A Newspaper's Impact on Test Scores

Research designed to measure the impact of classroom newspaper use on student test scores was recently completed by the University of Minnesota.

Measuring Success, a recent report of that research, shows the following:

Students who use the newspaper at some point during the school year score 10-percent higher on standardized tests than do their peers who do not use the newspaper.

The greatest gains are shown by minority, low-income, and non-English speaking students.

When students in classrooms with high exposure to newspapers are compared with those students who do not have this exposure, the results are as follows:

• Elementary: An 8-percent higher increase in test scores
• Middle School: A 22 percent higher increase in test scores
• High School: A 20-percent higher increase in test scores.

Complete statistics are available in a report titled Measuring Success! To view the report, go to www.naafoundation.org/pdf/measuresuccess10.pdf.