Description: English I stresses the principles of grammar, instruction in composition, and the study of literature. Vocabulary study and parallel reading are integral parts of the course. Elements of research are introduced. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English I/Honors is intended for students performing above grade level in reading comprehension and knowledge of grammar. Instruction continues in grammatical structure and usage. Vocabulary study is designed to equip students to deal with PSAT/SAT examinations. Students are introduced to research and are provided extensive practice in developing paragraphs and themes about literary and contemporary topics. The study of literature emphasizes analysis of types and characteristics of literature. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English II is a continuation of English I. This course stresses the principles of grammar, instruction in composition, and a study of literature. Vocabulary study and parallel reading are integral parts of the course. Elements of research are reinforced. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English II/Honors is a comprehensive study of grammar/composition and literature. The grammar emphasis is related closely to areas of weakness observed in student compositions. A parallel reading program provides a broad base for literary analysis. Elements of research, leading to the literary-based research paper of Honors III, are reinforced. Vocabulary study is an extension of the literature and equips the student to deal with PSAT/SAT examinations. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English III/Communications for the Workplace III is a language arts (English) course for high school juniors offered as a unit of instruction in the Tech Prep strand of the Technical/College Preparatory program. The course is designed to prepare students for the demands of a two- or four-year college degree program or for the workplace.

The course design reflects a partnership of academic English education and communication theory. The integrated instructional design infuses an "applied" approach to writing and speaking into the traditional language arts programs through innovative classroom methodologies and composition assignments and research. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and interpretation of American literature. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English III is designed to meet the educational needs of the four-year college-bound student and contains a review of grammar and instruction in composition, as well as a study of American literature. Vocabulary study and parallel reading are integral parts of the course. Elements of research, leading to the literary research paper of English IV, are stressed. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English III/Honors extends exposition to the development of individual composition style and introduces techniques of research for the formal literary paper. A study of grammar leads to a focused style of writing. An intensive study of American literature constitutes the literature portion of the course. A parallel reading program provides a broad base for literary analysis. Vocabulary study is an extension of the literature and equips the student to deal with PSAT/SAT examinations. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English IV/Communications for the Workplace IV is a language arts (English) course for high school seniors offered as a unit of instruction in the Tech Prep strand of the Technical/College Preparatory program. The course is designed to prepare students for the demands of a two- or four-year college degree program or for the workplace.

The course design reflects a partnership of academic English education and communication theory. The integrated instructional design infuses an "applied" approach to writing and speaking into the traditional language arts program through innovative classroom methodologies and composition assignments and research. Emphasis is placed on the analysis and interpretation of literature. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English IV is designed to meet the educational needs of the four-year college-bound student and includes a study of literature. A review of grammar and usage complements and enhances the development of advanced composition skills. A literary-based research paper, assigned parallel reading, and frequent compositions should further prepare the student for college. A goal for all students is to attain a high degree of literacy, involving the ability to understand and to produce a wide variety of texts. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Description: English Literature/Composition/AP is an intensive literature and composition course designed for students who are highly motivated and have shown exceptional ability in verbal and composition skills. Students will demonstrate their ability to read selected poems and prose passages analytically and to write critical or analytical essays based on poems, prose passages, and complete novels or plays. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Students will be required to take the Advanced Placement Examination.

Description: English Language/Composition/AP is an intensive language and composition course designed for students who are highly motivated and have shown exceptional ability in verbal skills. In this course students will demonstrate their skills in analyzing the rhetoric of prose passages. Students will also demonstrate their skills in composition by writing essays in various rhetorical modes. A summer reading list will be made available for all students.

Students will be required to take the Advanced Placement Examination.

Description: The Craft of Writing is designed for the secondary student who may need academic assistance in composition or who may not have passed the writing portion of BSAP in grade ten. The course will concentrate on individual writing deficiencies in the areas of handwriting, mechanics, word usage, vocabulary, and composition. Students will practice writing descriptive, narrative, expository, and persuasive compositions as well as develop a portfolio of personal writing.

Description: The Creative Writing course involves mastering techniques of writing various genres, such as short stories, critical reviews, poetry, plays, and essays. Students will be expected to read a wide variety of literature, interpret critically, and be prepared to conceive, plan, write, edit, and publish their own creative works both individually and in collaboration with other students.

Description: Responding to Reading is designed for the secondary student who may need academic assistance in reading comprehension or who may not have passed the reading portion of BSAP in grade ten. The course builds skills in reading, vocabulary, and comprehension at the same time that it develops strategies for approaching literature, fiction as well as nonfiction.

Description: Reading for Pleasure is a language arts course for secondary students offered as an elective unit. The course will include studying and analyzing different genres of literature such as biography, historical novel, adolescent and young adult novel, drama, and poetry. Students will be assessed through class discussion/participation and through the use of reading journals and portfolios.

Description: English I Academic Assistance is designed for ninth-grade students who may need or desire academic assistance in writing and reading. The aim of this course is to remediate students’ deficiencies as determined by PACT in grade eight. Emphasis is placed on building competency in reading comprehension skills, vocabulary skills, writing skills, and reference skills.

Description: English II Academic Assistance is designed for sophomores who have scored below standard on MAT7. It is designed for students who have problems with reading and language skills. Emphasis is placed on building competency in reading comprehension, vocabulary, and in writing sentences and paragraphs. Reference skills and other skills are also taught. The aim of this course is to help students reach their grade level in oral and written language and reading.

Description: Literature and Film is a language arts course offered to secondary students as an elective unit. The course will include studying film adaptation of novels. Emphasis will be placed on the analyzation of literature, as well as on the film techniques that are employed in the novel adaptation to film.

Description: Southern Literature is a comprehensive study of literature written by and about southerners. The literature study is an intensive examination of southern literature. The students will study and analyze several genres of stimulating literary works from various southern perspectives (such writers as Stowe, Mitchell, Twain, Faulkner, Walker, Conroy, and others) through reading, writing, publishing, listening, speaking, and research.

Description: African-American Literature is designed for the student who wants a more challenging study of African-American authors. The study of literature includes such periods in history as the Harlem Renaissance. Renowned authors such as Hughes, Johnson, Morrison, Walker and Wright will be covered. Students will gain an appreciation of literature emphasizing the social, political, and economical aspects of many African-American authors.

Description: Shakespearean Drama is a comprehensive study of plays written by William Shakespeare. The study is an intensive examination of Shakespeare’s histories, tragedies, and comedies. The students will study and analyze these plays.

Description: Young Adult Literature reading selections will focus on poetry, drama, essays, and novels written especially for a young adult audience. Selections also include adult literature that is appropriate to young adult readers. Reading will include works that promote an awareness of diverse values in our multicultural society. Additionally, the course will cover the following topics: adolescents - their needs and their patterns of reading interests; a survey of the history and background of the genre; general criteria for evaluating books; a close reading of a core group of important young adult books; nonfiction for young adults; the relation between reading and writing; current issues and trends in the field of literature for young adults; and major professional publications and sources of information relating to young adult literature.

Description: Advanced Composition is designed for students who enjoy writing and who want to discover, develop, refine, and enhance their expository and creative writing skills. Students will learn to use all stages of the writing process in order to produce various types of writing such as short stories, poetry, and personal and expository essays. Students will study professional models in order to broaden their perspectives of the literary world while helping them develop their own individual style. Upon completion of the course, students will be more competent and self-assured about their own writing ability and will have learned various writing skills they can apply to any writing situation.

Description: Designed for college-bound students as well as for students planning to join the workforce after completing high school, Voices of Modern Cultures: Pacesetter English is a "capstone" English course sponsored by the College Board in partnership with Educational Testing Service (ETS). The goal of the course is to enable all students to achieve the highest degree of literacy of which they are capable and to understand and produce a wide variety of texts, including traditional works of literature, practical and persuasive forms of communication that involve speaking and listening skills, modern media such as film, television, magazines, and newspapers.

Description: Grammar and Writing is designed to prepare students for the demands of composition and research assignments. This course will focus on meeting the needs of all students who wish to be proficient in the use of the English language. This course stresses an intense study of the grammatical structure of the language with emphasis on sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, capitalization, punctuation, correct usage, and mechanics.