All resources Efficacy Study & Validity Reports

A Study of a Mid-Atlantic School District: Using Newsela Social Studies Promotes Growth in Both Social Studies and ELA

December 18, 2025

Efficacy study preview

Review research connecting Newsela Social Studies use to social studies and ELA growth

This WestEd executive summary highlights findings from a mixed-methods study of middle school students in a Mid-Atlantic school district.

Key Findings

What the study found across social studies and ELA

Review the headline findings from the study while keeping the full research details in the downloadable report.

2–3 months

Higher-level text engagement

Sixth grade students who regularly engaged with higher-level texts scored as if they had received 2–3 additional months of instruction.

3–5 months

Writing prompt completion

Sixth grade students who completed two or more Newsela writing prompts scored as if they had received 3–5 additional months of instruction.

5–7 months

Regular feature use

Eighth grade students who regularly used quizzes and other platform features scored as if they had received 5–7 additional months of instruction.

4–5 months

ELA assessment gains

Seventh grade students who frequently completed quizzes and averaged above 74% scored as if they had received 4–5 additional months of instruction.

Authored By

WestEd
Research, Development, and Service Agency

All Resources Efficacy Study & Validity Reports

A Study of a Mid-Atlantic School District: Using Newsela Social Studies Promotes Growth in Both Social Studies and ELA

Newsela social studies WestEd efficacy report

Efficacy study preview

Review research connecting Newsela Social Studies use to social studies and ELA growth

This WestEd executive summary highlights findings from a mixed-methods study of middle school students in a Mid-Atlantic school district.

Key Findings

What the study found across social studies and ELA

Review the headline findings from the study while keeping the full research details in the downloadable report.

2–3 months

Higher-level text engagement

Sixth grade students who regularly engaged with higher-level texts scored as if they had received 2–3 additional months of instruction.

3–5 months

Writing prompt completion

Sixth grade students who completed two or more Newsela writing prompts scored as if they had received 3–5 additional months of instruction.

5–7 months

Regular feature use

Eighth grade students who regularly used quizzes and other platform features scored as if they had received 5–7 additional months of instruction.

4–5 months

ELA assessment gains

Seventh grade students who frequently completed quizzes and averaged above 74% scored as if they had received 4–5 additional months of instruction.

Authored By

WestEd
Research, Development, and Service Agency

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A Study of a Mid-Atlantic School District: Using Newsela Social Studies Promotes Growth in Both Social Studies and ELA

A Study of a Mid-Atlantic School District: Using Newsela Social Studies Promotes Growth in Both Social Studies and ELA

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