English

English Department Staff Members

Telephone: 301-649-8278

Staff Member	Position	Courses
Ms. Stephanie Halloran	Resource Teacher	AP Language and Composition
Mr. Charles Alexander	AVID/Academic Coordinator	AVID 11, English 9, Honors English 9
Mr. Daryl Alston	Teacher	Honors English 9, Journalism, Yearbook
Ms. Fatima Binta	SAT/ACT Coordinator (301-649-8056)	English 11, English 12, SAT Prep
Ms. Jeanne Bowes-Dietz	English Composition Assistant	HSA, Instructional Support, Writing Center
Ms. Carolyn Dixon	English Composition Assistant, Webmaster	HSA, Instructional Support
Mrs. Claire Dus Sault	Teacher	English 10
Ms. Linda Joseph	Teacher	English 10, Honors English 10, AP Language and Composition
Ms. Carolyn McGee	Teacher	AP Literature, Bridge, College Prep Literacy
Ms. Laura Pudleiner	Teacher	Read 180
Mr. James Ransome	Teacher	English 9, English 12
Mr. Blair Thomas	Teacher	English 11
Ms. Porsche Vanderhorst	Teacher	Honors English 10
Ms. Ashley Washington	Teacher	English 9, Honors English 9

Mission and Vision

Philosophy
The goal of the secondary English Language Arts program is to create literate, thoughtful communicators, capable of controlling language effectively as they negotiate an increasingly complex and information-rich world. Students will refine specific skills and strategies in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing and will use these skills and strategies widely as tools for learning and reflection. Exploring a variety of texts, students will understand and appreciate language and literature as catalysts for deep thought and emotion.

Enduring Understandings
The secondary English Language Arts program is founded on the following beliefs:

Language is a powerful tool for expressing ideas, beliefs, and feelings.
Knowledge of language facilitates thought.
Readers, listeners, and viewers continually develop and apply strategies to construct meaning from increasingly complex and challenging texts.
Writers and speakers strategically use language to communicate for a variety of purposes.
Individuals need advanced literacy skills to participate actively and successfully in today’s demanding, information-based society.
Literature reveals the complexities of the world and human experience.

Grade Level Summaries

English 9 focuses on helping students become critical readers and writers through the exploration of several literary texts in a variety of genres. Students analyze cultural and historical dynamics in addition to practicing close critical reading, grammar study, and completing various writing assignments. Students will also begin preparation for the English High School Assessment that they will take in 10th grade.

English 10 emphasizes the development of students’ critical reading, writing, speaking, and thinking skills. Students study the short story as a genre; learn elements of effective speaking, and use anchor and supplementary texts that include poems, short stories, essays, films, and novels to enhance their understanding of literary concepts. English 10 will prepare students for the English High School Assessment given in the spring in addition to helping them prepare for the SAT and Advanced Placement courses that they will encounter in 11th grade.

English 11 involves the study of various literary genres through six units that focus on either theme or technique. Students will continue to critically analyze literary works following close textual readings, investigate issues in literature and their respective communities, and complete a service learning component that will help fulfill the service learning requirement. Students write structured essays and develop creative pieces in addition to preparing for the SAT and college applications.

English 12 explores the concept of identity and focuses on answering fundamental questions through literature: Who am I? How do I contribute to society? How does diversity enrich my life? Students analyze a variety of voices in poetry, essays, and prose and further develop their own distinct written voice as they prepare to pursue higher level education or enter the workforce.

Course Descriptions

English 9

This course integrates the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing with the study of the contents of language and literature. Students develop critical reasoning skills and strategies for close reading of texts from a variety of genres and time periods during two units aligned with ninth grade history courses. Students complete mandatory common tasks that focus primarily on the writing process but include development of other language skills.

English 10

This course integrates the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing with the study of the contents of language and literature. Students develop critical reasoning skills and strategies for close reading of texts from a variety of genres and time periods during two thematic units. Students complete mandatory common tasks that focus primarily on the writing process but include development of other language skills.

English 11

This course integrates the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing with the study of the contents of language and literature. Students develop critical reasoning skills and strategies for close reading of texts from a variety of genres and time periods during two thematic units. Students complete mandatory common tasks that focus primarily on the writing process but include development of other language skills.

English 12

This course integrates the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing with the study of the contents of language and literature. Students develop critical reasoning skills and strategies for close reading of texts from a variety of genres and time periods during two thematic units. Students complete mandatory common tasks that focus primarily on the writing process but include development of other language skills.

AP Language and Composition

This course is designed for able and motivated students with a command of standard English and a lively interest in the power and versatility of language. Students read complex prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and write for a range of purposes to express ideas with clarity and precision. Students are strongly encouraged to take the AP examination at the end of the course.

AP Literature

This course is designed for able and motivated students with a command of standard English and an interest in reading challenging literature, both classical and contemporary and representative of dominant literary genres and themes. Students apply methods of literary analysis and write for a variety of purposes to increase their precision in expression. Students are strongly encouraged to take the AP examination at the end of the course.

Academic Reading

Using the READ 180 materials developed by Scholastic Education, this course is a reading intervention program that builds literacy skills for selected students. This course may be repeated unlimited times for credit.

SAT Verbal and Mathematics Preparation

This one-semester course is designed to improve student achievement on both the verbal and mathematics components of the SAT. They acquire skills related to the SAT format and develop test-taking skills by taking released editions of the SAT under simulated test conditions. This course is also listed in the English section.

College Prep Literacy

Students who are able decoders and literal readers and students who do not view themselves as college bound are encouraged to take this class upon recommendation of the principal or designee. Students are introduced to strategies essential to literacy and learn when and how to use these strategies in their content classes, promoting success on exams and college-level studies.

Journalism

This basic journalism course is recommended for all students interested in working on school publications and is required for those seeking editorial positions. Students develop skills in gathering and reporting news, editing, copyreading, and headlining. Students also consider issues such as the responsibilities of the press, libel and slander laws, problems of censorship, and the role of the news media in shaping public opinion.

The HSA

The English High School Assessment (HSA) is one of four tests administered in the month of May that students (beginning with the Class of 2009) must pass in order to graduate in the state of Maryland. Students take the English HSA during 10th grade. The HSA contains multiple-choice and written-response questions (brief constructed responses and essays). The test takes approximately 3½ hours to complete. The passing score for the English HSA is 396.