Grade Level: 9
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: 1 English and 1 Elective

Course Overview: This program will be aligned with 9th grade standards for English 9 as well as provide additional reading support. Students will work with grade level material in the areas of informational texts, short stories, Greek mythology, and the novel. Shakespearean plays will be introduced. Students will be given the opportunity to complete narrative and explanatory writing samples and a reading work sample in preparation for graduation requirements. This is a two period class; students will receive core English 9 credit and intervention elective credit.

Grade Level: 9
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: None
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is designed for students who are successful working, reading, and writing at grade level. Students should have met or nearly met eighth grade reading and writing standards; if not, the student may be placed in English 9 Block by the Data Team. In English 9, students will improve their skills in both reading and writing; students will read and analyze non-fiction as well as a variety of literary genres including short stories, myths, drama, poetry, and the novel. Students will be given the opportunity to complete reading and writing work samples in preparation for graduation requirements. Writing includes the personal narrative and explanatory modes. Students will also prepare for demonstration of the Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test (taken junior year) or alternative assessments.

Grade Level: 9
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: Eighth Grade Instructor Approval or placement test; Smarter Balanced score of 2567 or better (Level 3); Writing Work Samples of Fours and Above
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is intended for highly motivated students who are accelerated in their reading and writing skills and have a desire to excel. Students should have exceeded or nearly exceeded standards on the Smarter Balanced reading and writing assessment and have writing scores of 4s, 5s, or 6s in all of the six analytic traits. Students will begin preparing for the complex writing tasks and analysis skills they will need in a college or university. Fiction readings include a genre approach to literature including an analytic study of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Homer’s Odyssey, and a classic novel. Students are required to read a novel from the college preparatory reading list on their own. Non-fiction texts will be read and analyzed as well. Writing includes personal narrative, explanatory, and explanatory with citations. Students will also prepare for demonstration of the Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test (taken junior year) or alternative assessments.

Grade Level: 10
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: None
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is designed to prepare students to meet graduation requirements and state standards in reading and writing. Students will develop explanatory and argumentative writing techniques and write on-demand essays to prepare for the state assessments. Students will also produce 2-3 mini-research projects. Students will also apply specific literary terms to produce written literary analysis responses. Readings include a genre approach to a broad selection of literary works: short story, novel, drama, and poetry. Reading non-fiction texts for information will also be included. Students will also prepare for demonstration of the Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test (taken junior year) or alternative assessments.

Grade Level: 10
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: English 9 or English 9 Honors with an A or B; Instructor Approval; assessment data analysis; Two Writing Work Samples with Scores of Four and above in all Six Traits (at least one of which should be an on-demand)
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is designed to prepare highly motivated students for the complex writing tasks and analysis skills they will need at a college or university. Students will produce writing in which they demonstrate ability with modes required for graduation, essays of literary analysis and poetry. A three to five page typed research paper based on a Modern issue is also required. Readings include a genre approach to literature with an emphasis on college preparatory texts: Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, poetry, Sophocles’ Antigone, and at least one classic novel. Students will also prepare for demonstration of the Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test (taken junior year) or alternative assessments.

Grade Level: 11
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: 2 passing Writing Work Samples; SBAC proficiency with scores of threes or above; Instructor Approval
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course further develops the critical thinking, reading, and writing skills necessary for post-secondary education. Students will undertake a broad survey of American literature, including several short stories and novels such as Of Mice and Men. Writing will include both on-demand and other essays as well as responses to literature and a position research paper. Students will also prepare for demonstration of the Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test.

Grade Level: 11
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: English 10 Honors with an A or B; Two on-demand Writing Work Samples with scores of fours and fives; assessment data analysis; Instructor Approval and at least one passing on-demand Reading work sample
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is designed to continue preparing students for the complex writing tasks and analysis skills they will need at a college or university. Readings include a comprehensive survey of American literature from colonial to contemporary times. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Of Mice and Men, and Catcher in the Rye are some of the novels studied. Students will produce argumentative, explanatory, and analytic writings. Writing work samples will also include responses to literature, as well as a required position research paper. Students will also prepare for demonstration of Common Core State Standards through the Smarter Balanced Test or alternative assessments.

Grade Level: 12
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: None
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course is designed to prepare students for the analytical thinking, analytical research, and types of writing required in a post-secondary setting. Readings are selected to encourage the student to develop a life-long appreciation of literature through a survey of British and American literature. Writings will include reflective and analytic responses to a variety of perspectives and genres: the novel, drama, short story, and non-fiction, including a study of Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, and a Shakespearean play. Students will produce personal, explanatory, argumentative, and analytic writings in preparation for college or university entrance. Students will also be given the opportunity to complete writing work samples for graduation requirements. A research recommendation report (process and product) is also required.

Grade Level: 12
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: English 11 Honors or English 11 with an A or B; assessment data analysis; a Smarter Balanced score of 2583 or better (level 3); proficient writing work sample scores at fours and fives including two on-demands; Instructor Approval
Credit: 1 English

Course Overview: This course prepares students for the analytical and evaluative research and writing required in college or university coursework. Readings include a comprehensive survey of English and World literature from ancient to modern times including selections like Beowulf, The Inferno, and Lord of the Flies. Students will produce personal, explanatory, argumentative, and analytical writings in preparation for college or university entrance. A position research paper (process and product) is also a course requirement.

Grade Level: 12
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: English 11 Honors with an A or B+; a Smarter Balanced score of 2682 or better (level 4); writing work sample scores that exceed (mostly fives and sixes) including at least two on-demands; Instructor Approval
Credit: 1 English
College Credit: Up to 9 UCC credits (WR 121, 122)
Other: Advanced Placement test for additional college credit

Course Overview: The AP portion of the course presents a college level study of literature in preparation for the English Literature and Composition Advanced Placement exam administered in May. The course begins with a traditional chronological study of the evolution of British literature from ancient times through the 18th century, then moves to a genre approach to British, American, and World literature: novel, short story, poetry, and drama. † Students who take and pass the AP exam with a score of three or higher may be granted college credit in literature at most colleges and universities throughout the United States. In addition, the course includes a college program of composition through Umpqua Community College (WR 121, 122). This nine-hour writing course is taught concurrently with the AP Literature course; students receive 9 college writing credits upon successful completion. †† Therefore, the successful student must be prepared and motivated to undertake two college courses in the time allotted for one high school credit. (Summer reading is assigned at the end of the junior year for completion prior to beginning the class in the fall.)

† The AP Literature & Composition portion of the course makes up the student’s high school grade, and that grade will appear on his/her high school transcript.

†† This portion of the course is for college credit only.

Grade Level: 11, 12
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: 2 passing Writing Work Samples; SBAC proficiency with scores of threes or above; Instructor Approval
Credit: 1
College Credit: 8 UCC credits

Course Overview: This course is a dual credit composition class offered through Umpqua Community College. Students successfully completing this course with a “C” or better will earn 8 college writing credits. The successful student must be prepared and motivated to undertake a focus on rhetorical reading, thinking, and writing as a means of inquiry through the first half of the course. The second half of this course will focus on argument, research, and multimodal composition along with metacognitive competencies understood through the lens of a rhetorical vocabulary.

Grade Level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: Year (Can be repeated)
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: 1 Elective

Course Overview: This course is designed to accelerate the reading of intermediate readers and increase students competency with the Common Core State Standards in reading. The focus of instruction will be on strengthening and applying effective strategies for decoding multisyllabic words, improving fluency, increasing comprehension across a broad range of literature and informational texts, parts of speech, grammar, application of higher order thinking skills, and pulling information and examples from text to support comprehension questions and improve writing skills. This class is a full year

Grade Level: 9, 10, 11
Length of Course: Semester
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: ½ Elective

Course Overview: This course is designed to provide a literacy-building environment for students. It will implement a balanced literacy program by teaching students reading strategies with rich and varied reading experiences, including fiction and nonfiction. Special emphasis will be given to comprehension, literary vocabulary development, and specific reading strategies. The class is not designed to replace regular English classes but as a supplement to enhance literacy skills

Grade Level: 12
Length of Course: Semester/(Can be repeated)
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: ½ Elective

Course Overview: This course is designed to provide reading intervention for struggling readers. In this class, students will receive weekly, individualized feedback on their reading while learning the specific skills necessary to become proficient readers. Special emphasis will be given to literal, inferential, and evaluative comprehension, vocabulary strategies, and English content terminology. The focus of this course is to prepare students to graduate by meeting the state standards by passing reading work samples. The class is not designed to replace regular English classes but as a supplement to enhance literacy skills.

Grade Level: 10, 11
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: 1 Elective

Course Overview: This course is designed to support students who are working towards meeting the state writing standards. Students learn reasoning skills that help them to understand what they see, hear, and read. Students will have the opportunity to improve their skills in the following areas: following directions, putting objects into categories, using clues to answer a question, finding and correcting unclear statements, drawing conclusions, writing formal deductions, using evidence to support a conclusion, understanding arguments and deciding whether they are valid, identifying faulty arguments and explaining why they are flawed, and writing clear, specific instructions.

Grade Level: 10, 11
Length of Course: Semester
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision *
Credit: 1/2 Elective

Course Overview: These courses are designed to provide writing intervention for struggling writers. Students will receive weekly, individualized feedback on their writing while learning specific skills necessary to become proficient writers. Special emphasis will be placed on the six writing traits: ideas and content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. In addition, students will work on skills including sentence and paragraph writing, as well as receive support for writing taking place in their regular English classes. This course is to be taken in conjunction with regular English classes.

Grade Level: 12
Length of Course: Semester/Year
Pre-requisite: Data Team Decision*
Credit: ½-1 Elective

Course Overview: This course is designed to provide writing intervention for seniors who have not passed the state writing test or two ondemand writing samples. Students will receive weekly, individualized feedback on their writing while learning specific skills necessary to pass writing standards. Special emphasis will be placed on the six writing traits: ideas and content, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. In addition, students will work on sentence and paragraph writing, as well as receive support for writing in their core English class. This course may be taken in conjunction with regular English classes.

Grade Level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: Year
Pre-requisite: B Average in Previous English Classes; Instructor Approval
Credit: 1 Elective

Course Overview: This introductory course is designed to prepare students for positions on the school newspaper, The Orange R. Topics covered include interviewing, journalistic writing, page design, layout, and desktop publishing.

Grade Level: 11, 12
Length of Course: Year (Can be Repeated)
Pre-requisite: Instructor Approval Only
Credit: 1 Elective

Course Overview: Journalism students are given the opportunity to put into practice their journalism skills as they publish the school newspaper, The Orange R.

Grade Level: 9, 10, 11, 12
Length of Course: Semester
Pre-requisite: None
Credit: ½ - 1 Elective

Course Overview: Creative Writing is a course designed for students who are self-motivated writers. The course includes the study and examination of the writing process; the how, when, and where of finding inspiration; online writing and digital-literacy; the copyediting and revising processes; polishing and publishing. This course will expose students to renowned contemporary writers, bloggers, and poets. It will immerse them in a variety of writing types and include numerous opportunities for students to create their own works, such as short-stories, character sketches, blogs, poetry, plays, graphic-novel shorts, and multimodal works.