Fox Chapel Area SD showcases SPIRE and Foundations reading interventions at board meeting
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Summary
Hartwood educators demonstrated the district’s SPIRE and Foundations programs, describing multisensory, phonics‑based instruction and targeted small‑group support for students who struggle with decoding; board members urged earlier screening and expanded access.
At the Feb. 10, 2026 Fox Chapel Area School District board meeting, Hartwood Elementary reading specialists demonstrated the district’s reading interventions — SPIRE and Foundations — and described how the programs are used to support early‑grade readers who struggle with phonics and decoding.
Presenters said SPIRE is a structured, multisensory intervention that uses an Orton–Gillingham approach. Olivia McCall, a Hartwood reading specialist, explained the SPIRE lesson routine and said the program "is explicit and systematic," describing a 10‑step sequence that begins with phonograms and phonological awareness and builds through decoding, comprehension and encoding. "They think that they're playing and they're having so much fun," McCall said of students working in the lessons.
Jen Burmeister, a Hartwood reading specialist, described the district’s Foundations curriculum, which she said operates as the Tier‑1 phonics program and is used at Tier‑2 with a "double‑dose" small‑group model for students who need extra help. "It's research based, systematic and very multisensory," Burmeister said, noting teachers use tiles, tapping, sentence frames and word‑marking strategies and monitor progress with informal checks and periodic progress monitoring.
Dr. Rachel Fishbaugh, principal of Hartwood Elementary, introduced the presenters and pointed to classroom videos and examples shown to the board. Board member Mrs. Cooper thanked the presenters and framed the work as a priority, saying screening and early intervention matter: "1 in 5 students are about to be impacted by a reading learning disability," she said, urging the district to consider earlier assessments in kindergarten and first grade to identify students who need support sooner.
The presentation emphasized that SPIRE targets students who do not yet make phonics patterns automatic and that the program includes six progressive levels written for students with dyslexia. Burmeister said the combination of Foundations across classrooms and SPIRE for intensive intervention is intended to keep instruction consistent while allowing tailoring in small groups. Presenters noted examples of classroom techniques (finger tapping, "mama/baby echo," tile boards) and described expected outcomes, such as mastery of syllable types by the end of second grade.
Board members praised the demonstration and thanked the Hartwood staff. The superintendent closed the report and the meeting proceeded to routine business and votes.