High school students must successfully complete four years of course work in Language Arts Literacy in order to be eligible for a high school diploma. Students who fulfill this basic requirement are also eligible to enroll in a variety of elective courses which will further enrich their language arts education.

Required course of study: The required course of study in Language Arts Literacy conforms to the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards.

Students in grade 9 pursue a genre approach to literature that includes, but is not limited to, a study of classical mythology, Shakespeare and Elizabethan England, Dickens and Victorian England, as well as the short story and poetry from various eras. Additionally, students develop a research thesis and write for a variety of audiences and in a variety of modes.

Students in grades 10 and 11 complete a two-year cycle of American literature that mirrors the themes and the time frame studied in the American History classes. Research reading and writing is included. The thrust of the writing program at this level is to prepare students for success on the HSPA and the SAT and to continue the students’ developmental writing skills.

Students in the twelfth grade can choose from one of four literary strands to meet their senior requirement: British Literature; World Literature; Philosophical Perspectives in Literature and Mystery and Literature: Poe to the Present. Students who are seeking the challenge of a college level class and who meet the prerequisites may opt for AP English in the senior year. Writing in the senior year focuses on the college essay and analysis of the literature and related films.

Elective program: The Language Arts Literacy program offers ten elective courses to students who meet the prerequisite requirements. These elective courses focus on the dramatic arts, journalism, college writing, creative writing and public speaking.