Educational institutions are staffed with a variety of professionals in a number of different capacities. The cornerstone tenets of schools are usually organized in a similar hierarchy: principal, assistant principal(s), department or team leaders, and then various members of the leadership team. Over the last ten years or so, a specific need has arisen regarding designating a particular position over the school’s curriculum and instruction.
This role is traditionally staffed by an Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction, sometimes referred to as an API, Instructional Coach, Curriculum Coordinator, or if at the central or district office level, a Director of Curriculum and Instruction. Regardless of the title of the role, the overseer of curriculum and instructional practices is critically important and vital to the overall success of the total school program.
Core Responsibilities
A Curriculum and Instruction leader is oftentimes a very deliberate coach and effective manager, responsible for helping teachers and students realize their full potential. This person regularly provides high-quality coaching and feedback to teachers, helping them design and execute instructional programs that develop mastery and skills above grade-level expectations and meet the individual needs of each student.
Additionally, they work collaboratively with the school leadership team to develop a school-wide culture of respect and achievement, and a team culture grounded in common goals, mutual respect, empathy towards others, and an appreciation of diversity. Like mentioned earlier, this position is a next generation educator who is a critical thinker and innovative problem solver with a high level of emotional intelligence.
Furthermore, a Curriculum and Instruction Director or leader is both an instructional and strategic leader responsible for leveraging teacher performance to ensure students demonstrate significant and measurable results.
This can include, but not limited to:
- Teacher coaching and evaluations
- Collecting, analyzing, and measuring different data points
- Creating and implementing different professional development opportunities
- Leading and developing foundational principles for successful classrooms
- Developing rigorous and purposeful long-term plans and pacing guides
- Creating and facilitating vision and goals
Challenges and Opportunities
Like any role in education, the role of Curriculum and Instruction Director has both positives and negatives. Typically, there are more challenges when the term curriculum is used, because it has such negative connotations. For those teachers who have been teaching for many years, the idea of someone teaching them more about their curriculum is not a popular one.
In more political climates, curriculum can be used as a term that conjures up misconceptions or fears about certain beliefs and practices being forced upon teachers and students. Ultimately, challenges as a Director of Curriculum and Instruction can also include:
- Managing school goals and priorities.
- Finding time and resources to implement goals and strategies.
- Demand and stress of the position.
- Navigating data to be able to accurately and expertly utilize it.
Just like challenges, however, there are a number of these challenges that can be seen as positives. For example, the challenge of working with people could also be a positive opportunity to work with young professionals on building excellent and engaging lessons by utilizing new curriculum resources like a variety of sources or other materials.
Additionally, working to build and prioritize school goals can help shape the direction of a school, and can be seen as a positive, not a burden. Furthermore, breaking different data down can lead to professional growth and more specific conversations with teachers and other staff in how the data can drive instruction and lead to evidence-based practices.
Leading Effectively
The emphasis placed on educational leaders serving as Curriculum and Instruction leaders is designed so that gaps can be addressed in what teachers need and what students need, so that all parties can be successful. Ultimately, that success leads to greater school outcomes. In order to lead effectively, curriculum leaders must be effective in specific ways:
- They must be lifelong learners. That term is often overused in education, but it simply cannot be overstated in a curriculum leadership role. Quality curriculum leadership can encompass all things, including resource selection, teaching methods, and other aspects, and continuous learners are constantly seeking information, evidence, and research to support current practices or develop new approaches within the school.
- In order to lead effectively, they must utilize strategic thinking and have long-term vision.
- They must be action-based, creating and ultimately acting on plans that benefit students and teachers.
- Our profession is grounded in relationships.
To lead effectively, curriculum leaders must be able to establish and maintain effective relationships with all stakeholders in a school setting. Without this relationship, no strategy or initiative can be effective.
Curriculum and Instruction Directors are a conductor for the total school program. They make their mark on the school’s curriculum and set direction for the teachers, often responsible for the selection of resources, materials, and other ancillary items.
Although curriculum is their main focus, this person often wears many hats, and can take on many different roles. Regardless of what each district or organization titles the role, the individual serving in the role is extremely critical to the overall success of the school.
Interested in pursuing a career in curriculum and instruction? Check out our various curriculum and instruction graduate programs and take your next step today!
