• English Courses:

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT (ELD) 1

    • Prerequisite(s): Non-English or limited English speaking ability or scoring at the appropriate level on the Summative ELPAC. 
    • The purpose of ELD 1 is to develop basic survival vocabulary, communication skills, and academic abilities in non-English speaking students. The course places emphasis on the development of language and communication skills, reading and writing skills, academic concepts and vocabulary, and life skills. Students will explore a variety of literature genre, learn cognitive academic skills (i.e. strategies for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, test-taking, critical thinking, and research), and develop their writing, grammar, language usage, mechanics, and spelling. Students will utilize technology and media to support the development of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Unit themes, essential questions, relevant literature, and extended learning activities also help to motivate students and increase multicultural awareness and appreciation. An ELD 1 Lab section is required for each ELD 1 course. The lab reinforces and supports the ELD course with supplementary materials and extended oral and writing practice.

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT (ELD) 2

    • Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of ELD 1 or scoring at the appropriate level on the Summative ELPAC and the Edge Program Placement test. 
    • The purpose of ELD 2 is to further develop vocabulary, communication skills, and academic abilities in non-English speaking students. The course places emphasis on the development of language and communication skills, reading and writing skills, academic concepts and vocabulary, and life skills. Students will explore a variety of literature genre, learn cognitive academic skills (i.e. strategies for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, test-taking, critical thinking, and research), and develop their writing, grammar, language usage, mechanics, and spelling. Students will utilize technology and media to support the development of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Unit themes, essential questions, relevant literature, and extended learning activities also help to motivate students and increase multicultural awareness and appreciation. An ELD 2 Lab section is required for each ELD 2 course. The lab reinforces and supports the ELD course with supplementary materials and extended oral and writing practice.

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT (ELD) 3 (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of ELD 2 or scoring at the appropriate level on the Summative ELPAC and the Edge Program Placement test.
    • The purpose of ELD 3 is to further develop vocabulary, communication skills, and academic abilities in non-English speaking students. The course places emphasis on the development of language and communication skills, reading and writing skills, academic concepts and vocabulary, and life skills. Students will explore a variety of literature genre, learn cognitive academic skills (i.e. strategies for reading comprehension, vocabulary development, test-taking, critical thinking, and research), and develop their writing, grammar, language usage, mechanics, and spelling. Students will utilize technology and media to support the development of vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Unit themes, essential questions, relevant literature, and extended learning activities also help to motivate students and increase multicultural awareness and appreciation. An ELD 3 Lab section is required for each ELD 3 course. The lab reinforces and supports the ELD course with supplementary materials and extended oral and writing practice.

    ENGLISH 1 (P)/ACCELERATED (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): A freshman level course; For Accelerated courses, the following criteria may be used: Teacher recommendation, and/or student choice.
    • English 1P is designed to continue the development of student skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course is college preparatory, with the curriculum based on the English Language Arts California State Content Standards and the CA Common Core State Standards. The course incorporate the various genre found in literature: short story, novel, drama, poetry, and non-\fiction. In addition, informational text and workplace documents are embedded in the chapter organization of the text. Strategies such as AVID, Marzano, and STRP (The Strategic Reading Project) are used to increase reading and critical thinking skills.

    ENGLISH 1 INTENSIVE (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Freshman level course; CST ELA below 325; Gates McGinite Lexile score between 400 and 849.
    • English 1 Intensive is a course that blends a rigorous English Language Arts Curriculum and support for struggling readers. This University of California A-G approved course will fulfill the B requirement. With the integration of Scholastic’s READ 180 Enterprise Edition and a college prep curriculum, comes a unique opportunity for at risk students to develop strong literacy skills, yet remain on track for university admittance. English I Intensive is a yearlong course presented in a daily 90-102 minute (specific to site schedules) instructional model. The research-based practices of whole group instruction, computer assisted support using READ 180 instructional software, small group instruction, and modeled and independent reading have a proven track record of improving students’ literacy skills. Integrated with grade level appropriate literature, students are able to transition their skills into the higher levels of learning for a college prep course.

    ENGLISH 1 INTENSIVE LAB

    • Prerequisite(s): freshman enrolled in English 1 Intensive
    • English 1 Intensive Lab is designed to continue the development of student skills in reading and writing and serves as a reinforcement class for English 1P Intensive. The READ 180 program will be used.

    ENGLISH 1 TRANSITIONAL (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): ELD 3 or testing (ELPAC and a diagnostic language test). Must be enrolled in English 1 trans lab concurrently.
    • Transitional English follows the format of English 1P. English 1 Transitional offers the student the opportunity to develop the skills in reading and writing that are necessary for success in English 1. English 1 Transitional includes a study of more advanced grammar, literature, and continues the heavy emphasis upon vocabulary building in context and listening/oral activities. English 1 Transitional is specifically designed for English Learners who can benefit from a second-language approach methodology. An English 1 Transitional lab section is required for each English 1 Transitional Course.

    ENGLISH 1 TRANSITIONAL LAB

    • Prerequisite(s): Enrollment in English 1 transitional
    • English 1 Transitional Lab is an extension of English 1 Transitional.

    ENGLISH 2 (P)/ACCELERATED (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): A sophomore level course: Successful completion of English 1P is recommended.
    • For Accelerated courses, the following criteria may be used: Teacher recommendation, completion grade in English 1 Accelerated, and/or student choice. English 2P is designed to continue the development of student skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course is college preparatory, with the curriculum based on CCSS Common Core State Standards. The course incorporates the various genres found in literature: short story, novel, drama, poetry, and non-fiction. In addition, informational and workplace documents are embedded in the chapter organization of the text. Strategies such as AVID, Marzano, and STRP (The Strategic Reading Project) are used to increase reading and critical thinking skills.

    Academic Language Development (ALD) 2

    • Prerequisite(s): Long-term English Learner (LTEL): EL for 6 years or more; 10th grader; ELPAC overall level at intermediate or below
    • ALD 2 is designed to continue the development of student skills in reading, writing, and oral development and serves as a reinforcement class for English 2P. The primary function of the course is to develop academic language skills for long term English Language Learners. Students enrolled in ALD 2 must also be enrolled in English 2P with the same instructor. This course shares the same core curriculum as English 2P, focusing on various reading skills aligned with English 2P’s core text, McDougal Littell Literature Grade 10.

    ENGLISH 3 (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): A junior level course: Successful completion of English 2P is recommended. For Accelerated courses, the following criteria may be used: Teacher recommendation, completion grade in English 2 Accelerated, and/or student choice.
    • English 3P focuses on a historical approach to the study of American literature and the continued development of student skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course is college preparatory, with the curriculum based on the California State Content Standards-English Language Arts and the CA Common Core State Standards. The course incorporates the various genre found in literature: short story, novel, drama, poetry, and non-fiction. In addition, informational texts and workplace documents are embedded in the chapter organization of the textbook. All students will write an editorial, an autobiographical/reflective narrative, a descriptive essay, an expository essay, a literary response, and a major research paper following MLA guidelines.

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION AP (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of English 2P Accelerated or English 2P.
    • This class is designed to aid students in developing an individual writing style adaptable to different occasions for writing in college. Included in the course will be examination and practice of specific kinds of writing and writing styles appropriate for various assignments. Students will study examples of recognized American authors as a basis for different writing experiences. One goal of Junior English Seminar AP is to enable students to pass the Language and Composition AP Exam at the end of the year. A high score on this exam makes it possible for student to receive freshman English credit for this course at many universities and colleges around the United States. Although the work is demanding, that fact is recognized in the grading system; most colleges allow a 25% bonus for all Advanced Placement grades (e.g. A=5 points; B=4 points; etc.) Emphasis is placed upon English literature and analytical writing.

    ENGLISH 4 (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): A senior level course: Successful completion of English 3P is recommended.
    • English 4P focuses on a historical approach to the study of British and World literature and the continued development of student skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. The course is college preparatory, with the curriculum based on the California State Content Standards for English Language Arts (CSCS-ELA) and the CA Common Core State Standards. The course incorporates the various genres found in literature: short story, novel, drama, poetry, and non-fiction. In addition, informational texts and workplace documents are embedded in the chapter organization of the textbook. All students will write a descriptive essay, a literary analysis, compare/contrast essay, a reflective essay, and a major research project.

    ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION AP (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of English Language and Composition AP or an "A" or "B" in Eng 3P is recommended.
    • This course is intended primarily for those students who plan to attend highly competitive colleges and universities. One of the important purposes of the course is to enable participants to improve the skills necessary to succeed on the Advanced Placement Literature & Composition Examination. A high score on this exam makes it possible for student to receive freshman English credit for this course at many universities and colleges around the United States. Although the work is demanding, that fact is recognized in the grading system; most colleges allow a 25% bonus for all Advanced Placement grades (e.g. A=5 points; B=4 points; etc.) Emphasis is placed upon English literature and analytical writing.

    EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING COURSE (ERWC) (P)

    • The goal of the Expository Reading and Writing Course is to prepare college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. Through a sequence of fourteen rigorous instructional modules, students in this yearlong, rhetoric-based course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. The cornerstone of the course—the assignment template—presents a process for helping students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts. Modules also provide instruction in research methods and documentation conventions. Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors and to apply those strategies in their own writing. They will read closely to examine the relationship between an author’s argument or theme and his or her audience and purpose; to analyze the impact of structural and rhetorical strategies; and to examine the social, political, and philosophical assumptions that underlie the text. By the end of the course, students will be expected to use this process independently when reading unfamiliar texts and writing in response to them. Course texts include contemporary essays, newspaper and magazine articles, editorials, reports, biographies, memos, assorted public documents, and other nonfiction texts. The course materials also include modules on two full-length works (one novel and one work of nonfiction). Written assessments and holistic scoring guides conclude each unit.

    JOURNALISM 1 (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Grade of "C" in Regular English.
    • The first year of journalism covers the techniques of writing news articles, editorials, feature articles, and headlines. The general makeup of a newspaper is studied. Students who hope to help produce the school paper should take Journalism 1 to gain background for Journalism 2, the class which trains the staff and produces the paper. Students should check with their counselors to see how journalism counts towards college entrance requirements.

    JOURNALISM 2,3,4

    • Prerequisite(s): Grade of "B" in Journalism 1 or instructor's approval.
    • A student with a genuine "nose for news" will find an opportunity to try his/her design wings at editing and reporting in Journalism 2, as it is in this class that the editorial and reporting of the school papers’ are trained. Students have an opportunity to actually edit, report and produce the school newspaper. In addition, they find out about the interesting careers in the newspaper field.

    DRAMA 1 (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Grade of "C" in Regular English. Drama 1 provides students with an opportunity to develop poise and personality by engaging in dramatic activities.
    • The course includes studying dramatic literature as well as giving sound training in the techniques of good acting, listening, and theatrical design. In addition to the regular class schedule, the class has extra-curricular requirements, especially during play productions. These intensive rehearsal periods require the actors' and staff members' after school time.

    DRAMA 2, 3, 4, (P)

    • Prerequisite(s): Drama 1 or instructor's approval.
    • These courses are open to students who show promise of further improvement in their dramatic ability. In these courses more extensive reading of plays is done, and play production is practiced. In addition to the regular class schedule, the class has extra-curricular requirements, especially during play productions. These intensive rehearsal periods require the actors' and staff members' after-school time.