In the summer of 2025, the State of NJ announced MAJOR CHANGES to the annual NJSLA/NJGPA tests for 2025-26.
ON THIS PAGE, I will share some insights and resources to support NJ educators to help students prepare for this new assessment.
TLC Blog: "NEW NJSLA & NJGPA (2025 &ff) OVERVIEW":
Following is a brief overview of what we currently know from the NJ Dept. of Education (NJDOE) about the new NJSLA & NJGPA. To support my clients, I have developed extensive instructional materials, resources, and guidance for how to prepare students for these assessments. If you would like to learn more about how to support your students, please contact me (Sarah Tantillo, Ed.D.) at literacycookbook@gmail.com (See more about my work here.)
WHAT DO WE KNOW FROM NJDOE?
As of 11-26-25, NJDOE has NOT released BLUEPRINTS or RUBRICS for the new NJSLA/NJGPA ELA assessments. The “Help Desk” claims these will be available “soon.”
NJDOE has released the following information about the new NJSLA/NJGPA:
● Paper-based practice tests ANSWER KEYS
There are also computer-based practice items, but they are not downloadable, nor can they be scored. Sample item-type tutorials demonstrate how to navigate different item types while taking the online tests.
WHAT DO WE KNOW FROM THE FIELD TESTS?
During the field tests, students took shortened versions of the proposed tests.
- The READING portion is ADAPTIVE, meaning it gets easier when students struggle. It is intended to estimate a student’s “reading grade-level.”
- The WRITING portion is separate from the reading portion and is NOT adaptive. There appear to be THREE GENRES OF WRITING, and they are DIFFERENT from the previous NJSLA/NJGPA types (Actually, they resemble the old NJASK prompts). The narrative prompts are different. There is no Literary Analysis Task. The nonfiction-based writing is NOT compare-contrast.
1) NARRATIVE: a STORY or PERSONAL NARRATIVE, based on a short story, a picture, or a scenario
STORY:
● Based on a short story: “Write a new story about what happens to Sam at the Science Fair.” Students must rewrite the story with elaboration, including a beginning, middle, and end.
● Based on a picture and a paragraph: For example, there was a picture of a lake and a paragraph and they were asked to write a story. Students must create a story based on the photo and paragraph, including a beginning, middle, and end.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE:
● Based on a brief scenario: “Write a story about a time you had to have determination to achieve something that you wanted to accomplish. How did you show determination? What was the outcome?” Students must write a personal narrative based on this scenario, including a beginning, middle, and end.
2) PERSUASIVE: argumentative or opinion-oriented, based on 2-3 texts
NOTE: These are NOT compare-contrast essays!
Here are some sample prompts:
● “You have just read two texts on cultural heritage months. Write a persuasive essay discussing the importance of celebrating cultures.”
● “Write an essay in which you give your opinion on whether electric cars or gas cars are better. Use information from all three sources.”
● “Argue whether landmarks should focus on presentation or tourism. Use information from both sources.”
● “Write an argumentative essay in which you argue whether more businesses should stop accepting cash. Use information from all three sources.”
3) EXPLANATORY: explanatory/informational, based on 2-3 texts
NOTE: These are NOT compare-contrast essays!
Here are some sample prompts:
● “Write an explanatory essay about how 3D printing can be used to solve different problems. Use information from all three sources.”
● “Write an explanatory essay about how advances in science and technology have helped meteorologists make predictions about weather. Use information from all three sources.”
● “Write an explanatory essay explaining how creators of movies, tv shows, and video games are working to make them more realistic. Use information from all three sources.”
I hope this is useful! If your school needs consulting support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me (at literacycookbook@gmail.com). Details on my services can be found here.
