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

December 18, 2025

Measurable Instructional Gains in Social Studies and Literacy

This independent mixed-methods study by WestEd analyzed student engagement with Newsela Social Studies features. Findings show that regular use is associated with measurable instructional gains across content knowledge and literacy skills, equating to 2–7 months of additional instruction.

+2–3 Months

6th-grade students engaging with scaffolded texts in Social Studies.

+3–5 Months

6th-grade students completing two or more writing prompts.

+5–7 Months

8th-grade students frequently using quizzes and platform features.

+4–5 Months

7th-grade students averaging above 74% on Newsela quizzes (ELA impact).

Who Should Use This Study?

District Admins • Curriculum Leaders • Social Studies Coordinators • Research Teams

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

Measurable Instructional Gains in Social Studies and Literacy

This independent mixed-methods study by WestEd analyzed student engagement with Newsela Social Studies features. Findings show that regular use is associated with measurable instructional gains across content knowledge and literacy skills, equating to 2–7 months of additional instruction.

+2–3 Months

6th-grade students engaging with scaffolded texts in Social Studies.

+3–5 Months

6th-grade students completing two or more writing prompts.

+5–7 Months

8th-grade students frequently using quizzes and platform features.

+4–5 Months

7th-grade students averaging above 74% on Newsela quizzes (ELA impact).

Who Should Use This Study?

District Admins • Curriculum Leaders • Social Studies Coordinators • Research Teams

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