New Graduation Rules In NJ: Here's What Happens To PARCC

New Jersey has come up with a long list of requirements for graduation. And it appears PARCC isn't part of it – or it doesn't have to be.

The rules are for current freshmen and sophomores. And there's the big thing: They won't have to pass PARCC in order to graduate high school.

"The NJDOE is committed to providing fair notice to students and educators and will continue to collaborate with stakeholders," the state Department of Education said.

The high school assessment graduation requirements that are in place for the Classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 are:

• Demonstrate proficiency on NJSLA/PARCC ELA 10 and/or Algebra I; or
• Demonstrate proficiency in ELA and/or mathematics by meeting the designated cut score on one of the alternative assessments such as other high school-level NJSLA/PARCC assessments, the SAT, ACT, or ACCUPLACER as defined in the chart below; or
• Demonstrate proficiency in ELA and/or mathematics by submitting, through the district, a student portfolio appeal to the NJDOE.
• 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.

Proficiency levels/cut scores for the Classes of 2019 through 2022 are specified in the chart below:

An agreement reached with the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) will provide clear pathways to graduation for all current high school students, accoding to the Education Law Center.

The agreement, approved by the Superior Court, Appellate Division, on May 29, extends the consent order put in place in February for seniors and juniors so that it now covers sophomores and freshmen as well.

Under the agreement, all current high school students in the classes of 2019 through 2022 will have unrestricted access to the full range of options outlined in the graduation rules for 2019.

The agreement was negotiated by Education Law Center and the ACLU of New Jersey on behalf of several civil rights and parent advocacy groups, including the Latino Action Network, Latino Coalition of NJ, Paterson Education Fund, and NAACP NJ State Conference, that successfully challenged high school graduation testing requirements imposed by the NJDOE in 2016.

On December 31, 2018, the Superior Court, Appellate Division, invalidated those rules for violations of state law. Since then, ELC and the ACLU-NJ have advocated for extending relief to all current high school students, either by suspending the testing requirement or giving all students access to the maximum range of graduation options.

The latest agreement means current high school students will be able to satisfy the testing requirement for graduation by passing one state math exam and one English Language Arts exam, receiving a passing score on a designated “substitute” test such as the SAT or ACT, or satisfying the requirements of the portfolio alternative, accoding to the Education Law Center.

According to previously released data from the NJDOE, about half of all current high school students will now be able to satisfy the testing requirement with scores they have already earned on state assessments. Those who haven’t yet done so will have additional opportunities to pass state tests and also be able to use substitute test options that were scheduled to be phased out under the rules struck down by the Court.

The agreement will also provide Governor Phil Murphy’s administration and the Legislature with additional time to review and revise graduation policies for students in the class of 2023, who will begin their freshmen year in September.