NJGPA Scoring and Performance Levels 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A student who does NOT meet the NJGPA graduation requirement may fulfill the requirement through which alternative pathway?
- Retaking the SAT only
- Portfolio Appeal or another approved pathway (Correct answer)
- Completing 40 hours of community service
- Earning a B average in core courses
Correct answer: Portfolio Appeal or another approved pathway
New Jersey offers alternative pathways such as the Portfolio Appeal for students who do not meet the NJGPA standard.
Question 2: Which statement best describes how NJGPA sub-scores are reported?
- Only a single total score is reported with no sub-scores
- Sub-scores are reported by evidence statement only
- Sub-scores are provided for each major content domain assessed (Correct answer)
- Sub-scores are reported only to colleges, not students
Correct answer: Sub-scores are provided for each major content domain assessed
NJGPA reporting includes sub-scores for each major content domain, giving students and educators diagnostic information.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of NJGPA performance level descriptors (PLDs)?
- To assign letter grades to students
- To describe the knowledge and skills typical of each performance level (Correct answer)
- To determine a teacher's salary
- To rank schools nationally
Correct answer: To describe the knowledge and skills typical of each performance level
PLDs describe what students who score at each level typically know and can do, aiding interpretation of results.
Question 4: Which NJGPA subject area uses a separate scoring scale from the ELA component?
- Geometry
- Algebra I (Correct answer)
- Reading
- Social Studies
Correct answer: Algebra I
The NJGPA has distinct components for ELA and mathematics (Algebra I), each with its own scoring scale and performance levels.
Question 5: On the NJGPA, what is a 'conditional score' or 'scale score cut point' used to determine?
- How many questions a student attempted
- The boundary between adjacent performance levels (Correct answer)
- Whether a school passes federal accountability
- A student's reading grade level
Correct answer: The boundary between adjacent performance levels
Cut points are the scale score values that separate one performance level from the next.
Question 6: A student retaking the NJGPA to improve their score will have their scores reported:
- Only the most recent attempt counts
- Only the highest score from any attempt counts (Correct answer)
- An average of all attempts is used
- Both scores are reported and the student picks one
Correct answer: Only the highest score from any attempt counts
For graduation purposes, New Jersey uses the student's highest score across all NJGPA attempts.
Question 7: Which type of score report is typically provided to parents and guardians after NJGPA results are released?
- A score percentile only
- An Individual Student Report (ISR) showing scale score and performance level (Correct answer)
- A raw score out of 100
- A letter grade from A to F
Correct answer: An Individual Student Report (ISR) showing scale score and performance level
Individual Student Reports (ISRs) communicate scale scores, performance levels, and sub-scores to families.
NJGPA Scoring and Performance Levels 3
A student who does NOT meet the NJGPA graduation requirement may fulfill the requirement through which alternative pathway?