state education officials have pushed back the start date for spring assessments.

Assistant Commissioner of Education Lisa J. Gleason announced that standardized tests will not begin before April 5, according to the Press of Atlantic City. The decision affects several major assessment programs used throughout our local schools and districts across the state.

The postponement impacts the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments, which measure student proficiency in English language arts, mathematics, and science. Also delayed are the Dynamic Learning Maps year-end assessments, designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities, as well as the ACCESS for ELLs English proficiency assessment and its alternative version, the Alternate ACCESS for ELLs.

The New Jersey Department of Education has not yet provided detailed information about what prompted the delay or whether it will affect the overall testing schedule for the remainder of the school year. Parents and students should check with their local school districts for updated testing calendars and any changes to preparation schedules.

This postponement comes as schools continue managing various operational challenges. For families in our community, the delay may provide students with additional preparation time before sitting for these important assessments, which are used to measure academic progress and inform educational planning at both the classroom and district levels.