The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) will be replaced by the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment (NJSLA) starting this spring.

Freshman and sophomores are now required to take the ELA and math sections of the tests, and juniors, including those enrolled in the Polytech program, will take a comprehensive science exam. Juniors will not have to take the ELA and Math sections of the NJSLA unless they have not yet met the requirements in previous years. While it’s very likely that changes will occur, as of right now, the NJSLA Algebra I and ELA 10 tests are a graduation requirement for the sophomore and freshman classes. For those who do not pass, the portfolio appeals process is currently the only secondary option available.

While it’s extremely important that students take the test seriously, it’s also crucial to remember that it does not fully define a student’s abilities. Testing coordinator, Mrs. Sterbenc, says “I’m hoping students don’t stress themselves out too much. By doing that, they’re actually hindering their performance on the test.” She adds that, “they just need to go in there and do their best. That’s their sole purpose, [to] just go there and take the test to the best of their abilities.”

Testing for the English Language Arts component of the NJSLA will take place on Monday, April 29th blocks 1 and 2, and on Tuesday, April 30th block 1 and 2; 90-minute sessions will take place on the 29th, and 1, 90 minute session on the 30th. Classes will resume as normal afterwards on an alternate schedule to accommodate the testing sessions. Similarly, the Math and Science components will occur on Monday, May 20th and Tuesday, May 21st.

In preparation for the NJSLA, Del Val’s infrastructure day will take place during first block on Monday, April 15th. Students will be asked to log on to the testing platform from their iPads to ensure that the process will work smoothly on testing day. It’s also an opportunity for students to experiment and become accustomed to the different online tools offered.

Students must fully charge their iPads before testing days, and they must have a pair of earbuds or headphones with them for the test (they can also be purchased from the school for $3). It is also advised that students bring pencils and a graphing calculator, although there is an online calculator available to students who do not have their own.