A curriculum specialist, or instructional coordinator or curriculum adaptation specialist, is a Master’s level educator who acts as a consultant to provide school districts and educational institutions with recommendations regarding textbooks and materials. This professional is almost always an experienced teacher who is able to speak from practical classroom experience, along with an expert knowledge of curriculum design.
If you are a teacher who is interested in expanding your career opportunities or if you are interested in the kinds of advancement potential available in the field of education, read on to learn more about the job of instructional coordinator and what it takes to become one.
About the Job
Curriculum specialists can take on a variety of duties beyond advising school systems on their curricular needs. Instructional coordinators also provide training to teachers and administrators on the textbooks and tools that they recommend. This training can be done through a number of avenues, including in-person workshops, online classes and through the development of written self-study guides. They also often create course content and curriculum. Sometimes a curriculum specialist may be responsible for the entire curriculum for a school, while in other instances, the coordinator specializes in one or two subject areas or in working with a specific age range.
In order to guide their recommendations, curriculum consultants will frequently conduct needs assessments and other types of information gathering. They then analyze the collected data to determine the needs of a particular group. Curriculum specialists must stay on top of their field.
Educational Requirements
While it is possible to be hired with a Bachelor’s degree education, most employers prefer those with a Master’s degree. Coursework in curriculum development, research design and statistics are a few of the main educational components required to be qualified. As mentioned, teaching experience is also a requirements. Sometimes it is beneficial to also have experience in school administration. Licensing requirements vary by state. Minimum criteria are usually equivalent to those required of teachers in that state.
There are some key qualities and characteristics that would benefit most curriculum specialists. It takes strong critical thinking abilities, a love of learning and a sincere interest in people to excel in this position. While teaching to a classroom full of children is no longer part of the job, exceptional teaching ability is still needed, as specialists will be training staff, teachers and administrators. Solid technical skills are also good to have, since much of the training work may be done remotely.
Examination Requirements
Curriculum specialists can be come licensed in their specialty. Many states require professionals to take a specific portion of the PRAXIS, which is an assessment given to teachers and administrators. This specialty exam is Educational Leadership: Administrative and Supervision or the School Leaders Licensure. Maintaining the license requires annual continuing education courses.
Professionals have options when it comes to entering the field of education. Becoming a curriculum specialist is one path for career growth that provides both challenge and satisfaction.
