ENGLISH IV is a required full-year five-credit course which consists of three program tracks: Advanced Placement and A and B levels. These program levels are differentiated by depth of content, instructional processes, student expectations, and time devoted to each major skill unit. The A level is designed for students who plan to attend four-year colleges. The major focus of this track is British literature with written compositions infused into reading selections. If time permits, an introductory overview of world literature is included in the curriculum. Other units of study include the following: research writing, grammar, editing and proofreading, vocabulary development, test-taking skills, career exploration, and critical thinking skills. In addition, other major assignments include literary analysis papers and periodic compositions. The B level program addresses the academic needs of students who plan to attend two-year or four-year postsecondary institutions and those who are entering the military or work world. The course content, with the exclusion of world literature, is identical to the A level but includes an extensive unit on careers and job skills and does not include the breadth and acceleration of coverage which is typical of the A track. A research paper or literary analysis paper is required for graduation for every level of senior English. Students also participate in a final culminating Service Learning project. The curriculum addresses but is not limited to, the Common Core Standards and PARCC assessment. Student grades are based primarily on tests, quizzes, composition writing, independent readings, homework, projects, class participation, notebooks, marking period assessments, and research /position papers.
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