Instructional Coordinators : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary

Instructional coordinators oversee school districts’ curriculum and work with teachers and school administrators to implement new teaching techniques.

Quick Facts: Instructional Coordinators
2010 Median Pay	$58,830 per year $28.28 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Master’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	More than 5 years
On-the-job Training	None
Number of Jobs, 2010	139,700
Job Outlook, 2010-20	20% (Faster than average)
Employment Change, 2010-20	27,300

What Instructional Coordinators Do

Instructional coordinators oversee school districts’ curriculums and teaching standards. They work with teachers and school administrators to implement new teaching techniques to improve the quality of education.

Work Environment

Instructional coordinators work in public and private schools. They generally work year-round and do not have summer breaks, as do workers in some other education occupations.

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator

Most school districts require instructional coordinators to have at least a master’s degree. In addition, they often require them to be licensed teachers or licensed school administrators.

Pay

The median annual wage of instructional coordinators was $58,830 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of instructional coordinators is expected to grow by 20 percent from 2010 to 2020, faster than the average for all occupations. Employment growth is anticipated as schools increasingly focus on improving teachers’ effectiveness.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of instructional coordinators with similar occupations.

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What Instructional Coordinators Do About this section

Instructional coordinators assist teachers in adopting new strategies and techniques to instruct students.

Duties

Instructional coordinators typically do the following:

Oversee the development of the school system’s curriculum
Arrange for professional development opportunities for teachers
Evaluate the effectiveness of both the curriculum and teaching methods by analyzing student test data
Ensure that schools in their district are meeting local, state, and federal regulations and standards
Review and choose textbooks and other educational materials, such as computer programs
Stay up to date with teaching techniques and help teachers adopt new strategies
Help teachers understand and use new technologies in their classes
Develop procedures to ensure that teachers are properly implementing the curriculum
Train teachers and other instructional staff in new content or programs
Mentor or coach teachers who need help improving their skills

Instructional coordinators assess the effectiveness of the district’s curriculum and teaching techniques. They make changes to the curriculum and adopt new teaching strategies and techniques to improve students’ test scores and outcomes.

For example, when a state or school district introduces new standards for what students must learn in specific grades, instructional coordinators explain the new standards to teachers and help them develop ways to teach so students learn what the standards cover.

Instructional coordinators are also known as curriculum specialists, instructional coaches, or assistant superintendents of instruction. In some school districts, they specialize in particular grade levels, such as elementary or high school, or specific subjects, such as language arts or math. Other instructional coordinators focus on special education, English as a second language, or gifted-and-talented programs.

Coordinators generally travel to schools in their district to work with school administrators and teachers, teach professional development classes, and monitor the implementation of the curriculum.

Work Environment About this section

Instructional coordinators generally have an office in the headquarters of their school district and spend time traveling to schools within the district.

Instructional coordinators held 139,700 jobs in 2010. They work in public and private schools. Coordinators generally have an office in the headquarters of their school district, but they also spend a lot of time traveling to schools within the district.

In 2010, the industries employing the most instructional coordinators were as follows:

Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private	38%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	16
State and local government	8
Educational support services; state, local, and private	6
Junior colleges; state, local, and private	6

Work Schedules

Instructional coordinators generally work year-round and do not have summer breaks, as do workers in some other education occupations. Coordinators may need to meet with teachers and other administrators before and after school.

How to Become an Instructional Coordinator About this section

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

Most school districts require instructional coordinators to have at least a master’s degree. In addition, they often require them to be licensed teachers or licensed school administrators.

Education

School districts generally require instructional coordinators to have at least a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction or in a related field. Some instructional coordinators have a master’s degree in the content field they plan to specialize in, such as math or history.

Master’s programs in curriculum and instruction teach students about curriculum design, instructional theory, and collecting and analyzing data. To enter these master’s programs, students usually need a bachelor’s degree from a teacher education program or in a related field.

Licenses

Instructional coordinators in public schools are generally required to be licensed. Most school districts require a teaching license; some require an education administrator license. For information about teaching licenses, see the profile on high school teachers. For information about education administrator licenses, see the profile on elementary, middle, and high school principals.

Work Experience

Most school districts require instructional coordinators to have experience working as a teacher or as a principal or other school administrator. For some positions, they may require experience teaching a specific subject or grade level.

Important Qualities

Analytical skills. Instructional coordinators review data on students and use the information to adjust the curriculum and teaching strategies.

Communication skills. Instructional coordinators need to explain changes in the curriculum and teaching standards to teachers and school administrators. To do so, they need good communication skills.

Decision-making skills. Instructional coordinators decide on aspects of education that have profound implications for what teachers do and what students learn. They must use good judgment in choosing textbooks and choosing classroom instruction techniques.

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

People skills. Working with teachers and other administrators is an important part of instructional coordinators’ jobs. They need to be able to establish and maintain good working relationships with their colleagues.

Pay About this section

Instructional Coordinators

Median annual wages, May 2010

Instructional Coordinators: $58,830
Total, All Occupations: $33,840
Other Education, Training, and Library Occupations: $24,800

The median annual wage of instructional coordinators was $58,830 in May 2010. 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 $33,490, and the top 10 percent earned more than $93,080.

In May 2010, wages in the industries employing the most instructional coordinators were as follows:

Elementary and secondary schools; state, local, and private	$65,210
Educational support services; state, local, and private	59,230
Junior colleges; state, local, and private	54,490
Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private	52,350

Job Outlook About this section

Instructional Coordinators

Percent change in employment, projected 2010-20

Instructional Coordinators: 20%
Other Education, Training, and Library Occupations: 15%
Total, All Occupations: 14%

Many school districts and states are increasingly working to improve teacher effectiveness by focusing on the teacher’s role in improving students’ learning and test scores. In addition, there is an increased emphasis on holding teachers accountable for student outcomes. Some states and school districts are using students’ outcomes and test scores to evaluate teachers.

As more schools move toward these techniques, instructional coordinators will be needed to help teachers who are not meeting expectations. Coordinators will work to improve these teachers’ skills by offering them professional development, mentoring, and coaching. As schools seek to provide additional training to teachers, demand for instructional coordinators is expected to grow.

However, employment growth for instructional coordinators will depend on state and local government budgets. When state and local governments have budget deficits, they may lay off employees, including instructional coordinators. As a result, employment growth may be tempered.

Employment projections data for instructional coordinators, 2010-20
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Change, 2010-20		Employment by Industry
Occupational Title	SOC Code	Employment, 2010	Projected Employment, 2020	Percent	Numeric	Employment by Industry
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program
Instructional Coordinators	25-9031	139,700	166,900	20	27,300	[XLS]

Similar Occupations About this section

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

Occupation	Job Duties	ENTRY-LEVEL EDUCATION	2010 MEDIAN PAY
Elementary, Middle, and High School Principals	Elementary, middle, and high school principals lead teachers and other members of school staff. They manage the day-to-day operations of elementary, middle, and high schools. They set goals and objectives and evaluate their school’s progress toward meeting them.	Master’s degree	$86,970
High School Teachers	High school teachers help prepare students for life after graduation. They teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.	Bachelor’s degree	$53,230
Kindergarten and Elementary School Teachers	Kindergarten and elementary school teachers prepare younger students for future schooling by teaching them the basics of subjects such as math and reading.	Bachelor’s degree	$51,380
Librarians	Librarians help people find information from many sources. They maintain library collections and do other work as needed to keep the library running.	Master’s degree	$54,500
Middle School Teachers	Middle school teachers educate students, most of whom are in sixth through eighth grades. They help students build on the fundamentals they learned in elementary school and prepare them for the more difficult lessons they will learn in high school.	Bachelor’s degree	$51,960
Postsecondary Teachers	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and vocational subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	Doctoral or professional degree	$62,050
Preschool Teachers	Preschool teachers educate and care for children, usually ages 3 to 5, who have not yet entered kindergarten. They explain reading, writing, science, and other subjects in a way that young children can understand.	Associate’s degree	$25,700
School and Career Counselors	School counselors help students develop social skills and succeed in school. Career counselors assist people with the process of making career decisions by helping them choose a career or educational program.	Master’s degree	$53,380
Social Workers	There are two main types of social workers: direct-service social workers, who help people solve and cope with problems in their everyday lives, and clinical social workers, who diagnose and treat mental, behavioral, and emotional issues.	See How to Become One	$42,480
Special Education Teachers	Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional and physical disabilities. With students who have mild or moderate disabilities, they ensure that lessons and teaching strategies are modified to meet the students’ needs. With students who have severe disabilities, they teach the students independent living skills and basic literacy, communication, and math.	Bachelor’s degree	$53,220
Teacher Assistants	Teacher assistants work under a teacher’s supervision to give students additional attention and instruction.	High school diploma or equivalent	$23,220