English

As a department, our goal is to help students become life-long learners who have the knowledge, skills and attitudes to function thoughtfully, actively, and thus effectively in their personal, social, and work lives.  We use a variety of materials and strategies for accomplishing this goal including interdisciplinary work with other subject areas.

In English classes, students collect evidence of their increasing skills and knowledge in a portfolio, which will contain exemplary pieces of writing of many types in order to demonstrate proficiency.  The portfolio serves as a record of an individual's development, highlights areas for improvement over the course of time, and provides a demonstration of writing competency by the time a student graduates.  Completing a portfolio at an acceptable level is a course requirement each year and will be reflected in the grade.

Use of a portfolio:
• Evidence of students' increasing skills and knowledge
• Contains exemplary pieces of writing of many types in order to demonstrate proficiency
• Serves as a record of an individual's development, highlights areas for improvement over the course of time, and provides a demonstration of writing competency by the time a student graduates 
• Completing a portfolio at an acceptable level is a course requirement each year