Literacy scholars have called for writing instruction to promote civic engagement, student agency, and multimodal composing. This study addressed this call by describing a research-practice partnership to reimagine writing instruction in a high school English course by incorporating human-centered design challenges. Using case study methods, we…

This article offers strategies for adjusting in-class curriculum to align with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and how to increase fluency with the demands of standardized tests. The implementation of the standards themselves, the inequality among school districts, whether the tests measure privilege over aptitude, the quality of…

In response to a request by the Secondary Education Sub-Committee of its Achievement Task Force, the Council of the Great City Schools surveyed its membership in the fall of 2007 to gather information on a variety of high school reform issues. An electronic file of the survey was emailed to the curriculum directors in each member district in…

Notes that the key to making nonfiction work in the classroom is to connect it to the basic curriculum set forth by the school. Describes how the author's use of nonfiction slave narratives grew out of her teaching of two works of fiction. Discusses how she teaches slave narratives as a separate unit. (SG)

Gives an overview of how curriculum design might best be undertaken. Provides unconventional suggestions for developing curriculum. (HB)

Describes the award-winning English curriculum of Monroe Catholic High School in Fairbanks, Alaska, which provides progressive movement through grammar, reading, writing, and study skills, while developing students' self-confidence and awareness of their role in the world. (DMM)

The purpose of this publication is to encourage and assist high schools in designing elective English courses and programs for grades 10 through 12. After pointing out the advantages and disadvantages of using electives, the discussion shifts to salient questions concerning the planning, construction, and implementation of elective courses and…

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is the process by which people develop the skills to recognize and manage emotions, form positive relationships, solve problems that arise, motivate themselves to accomplish a goal, make responsible decisions, and avoid risky behavior. The Collaborative for Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), at the University of…

A study of 178 secondary school teachers in the California was motivated by the passage of the Ryan Act of 1970, which eliminated the high school speech credential and subsumed it under the English umbrella. The result has been that the speech communication subject matter is expected to be integrated into the English courses in the state. The 1987…

Intended for teachers, administrators, members of school district governing boards, and concerned others, this model curriculum guide was developed to reflect the strongest possible professional consensus about the English-language arts content that every student in the State of California should be exposed to before graduating from high school.…

Noting that since 1979, the English course in Western Australian secondary schools has been reshaped into two separate courses--one for college admission and one in English literature--and that procedures for student assessment and examination have altered considerably, this volume reports on an extensive survey undertaken to discover how these…

Reports on a study that attempted to determine the current, actual place of Bible literature in high school English classes and the reasons that affect its place. Finds that Bible literature seems to play an extremely small role in high school literature programs. (TB)

The goal of a practicum was that high school students in non-academic 10th grade English classes would develop an understanding of and appreciation for cultural differences. The English teacher challenged herself, her peers, her students, and the general school population (a regional high school in a growing community in the northeastern United…

Tips on creating a course in film making, one that will help students master basic English skills. (RL)

Describes the designing of a parallel curriculum for ninth graders who are required to take both World Literature and World Cultures. Concludes that there are opportunities for both students and teachers to connect to the cultures of the world and better understand the people and their literature. (SG)