Parent guide

How to read NJSLA scores (performance levels 1–5)

When NJSLA results come home, the report does more than print a single number. It places your child in one of five performance levels that describe how they did against grade-level expectations.

The five performance levels

Official NJSLA score-interpretation materials list these five levels:

1. Did Not Yet Meet Expectations
2. Partially Met Expectations
3. Approached Expectations (some newer NJSLA-A materials and a 2026 State Board resolution say Approaching Expectations)
4. Met Expectations
5. Exceeded Expectations

The names have been stable for years. The slightly different wording for level 3 — “Approached” on older Individual Student Reports and score guides, “Approaching” in some 2026 NJSLA-A documents — refers to the same middle level: the student is near grade-level expectations but has not yet met them.

What levels 4 and 5 mean

According to the Score Interpretation Guide, students performing at levels 4 and 5 met or exceeded expectations. The guide states that they have demonstrated readiness for the next grade level and, ultimately, are likely on track for college and careers.

Levels 1–3 mean the student has not yet met grade-level expectations on this assessment. The report is one source of information, alongside classroom work and conversations with teachers. It does not, by itself, determine promotion or label a child’s potential.

Scale scores: use the ranges on your child’s report

Each performance level corresponds to a range of scale scores, and those ranges vary by grade and subject. New Jersey has also updated cut scores as the test has changed. In September 2026, the State Board of Education adopted proficiency-level cut scores for the NJSLA-Adaptive (NJSLA-A) in ELA and math. Because the numbers can differ from older charts you may still see online (including older 650–850 style tables from earlier NJSLA years), rely on the scale score and level printed on your child’s current Individual Student Report rather than a memorized chart from another year.

What else appears on the report

The Individual Student Report (ISR) typically includes:

• An overall scale score and performance level for the subject
• Information about major claims — for ELA, reading and writing — and more detailed subclaims
• For math, information about how the student did in marked categories of content and mathematical practice

Those breakdowns are meant to highlight strengths and areas that may need more support. They are most useful when you look at them with a teacher who knows your child’s day-to-day work.

A calm way to talk about results at home

• Start with what the level means in plain language, not with a comparison to neighbors or siblings.
• If the report shows a level 1–3, ask the teacher which classroom skills match the weaker categories and how you can practice them.
• If the report shows a level 4 or 5, that is good news about grade-level readiness on this test — and practice can still help a child stay confident.
• Remember that Kopzy scores from our games are practice scores, not official NJSLA results.

For the testing calendar itself, see when NJSLA testing happens. To work on grade-level skills before the next round, browse practice by grade.

More parent guides

• All parent guides
• NJSLA practice by grade (3–8)
• 5th grade math: what’s tested
• 8th grade math: what’s tested
• ELA practice tips
• When NJSLA testing happens
• How to read NJSLA scores