The Direction and the
Focus
of the Selinsgrove
Area High School English Program
The English program at Selinsgrove Area High School provides a curricular foundation for the development and achievement of the PA Standards in Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Functions of Language, and Research. Developing studies and experiences that address these standards supports all of the other curricular areas throughout the school. Specifically, the expectations of the English program direct the implementation of planned courses of study which prepare students for the workplace, military, technical-vocational schools, and two and/or four year colleges.
The English program focuses on preparing students for lifelong learning. Throughout all levels and in all planned courses of study, the emphasis is on
· A flexible program that accommodates and challenges the individual student,
· A learning climate that enhances physical, emotional, and mental health,
· A responsibility to developing a positive attitude towards the self and the environment,
· A language arts knowledge base in the skills identified in, but not limited to, the PA Standards,
· A curriculum that provides opportunities for diverse career preparation, and
· A belief that the classroom experience provides daily opportunities for analytic, independent thinking and ethical decision making -- opportunities that are essential to developing future democratic citizens of the world.
The English Department has developed a program that achieves both a breadth and depth in language studies.
Freshmen and sophomores complete breadth courses that concentrate on reading, writing, speaking, listening, the functions of language, and research. Depending on their needs and career interests, students select a ninth and tenth grade course path that provides opportunities to upgrade their skills, to prepare for a career, and / or to enter college. Students may also select an additional course in either ninth or tenth grades. This elective is Reading, a one-credit offering that assists those for whom reading remains a challenge.
During their final two years at Selinsgrove Area High School, juniors and seniors move into the elective offerings of the English curriculum. At this point in their study of language, students develop an individualized program in which they complete courses that offer studies and experiences in greater language depth.
Those students who plan to enter a career immediately after graduation complete the Applied Communication I, II, III, and IV electives. These classes build skills that are requirements for effective communication in the workplace. In particular, students apply reading, writing, speaking, listening, language, research, collaboration, and problem solving skills to communicating with co-workers as well as with clients and supervisors, evaluating performance, upgrading and changing jobs, and many additional work-related experiences.
Students planning to attend college select at least two courses a year; however, they may elect more if they choose – and many do. Their selection depends on their interests and needs. Offerings in the speaking / listening disciplines include Oral Communications and Theatre Arts. If students wish to strengthen skills in writing, they elect Basic Composition, Expository Writing, Library and Vocabulary Study, Fiction and Writing Workshop, and / or Journalism. The reading opportunities are very diverse: American Literature, British Writers, Modern Novel, Poetry, Short Story, and World Literature. Students who wish to major in or deepen their studies in language may elect English Grammar. Completing the prerequisites in writing and literature as juniors, qualified seniors may schedule the Honors or Advanced Placement in English Literature courses.
Members of the English Department have developed the curriculum on the basis of the “design down” and “implement up” framework, a framework based on the PA standard categories, the standard statements, and the standard indicators. With these exit expectations for students, the entire series of courses provides studies and experiences that become more intense and more involved throughout the grade levels. Each course of study overview documents the alignment among the course’s standards, essential learnings, and assessments. The assessment of students’ achievement includes traditional and, more frequently, performance-based formats.
Graduation Portfolio
The English Department also oversees the high school’s Graduation Portfolio requirement. Students select at least four samples of their writing to satisfy each year’s requirement. The samples represent the following four modes: expressive, narrative, expository, and argumentative. Most importantly, the writing samples come from all curricular areas and document the school’s commitment to writing across the curriculum.
Each English teacher has access to at least one classroom computer networked to the Internet as well as to a large screen TV for instructional purposes. Likewise, the department has its own scanner, digital camera, DVD player, 3 movable video stations, and a video camera. The most recent technology, the large screen TV’s, scanner, digital camera, DVD player, and video equipment, has resulted from several department members’ participation in a TLCF grant sponsored by CSIU #16. Additional software will complete the expenditures of the grant money.
Department members have completed in-service programs related to the application of technology in the classroom. Several members of the department have taken advantage of in-house technology courses offered by members of the Selinsgrove Area High School Technology and Business Departments.
In addition to advising co-curricular and extracurricular activities such as the Tolerance Troupe, Cynosure (yearbook), Venture (newspaper), Student Council, Poetry Club, and Peer Leadership, members of the English Department maintain a professional development commitment in many other areas.
These include teaching at several local colleges and universities, participating on the PA Standards and Reading Assessment Committee, serving on the local School to Career Partnership Council, in-servicing fellow and district faculty on using the PA Writing and Reading Rubrics, mentoring future educators as visiting practicum students or student teachers, working with other district personnel on the Professional Development and the Induction Committees, presenting the district’s new Professional Growth Plan at conferences in Denver and Indianapolis, and piloting the Professional Growth Plan. Implementation will be the next step as a sophomore English and social studies course will be offered and co-taught next year as the high school’s first “integrated curriculum” course.
At the beginning of the 2000-2001 school year, members of the English and Social Studies Departments will team teach a course offered to sophomores. This will be the first opportunity for teachers and students to “integrate curriculum” in a planned course format at Selinsgrove Area High School.