Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop educational material, implement it with teachers and principals, and assess its effectiveness.
Instructional coordinators typically do the following:
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.
Instructional coordinators held about 205,700 jobs in 2021. 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 | 19 |
| Educational support services; state, local, and private | 7 |
| 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
With enough experience and more education, instructional coordinators may become superintendents.
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.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for instructional coordinators was $63,740 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $38,390, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $101,090.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for instructional coordinators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Government | $78,900 |
| Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private | 75,840 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 62,060 |
| Educational support services; state, local, and private | 61,580 |
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.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 20,900 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.
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.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
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Instructional coordinators |
25-9031 | 205,700 | 220,800 | 7 | 15,000 | Get data | |
For more information about instructional coordinators, visit
ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)