This validity study examines the relationship between student performance on Newsela ELA quizzes and MAP Growth Reading outcomes for nearly 10,000 students across 16 states.

The analysis evaluates whether Newsela quiz data can serve as a meaningful indicator of student reading achievement and growth over a single school year.

Key Findings

This study found that:

• Students averaging 80% or higher on Newsela quizzes reached the 80th percentile on Spring MAP Growth
• Quiz scores and Spring MAP Growth Reading were strongly correlated (r = 0.53), indicating a large effect size
• A 5-point increase in average quiz score predicted an increase of nearly 2 MAP Growth percentile points
• Students improved regardless of race, income, or socioeconomic status, indicating equitable impact
• Newsela quiz trends can function as low-stakes indicators of ELA growth between MAP administrations

Who Should Use This Study?

This resource is designed for:

• District assessment leaders
• Research and accountability teams
• Literacy and curriculum directors
• Administrators using MAP Growth data