EPS Learning, a leader in evidence‑based literacy intervention solutions, announced that SPIRE Up has earned ESSA Level 3 (Promising) evidence, based on findings from an independent study conducted by LXD Research during the 2025–26 school year.
Designed for students in grades K–8+ who have not yet crossed the decoding threshold, SPIRE Up demonstrated promising evidence of effectiveness in improving foundational reading skills for students in grades 3–8 receiving special-education services.
SPIRE Up is an Orton‑Gillingham–based blended literacy intervention and the next generation of SPIRE, an established program with ESSA Level 1 (Strong) evidence. The program pairs explicit, teacher‑led Structured Literacy instruction with embedded digital assessment and progress monitoring, enabling educators to deliver intensive intervention with fidelity.
The study followed 115 students in grades 3–8 in Martin County School District, where SPIRE Up was implemented by reading specialists and special-education teachers as a Tier 3 intervention in small group settings over 16 weeks.
Results showed statistically significant gains on DIBELS Oral Reading Fluency and Maze measures. A majority of students demonstrated reading growth that approached or exceeded expected benchmarks for special-education populations, indicating meaningful progress in foundational decoding and fluency skills.
Researchers attributed these outcomes to SPIRE Up’s explicit, systematic instruction in phonics and word recognition, combined with a gradual release instructional model and tools that support consistent implementation and instructional decision making.
"Every student has a spark—SPIRE Up is the way for our ESE students to shine. It's more than a program; it's a promise that growth and potential in foundational skills will never go unnoticed. SPIRE Up has unlocked our students' abilities through more complex activities by utilizing a blended program style that provides teacher-led explicit instruction and technologic support.”
—Karis Sullivan, Instructional Coach ESE, Martin County School District
View our official press release on PR newswire here.
