NJASK PREPARATION

Students in grades 3 to 8 attending New Jersey public schools must take the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK). The test measures achievement in Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics. Language Arts Literacy measures reading and writing levels. The reading cluster targets skills such as recognizing the central theme and supporting details, retelling and paraphrasing, critiquing text, forming judgments, and drawing conclusions. The writing cluster targets essay composition in response to persuasive and speculative prompts. The Mathematics test measures knowledge and skills in numerical operations, geometry and measurement, patterns and algebra, data analysis and probability, and problem solving.

Scores are reported on a scale of 100 to 300. Students must score at least 200 to be considered “proficient” and 250 or above to be “advanced proficient”. In 2008, The State Board of Education established higher levels of expectations for student achievement on the NJASK. Students have to earn at least 50% of the possible points on the test in order to be deemed “proficient” in Language Arts Literacy and Mathematics. Schools utilize the results of NJASK to make important educational decisions, which involve ability-based grouping, eligibility for gifted programs, as well as placement in remedial ones.

At Somerset Learning Center , NJASK tutoring involves familiarizing students with the format of NJASK, and teaching them how to approach objective questions and how to maximize performance on open-ended questions requiring written responses and essays. Teachers help students to review NJASK content, and to improve any weaknesses in the required skills and knowledge. Students practice taking sample NJASK tests under timed conditions to gain experience and confidence. Such preparation helps students improve their skills, reduce test anxiety, and gain stamina for these important tests. The improvement in scores is usually very impressive!

See NJ ASK Testing Schedule for 2012