Mission:
We will give students the tools and the motivation to analyze, interpret, and contribute to the world around them as higher-order thinkers.

Objectives:
We will collaborate as a department to assist our students in mastering language arts skills in order to become effective learners, critical thinkers and life-long learners. All students will be able to practically apply these skills in real life situations.

Core Beliefs and Commitments:

*We believe all students can learn at a high level.

*We believe we are responsible for exemplary performance.

*We believe in a student-centered approach.

*We believe in teacher collaboration.

English I	Students read contemporary and classic literature and use the literary skills they have learned to respond to their reading selections. They apply their grammar skills and practice elaborative writing. The application of skills and use of critical thinking to write and produce special projects is emphasized. This course follows the objectives outlined in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and students earn state credit.
ELI (English Language Institute)	The students in our ELI classes were not born in the United States and primarily speak another language at home. Our goal is to teach students to speak, read, and write in the English language. Students work in groups, pairs, with the whole class, and sometimes individually. Much attention is given to students to accelerate their language learning.
ESL (English as a Second Language)	ESL is designed to teach students with a limited amount of English how to speak, read, and write our language. The skill level of students in this class can vary. In order to prepare them for the next level of proficiency, and finally for graduation, they are asked to always participate in class, apply the learned skills, and give 100% effort. This course follows the objectives outlined in the TEKS, and students earn state credit.
Practical Writing	The focus for Practical Writing is to improve grammar and writing skills. Students review grammar skills, such as correct sentence structure, standard English usage, and proofreading for correct spelling, capitalization, and punctuation. They write personal and business letters, as well as other types of practical writing, and apply the learned grammar skills directly in their writing. This course follows the objectives outlined in the TEKS, and students earn state credit.
Reading Lab	Students in our reading labs are those who have demonstrated a need for improvement. Reading lab goals are to promote a life-long love of reading and accelerate learning so that students are reading on a ninth-grade level. This course follows the objectives outlined in the TEKS, and students earn state credit.