Why can't we accelerate English the way we (try to) accelerate math?

[Anonymous]

Acceleration works against racial equity.

[Anonymous]

9th grade: Honors English 9
10th grade: AP Seminar
11th grade: AP Lang
12th grade: AP Lit

Can also take AP Research in 12th

If your child isn’t in high school yet, apply to a Humanities magnet.

[Anonymous]

The MS Humanities magnets are central identification/lottery, as are the ES Centers. A student/family can't apply for these, and there are far too few seats to meet need.

The enrichments need to be available everywhere, and they need to be implemented with fidelity, consistent across schools, to a vision for meeting the associated need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very easy to read on your own outside of class. It's very hard to teach yourself math outside of class

Beg your pardon?

The main reason kids get accelerated math classes is because the students (and parents/tutors) aught them(selves) math outside of class.

It's even easier to read a book

Reading a book doesn't make a kid significantly better at English analysis and essay writing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Possibly AP Seminar in 10th grade in lieu of Honors English 10.

So whats the endgame? Equity Honors English dumbed down to non-honors English, and then school board pays College Board extra money just to bring back a true Honors English unde the AP brand name?

[Anonymous]

English literature isn't strictly linear or cumulative, so it's not necessarily beneficial to move through it faster – as it would be for math or even foreign language learning.

The best way to "accelerate" in English is have courses specific to those that love the subject (better class discussion) and that are strictly limited in size (more reasonable for the teacher to assign complex essays and offer feedback). I don't think MCPS does either of those.

[Anonymous]

Accelerate English to what/where exactly? At a certain point it's not about acceleration of English but choosing a focus or topic of study. That's why there are so many English electives.

The problem is not accelerating English further, its creating full year/semester electives that go towards graduation requirement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Accelerate English to what/where exactly? At a certain point it's not about acceleration of English but choosing a focus or topic of study. That's why there are so many English electives.

The problem is not accelerating English further, its creating full year/semester electives that go towards graduation requirement.

I'd say 'accelerate' English to the point of requiring actual research (with proper method, documentation, and citation), academic writing, multidraft editing, and formal presentation skills (not just reading disconnected commentary from the notes fields in Google Slides). Kids who find it comparatively easy to read a novel and dash off a character study or a comparison/contrast paper should be introduced to higher-level academic discourse sooner. Even AP doesn't do this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very easy to read on your own outside of class. It's very hard to teach yourself math outside of class

It's very hard to become a better academic writer without guidance on conducting research and constructing arguments, or a better creative writer without targeted study and feedback.

Dickens and Austen and the Brontes didn't have targeted study and feedback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rapid reader with a nearly photographic memory, can write and research appropriately, and is easily bored and under-worked in English courses where lots of other students are just messing around. If math can be accelerated, why can't English? Is the best we can do for DC to take AP Lang as a junior and AP Lit as a senior, or is there something earlier or better that is possible?

So work her harder.

Tell her to write longer, better essays.

Or join the yearbook club or contribute to the school newspaper. Become a critic for the Cappies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rapid reader with a nearly photographic memory, can write and research appropriately, and is easily bored and under-worked in English courses where lots of other students are just messing around. If math can be accelerated, why can't English? Is the best we can do for DC to take AP Lang as a junior and AP Lit as a senior, or is there something earlier or better that is possible?

I'm not sure what acceleration would do.

Once they run out of APs, what would they do for English at school?

Your DC could read harder novels and write independently if they love these things. They could apply to advanced writing summer programs. They could participate in drama club. They could take more history classes where students learn to to write analysis and can read related non-fiction and fiction books.

Does the school offer English elective classes? My kid spent a semester studying Western genre novels and film.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rapid reader with a nearly photographic memory, can write and research appropriately, and is easily bored and under-worked in English courses where lots of other students are just messing around. If math can be accelerated, why can't English? Is the best we can do for DC to take AP Lang as a junior and AP Lit as a senior, or is there something earlier or better that is possible?

So work her harder.

Tell her to write longer, better essays.

Or join the yearbook club or contribute to the school newspaper. Become a critic for the Cappies.

Those are great ECs for lots of reasons, but none of them will actually cultivate academic writing skills.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very easy to read on your own outside of class. It's very hard to teach yourself math outside of class

It's very hard to become a better academic writer without guidance on conducting research and constructing arguments, or a better creative writer without targeted study and feedback.

Dickens and Austen and the Brontes didn't have targeted study and feedback.

No, they had leisure, which allowed them to study by reading other literature, and to converse and correspond with others about writing and ideas. Coursework provides the same thing: the opportunity to dedicate separate time and effort to something that requires practice and refinement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a rapid reader with a nearly photographic memory, can write and research appropriately, and is easily bored and under-worked in English courses where lots of other students are just messing around. If math can be accelerated, why can't English? Is the best we can do for DC to take AP Lang as a junior and AP Lit as a senior, or is there something earlier or better that is possible?

So work her harder.

Tell her to write longer, better essays.

Or join the yearbook club or contribute to the school newspaper. Become a critic for the Cappies.

Those are great ECs for lots of reasons, but none of them will actually cultivate academic writing skills.

And you think APs do?

What do you mean by academic writing skills? You want to drill the creativity and joy out of the kid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very easy to read on your own outside of class. It's very hard to teach yourself math outside of class

It's very hard to become a better academic writer without guidance on conducting research and constructing arguments, or a better creative writer without targeted study and feedback.

Dickens and Austen and the Brontes didn't have targeted study and feedback.

No, they had leisure, which allowed them to study by reading other literature, and to converse and correspond with others about writing and ideas. Coursework provides the same thing: the opportunity to dedicate separate time and effort to something that requires practice and refinement.

AP coursework teaches them to write analysis that meets the requirements of the AP scoring rubic. Good writing is not a five paragraph essay.