Advanced Placement English is a rigorous course designed for students who have already demonstrated superior literary analysis and writing skillsand who wish to prepare for the AP Exam in Literature and Composition administered in May. Of course, passing the test allows astudent, in most cases, to earn college credit for the class. (Be advised,however, that some universities do not recognize such courses.) As a college-level course,then, the reading and writing requirements are quite demanding; it is not,for example, beyond the realm for 200 pages of reading, plus composition/project assignmentsto be given in a single week.

According to the College Board, which administers the U.S. AP program,"Reading in an AP course should be both wide and deep...[Students] shouldread deliberately and thoroughly, taking time to understand a work’s complexity, to absorb its richness of meaning, and to analyze how that meaning is embodied in literary form.....should [also] consider the social and historical values [a work] reflects and embodies."

Furthermore, students will be expected,beyond writing "clearly andcogently...[to] develop stylistic maturity...characterized by the following:

• a wide-ranging vocabulary used with denotative accuracy and connotative resourcefulness;
• a variety of sentence structures, including appropriate use of subordinate and coordinate constructions;
• a logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques of coherence such as repetition, transitions, and emphasis;
• a balance of generalization with specific illustrative detail; and
• an effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, maintaining a consistent voice, and achieving emphasisthroughparallelism and antithesis.

In addition to advanced study of literature and composition skills,students will explore, though to a much smaller degree, philosophy, art,and music to enhance their understanding and enjoyment of literature andto encourage them to become more aware citizens of the world.

In other words, AP English is a harrowing "ride." Students with daunting academic and/or extracurricular loads might consider getting out of the lineand enroll in English 12A, instead. To do so is not a cowardly act, but rather,in some cases a wise and courageousone. Students and their parents should carefully discuss this matter.

Course Content (tentative): Withthat said, the following worksand subjects will be studied in depth: TheIliad , Plato’s Republic (excerpts), Canterbury Tales, Hamlet , Othello(and possibly King Lear. Crime and Punishment,

Heart of Darkness, Brave NewWorld,1984 , Modern poetry.Other works may be added as deemed necessary.

Students are also required to read 750pages PER QUARTER from a masterlist tied into the AP program.

Writing Component: This coursewill focus on three major types of writing: literary analysis, the collegeapplication essay, and persuasive composition (the last subgenre, if it iseven to becalled that, has been included at the request of former MSJ studentswho arenowin college andtell us they could use more exposure to this formof writing.)

Cost: A fee of approximately$75 will be charged for books and some enrichment activities. A further examination fee will be charged later in the term. If this is going to present a financial hardship for your family, please contact me after receiving an explanatory letter from the AP teachers.

Other: A major senior projectwill be due a week before the end of school in June. More details will be forthcoming.

Essays = 50%

Tests = 30%

Homework/Participation=20%

Be advised that, on average, only athird of AP English students receive an A for the course. Actually, this average is much more generous than the percentage of A’s bequeathed in, say, Cell and Molecular Biology classes at Berkeley, where scarcely the top tenth receive A’s, and combinedA’s and B’s constitute only athirdof the grades awarded. (I deceive you not.)

Attendance: REGULAR ATTENDANCEISA MUST, particularly on project/paper/exam due dates. Remember: Despiteonerouscourse/extracurricular loads and acute attacks of Senioritis, studentsare expected to attend AND PARTICIPATE IN  class. Any shortcomings,patternsof  tardiness/absence will be dealt with  harshly by boththe instructor andadministration. Far and away, college instructors allowmake-up exams/latepapers ONLY if  the student present sa doctor’sexcuse or obituary fora relative. Parents are asked tohelp their studentbecome college-ready byrefusing to write/offer "soft" excuses.

Make-up Work: Students have onlyas many days to make up work as they have EXCUSED absences. If an exam ismissed on a one-day absence,the student is expected to make up an alternateexamIN CLASS on the nextday. This is only fair to students who have takenthetest on time. Again, patterns of absence will be dealt with swiftly. LATE WORK (NOT from an excused absence) will be accepted with the following penalties: 50% off the firstday late and an additional 10% score reduction for EACHsubsequentlate day on the assignment.

PLAGIARISM: Copying from anothersource, whether it be froma fellow student, website, professional journal,etc., without providing legitimate credit will be grounds for an F on the  assignment and precipitate  administrative action. At the university level,theconsequenceis almost always an F for the course and possible expulsion. Plagiarismisnot only dishonorable but also extremely costly.

TEACHER CONTACT: I am usuallyavailable immediately after school for consultation. If more than fifteen ortwentyminutes of my time is needed,please let me know a day ahead. Parents,my voicemail number is 3107. Feelwelcome to ring me, but be sure to tell mewhen you are likeliest to be available.Thanks.

Closing Comments: While this coursedescriptionmay seem rather grim,and for some students the class may proveto be a bitof a slog through the Slough of Despond, for others it may proveto be, ifnot a romp, at leasta bracing trek to the

Elysian Fields. At any rate, I harborfond wishes for a stellar year for us all.