Standards Administrator for ELA and Social Studies
165 North Columbus Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10553
Telephone: (914) 665-5226
Fax: (914) 665-6502
Department of English (9-12)
The Mount Vernon City School District Department of English at the secondary level is primarily responsible for the curriculum, instruction and assessment of the New York State ELA standards and performance indicators. The goal of our District's ELA Program is to develop students' literacy through the study of a multicultural body of works representative of the literary heritage of our diverse student body. Our ELA Program at the secondary level offers all students opportunities to examine and appreciate this rich heritage through the use of the balanced literacy and Shared Inquiry instructional model. Research has shown that reading widely is an important factor in academic success. By reading works that are challenging in thought and style, our students strengthen the skills needed to use and acquire information accurately, respond critically, develop literary response and aesthetic appreciation and make informed judgments about texts. Such skills are vital for meeting all the state standards and participating in our democratic way of life. The study of literature promotes the development of strong communication skills, intellectual discipline, and the open-mindedness and flexibility required for the world of work and for life-long learning.
District Policies
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ELA Grading Policy (9 - 12)
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Set-Up of ELA Classroom (9 - 12)
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ELA Classroom Aesthetics (9 - 12)
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ELA Instructionalal Foci
Coherent Lesson Design, Questioning Techniques, Assessment
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Spiraling of Art Curriculum
A spiral curriculum is promoted as allowing students to revisit a subject matter's content at the different levels of development of the subject matter being studied.
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Homework
In order to learn and to practice new concepts, homework is given EVERY day.
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ELA Portfolio
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Curriculum Guides (9-12)
Test Review
Lesson objectives must connect to assessments. These assessments items should be embedded within the lesson (Do Now, Mini-Lesson, Applications and Summary). These items should not be taught in isolation.
