Our goal is for each Centennial High School graduate to demonstrate proficiency in reading and writing comprehension and analytical skills in order to enjoy success in both academic and occupational settings.  The most successful way to reach this goal is by approaching English as one course for each of   four years. 

Outside reading enhances the core English curriculum, for the students not only increase their reading skills but also encounter a variety of literary works.  Therefore, we will require students to read a minimum of two outside assignments each semester.  According to Williamson County Board of Education policy, the Centennial High School English Department will provide alternate selections when requested.

Students are responsible for securing the summer reading list.

Students must complete four years of English and pass the English II Gateway examination to graduate.

ENGLISH LEVELS:

English courses at all grade levels offer the opportunity to acquire sophisticated literary and writing skills designed to prepare students to enter the world of work, technical school, or college.

Honors English courses at all grade levels provide a challenging workload and pace for those dedicated to outstanding achievement.

Advanced Placement courses offered at the junior and senior levels are designed for students who display records of academic success and commitment to excellence in the study of the English language and literature.                                         
 

Ninth Grade

English I 
Grade Level:  9
Credit:  1 (full-year)
English I explores in depth the major genres of literature:  short stories, poetry, drama, and the novel.  Students study literary terms, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as the four major types of writing: narration, exposition, description, and persuasion.  The research process concentrates on the steps necessary to produce the final product:  an expository paper.

English I Honors
Grade Level:  9
Credit:  1 (full-year) Teacher Recommendation
This course covers the elements of the English I standard course; however, students read additional works, cover more advanced vocabulary, and explore complex facets of literature in greater depth.  Honors students work toward developing a sophisticated level of composition and investigating creative problem-solving techniques.

Tenth Grade

English II
Grade Level: 10
Credit:  1 ( full-year)
Successful completion of English I 
English II explores the wide range of literature from around the world.  Students learn differences and similarities that exist in literary history, and they are encouraged to investigate the resulting cultural diversity.  The writing for the course emphasizes a progression of the skills learned in English I.  The Gateway Language Arts will be the 2^nd semester final examination.

 English II Honors
Grade Level: 10
Credit:  1  (full-year)
Successful completion of English I &
Teacher Recommendation                
This course examines the human experience through literature of the classical and modern world.  The Reader Response approach delves into literature from various regions and serves as a catalyst for critical and interpretive composition.  The research paper focuses on the exposition of a situation with global impact.  College prep vocabulary is a core element of the curriculum.  The Gateway Language Arts test will be the 2^nd semester finals examination.

Eleventh Grade

English III
Grade Level: 11
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Successful completion of English II
English III students survey American literature in order to achieve an appreciation of the stages of literary history of the United States.  While composition begins with an emphasis on previously mastered skills such as paragraph/essay construction and various types of exposition, it emphasizes an upward spiraling of skills toward mastery of persuasion, analysis, and introductory evaluation.  Students hone grammar skills and study an increasingly advanced ACT/SAT-based vocabulary program.  The research paper is persuasive and analytical in nature and is based on student interest and teacher guidance.

English III Honors
Grade Level: 11
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Teacher Recommendation &
Successful completion of English II
English III Honors surveys American literature.  The course will substantially exceed the expectations of English III.  Composition will include narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive, and creative papers.  The application of grammar in the editing and correcting of mechanical errors will also be taught.  Students will write a research paper.  The research paper, both persuasive and analytical, encourages students to broaden their exposure to an American writer of their choice.

English III Advanced Placement Language & Composition
Grade Level: 11
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Teacher Recommendation
Students in English III Advanced Placement Language and Composition will master the goals and objectives of the English III Honors curriculum as well as focus on the development of skills emphasized in a typical introductory course in college composition.  According to College Board guidelines, students will become “skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts” and skilled writers who compose “prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers.” Writing assignments throughout the year will develop skills in self-reflection, elements of the writing process, rhetorical modes and strategies, and critical thinking.  The workload and pace reflect the design of this college level course; thus, the reading and writing assignments are substantial.  Students are strongly encouraged to take the College Board AP exam.  (http://apcentral.collegeboard.com).

Twelfth Grade

 English IV
Grade Level: 12
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Successful completion of English III
This course is a survey of British literature.  Both thematic and historical aspects of the subject matter are addressed.  The literature provides the basis for the study of vocabulary, and composition stresses critical and creative writing.  The research paper represents a literary analysis of a subject appropriate to British literature.

English IV Honors
Grade Level: 12
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Teacher Recommendation
Students in English IV Honors study the themes and history of British literature.  They move from writer-based to reader-based composition and focus on self-editing in an effort to elevate their writing to the college level.  The research paper utilizes the skills the students have accumulated over their high school career and culminates in an in-depth analysis of a facet of British literature.

Advanced Placement Literature & Composition
Grade Level: 12
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Teacher Recommendation
British Literature forms the core of the senior AP English class; however, supplemental works from around the world are studied as well.  Composition includes all forms of writing, and the research paper is analytical in form.  The workload and pace reflect the design of this college level course. Thus, the reading and writing assignments are substantial.  Students earn high school credit and may earn college credit by performing well on the College Board AP exam in May.

ENGLISH ELECTIVES

ACT Review English & Reading
Pending State approval
Credit:  .5 a semester course (fall)
This course provides students with skills and competencies needed to be successful on the English/Reading ACT.  Students will become familiar with the format and the scoring of the ACT, cover English and Reading standards useful for the ACT, learn test taking skills, and receive individualized instruction to improve scores.

 Content Area Reading (Read 180)
Credit: 1 (full-year using 2 periods)
Placement based on Testing & Recommendation
Students learn, practice, and internalize comprehension strategies that are essential life-long learning skills for reading, writing, understanding, and interpreting content specific materials.  The strategies will be applied in the academic content areas.

 Creative Writing
Grade Level: 10^h - 12^th
Credit: ½  credit (fall semester class)
English Teacher Recommendation
Creative Writing allows students to promote self-expression, to explore various writing styles, and to strive for variety in diction, sentence structure, and format.  Goals of this class include helping each student become a better writer, thinker and a more effective communicator through the sharing of thoughts and ideas.  Students will be given the opportunity to develop their creativity through additional shared writing experiences.

Film as Literature
Grade Level: 10^th – 12^th
Credit:  ½ credit (spring semester class)
Film as Literature is a semester course that includes viewing and studying such classic films as Citizen Kane, On the Waterfront, Rebel Without a Cause, etc.  The course will explore the art, language, and creators of film.  This course requires a critical and an analytical approach to discuss films and to write about films.

Great Books
Grade Level:  10^th – 12^th
Credit:  ½  credit (fall semester class)
Great Books is the study of texts from the time of the Greeks to the present that are considered essential reading for the well-educated individual.  The class aims to develop careful, analytical reading; thoughtful discussion; and competent, well-reasoned writing.  Selections of texts range from classical writers such as Homer and Aristotle to the writings of 19^th and 20^th century authors such as Freud, Kant, and martin Luther King, Jr.

Journalism
Grade Level:  10^th – 12^th
Credit:  1 (full-year)
Journalism provides a focus on contributing and maintaining the school newspaper and other published forms of communication to our school community.  Students may also take the newspaper directed study class for no credit to be more involved with the newspaper process.

Speech
Grade Level:  10^th-12^th 
Credit: ½ credit (spring semester class)
To become a more effective communicator, students will prepare ideas in an organized format, speak clearly with confidence and poise, and listen critically to others.  Students will develop the skills to generate ideas, research topics, organize information, and prepare for oral presentations.  Voice and diction techniques will be explored, as well as effective storytelling and other forms of oral communication. Students will have numerous opportunities to speak before the class. 

Consulting and/or Direct Services through Student Support Services are available through an IEP for:  English I, II, III, IV