This report presents the results of Achieve’s in-depth evaluation of the quality, rigor and alignment of New Jersey’s standards and assessments in language arts literacy and mathematics. In particular, it provides New Jersey policymakers with answers to the following questions:

• How do New Jersey’s education standards compare with those of high-performing states and
  nations? Are the expectations for New Jersey’s schools and students high enough?
• How well do the New Jersey assessments measure the knowledge and skills laid out in the
  standards?

By becoming one of the first states to seek out Achieve’s benchmarking of state standards and tests, New Jersey has demonstrated its commitment to establishing a world-class education system. The state understands that continuous improvement of standards and tests is necessary to keep pace with other states and nations. As New Jersey begins the next round of revision of its standards, and a subsequent review of its tests, the state has the opportunity to reflect on what has worked well and what can be strengthened. Achieve's evaluation points to a number of strengths in the New Jersey system and a number of areas that deserve special attention if the standards and assessments are to continue driving instruction and achievement in the right direction.