S.P.I.R.E. Helps Hundreds of Struggling Palm Beach Students | EPS Learning

The Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce are working together to close the literacy gap in their elementary schools through the introduction of the reading intervention program SPIRE, being used with more than 250 striving students across 13 elementary schools.

A local news report describes how the initiative began with a group of second graders at Sunrise Park Elementary School in west Boca Raton, who couldn’t read when the 2022–23 school year began. Now, teachers at those 13 schools are delighted to observe remarkable improvements and increased engagement in their students.

“It’s not easy to find really well done, research-based materials to get our kids caught up and to get them moving, especially the ones that struggle… [SPIRE] teaches each letter and sound explicitly to build a strong foundation of phonics, but it also has a strong vocabulary component, a fluency component. It’s really kind of perfect for those that struggle to read.”
- AnnMarie Sternberg, Palm Beach County Teacher

“[SPIRE] is like a safety comfort zone for them that they’re able to read at their own pace, decode words, tap out when they need to, and feel safe.”
- Laura Palazzo, Palm Beach County Reading Interventionist

Noticing the improvement across many categories from skills to confidence, the county is hoping to expand the SPIRE program to more schools. “If we get the outcomes that we expect, we want to expand it throughout the district,” said James Gavrilos, president and CEO of the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County.

A Story of Growth

At EPS Learning, we are thrilled to hear about Palm Beach County’s experience and gratified to be part of their story and to be helping their students on their unique individual journeys toward learning, growth, and success.

Want more information about how SPIRE can support students in your school or district? Contact us to learn more.