Instructional Coordinator Career

What is an Instructional Coordinator?

Instructional coordinators, or instructional facilitators, are experienced professionals in the field of education. They pave the way for educators to become more effective, knowledgeable, and skilled.

An instructional coordinator works in a school system in order to support and develop teachers, administration, and other staff in a variety of capacities including professional growth and technological assistance.

Instructional coordinators are the behind-the-scenes heroes in many educational settings. They can work in elementary or secondary schools, colleges or universities, professional or technical schools, educational support services, or for the government at the state or local level.
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What Does an Instructional Coordinator Do?

The responsibilities of an instructional coordinator are dynamic and often depend on the setting in which the coordinator works; however, their work is always aimed at supporting and developing a variety of educational staff including teachers and principals in all aspects of education.

Recommending Teaching Techniques

Because instructional coordinators are equipped with experience and a holistic experience with a district or school, they work with teachers to support improvement and professional growth. This can occur on a teacher-by-teacher basis or in accordance to school- or district-wide goals and plans.

For example, if a school district participated in Marzano training during a staff development day, an instructional coordinator may observe teachers and recommend a specific Marzano instructional strategy for each teacher to try.

Participating in and Facilitating Professional Development

Instructional Coordinators are expected to stay up-to-date on all education issues whether through their own research or by participating in workshops and trainings based on the needs of their specific instructional setting.

Currently, a lot of the focus here is on educational technology. For example, if an instructional coordinator works in a school district that is currently working toward creating common assessments at all grade levels, the instructional coordinator may be asked to attend a workshop on creating proficiency scales or to undergo training for a digital assessment resource. Instructional coordinators then facilitate the transfer of this information to the staff in their school or district, oftentimes even teaching their colleagues themselves.

If a particular staff member inquiries about certain skills or methods, an Instructional Coordinator may be expected to provide that person with fitting resources or facilitate another professional development opportunity.

Overseeing the Implementation of Curriculum and Standards

Instructional coordinators spend a lot of time in classrooms observing teachers based on school or district goals, and they help teachers identify areas of improvement, develop curriculum and instructional strategies, and then work with teachers for the purpose of reflection and evaluation. They may work with teachers on an individual or a group basis through formal or informal observation.

Based on district requirements and teacher need, an instructional coordinator may take on an involved role by reviewing or helping to create or select teaching material, observing during a lesson, and facilitating reflection and evaluation, or an instructional coordinator may take on a subtler role, perhaps by simply providing resources or checking in with a teacher before or after assessments or lessons.

Analyzing Data and Effectiveness

Instructional coordinators use data from individual classrooms or school- or district-wide assessments to evaluate a school system’s effectiveness and to shape their approach to curriculum development, refinement, and implementation.

Reviewing and Recommending Textbooks and other Educational Materials

The essential goal of an instructional coordinator is to support and develop other educators, so they may be asked to provide teachers with other instructional materials such as posters, new technology, or manipulatives. One resource instructional coordinators are almost sure to research are textbooks.

Since there are so many options when it comes to textbooks, Instructional Coordinators review current available textbooks for any content area and/or grade level, and make recommendations based on teacher and school needs.

Supporting Teachers and Staff with Daily Needs

Teachers and other staff may call upon the instructional coordinator for daily assistance such as technological support or demonstrations in classrooms.

What is an Early Childhood Instructional Coordinator?

An early childhood instructional coordinator is an expert when it comes to curriculum, instructional strategies, classroom management, data analysis, and assessment development just like instructional coordinators, but early childhood instructional coordinators are experts in early childhood education i.e. their primary focus is on the youngest students.

Instead of focusing on all levels, these instructional coordinators usually focus on the preschool, prekindergarten, and kindergarten levels, but can work with elementary levels through about grade three or four.

Early childhood instructional coordinators also work in school systems to support and develop educators, but at early levels of education. This can mean that, in addition to an academic background in Curriculum and Instruction, these specialized instructional coordinators also have a degree in or experience with early childhood education.

What is the Work Environment of an Instructional Coordinator?

Most instructional coordinators work in elementary and secondary schools, but instructional coordinators can also work in colleges or universities, hold government positions, or work for state or local educational support services. Since they fulfill a variety of responsibilities each day, their daily environment is ever-changing.

Usually instructional coordinators are given an office space of their own or one that they share with other coordinators or educators. For example, an instructional coordinator’s room could look like a typical office or it could be as large as a regular classroom and might contain two or three separate desk spaces each belonging to an instructional coordinator who works in the building, a large round table suited for meetings and trainings, a television or projector for presentations, possibly a few desks, and so on; it may resemble a classroom, but for teaching other educators instead of teaching students.

Although instructional coordinators do work in their designated office environment, however, the nature of their job is highly collaborative, which means they often hold meetings in some sort of common conference space.

Instructional coordinators work closely with teachers, so they spend time in the classroom environment during class time or to meet with teachers individually. Their work also involves venturing outside the school environment to attend conferences and trainings in multiple capacities which sometimes requires travel.

Why are Instructional Coordinators Important?

Education is an ever-changing field in terms of practice, philosophy, and, most importantly, clientele. Instructional coordinators keep school systems up-to-date and allow educators of all varieties to stay educated and prepared.

Instructional coordinators allow teachers and administrators to be as effective as possible when it comes to the most important aspects of those occupations. Research is an essential but time-consuming task; if teachers are expected to identify the best resources, to learn the newest technology, to seek out the most valuable professional development opportunities, and to find and create the most impactful instructional strategies, they would not have time to actually teach and implement what they found or learned.

Instructional coordinators help to develop the best teachers in this way. Also, teachers and administrators often need instant feedback or assistance, but do not have time to make the calls or research a solution themselves, so the instructional coordinator is able to provide them with this support.

What are the Requirements to Become an Instructional Coordinator?

Educational Requirements

Instructional coordinators may also have a specialized degree such as in math or English, but most employers, especially public schools, require instructional coordinators to have a Master’s degree in either Curriculum and Instruction or Education, meaning instructional coordinators must first obtain a Bachelor’s degree, usually in Education.

These Master’s degree programs involve courses that teach about instructional theory, curriculum design and evaluation, and data analysis.
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Licensure Requirements

Instructional coordinators are usually required to have either a teaching license or an education administrator license. Each state has different requirements to obtain licensure. For example, teachers in Wyoming acquire a license through the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board by completing an approved teacher preparation program, providing official transcripts, undergoing a background check, demonstrating knowledge of U.S. and Wyoming Constitutions, and meeting certain testing requirements.

What Do You Learn in an Instructional Coordinator Degree?

This is not a complete degree program list, but an instructional coordinator’s educational program most likely includes the following:

Curriculum Theory

In these courses, you will explore the various curriculum theories that have shaped the framework through with educators understand ways to design, develop, and implement curriculum. Some curriculum theories include the Scholar Academic, Social Efficiency, Learner Centered, and Social Reconstruction ideologies. You may also be asked to write and reflect on your own personal curriculum philosophy.

Instructional Theory

This course teaches you about various instructional design theories, models, and practices such as the ADDIE Model and Merrill’s Principles of Instruction and how to apply instructional design principles to the planning and implementation of lessons.

Learning Theory

You will focus on the intricacies of modern learners and learning environments and explore how different learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and personal learning philosophy can help teachers develop effective curriculum and instruction.

Educational Psychology

You will learn about the latest theories in the cognitive, cultural, and social development of children and adolescents and most likely apply these theories to different instructional methods, settings, and practices.

Curriculum Design

These courses put curriculum theory to practice by exploring design principles, educational standards, and practical frameworks for selecting and creating teachable materials. In this course, you might also apply this information to the development, design, implementation, reflection, and potential modification of a curriculum to effectively meet learning needs and standards.

Curriculum Evaluation

You will learn how to evaluate leaning systems and student data in order to determine whether or not a curriculum is effective and successful.

Assessment Development

This course teaches the knowledge and skills Instructional Coordinators need to identify, implement, and design strong assessment instruments and tools to evaluate student learning. You may also explore assessment types such as objective and performance-based, formative, and summative assessments and how they yield results to assess student learning.

Differentiated Instruction

In this course, you will learn how to design and deliver curriculum that meets diverse needs of all students in an instructional setting.

Data Analysis and Decision-Making

Courses about data analysis and data-driven decision-making teach you how to dissect student assessment data in instructional settings in order to come to accurate conclusions about student achievement and then prepare you to make decisions about current curriculum in order to meet student learning goals and standards.

Educational Leadership

These courses vary in focus. For example, leadership courses may focus on leading school committees or Professional Learning Communities (PLC). In this course, you might investigate effective strategies to build and maintain motivated and goal-oriented staff groups, how to structure school processes, or how to leverage resources in order to ensure teacher and student success.

Research Methodology

Since most Master’s programs require a capstone or a similar research project before graduation, these courses introduce you to educational research methods. You will learn about quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and action research methods and how to plan, implement, and reflect on an educational research study.

What Does It Take to Become an Instructional Coordinator?

Each educational setting functions a little differently, so the specific expectations of an instructional coordinator may vary slightly, but some of skills one should possess are:

• Research Skills – Instructional coordinators need to be able answer questions, solve problems, and allocate resources accurately and in a timely manner. They may need to research how other educational institutions manage certain challenges, and they always need to stay up-to-date on the latest educational philosophies, techniques, and technologies, meaning they need to seek opportunities to research and self-learn.
• Data Analysis Skills – Instructional coordinators monitor teacher effectiveness and student progress, so they need to be able to synthesize all different kinds of data and come to accurate conclusions about the data in order to make decisions and recommendations.
• Organization Skills – Individuals in this field work with many different people at one time, not mention all of the data and information they manage, so creating organizational systems and procedures is essential.
• Educational Technology – Instructional coordinators not only recommend and introduce new technology to educators, but they also support educators in the use of technology. They need to understand a variety of technological tools such as Smart boards, Google suite, digital classroom websites, assessment tools, and so on.
• Decision-making Skills – Educators rely on instructional coordinators to make sound and educated decisions about curriculum and instructional practices within their setting, so they need to be able to make decisions and articulate their reasoning.
• Analytical Skills – Individuals in this field not only analyze data, but they analyze teacher effectiveness, curriculum soundness, classroom management techniques, and a variety of other educational concepts. They need to be able to look at information or observe different situations and evaluate in order to meet student needs.
• Interpersonal Skills – Instructional coordinators work with a variety of people in many different roles, so they need to be able to create and maintain positive working relationships with their administrators and colleagues, even when they need to give constructive feedback or recommend difficult changes.
• Communication Skills – It is of utmost importance that instructional coordinators are able to articulate themselves in all manners including written and oral communication and during public presentations.
• Leadership Skills – Since these professionals are mentors for teachers, they need to embody an ideal leader through motivation, positivity, trustworthiness, work ethic, creativity, and communication.

What are the Benefits of Being an Instructional Coordinator?

• Avoid Monotony – Instructional coordinators perform a variety of tasks, and each day brings them new responsibilities, so they avoid the mundane feeling that comes with repeating the same thing over and over again each day.
• Work Schedules – Even though many many professionals in this field work year-round, they can still enjoy the perks of school schedules and enjoy time off during holidays and other school vacations.
• Good Income Potential – According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for instructional coordinators was $63,750 in May 2017 with even higher potential especially in government positions.
• Benefits – Most employers provide benefits package including insurance and retirement which adds even more value to an already reasonable annual wage.
• Stability – Because education, technology, and culture in general are constantly changing, the need for the support of instructional coordinators in educational settings is ever-increasing, so count on being of use for a long time even in granted positions.
• Familiarity with Cutting-Edge Technology – Professionals in thid get to say up-to-date with new and exciting technology which does not only provide them with expertise in their field, but also quality dinner-table conversation material.
• Leadership Opportunities – Instructional coordinators get to serve as leaders in their work settings, guiding their colleagues toward improvement and success.
• Intrinsic Fulfillment – Instructional coordinators experience the professional fulfillment that comes with hard work, positive relationships, and service.

What are the Disadvantages of Being an Instructional Coordinator?

• Work Load – Like teachers, sometimes instructional coordinators work later than their planned work day to meet deadlines, support teachers, and accomplish tasks. Luckily, in most educational settings, they will not be alone in this, and the benefits such as vacation time and student achievement outweigh the work load.
• Making Difficult Decisions – Instructional coordinators have to make difficult decisions such as recommending changes to existing curriculum, and sometimes face resistance and backlash from their coworkers which is why they need to be effective communicators and foster relationships based on trust.
• Giving Negative Feedback – Instructional coordinators guide teachers in their curriculum and instructional practices, and they sometimes have to provide constructive criticism which is difficult because teachers work hard and are often attached to their techniques and materials.
• Responsibility – Instructional coordinators may sometimes feel overwhelmed with the responsibility of their jobs because they always have more than one task on their plate and their colleagues count on them immensely, but responsibilities always ebb and flow, and again, the rewards that come with this kind of leadership bring personal satisfaction and fulfillment.

What is the Job Outlook for Instructional Coordinators?

As modern resources multiply and as education officials continually place higher importance on test scores, the work of instructional coordinators is becoming more and more valuable. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of instructional coordinators is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031.
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