J.E.B. Stuart High School moved into the minicourse elective program five years ago from an anthology-survey oriented English curriculum. The students are grouped into two levels, one offering minicourses for eleventh and twelfth graders and the other offering minicourses for ninth and tenth grade students, with some courses open to all of the…

Studies involving different populations were involved in this four-part evaluation of the impact of non-graded, multi-selective English on high school students. Study A involved students who consistently scored high or low in percentile gain in the four ability groups, to ascertain any pattern of courses selected, sequences of courses attended,…

Discusses the objectives and presents instructional materials for a course entitled Women in American Literature'' which attempts to introduce students to the concept of alternative life styles for American women. (RB)

Reports one high school's experiment in diversifying the English curriculum through the use of minicourses. The primary purpose of this study was to determine if this change in curricular structure made a difference in student achievement. Results are presented in tabular form and program guidelines are suggested. (SJL)

Intended as an English elective subject for senior high school students, this business English course guide provides students with the communication tools that can lead to success in the business world. Units cover the following topics: introduction to Business English (punctuation, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and use of reference tools);…

A study of how participation in English elective programs affected student achievement was conducted in four Florida high schools, two with traditional and two with elective English programs. Subjects were 495 high school seniors who had attended their schools for at least three years. Subject variables included academic aptitude, sex, grade point…

The objectives, programs, and procedures of the English department at Maine Township High School South in Park Ridge, Illinois, are set forth in this handbook. The 14 sections cover the following areas: the department philosophy; the community and the student body; the purposes and objectives of the district's educational program; departmental…

Intended for use by those who have direct responsibility for providing leadership in the area of English, this monograph provides a process for improving the English curriculum in a way that is true to the intellectual and emotional needs of students while meeting society's expectations for a practical curriculum. The monograph begins with a…

This research concerned two problems: (1) the development of economical procedures that any English department could use to examine the emphases on each area of English; (2) when the procedures were used to collect data in two schools, determining from the findings whether the criticism of elective programs was warranted. The methodology used was…

This paper argues that teachers of English may be reverting to a kind of doublespeak in elective English programs which reflects an unsteady knowledge of how to evaluate all English programs. The terms "elective" and "teacher specialization" are examined as they relate to the classroom experience. Labeling a course as an…

Focused on teaching by theme, the articles in this issue of the "Virginia English Bulletin," an NCTE affiliate journal, include "Theme-type Units: Background and Basis"; "Casting Shadows," which discusses science fiction; "War, Literature, and Kids: Blood Relations"; "Ethnic Heritage Studies for the…

This curriculum guide describes the nongraded, phase-elective English program of Newcomb Central, a small high school located in New York State. Following a brief rationale for the program, both the general advantages and the advantages to the student are listed. The seven phases of difficulty of the courses are then explained. The remaining bulk…

The purpose of this study was to examine and compare the academic achievement of students enrolled in an elective English program with the achievement of students enrolled in a traditional English program. The 320 subjects were eleventh and twelfth grade students at two New Jersey high schools, selected at random, and assigned to groups according…

In these opening remarks to conference attendees, problems faced by schools today, and in particular by English teachers, are recounted, and possible solutions are offered. These problems are: student disruption; school governance; student rights; relevance of curriculum; elective programs; student participation in course content selection;…