In a small Arizona district with about 500 students in grades K through 12, years went by without a formal curriculum adoption. Teachers pieced together resources from the internet and Teachers Pay Teachers, and instructional practices varied widely from classroom to classroom.
“We were a school district that was not in a purchasing cycle for curriculum for the past 15 years,” said Kym Reid, Director of Curriculum and Instruction. “My job came about because we needed to get that area cleaned up.”
This year, the district adopted a new core reading curriculum, HMH Into Reading, for the first time in over a decade. A math curriculum adoption is on deck for next fall. At the same time, the district is under state review for low test scores among students with disabilities and other students with IEPs and 504 plans.
Within that context, eSpark is not just another app. It is the district’s only purchased intervention program for reading and math, and a key part of how Kym and her team are working to strengthen instruction, align practices, and improve critical test scores.
From “Everyone Doing Their Own Thing” to a Shared Plan
When Kym stepped into her role, there was no consistent curriculum and no shared structure for early literacy.
“Teachers were just doing their own thing,” she said. “We have had to go in and correct some instructional things, like proper letter sounds. We would observe and then have to meet and ask, ‘What is everybody using for letter sounds’ and we would hear things like ‘I found this on the internet’ or ‘I got this from Teachers Pay Teachers.’”
The first step was adopting a core reading curriculum for K through 6 and getting everyone teaching from the same foundation.
“Our big thing with the reading goal was to get everybody on a plan,” Kym said. “We did not have one at all. Once we get everyone using it with validity, and we see the scaffolding when we go from classroom to classroom, we have already jumped up several steps.”
This shift is paired with significant professional development around instructional practices. The hope is that stronger Tier 1 instruction and unified materials will raise test scores without piling on more testing or pressure.
“We have changed the culture in general and we are hoping that test scores will step up from that, instead of preaching to kids and doing extra tests,” she said.
Simplifying the Tech Stack and Cutting What Does Not Work
Before the curriculum adoption and tech review, the district had a patchwork of small programs.
“Teachers would say, ‘Hey, can we get this little program’ and ‘Can we get that little program,’” Kym explained. “We had about 10 different programs and when we checked data, there were some programs teachers never even logged into all year.”
Last year, the district made a deliberate decision to clean house.
“We canceled ten different programs and kept about five or six, mostly bigger benchmark and progress monitoring tools,” she said. “Those cancellations saved us around $26,000.”
eSpark stood out in that process.
“We know eSpark is being used,” she said. “When I walk into classrooms, I see it. For us, it is worth the money. It is good practice, the kids like it, and it is easier for teachers compared to some programs. Honestly, it is about the only one that is still that last kind of fun program.”
Today, aside from a reading program required for state reporting, eSpark is the only intervention the district continues to invest in.
“Our reading program that we use for state reporting is required,” Kym said. “Beyond that, eSpark is the only thing we purchase for intervention. It is our reading intervention and our math intervention.”
Teacher Buy In: Why eSpark Was Non Negotiable
Kym was a high school teacher before moving into her district-level role as Director of Curriculum and Instruction . When she came into the elementary building, eSpark was one of the first tools she noticed.
“Teachers had eSpark charts up on bulletin boards at the start of the year,” she recalled. “They did not even have any data yet, but they already had eSpark stuff up. Our teachers loved it.”
As the district reviewed programs to cut, eSpark quickly emerged as a non-negotiable.
“We were going through and cutting other programs,” Kym said. “eSpark was probably the first one that teachers said was non-negotiable. They wanted to keep it.”
Kym’s formal goal was to have students log into eSpark at least twice a week, with 100 percent teacher activation. The district reached that quickly, with the students using over 2 days a week.
“Most of our other teachers have loved it for as long as they have been using it,” she said. “It is one of the tools they are most eager to put kids on if they have a chance.”
“eSpark is a safe way to get kids into something educational without the teacher having to be at every kid’s desk,” Kym said. “When they are in centers or groups, teachers can put their students on eSpark and not worry whether it is aligned or reinforcing the right things.”
Data, Motivation, and Ease of Use
The district uses NWEA MAP as its main benchmark assessment. Winter scores will factor into teacher evaluations and decisions about whether students can exit reading programs such as Title I.
“We will use NWEA scores at the winter benchmark for several things,” Kym said. “A percentage of teacher evaluation is done on data and we will use NWEA for that. We also use NWEA to determine if kids can exit reading programs or go back to regular classes during intervention times.”
“There are a couple of teachers who are very into the data,” Kym said. “They send me their eSpark reports and say, ‘You have to see my kids’ growth in here.’”
For everyday use, eSpark’s data feels more accessible than large benchmark reports.
“It is easier for them to see,” she said. “They do not have to dig through a big report. The kids can see their growth and their badges. They are on there more often, not just three times a year like benchmarks.”
Teacher Adoption, Peer Support, and Power Users
Like many districts, Mayer Unified enters the school year with an already crowded professional development calendar. While eSpark PD is part of that early rollout, sustained usage is driven less by formal training and more by teachers supporting one another in real classrooms.
“Teachers who have been here a while know how to figure it out and help everybody else,” Kym explained. “So the PD is useful, but peer support is what keeps it moving.”
That internal momentum has led to clear power users—particularly in intervention settings.
“Second grade is usually on it a lot when we go in during intervention times,” she said. “We have some clear power users.”
Writing That Teachers Don’t Usually Get from EdTech
One area that stood out was eSpark Writing, supported by eSpark’s AI-guided writing tutor—something Kym noted is rare in supplemental instruction tools.
“Writing tools are hard to find,” she said. “Everybody has programs for reading and math, but writing is difficult. Teachers were genuinely interested and asked a lot of questions, because there just isn’t much out there that really supports writing well.”
Unlike most platforms, eSpark Writing actively guides students through the writing process—providing structure, feedback, and support without requiring constant teacher intervention. That combination of instructional rigor and time savings made it feel less like an add-on and more like a differentiated resource worth investing in.
A Partnership That Saves Time for Leaders
As both curriculum director and test coordinator, Kym does not have time to live inside dashboards.
“Even with our big programs that we use for state reporting, I am only there when I have to be,” she said. “I don’t have time to scroll through dashboards and see what everybody is doing.”
Her meetings with eSpark are designed to solve that.
“It is always helpful that eSpark comes with a chart of our use,” Kym said.
That context matters when it comes to interpreting usage and deciding which conversations are worth having.
For Kym, this kind of support is more valuable than learning every new technical feature in her role.
“eSpark could tell me everything about Nova, but I do not have students in front of me,” Kym said. “The data and clarity around what is happening in classrooms is what I need most.”
Supporting State Review and Long Term Goals
The district’s work with curriculum and intervention is happening under the pressure of state review for low test scores among students with disabilities.
“Our kids with IEPs and 504s have had scores that are too low,” Kym said. “We needed to raise state testing by seven points. It had not moved in four years. Last year, we raised it by six.”
The district receives extra support and grant funding as part of the review, but the status also adds requirements that increase teacher workload.
“Ultimately, our goal is to get out from under state review,” she said. “We want curricula in place and instruction happening properly. That is what we should have been doing all along. Once those things are in place, we can free up some time for teachers.”
In that larger plan, eSpark plays a supporting role alongside curriculum, PD, and targeted intervention.
“We are improving instruction and we have curricula in place,” Kym said. “Now it is normal to have a curriculum, instead of not having one be the norm. eSpark is one of the pieces that helps us practice reading and math skills in a way that is consistent and easy for teachers to manage.”
If another leader asked why the district continues to invest in eSpark, Kym keeps it simple.
“It is the only intervention program we are purchasing right now,” she said. “It is our reading intervention and our math intervention. Our teachers wanted it, our students use it, and we know it is worth keeping.”
