Kelly Coulter Wins Teacher of the Year Award for Cascade School District

Kelly Coulter has worn many hats in the educational system of Cascade School District. “I started at Peshastin Dryden Elementary as a long-term substitute teacher in 2011. After that I was fortunate to be hired full-time at PD as a kindergarten, first, and second grade teacher, and then I split my time teaming with Tina Richardson while we shared two roles: kindergarten teacher and intervention specialist,” Coulter recalled. “Last fall I was hired to be the full-time intervention specialist at Alpine Lakes Elementary.”

Coulter has been recognized for excellence in all her roles by receiving the Teacher of the Year Award for Cascade School District.

Emily Ross, principal of PD, paints a telling portrait of Coulter. “We've called a meeting to discuss a student's progress in math. The teacher is there, the counselor is there, I’m there, and Kelly is there. Everyone pulls out their information regarding student progress—papers are out, crisp manila folders line the table, and then Kelly sits down. Imagine—rolling behind her on a wagon are graphs, data charts, historical progress charts from the last five academic years of this student, and, on top of it all, her laptop, able to compile everything into digital form.”

Coulter is gifted with the unique combination of rigorous data analysis skills while being able to connect meaningfully with students and coworkers. As intervention specialist, she is able to and excels at continuously looking through the lenses of small and big picture outcomes for each student.

She describes her job well. “An intervention specialist's role is to identify students who may need additional instruction in math or reading. I work closely with grade level teachers, our English Language teacher and paraeducators to create flexible groups of students who may need a second lesson on a skill that was previously taught. We act like detectives: we find holes in students' understanding and then help fill in the gaps with targeted intervention, or reteach. The best part of the job is when the student has that aha moment when both of us see the gap that was there and we have successfully filled it.”

Intervention specialists are not new to education, but they have previously been called Title Teachers or LAP (Learning Assistance Program) Teachers. “These positions are funded by federal programs,” explained Coulter. While this type of support is also in the secondary schools, “There’s a larger presence in K-5 schools because research shows we can make a big impact with early reading and math intervention.”

Coulter’s teaching style must continually adapt to her students’ current needs. “Each week I prepare lessons based on a skill that was previously taught in math or reading. Normally we have groups of five to six students at a time. I have two wonderful paraeducators who help me.

“Our school district uses a research-based approach called MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Support), and we measure the RTI (Response to Intervention). The important part of our program is ensuring students do not miss tier one instruction, the instruction from the classroom teacher to all students. The students I teach are taught during a tier two session, a time when all students can practice and deepen understanding. After the intervention we retest to see that the skill was learned. Then we move on to the next skill. Some skills are tricky to unbundle and take more than a week to reteach, and that is what makes my job especially challenging and fun.”

Coulter works closely with students, but equally important is her partnering with teachers and administrators to improve outcomes. Colleague Tina Richardson said, “Kelly’s collaboration with staff is ongoing, and her colleagues are the better for it. Kelly's growth mindset is unstoppable!”

“Kelly’s energy and commitment are infectious,” said Kenny Renner-Singer, principal of ALPS. “Our instructional support program is two to three years ahead of where I thought we would be, thanks to Kelly's leadership. She collaborates with teams, uses data and provides research-based instruction to struggling learners. Finally, she builds meaningful relationships with her students and advocates for their learning. For example, she attends all parent conferences and IEP meetings of her students and advocates for their learning and social/emotional health.” 

In this current crisis, the impact of a six weeks absence from school on students worries Coulter. “I am extremely concerned. It is an unprecedented situation for families to be in charge of directing the learning of their children. Teachers have done a great job pulling together packets of materials for families, and families will do the best they can with them. Each week teachers will be given new information from the state and the district about what we can offer next. I am currently spending time taking on-line classes and learning how to teach K-5 students remotely so I can support teachers and students during this transition.”

When everyone is back in school, Coulter’s perspective, drive and spirit will help students and staff through that next transition. “She understands that only together can we truly impact student learning and growth on a significant scale,” said Ross. “Kelly is a researcher, an entrepreneur and is willing to be a trailblazer. Kelly has my respect!”