The high school English program is designed to fulfill the Maryland State Department of Education’s requirement that each student earns four credits in English. All students must earn one credit each in English 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond to complex literary and informational texts that are thematically connected, exploring such themes as Coming of Age and Reflections: Past to Present. Students gain exposure to a variety of genres including the novel, autobiography, and drama, as well as shorter texts representative of diverse media and formats. Students examine rhetorical devices and author’s language in order to produce effective arguments and analytical papers. The development of effective speaking and listening skills is an integral part of the course as well as continued instruction in the effective and correct use of language.

Students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond to complex literary and informational texts that are thematically connected, exploring such themes as Coming of Age and Reflections: Past to Present. Students gain exposure to a variety of genres including the novel, autobiography, and drama, as well as shorter texts representative of diverse media and formats. Students examine rhetorical devices and author’s language in order to produce effective arguments and analytical papers. The development of effective speaking and listening skills is an integral part of the course as well as continued instruction in the effective and correct use of language. English 9 Honors requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuit, while demonstrating self-motivation and independence when addressing the demands of this accelerated course.

This class offers an enriched, differentiated, and accelerated version of English 9. Students in English 9 G/T exhibit strong reading, writing, and oral communication skills. In addition to meeting the requirements for English 9, students also receive preparation for the College Board English Language and Composition AP examination. In this course, students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond to thematically connected complex literary and informational texts. The development of effective speaking and listening skills is an integral part of the course.

English 9 Seminar is an elective course for selected students who are reading no more than two years below grade level. This course supports the students’ understanding of skills and concepts taught in the English 9 class by providing students with additional instructional time for explicit instruction in strategic reading, writing, vocabulary development, and language skills to ensure academic success in English 9. Instruction is provided in small group settings with a high degree of one-on-one interaction with co-teachers.

Students explore the actions and reactions of individuals to the world in which they live and construct oral and written analytical responses to diverse text formats that are thematically connected, exploring such themes as Hopes and Fears and Individual and Society. Students continue their literary study of the novel and the play, and also examine the genres of the memoir and poetry. Informational texts support the unit themes. As critical readers and writers, students construct explanatory and argument responses to a variety of texts. Opportunities are provided for students to polish their spoken communication.

Students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond in written and spoken modes to complex literary and informational texts that are thematically connected. Students study novels, essays, plays, poetry, short stories, art, music, and multimedia texts. English 10 Honors requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuit, while demonstrating self-motivation and independence when addressing the demands of this accelerated course.

In this course, students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond in written and spoken modes to thematically connected complex literary and informational texts reflective of diverse media and formats such as novels, essays, plays, poetry, short stories, art, music, and multimedia. This class offers an enriched, differentiated, and accelerated version of English 10. Students in English $\\Omega { \\cal G } / \\top$ exhibit strong reading, writing, and oral communication skills. In addition to meeting the requirements for English 10, students also receive preparation for the College Board English Language and Composition AP examination.

1 elective credit High School English Seminar is an elective course for selected students concurrently enrolled in English 10 or English 11. The co-taught delivery model provides opportunities for additional explicit instruction and hands-on experiences for developing critical reading, writing, language, speaking, and listening skills while promoting students’ independence when addressing unfamiliar and complex text.

Students explore American literature within the context of the American Dream, beginning with society’s dream of religious freedom. Students demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works. Additionally, students analyze an individual character’s struggle with the American Dream in the context of confronting social constructs and the ultimate attainment of the American ideal. Students build an awareness and understanding of American literature as a response to the social and political climates of the time. Through analytical study, students make connections between and among eras and writers. Students respond in written and spoken modes to diverse media and formats such as novels, essays, plays, poetry, short stories, art, music, and multimedia.

English 11 Honors requires students to have a commitment to academic pursuit, while demonstrating self-motivation and independence when addressing the demands of this accelerated course. Students explore American literature within the context of the American Dream, beginning with society’s dream of religious freedom. Students demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works. Students read, synthesize, analyze, and respond in written and spoken modes to complex literary and informational texts.

This College Board-approved course supports the College Board’s AP English Language and Composition Course Description. Students construct expository, analytical, and argumentative writing assignments that are based on readings representing a wide variety of prose styles and genres. Reading both fiction and nonfiction texts and writing in a variety of rhetorical modes and for a variety of purposes, students in English 11 AP facilitate awareness of their own writing styles to develop their own inner voices.