Writing Policy

 English Department Writing Policy

Good writing skills are critical for our high school students as effective communication is a necessary component not only in education, but also in the world and life. Because writing is used extensively in higher education and in the workplace, our students must be able to communicate well, using the forms of writing that serve them well, such as editorials, presentations, reports, research, proposals, memos, and literary analyses. However, the ability of students to express themselves creatively should not be understated. Crafting fiction, poetry, and narrative non-fiction has value and offers students ways to ponder, share, reflect and think critically on the deeper questions of life.  All forms of writing require skill, clarity, fluency, and precision, and while high school writing includes more practice with information and argument writing, fiction, memoir, and poetry are still important. While there are many different structures and strategies that can help students develop their writing skills, the most important is that students write every day for real purposes and real audiences and that they receive consistent and coherent writing instruction from knowledgeable and skilled teachers.  In grades 9-12, in Core English annualized classes students will write, reflect on, share, revise and publish their writing in a writing portfolio.  Each piece of writing is assessed with a rubric that measures achievement of Common Core standards in writing. 

 

Writing Portfolio Requirements:

 

Grade 9                      

Reading Autobiography

Poetry/Lyric/Haiku

Introduction to Literary Response

Descriptive Writing

Essay supporting claims/counter-claims of an argument

 

Grade 10

Summarizing/Precis writing

Poetry/Epic/Romantic

Literary Analysis

Argumentative Essay

Comparison/Contrast Essays

Guided Research-I-search Paper

Essay supporting a thesis

 

Grade 11

Literary Response and Analysis

Poetry/Free Verse

Persuasive Essay

Investigative Report of Information/Editorial

Essay in response to multiple sources of information that takes a supported position

 

Grade 12

College essay

Expository Writing

College and Career Writing

Literary Criticism

Resume/Cover Letter

Poetry/Sonnets

Creative Writing/Reflective Writing/MLA style Research Paper