Belle Terre Elementary School Teacher of the Year: Kristin Frank

Palm Coast Observer
News

By the time students get to Belle Terre Elementary School literacy coach Kristin Frank, they’re often tired: “They are tired of trying to learn how to read and coming up short,” she wrote in her Teacher of the Year statement. “They are tired of school being so hard for them, no matter how hard they try.”

"I believe that through coaching, modeling, collaborative planning, and providing professional development, I am able to increase my impact on student learning throughout my school. Through serving my school district and state, I am able to further my impact, which is truly an honor."

— KRISTIN FRANK

Those students, she said, “need a master teacher to teach them the strategies they need to make progress in phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension all at once. They need a trusted ally in their corner who will not let them be deterred by one lousy grade, but rather encouraged by progress. Their unwillingness to give up encourages me to be that teacher and that ally every day.”

Belle Terre Elementary School’s Florida Standards Assessments English language arts scores have been improving since Frank has become literacy coach. Last year, she started an intervention group for students with many instructional needs.

“I am proud to say that 91% of these students showed learning gains on the ELA FSA, and 64% of them increased by an entire placement level,” she wrote. “Equally as important, 100% of them showed an increase in reading stamina, consistency in applying reading strategies and an increase in effort and perseverance towards the goal of achieving grade level expectations.”

Frank integrates other content areas into her English language arts lessons. She mentors students and coordinates tutoring programs, helping students improve reading and math skills.

For other teachers, Frank plans and leads workshops about research-based instructional practices, and presents professional development training. She has also participated in the Florida Department of Education’s Standard Setting committee.