Instructional Coordinator

Develop instructional material, coordinate educational content, and incorporate current technology into instruction in order to provide guidelines to educators and instructors for developing curricula and conducting courses. May train and coach teachers. Includes educational consultants and specialists, and instructional material directors.

On the job, you would:

Observe work of teaching staff to evaluate performance and to recommend changes that could strengthen teaching skills.
Plan and conduct teacher training programs and conferences dealing with new classroom procedures, instructional materials and equipment, and teaching aids.
Interpret and enforce provisions of state education codes and rules and regulations of state education boards.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Instructional coordinators evaluate student test data and teaching strategies. Based on their analysis, they recommend improvements in curriculums and teaching.

Communication skills. Instructional coordinators need to clearly explain changes in the curriculum and teaching standards to school staff.

Decision-making skills. Instructional coordinators must be decisive when recommending changes to curriculums, teaching methods, and textbooks.

Interpersonal skills. Instructional coordinators need to be able to establish and maintain positive working relationships with teachers, principals, and other administrators.

Leadership skills. Instructional coordinators serve as mentors to teachers. They train teachers in developing useful and effective teaching techniques.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		91%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		90%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		89%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		88%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		87%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		87%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		86%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		85%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		82%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		81%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.
		81%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		81%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		78%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		76%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		75%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		70%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		95%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
		67%	Investigative - Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the fields of humanities, mathematics/statistics, information technology, or health care service.
		56%	Artistic - Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts, applied arts and design, performing arts, music, creative writing, media, or culinary art.
		56%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		83%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		83%	Independence - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
		78%	Achievement - Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
		64%	Working Conditions - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
		61%	Recognition - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		85%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		81%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		81%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		78%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		78%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		75%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		75%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		72%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		72%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		69%	Originality - The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
		69%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
		69%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		69%	Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
		66%	Fluency of Ideas - The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
		53%	Far Vision - The ability to see details at a distance.
		53%	Memorization - The ability to remember information such as words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		68%	Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
		66%	Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
		64%	Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
		63%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		63%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
		61%	Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
		61%	Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
		59%	Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
		59%	Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
		59%	Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
		57%	Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
		55%	Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
		55%	Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
		55%	Systems Evaluation - Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
		55%	Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.
		54%	Systems Analysis - Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
		52%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Modify teaching methods or materials to accommodate student needs.

Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.

Assess educational needs of students.

Develop instructional objectives.

Create technology-based learning materials.

Develop instructional materials.

Create technology-based learning materials.

Develop instructional materials.

Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.

Edit documents.

Assess educational needs of students.

Advise educators on curricula, instructional methods, or policies.

Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.

Research topics in area of expertise.

Teach others to use technology or equipment.

Serve on institutional or departmental committees.

Train staff members.

Advise educators on curricula, instructional methods, or policies.

Order instructional or library materials or equipment.

Enforce rules or policies governing student behavior.

Evaluate effectiveness of educational programs.

Research topics in area of expertise.

Evaluate performance of educational staff.

Write grant proposals.

Modify teaching methods or materials to accommodate student needs.

Promote educational institutions or programs.

Advise students on academic or career matters.

Organize informational materials.

Direct activities of subordinates.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		100%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		99%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		96%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		96%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		89%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		79%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		78%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		75%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
		74%	Responsibility for Outcomes and Results - How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
		66%	Public Speaking - How often do you have to perform public speaking in this job?
		66%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		65%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		65%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		64%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		61%	Letters and Memos - How often does the job require written letters and memos?
		59%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		56%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		55%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		51%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
		97%	Duration of Typical Work Week - Number of hours typically worked in one week.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		91%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		89%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		88%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		88%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		86%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		85%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		81%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		80%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		79%	Developing Objectives and Strategies - Establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them.
		78%	Coaching and Developing Others - Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.
		78%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		76%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		73%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		72%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		71%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
		71%	Providing Consultation and Advice to Others - Providing guidance and expert advice to management or other groups on technical, systems-, or process-related topics.
		69%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		68%	Thinking Creatively - Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.
		68%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
		68%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		67%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		67%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		65%	Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People - Assessing the value, importance, or quality of things or people.
		61%	Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates - Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
		58%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
		57%	Assisting and Caring for Others - Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
		56%	Monitoring and Controlling Resources - Monitoring and controlling resources and overseeing the spending of money.
		56%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		56%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
		55%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

What Instructional Coordinators Do

Instructional coordinators need a master's degree and related work experience.

Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop educational material, implement it with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.

Duties

Instructional coordinators typically do the following:

Develop and implement the curriculums
Plan, organize, and conduct teacher training, conferences, or workshops
Analyze students' test data
Assess and discuss the curriculum standards with school staff
Review and suggest textbooks and other educational materials
Recommend teaching techniques and the use of different or new technologies
Develop procedures for teachers to implement a curriculum
Train teachers and other instructional staff in new content or programs
Mentor or coach teachers to improve their skills

Instructional coordinators, also known as curriculum specialists, evaluate the effectiveness of curriculums and teaching techniques established by school boards, states, or federal regulations. They observe teachers in the classroom, review student test data, and discuss the curriculum with the school staff. Based on their research, they may recommend changes in curriculums to the school board.

Instructional coordinators may conduct training for teachers related to teaching or technology. For example, instructional coordinators explain new learning standards to teachers and demonstrate effective teaching methods to achieve them.

Instructional coordinators may specialize in particular grade levels or specific subjects. Those in elementary and secondary schools may focus on programs such as special education or English as a second language.

Work Environment

Instructional coordinators held about 216,600 jobs in 2022. The largest employers of instructional coordinators were as follows:

Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private	43%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	18
Educational support services; state, local, and private	8
Government	7

Most instructional coordinators work in elementary and secondary schools, colleges, professional schools, or educational support services or for state and local governments. They typically work year round.

Work Schedules

Instructional coordinators generally work full time. They typically work year round and do not have summer breaks. Coordinators may meet with teachers and other administrators outside of classroom hours.

Getting Started

Education:

60%

Master's Degree

25%

Bachelor's Degree

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator

Instructional coordinators need to be able to train teachers on the newest teaching techniques and tools.

Instructional coordinators typically need a master’s degree and related work experience, such as in teaching or school administration, to enter the occupation. Coordinators in public schools may be required to have a state-issued license.

Education

Instructional coordinators in public schools are required to have a master’s degree in education or curriculum and instruction. Some instructional coordinators need a degree in a specialized field, such as math or history.

Master’s degree programs in curriculum and instruction teach about curriculum design, instructional theory, and collecting and analyzing data. To enter these programs, candidates usually need a bachelor’s degree in education.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Instructional coordinators in public schools may be required to have a license, such as a teaching license or an education administrator license. For information about teaching licenses, see the profiles on kindergarten and elementary school teachers, middle school teachers, and high school teachers. For information about education administrator licenses, see the profile on elementary, middle, and high school principals. Check with your state’s Board of Education for specific license requirements.

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Most instructional coordinators need several years of related work experience as a teacher or an instructional leader. For some positions, experience teaching a specific subject or grade level is required.

Advancement

With enough experience and more education, instructional coordinators may become superintendents.

Job Outlook

Employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow 2 percent from 2022 to 2032, about as fast as the average for all occupations.

About 19,200 openings for instructional coordinators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

States and school districts will continue to be held accountable for test scores and graduation rates, putting more of an emphasis on student achievement data. Schools may increasingly turn to instructional coordinators to develop better curriculums and improve teachers’ effectiveness. The training that instructional coordinators provide for teachers in curriculum changes and teaching techniques should help schools meet their standards in student achievement. As schools seek additional training for teachers, demand for instructional coordinators is projected to grow.

Contacts for More Information

For more information about instructional coordinators, visit

Learning Forward

ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of instructional coordinators.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals	Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities.	Master's degree	$101,320
High School Teachers	High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.	Bachelor's degree	$62,360
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers instruct young students in basic subjects in order to prepare them for future schooling.	Bachelor's degree	$61,620
Librarians and Library Media Specialists	Librarians and library media specialists help people find information and conduct research for personal and professional use.	Master's degree	$61,660
Middle School Teachers	Middle school teachers educate students, typically in sixth through eighth grades.	Bachelor's degree	$61,810
Postsecondary Teachers	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a variety of academic subjects beyond the high school level.	See How to Become One	$80,840
Preschool Teachers	Preschool teachers educate and care for children younger than age 5 who have not yet entered kindergarten.	Associate's degree	$35,330
School and Career Counselors and Advisors	School counselors help students develop academic and social skills. Career counselors and advisors help people choose a path to employment.	Master's degree	$60,140
Special Education Teachers	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.	Bachelor's degree	$62,950
Teacher Assistants	Teacher assistants work with a licensed teacher to give students additional attention and instruction.	Some college, no degree	$30,920
Training and Development Specialists	Training and development specialists plan and administer programs that improve the skills and knowledge of their employees.	Bachelor's degree	$63,080
Training and Development Managers	Training and development managers plan, coordinate, and direct skills- and knowledge-enhancement programs for an organization’s staff.	Bachelor's degree	$120,000
Adult Basic and Secondary Education and ESL Teachers	Adult basic and secondary education and ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers instruct adults in fundamental skills, such as reading and speaking English. They also help students earn their high school equivalency credential.	Bachelor's degree	$58,590
Career and Technical Education Teachers	Career and technical education teachers instruct students in various technical and vocational subjects, such as auto repair, healthcare, and culinary arts.	Bachelor's degree	$61,450

Instructional Coordinator

What they do:

On the job, you would:

Important Qualities

Personality

Characteristics of this Career

Strengths

Values of the Work Environment

Aptitude

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Job Details

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

Tasks & Values

What Instructional Coordinators Do

Duties

Work Environment

Work Schedules

Getting Started

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator

Education

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Work Experience in a Related Occupation

Advancement

Job Outlook

Employment

Contacts for More Information

Similar Occupations