The goal of the English Department is to encourage and enable all students to:

• read with deeper understanding
• explore texts at literal, interpretive, and critical levels
• expand their repertoire of writing styles and genres
• write with increased insight, evidence, and clarity
• incorporate evidence to support their opinions and arguments
• increase their vocabulary
• overcome their errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation through individualized correction
• become clearer, more articulate, and more confident oral communicators
• develop more sensitive listening skills
• become media literate students and citizens
• reflect on their development as thinkers, readers, writers, speakers, and listeners in order to better understand their own strengths and areas for growth
• become more organized, more diligent, more responsible, and more reflective as students and as citizens

To be successful in an increasingly global community, students need to enhance their communication skills – written, oral, group, interpersonal, and multimedia communication. New technology is not diminishing but increasing the role of literacies in the 21st century. The ability to speak and write clearly and persuasively, to know one’s audience and purpose, to be sensitive to cultural and disciplinary contexts, to listen carefully, and to engage in articulate, deep discussions are essential skills for the 21st century. 

English courses are offered with the intent of not only challenging the intellectually curious but also providing a good background of understanding for all. English classes maintain a balance between the content of the discipline – literature and rhetoric – and the skills of language arts – reading, writing, speaking, and listening – that are important across all content areas. 

Writing instruction focuses on intermediate writing skills, general writing knowledge and procedures, such as the writing process, and more interdisciplinary forms and genres of writing. Students are expected to gain mastery of more complex genres as they move through school, including expressive or creative writing, expository genres, argument, and interpretive writing. 

All students must pass English 9, 10, 11 and 12 to fulfill the English requirements for graduation.

COURSE PROGRESSION

All students may take English courses at the College-prep level. In order to be prepared for college-level reading and writing, students taking the courses at the College-prep level should expect to read a diverse selection of texts and write in a variety of genres in class and for homework. All students in College-prep classes will be working on critical reading and analytical writing skills, digital literacy and research skills, vocabulary development, and public speaking skills.