Informational Guide for the English Language Arts Portfolio Appeals Process

To fulfill the English language arts (ELA) assessment component of New Jersey high school graduation requirements, a student must demonstrate proficiency in ELA. Any grade 12 student in the class of 2027 who has taken the ELA component of the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-A) but has not yet met the high school graduation assessment requirement for ELA may do this through the portfolio appeals process by demonstrating competency in constructed response tasks (“tasks”) aligned to the content categories as described in the following:

Two grade-level reading passages (one literary and one informational) as well as associated items that demonstrate a student’s comprehension (i.e., multiple-choice items and short constructed responses to open-ended questions).
Writing that includes at least two of the three types required by the 2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for ELA (i.e., informative/explanatory, argument, narrative).

A streamlined portfolio appeal option allows for a 50 percent reduction in the quantity of portfolio appeals tasks and is available to students who meet or exceed the minimum required Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) composite score of 35, or who meet the Industry-Valued Credential (IVC) or Work-Based Learning (WBL) requirements. The requirements for the streamlined ELA portfolio appeal submission are as follows:

One reading task (either literary or informational) must be successfully completed; and
One writing task (either informative/explanatory, argumentative, or narrative) must be successfully completed.

Writing tasks must be scored using the Writing Rubrics for the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive (NJSLA-A) and the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-A).

The following FAQs will help guide local education agencies (LEAs) and approved private schools for students with disabilities (APSSDs) in creating the evidence needed for the student appeal process.

1. What type of evidence should guide the design of constructed response tasks?

The tasks should be designed to measure students' proficiency in both reading and writing as described by the 2023 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for English Language Arts (NJSLS-ELA). Collectively, the reading passages, associated questions, and writing tasks should align with the Grade 9–10 NJSLS-ELA and provide students with opportunities to demonstrate proficiency within the 2023 NJSLS-ELA Grade 9–10 band expectations.

Although the specific texts and writing tasks selected by LEAs and APSSDs will vary, the following considerations should guide constructed response task design:

Selection of Texts

Reading passages should be appropriately complex for high school readers and include both literary and informational texts. The passages should support meaningful comprehension, analysis, and the use of textual evidence to provide students with opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in the Grade 10 expectations within the 2023 NJSLS-ELA Grade 9-10 standards band.

Text-Dependent Reading Questions

Questions should require students to demonstrate understanding through close reading of the provided text(s). Effective text-dependent questions should reflect the skills outlined in the 2023 NJSLS-ELA.

Writing Task Alignment

Writing tasks should be designed so that student responses can be evaluated using the Writing Rubrics for the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments-Adaptive (NJSLA-A) and the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-A). The writing tasks should provide students with opportunities to demonstrate the skills outlined in the 2023 NJSLS-ELA for the argumentative, informative/explanatory, or narrative modes of writing. The writing rubrics should be used to evaluate student responses holistically with regard to their component parts of ideas and focus, organization, expression and word choice, and command of writing and language conventions.

2. What would a constructed response task for ELA consist of?

Reading: Literary Text:

One literary passage
Comprehension items
Writing (extended written response task) connected to the reading passage

Reading: Informational Text:

One informational passage
Comprehension items
Writing (extended written response task) connected to the reading passage

3. Should the tasks be aligned to evidence statements?

No. Evidence statements should no longer be used. Constructed response tasks should be aligned to the Grade 9–10 NJSLS-ELA.

4. Do I need to align a standard to each item?

Yes. Every item in the task must be aligned to one of the Grade 9–10 NJSLS-ELA.

5. Does every standard need to be assessed in the set of constructed response tasks?

No. While tasks should assess the breadth of the Grade 9–10 NJSLS-ELA, not all standards must be included. The standards in the Speaking and Listening domain should not be included in the tasks. Additionally, some standards, such as those strands related to the Writing Process (WP) or Range of Writing (RW) are better addressed via classroom instruction.

6. How should the standards in the Language Domain be addressed?

Standards for the vocabulary strands, Vocabulary Acquisition, Use and Literal Meaning (VL) and Vocabulary Acquisition, Use and Interpretative Meaning (VI), may be assessed with items in the Reading section of the tasks. Standards for the System and Structure of Language (SS) strand and the Knowledge of Language (KL) strand may be assessed with writing items that are evaluated using the NJSLA-A Grade 9 and NJGPA-A Conventions Rubric.

7. Do the items need to be aligned to a particular grade level?

Yes, items should be aligned to the Grade 9–10 NJSLS-ELA and scored with the full expectations of the 9–10 grade band.

8. Do the passages need to be on grade level?

The passages selected for the portfolio appeals process need to be on a high school reading level. Teachers are encouraged to employ their professional judgment, experience and knowledge of their students and the subject when selecting passages.

9. What types of questions should we develop for each passage set?

Associated comprehension items (e.g., multiple-choice, short constructed response, open-ended) and writing tasks should measure the 2023 NJSLS-ELA for Grade 9–10.

10. How many items should we develop for each passage set?

The number of items, as well as the total points possible, is determined by the LEA or APSSD. However, the number of items will typically vary depending on the passage selected and the types of questions used to elicit evidence.

11. Do we need to follow a two-part question format when developing our reading comprehension items?

No. However, two-part questions are an acceptable format for comprehension questions if LEAs or APSSDs choose to use them.

12. Is there a specific length required for the reading passages?

It is suggested that LEAs and APSSDs stay within the passage length of 500 to 1,500 words (Literary and Informational Text/Literary Nonfiction).

13. How many texts do students need to read in total?

Students need to read at least two texts (one literary and one informational). LEAs and APSSDs may use paired passages for the ELA appeals process, but it is not a requirement.

14. Do the reading passages and writing tasks need to be connected?

No. However, the standards emphasize the integration of reading and writing, so LEAs and APSSDs are encouraged to connect the reading and writing tasks where appropriate. For example, students respond to a series of questions about the text and then respond to a writing task.

15. Can I use the same response tasks for different students?

Yes. LEAs and APSSDs may use the same tasks for any students who need to participate in portfolio appeals.

16. Can I submit graded class work instead of constructed response tasks?

No. There are specific requirements for tasks that must be adhered to for portfolio appeals.

17. Can we use old Alternative High School Assessment (AHSA) materials or NJSLA-A ELA and NJGPA-A ELA practice materials?

No. AHSA is not aligned to the 2023 NJSLS-ELA, so it would not be appropriate to use those materials for portfolio appeals. The NJSLA-A ELA and NJGPA-A ELA practice materials are non-secure items with answer documents that are available publicly. They are a helpful tool for developing your own constructed response tasks, but the public availability of answer documents makes them inappropriate for use as evidence within the portfolio appeals process.

18. Can we use the same constructed response tasks developed in prior years?

Yes. If your tasks align to the requirements of the current portfolio appeals process and are aligned to the 2023 NJSLS-ELA, they are acceptable for continued use.

19. Are we required to submit ELA appeals to the NJDOE for review prior to administering the tasks?

No. However, LEAs and APSSDs may reach out to the Office of Assessments if they are concerned about the alignment of their constructed response tasks with the current portfolio appeals process.

20. Can I assess multilingual learners in their native language?

In accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:8-5.1(f), multilingual learners may demonstrate proficiency through passage of the portfolio appeals process in their native language, when available, and passage of a Department-approved English language proficiency (ELP) assessment.

To determine if a multilingual learner is eligible for this option, review the criteria for Exiting a Student from Multilingual Learner Status to ensure the student has achieved the Department established cut score on WIDA ACCESS, WIDA MODEL or WIDA Alternate ACCESS.

LEAs and APSSDs will need to do the following if assessing eligible multilingual learners in their native language:

Write the task in English.
Have the task translated into the student's native language, using a locally selected process for translation services.
After the student has responded in their native language, the student response must be translated into English. Both the original student response and the English translation must be retained with all other documentation.

21. Do I need to score student writing using the NJSLA-ELA and NJGPA-A rubrics?

Yes. Holistic rubrics aligned to the 2023 NJSLS-ELA have been developed for the scoring of writing tasks.

NJSLA-A Grade 9 and NJGPA-A Argumentative Rubric

Scored holistically for the development of ideas, focus, organization, and language that students demonstrate in their written responses. This rubric should be used for Argumentative Writing.

NJSLA-A Grade 9 and NJGPA-A Informative and Explanatory Rubric

Scored holistically for the development of ideas, focus, organization, and language that students demonstrate in their written responses. This rubric should be used for Informative and Explanatory Writing.

NJSLA-A Grade 9 Narrative Rubric

Scored holistically for the development of ideas, focus, organization, and language that students demonstrate in their written responses. This Grade 9 rubric should be used for Narrative Writing as it reflects the expectations for the Grades 9–10 band of narrative writing standards in the 2023 NJSLS-ELA.

NJSLA-A Grade 9 and NJGPA-A Conventions Rubric

Scored holistically to include language and the mechanical aspects of writing, such as grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation that students demonstrate in their written responses. This rubric should be used for all writing types (Argumentative, Informative/Explanatory, and Narrative Writing).

Note: For each writing task, students receive separate scores for the applicable composition rubric (Argumentative, Informative/Explanatory, or Narrative) and for the Conventions rubric. The reported scores should match the rubrics — no half points should be awarded.

22. What are the passing score requirements?

Students must meet the following score requirements for reading and writing:

In reading, students must receive a passing score of at least 50 percent on each reading task. The number of items as well as the total points possible is determined by the LEA or APSSD.
In writing, students must score a minimum of "3" on each rubric (composition and conventions) to meet the passing requirement. The composition rubric used should match the writing type (Argumentative, Informative/Explanatory, or Narrative) while the Conventions Rubric will be used for all writing types.

23. What do we need to keep locally for each ELA appeal?

LEAs and APSSDs should maintain the following locally for each student:

A completed Education Proficiency Plan (EPP) that includes:
- The most current student transcript.
- Documentation of performance on the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment-Adaptive (NJGPA-A) and/or substitute competency assessments.
- Record of any ASVAB scores, or IVC or WBL documentation used to qualify the student for the streamlined portfolio appeals option.
- Record of any Department-approved ELP assessment results used to determine a multilingual learner’s eligibility to be assessed in their native language.
- An intervention plan implemented to ensure the student met the graduation assessment requirement.
Tasks in ELA in which the student is attempting to meet the graduation assessment requirement.
Four graded responses to tasks for ELA (2 reading, 2 writing) or, if submitting a streamlined portfolio appeal, two graded responses to tasks for ELA (1 reading, 1 writing).
A completed ELA Portfolio Appeal Cover Sheet with information for each graded student response. The ELA Portfolio Appeal Cover Sheet is available for download on the website.

Note: All documents can be found on the Graduation Assessment Requirement webpage under the section Graduation Portfolio Appeal.

24. What do I do if I have further questions?

If you have any questions, please contact the NJDOE’s Office of Assessments at assessment@doe.nj.gov or (609) 376-3960.