Case Study: Elmhurst Community Unit School District #205 creates a vertically aligned customized Social Studies resource with Newsela

How one district created a customized resource to meet their states’ new standards

Elmhurst Community Unit School District #205, a school district in Illinois, needed to update its instructional resources to meet the state's new social studies standards. The district found it impossible to purchase traditional textbooks for every grade level and content area. They sought a partner to help adopt the changing standards and leverage their new 1:1 technology access, turning to Newsela for a solution.

Newsela partnered with the district to create a customized, digitally-native curriculum resource. They worked directly with teacher teams over six weeks to build a collection that aligned with the district's unique scope and sequence, fostering inquiry-based learning. This collaborative process ensured strong teacher buy-in and usage. The solution successfully vertically aligned the K-12 social studies curriculum, creating a seamless and fluid educational experience for students across all grade levels.

Elmhurst Community Unit School