This piece explores historic trends in the standardization of English education. Beginning with the advent of NCTE in 1912 and continuing through the subsequent century, the article traces how "English Journal" has documented educators' approaches and attitudes concerning standardization.

This article investigates 100 years of articles in "English Journal" (1912-2012) that focus on teaching with or about communication technologies and media. Through a systematic analysis of 787 articles, many examples were found of methods that engage students in composing new media, not just analyzing it, and graphical representations of…

Standard histories of NCTE attribute the organization's beginnings in 1911 to rebellious teachers who opposed college entrance requirements imposed upon them by elite colleges and universities. This narrative offers an appealing account of NCTE's history. In this article, however, the author pursues a different line of historical inquiry by…

In this article, the author reflects on on his role in preparing English teachers. Leading into his twelfth year concerned with the art and science of teaching English, he wondered what exactly he could say or do to help them stick their toes in some uncertain waters. What could he say of an educational context bent on holding people--different by…

"Missing Chapters: Ten Pioneering Women in NCTE and English Education" is the first historical text to explore the impact women have had on English education. It is true that women have been a vital part of National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) since the Council's founding in 1911 when 13 of the 34 founding members were women. As part of…

In the May 2009 issue of "English Journal", we reported on our analysis of data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to provide a first look at changes in the teaching of writing over the past 30 years. In this article, we provide a more detailed look, drawing on data collected from visits to 260 English, math, social…

Discusses the need for English teachers to have an historical perspective on their profession. (DD)

Describes the early history of the NCTE and the "English Journal." (JL)

Considers the emergence of English as a separate high school subject beginning late in the 19th century. Describes the influence of the Committee of Ten, whose objective was to assure that students were prepared for college. (HB)

Discusses the academic reform movement, counter-culture humanists, the Dartmouth Conference, elective programs, and trends in the teaching of literature, film, and the popular arts. (DD)

Describes the history of behavioral objectives in the teaching of English and the controversy that has surrounded their use. (DD)

Describes efforts to reform and reorganize secondary English instruction in the early years of the twentieth century, efforts leading to the formation of the National Council of Teachers of English, and the publication of the "English Journal." (Originally published in a longer version in "School Review" in November 1969.) (DD)

Examines the origins and traditions of college entrance examinations and traces their effects on the profession, including the impulse that led to the founding of the National Council of Teachers of English. (DD)

Details the curricular reforms of the post-Sputnik era in American high schools, especially the national stampede to an elective curriculum in English instruction. Covers criticism of the movement and the profession's struggle to define English studies. Provides pros and cons of an elective curriculum. (HB)

Discusses the writings of Fred Newton Scott in the first quarter of the twentieth century, pointing out their applicability to English teaching today. (DD)