A master’s degree in education is required to work as a curriculum specialist, also known as an instructional coordinator. You’ll also need teaching experience. If you want to work as a curriculum specialist in a public school in the United States, you’ll need a teaching or administrator’s license. Which of these licenses you’ll require varies by state.
Typically, a curriculum specialist reviews textbooks and other educational materials for a school or district and makes recommendations based on her findings. She usually assists the school in developing curricula. Depending on her position, she may be responsible for only one curriculum, such as math or language arts, or she may be in charge of all subjects.
Before becoming a curriculum specialist, it is preferable to have some teaching experience. To become a teacher, you’ll typically need a bachelor’s degree in education as well as a state-issued teaching certificate. You can get a teaching license without majoring in education in some cases by majoring in a specific field, such as English or science.
After a few years of teaching, you may discover that taking on an administrative position, such as an assistant principal position, will assist you in achieving your goal of becoming a curriculum specialist. Plan on getting a master’s degree in education while working in school administration. You should take curriculum development courses as part of your degree program. Curriculum development courses can be narrowly focused on a single subject or broad in scope. You’ll almost certainly take research design classes in which you’ll learn how to create effective curricula and how to help students perform better in school.
After completing your graduate degree, you must pass an examination to become a licensed curriculum specialist. To obtain your license in many states, you must pass the PRAXIS Educational Leadership: Administrative and Supervision or the School Leaders Licensure assessment tests. To keep your license current, you’ll almost certainly need to take continuing education courses.
Before you can become a curriculum specialist, you’ll need a few key skills in addition to the required education, license, and experience. You should be able to communicate with others, especially other educators and administrators. Teaching abilities, as well as computer and technology skills, are required. You should be able to keep up with the latest trends in education and learning as a specialist.