English

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

English 1 is the first year, required course for high school curriculum relating to the development of oral and written communication skills. A specific emphasis is placed on enhancing reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills through the critical interpretation of literature. Students will read and analyze literature, gain and refine a more complicated voice in their essay writing, and develop the speaking and listening skills needed in discussion.

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

English 2 is the second year course for the secondary language arts curriculum. Emphasis is placed on higher levels of student performance with more complex assignments. Students will more keenly develop higher level thinking skills, as well as be able to demonstrate the ability to critically analyze specific writing styles and more sophisticated pieces of literature. Closely following the California language arts content standards, students will hone their writing, reading, and oral language skills in English 2. Students will develop the speaking skills needed in both small- and large-group discussions; write essays of greater length and level of sophistication; demonstrate the proper use of the MLA format for all assignments; do research of a more in-depth nature with a broader range of sources and an original thesis; and read and analyze a higher level of literature in terms of language, literary elements, and thematic content.

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

English 3 is the third year required course for high school curriculum relating to the development of oral and written communication skills. Emphasis is placed on higher levels of student performance with more complex assignments and materials. Students will read and analyze literature of higher levels of difficulty in terms of language use and thematic content, use more precise language, do research of a more in-depth nature, develop the speaking skills needed in discussions, and write essays of greater complexity. Through their study of literature, students will also develop knowledge of and an appreciation for American literary traditions. The APEX online learning version of this course is a-g approved but NOT NCAA approved. APEX English 3 Course Description

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

The goal of the Expository Reading and Writing Course is to prepare seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. Through a sequence of 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. The APEX online learning version of this course is a-g approved but NOT NCAA approved. APEX English 4 Course Description

Recommended: A or B in 8^th grade English course

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

Honors English 1 is a combination of the first year required course for high school curriculum relating to the development of oral and written communication skills and a more advanced level of study designed to prepare students who intend to take Advanced Placement courses in later grades. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills are emphasized through the critical interpretation of literature. Students will read and analyze literary works, gain and refine a more complicated voice in their essay writing, and develop the speaking and listening skills needed in discussion. While enrolling in Honors English 1 does not guarantee admission to AP classes, the more rigorous training in analytical reading and writing will prepare students for a more advanced level of curriculum. Honors English courses follow the same standard and curriculum plan as regular English courses. The rate, depth, and complexity of material differ; honors students will read more novels and literary works, and write and analyze with greater sophistication. This course requires summer reading. This course is not given an extra grade point in the GPA.

Recommended: A or B in English 1

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

Honors English 2 is an intensified program that focuses on the areas of literary analysis, composition, and critical thinking. Instruction focuses on developing student proficiency in critical thinking, problem solving, creative thinking, and application of skills. The greatest differentiations between Honors English 2 and English 2 curriculum are its pacing and complexity, which combine to challenge students capable of higher-level thinking. In addition, summer reading and writing assignments are mandatory. Emphasis is placed upon state language arts content standards. Students will develop the speaking skills needed in both small- and large-group discussions; write essays of greater length and level of sophistication; demonstrate the proper use of the MLA format for all assignments; do research of a more in-depth nature with a broader range of sources and an original thesis; and read and analyze a higher level of literature in terms of language, literary elements, and thematic content. This course is not given an extra grade point in the GPA.

Recommended: A or B in English 2 or Honors English 2

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

This course earns students a weighted grade

This course fulfills the 11th or 12th grade English required course.

The AP English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer's purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Students are expected to take the AP English Language and Composition exam in May.

Recommended: A or B in English 2 or Honors English 2

Meets graduation requirements: E

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: b

This course earns students a weighted grade

This course fulfills the 11th or 12th grade English required course.

The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students should consider a work's structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. An Honors/AP course is differentiated from regular course in terms of student expectancies by the breadth and complexity of material covered in the course. Students are expected to take the AP English Literature and Composition test in May. This course requires summer reading.

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: pending approval for "b"

This course is a 9th grade required course designed to help students become skilled writers by engaging them in thoughtful writing that will extend across the content areas. Because the course is designed to integrate thinking, reading, and writing, students will become aware of writing as a process and deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to convey specific ideas. Students will learn skills necessary to write on demand with an awareness of structure, tone and word choice. Students will learn to choose strategies for specific writing prompts and become aware of the importance of audience. The course will include intensive study of essay structure and format, how to support a thesis statement, and how to integrate evidence into thoughtful commentary for various writing prompts.

Placement based on tests scores

Meets graduation requirements: E

This course provides a foundation that supports the needs of students whose academic performance, including proficiency in English language arts and literacy in reading and writing, is two or more years below grade level. The materials in this program are designed so students receive grade-level instruction while providing a rich curriculum supporting the five themes of the California ELA/ELD Framework: Meaning Making, Language Development, Effective Expression, and Content Knowledge. This course also includes a particular emphasis on academic vocabulary acquisition and reading comprehension, fluency, and foundation skills, if necessary.