Dear Parent/Guardian,
On June 8, 2022 the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) notified districts that the administration of the Start Strong assessment in the Fall 2022 was required for the 2022-2023 school per the Statewide Assessment Testing Schedule for 2022-2023.As a result, the Woodbridge Township School District will be administering the Start Strong Fall 2022 Assessments September 26, 2022 through September 30th, 2022.
The Start Strong assessments are intentionally brief, designed to maximize instructional time and quickly provide data to teachers and school leaders. The district and our families will be provided access to student results, allowing our teachers the flexibility to address individual learning needs early in the school year. These assessments will be in addition to our normal, local assessments, which provides each school more specific data on student growth and progress from the past year. Tested subject areas are as follows:
• ELA: grades 4-10
• Mathematics: grades 4-8, Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II
• Science: grades 6, 9, and 12
The Start Strong Assessments are aligned to a subset of prioritized prior-year academic standards to help educators understand the level of support students will need this school year. Additionally, you will receive an Individual Score Report outlining your child’s understanding of the major concepts tested per each content area.
The Start Strong assessment utilizes three performance levels--“Strong Support May Be Needed”; “Some Support May Be Needed”; and “Less Support May Be Needed”—to describe the level of support that a student might need to master the current year’s prerequisite skills and concepts. Please know that the district will not use Start Strong assessments as a means of grouping or placing students; test data will only be used to inform instruction and identify curricular areas in need of remediation and revision.
Similar to the NJSLA, students will complete their Start Strong assessments utilizing district issued devices. The testing platform will include all of the same accessibility features provided in NJSLA; all students, including ELLs and students with disabilities who are not eligible for the DLM assessments, will be expected to participate in Start Strong just as all students and groups of students are ordinarily expected to participate in NJSLA. All accommodations will be provided as per a student’s Individualized Education Program or 504 plan. Please note that student cell phones and other unauthorized electronic devices cannot be present in the testing
room. It is recommended that students leave their personal electronic devices at home during all standardized testing administrations. Please work with your school’s main office or counselor to make any arrangements necessary.
Further information regarding the Start Strong administration can be located at the following link: https://nj.mypearsonsupport.com/startStrong/.