An appraisal of elective programs in the English curricula of American high schools during the last decade is presented. Elective courses are defined as programs at one or more grade levels which allow students to choose courses that appeal to them from a wide variety of offerings. The study is based on data from over 100 programs in 37 states. The examination proceeds from a discussion of the rationales for these programs to examinations of program structures, patterns of course offerings, course designs, methods and results of evaluation. It concludes with a discussion of some of the important problems and promises of elective programs. A bibliography; a list of schools contributing program guides, questionnaire responses and/or other materials; a list of schools to contact for information about their elective programs; and a copy of the questionnaire that was sent to the department chairmen participating in the study are also included. (Author/DI)