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All resourcesEfficacy Study & Validity Reports

The Power of a Digital Library: How Newsela ELA Closed the Achievement Gap in Ohio

January 9, 2025

Efficacy study preview

Newsela ELA helped Ohio eighth-grade students close a reading achievement gap

Use this study to review how Newsela ELA supported additional literacy growth in Ohio classrooms compared with a traditional classroom magazine supplement.

Key Findings

What the Ohio study found

Review the headline findings while keeping the full methodology and endnotes in the downloadable report.

Gap closed

Spring performance caught up

Newsela ELA classes began the year below comparison classes and reached roughly equivalent reading performance by spring.

4 additional months

More literacy growth

Students using Newsela ELA demonstrated the equivalent of about four additional months of literacy growth compared with peers using classroom magazines.

2x as effective

Above benchmark impact

The study authors report Newsela ELA was nearly twice as effective as the average middle school reading program.

Robust results

Findings held across groups

Results were robust for all participating students, including both white students and students of color.

Authored By

Lisa B. Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Lisa B. Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Director of Impact Research
Apoorva Shivaram, Ph.D.
Apoorva Shivaram, Ph.D.
Learning Analytics Intern
All ResourcesEfficacy Study & Validity Reports

The Power of a Digital Library: How Newsela ELA Closed the Achievement Gap in Ohio

Efficacy study preview

Newsela ELA helped Ohio eighth-grade students close a reading achievement gap

Use this study to review how Newsela ELA supported additional literacy growth in Ohio classrooms compared with a traditional classroom magazine supplement.

Key Findings

What the Ohio study found

Review the headline findings while keeping the full methodology and endnotes in the downloadable report.

Gap closed

Spring performance caught up

Newsela ELA classes began the year below comparison classes and reached roughly equivalent reading performance by spring.

4 additional months

More literacy growth

Students using Newsela ELA demonstrated the equivalent of about four additional months of literacy growth compared with peers using classroom magazines.

2x as effective

Above benchmark impact

The study authors report Newsela ELA was nearly twice as effective as the average middle school reading program.

Robust results

Findings held across groups

Results were robust for all participating students, including both white students and students of color.

Authored By

Lisa B. Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Lisa B. Hurwitz, Ph.D.
Director of Impact Research
Apoorva Shivaram, Ph.D.
Apoorva Shivaram, Ph.D.
Learning Analytics Intern

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