High School
In high school, take a college-preparatory curriculum that includes classes in English, speech, computer science, chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, social studies, psychology, and foreign language.
Postsecondary Education
Instructional coordinators need a minimum of a master’s degree in education or curriculum and instruction (as well as experience in teaching or school administration). Those who plan to specialize in a particular field, such as biology, should also earn a degree in that discipline.
Typical classes in a curriculum and instruction program focus on curriculum theory and development, educational testing and measurements, educational research, creating curriculum for diverse audiences, and instruction improvement. Students in many programs can also choose an educational emphasis such as STEM education, elementary education, and theory and practice in social studies.
Certification
Some colleges and universities offer certificates in curriculum and instruction, instructional design, and related areas. Classes in a curriculum and instruction certificate program might include Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction: Assumptions, Relationships, and Design; Learning and the Brain: Fitting the Nurture of Teaching to the Nature of Learning; Adult Learning and Development; Enduring Ideas and Current Issues in the Education of Young Children; and 21st Century Teaching: Supporting All Learners with Technology.
Other Education or Training
The ASCD provides continuing education (CE) opportunities via online programs and at its conferences. Recent topics at its annual conference included artificial intelligence and project-based learning. Past webinars included Making Teachers Better, Not Bitter: Balancing Evaluation, Supervision, and Reflection; Ten Things School Leaders Need to Do to Implement the Common Core State Standards; and Lesson Imaging in Mathematics and Science: Mindfully Planning for Inquiry Instruction. The National Council for the Social Studies, International Literacy Association, Council for Exceptional Children, Learning Forward, and the National Association for Music Education also provide CE classes, workshops, and webinars. Contact these organizations for more information.
- Adapted Physical Education Specialists
- Adult and Vocational Education Teachers
- Art Teachers
- Athletic Directors
- Biophysicists
- Book Editors
- Career and Employment Counselors
- Career and Employment Technicians
- College Administrators
- College Professors
- Community Nutrition Educators
- Computer Trainers
- Cooking Instructors
- Curriculum Coordinators
- Dance School Owners and Managers
- Distance Learning Coordinators
- Driving School Owners and Instructors
- Education Directors and Museum Teachers
- Edupreneurs
- Elementary School Teachers
- English as a Second Language (ESL) Teachers
- Environmental Education Program Directors
- Flight Instructors
- Guidance Counselors
- Health Educators
- Instructional Designers
- Journalism Teachers
- Learning Innovations Designers
- Library and Information Science Instructors
- Mathematics Teachers
- Music Teachers
- Nursing Instructors
- Physical Education Teachers
- Political Scientists
- Preschool Teachers
- Real Estate Educators
- School Administrators
- School Nurses
- Secondary School Teachers
- Special Education Teachers
- Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists
- Speech-Language Pathology Assistants
- Teacher Aides
- Tutors and Trainers