Newsela Approved as Evidence-Based Reading Instructional Materials by Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Today, Newsela announced that their subject-based products qualify as High Quality Evidence-Based Instructional Materials for Early Literacy QVL: K-5 Supplemental in the state of Missouri. Districts are able to receive reimbursement for their purchase of Newsela’s products, enabling educators to build knowledge and drive literacy across the curriculum.

Newsela's subject products—spanning ELA, social studies, and science—provide teachers with over 15,000 authentic texts published at five reading levels, teacher scaffolding tools, and flexible formative assessments to support literacy instruction in any lesson. Each level of every article has a unique reading comprehension quiz with items aligned to Missouri Reading Standards. Newsela recently released the findings of four ESSA Tier II efficacy studies showing student gains equal to about three additional months of literacy growth in ELA and 10 additional months of social studies instruction when using Newsela products compared to their peers who did not.

“Missouri’s approach to ensuring teachers and students can access evidence-based literacy instruction is closely aligned to Newsela’s foundation in learning sciences research,” said Dan Cogan-Drew, Co-Founder and Chief Academic Officer of Newsela. “Drawing from research on student motivation and the science of reading, we’re thrilled to be able to support Missouri students’ literacy growth with resources that strengthen their reading skills development while providing content that reflects the rich and diverse perspectives of the communities they live in.”

This announcement supports Missouri’s ongoing efforts to address the significant need for teacher training and instructional resources aligned to evidence-based reading instruction. Districts now have access to these funds to improve student literacy, encourage and promote alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction practices, and overcome the learning loss resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. For more info on reimbursement through Missouri’s Evidence-Based Reading program and how to receive reimbursement, visit the state’s education department website.