Update: High School Graduation Assessment Requirements for Classes 2019 and 2020

The following is an update by Lamont O. Repollet, Ed.D., Commissioner of Education on February 22, 2019:

Update: High School Graduation Assessment Requirements for Classes 2019 and 2020

Today the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) received a consent order from the New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division, memorializing an agreement between the NJDOE and the Education Law Center addressing the high school graduation assessment requirements for the Classes of 2019 and 2020. As I have stated throughout this process, my priority is the establishment of a clear path to graduation for those students in the Classes of 2019 and 2020. The consent order, which is similar to the relief originally requested in the NJDOE’s motion for partial reconsideration, provides this clarity. The graduation assessment requirements for the Classes of 2019 and 2020 are summarized below. As previously noted, the administration of assessments in grades 3 to 8 is unaffected by the court’s ruling and should continue as scheduled.

Classes of 2019 and 2020

Students graduating as members of the Classes of 2019 and 2020 can meet graduation assessment requirements through any of these three pathways:
Achieve passing scores on high school level NJSLA/PARCC assessments;
Achieve scores defined in the table below on alternative assessments such as the SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER; or
Submit, through the district, a student portfolio appeal to the NJDOE

Each school year the NJDOE determines the proficiency level and/or cut scores needed on the assessments to meet the graduation assessment requirements. The updated Class of 2019 and 2020 proficiency levels/cut scores on the Graduation Assessment Requirements webpage.

Note: Special Education students, whose Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) specify an alternative way to demonstrate proficiencies, will continue to follow the graduation assessment requirements set forth in their IEPs.


Class of 2021 and Beyond

The NJDOE will continue to work with the State Board of Education to address, through the regulatory process, the Appellate Division’s December 31, 2018 decision. It is my goal to address this issue in a thoughtful yet expeditious manner, and I am committed to ensuring all students have a clear understanding of their graduation assessment requirements moving forward.