Become a leader of a youth group or school club or run for a position on your school’s student council to learn what it’s like to make decisions that affect others.

Participating in information interviews with instructional coordinators is an excellent way to learn more about this career. Ask the following questions: What made you want to become an instructional coordinator? What’s the best way to prepare for this career? What should I do to break into the field? Ask your school counselor to help arrange an interview.

The United States ranks among the best countries in the world in many categories (including the quality of its colleges), yet its young people consistently lag behind their peers in other countries academically—especially in science and math. For example, in 2018 U.S. 15-year-olds who took the Program for International Student Assessment ranked 37th in the world in math scores and 18th in science scores. These statistics underscore the importance of the work of instructional coordinators, who strive to improve curriculum, introduce new technology and course materials that improve educational outcomes, and provide support to teachers. 

Duties for instructional coordinators vary by employer and other factors, but most evaluate the effectiveness of curriculums and teaching techniques by interviewing teachers, teacher aides, and principals, and talking with students; observing teachers in the classroom; reviewing student test data; and developing tests, questionnaires, and procedures; study existing educational curriculums to ensure that they meet local, state, and federal guidelines review and recommend textbooks, videos, and other educational materials; and recommend new teaching techniques and technologies to teachers, principals, and school boards, and develop procedures for teachers to implement new curricula. They also plan, organize, and conduct teacher training workshops; develop classroom-based and distance learning training courses (or work with instructional designers to do so); provide input on the expansion or elimination of courses and programs; and oversee the development of online courses. Finally, instructional coordinators work with businesses to develop training programs to meet demand for workers in fast-growing careers (at colleges and universities).