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Newsela

Project Based Freelance Contributor - Assessment Item Specialist, Social Studies (Remote, US)

🇺🇸 Remote - US 🕑 Temporary 💰 TBD 💻 Instructional Design 🗓️ April 30th, 2026
K-12 Rive

Edtech.com's Summary

Newsela is hiring a Project Based Freelance Contributor - Assessment Item Specialist, Social Studies. This role involves creating standards-aligned Social Studies assessment items, curating primary and secondary sources, and producing technology-enhanced items within the platform to support data-informed instruction. The specialist collaborates remotely to ensure content quality, rigor, and alignment with educational standards across K-12 classrooms.

Highlights
  • Create original, standards-aligned Social Studies assessment items and tasks based on state-specific standards and the C3 Framework.
  • Select and curate primary and secondary sources such as maps, charts, and historical documents appropriate for grade-level complexity.
  • Transfer and format Social Studies assessments into the Formative platform with precise metadata tagging and functionality.
  • Conduct quality assurance reviews to ensure content is unbiased, culturally responsive, and meets editorial standards.
  • Evaluate Depth of Knowledge (DOK) to validate content alignment and cognitive rigor.
  • Provide expert feedback on platform tools and item bank features to improve workflows.
  • Professional experience required: at least one year of writing and reviewing Social Studies assessments for EdTech companies, testing vendors, or publishers.
  • Comprehensive knowledge of educational assessment design and standards alignment, including formative, common, and summative assessments.
  • Technical proficiency in producing technology-enhanced items (TEIs) and navigating digital assessment platforms.
  • Must be legally authorized to work in the US.

Project Based Freelance Contributor - Assessment Item Specialist, Social Studies (Remote, US) Full Description

Why You'll Love This Role: 

As an Assessment Item Specialist for Social Studies, you will play a key role in expanding the Newsela Item Bank, ensuring students have access to high-quality, inquiry-based assessments. You will leverage your Social Studies expertise to create rigorous, standards-aligned content and evaluate primary and secondary sources that help educators deliver data-informed instruction. This role offers a collaborative, remote environment where your commitment to historical thinking and evidence-based analysis directly supports academic success in classrooms nationwide. You will enjoy the flexibility of a freelance contract while contributing to a platform that is a staple in K-12 digital learning.

What You'll Be Doing:

  • Create original, standards-aligned Social Studies assessment items, tasks, and stimuli that are precisely mapped to state-specific standards and the C3 Framework.
  • Select and curate high-quality primary and secondary sources, including maps, charts, and historical documents, that meet specific grade-level complexity and inquiry requirements.
  • Transfer and format existing Social Studies assessments and items from district and state sources directly into the Formative platform.
  • Produce and configure technology-enhanced items (TEIs) within the platform, ensuring accurate metadata tagging and flawless technical functionality.
  • Conduct systematic quality assurance reviews of Social Studies content to ensure all items are unbiased, culturally responsive, and meet strict editorial standards.
  • Validate content alignment and cognitive rigor by accurately evaluating the Depth of Knowledge (DOK) for every assessment item.
  • Provide expert platform feedback and recommendations regarding content tools and item bank features to continuously improve development workflows.

About You:

  • You are a professional assessment author with at least one year of direct experience writing and reviewing Social Studies assessment items on a commercial scale, such as for a reputable EdTech company, testing vendor, or educational publisher.
  • You are an assessment methodology expert who possesses a comprehensive understanding of educational assessment design, including formative, common, and summative assessments.
  • You are a standards and framework specialist with deep familiarity with state-specific social studies standards and the C3 Framework, along with a proven ability to apply strict standards alignment principles.
  • You demonstrate a mastery of rigor and Depth of Knowledge (DOK), allowing you to accurately classify and create items that meet specific cognitive rigor requirements, particularly in evaluating historical evidence and civic reasoning.
  • You are skilled in technical item production, bringing prior experience authoring technology-enhanced items (TEIs) and comfortably navigating digital assessment platforms.
  • You exhibit editorial excellence through a thorough grasp of established style guides and best practices, including critical quality control elements such as fairness, bias, and accessibility.
  • You are a reliable content producer with a proven track record of delivering high-quality work under tight deadlines with meticulous attention to detail.
  • Legally authorized to work in the US. 

Why you’ll love working at Newsela:

  • Work From Home: We are a fully remote company!
  • Make A Difference: No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers.

About Newsela:

Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner.

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