Examines the current curriculum debate between revisionist (liberal) and revanchist (conservative) theorists. Argues that critical and self-critical interactions on both sides are needed to promote intellectual consideration of the problem of curriculum design. (MM)

Resisting the notion that there is a single English language arts curriculum that all schools can or should follow, this book focuses on processes for designing, implementing, and evaluating curriculums suited to the needs of individual schools and students. Part 1 of the book (The English Language Arts Curriculum in the 1990s), provides the…

Describes how the English department at Merrimack College set out to revise the English curriculum as a participant in the MLA-FIPSE English Programs Curriculum Review Project. Shows how the faculty redesigned the curriculum, and articulates two strategies marking the successful phases of the process. (HB)

Considers how to keep students engaged in the disciplines of English--literature, composition, and language study--in an era of MTV, video games, and the Internet. Discusses ways of ensuring the cohesiveness of the curriculum and instruction. Suggests using diverse perspectives to deepen discussion and enhance learning. (SG)

In designing a course for teaching English as a second language, it is imperative for a curriculum planner to know the present academic attainment and the desired level of performance of the students at the end of the course. The curriculum planner must take sociological, linguistic, psychological and pedagogical factors into consideration. The…

Intended for use by those who have direct responsibility for providing leadership in the area of English, this monograph provides a process for improving the English curriculum in a way that is true to the intellectual and emotional needs of students while meeting society's expectations for a practical curriculum. The monograph begins with a…

One of the major problems with the English curriculum is that literature, language, and composition, the three major strands of the curriculum, have been separated rather than integrated within the curriculum. This inservice program, which was given for English teachers at Niles High School in Skokie, Illinois, advocates the use of conceptual or…

Discusses the standards controversy as it relates to school curriculum. Discusses studying curriculum in action. Characterizes curriculum as a domain for conversation. Outlines four general principles for curriculum evaluation: quality of contributions to the conversation; quantity of material to be dealt with; relatedness of the contributions to…

Presents the perspectives of five experienced high school English teachers on how the threat of censorship influences their selection of literary works and their teaching methods. Claims teachers need strong support from administrators and professional organizations in order to present a culturally diverse literature curriculum. (NH)

This paper discussed using vertical teaming as a way to organize multi-year curriculum planning for academically talented adolescents. Vertical teams include educators from different grade levels in a given discipline who work cooperatively to develop and implement a vertically aligned program aimed at helping students acquire the skills necessary…

Offers recommendations for curriculum renewal, indicating the major ways each of the four major disciplines (secondary English, social studies, mathematics, and science) can improve by the year 2000, and presenting an incremental strategy for achieving such gains. (SR)

Curriculum development efforts for English instruction over the past 20 years are reviewed, and an "inside-outside" approach that uses the structure of the discipline, or its inner core, to guide curriculum development is suggested. Three principles--metaphoric thinking, writing as reconstruction of experience, and language in context--would…

This guide provides junior high school and senior high school educators with descriptions of specific techniques for teaching language arts skills, suggestions for planning units and elective courses in the language arts curriculum, and models for changing the English curriculum. Specific topics discussed in various sections of the guide are (1)…

Intended to provide the schools of California with a standard for assessing their existing writing programs and a tool for designing new programs, this handbook addresses both the content and the teaching methodology of a writing program. Sections of the handbook provide (1) background information on the teaching of writing; (2) a discussion of…

This document describes the basic education program for the state of North Carolina, as revised by the North Carolina State Board of Education. The first section describes a fundamentally complete program of instruction that would give the student a thorough grounding in the following areas: the arts, communication skills, healthful living,…