AP English Programs

1. AP English Programs Grade 11: Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Grade 12: Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition

2. Certification The Roanoke County syllabus for each course has been approved by the College Board. Teachers have completed appropriate College Board training.

3. TEACHING STAFF Carol Brown (Language) Amy Ebel (Literature) Sally Miller (Language) Carrie Honaker (Literature)

4. About VASS Virginia Advanced Study Strategies Funded in part by NMSI, A National Math and Science Initiative of Virginia

5. Virginia Advanced Study Strategies Roanoke County has been accepted into this grant program for three years. Next year will be our final year in the program. The grant provides supplies, teacher training, student prep sessions and financial incentives to improve the number of AP exam qualifying scores of students in the member schools.

6. NMSI • http://nationalmathandscience.org/index.php/feed/rss.html

7. VASS-sponsored teacher training • One week in July with College Board readers and experienced/retired AP teachers • A fall weekend retreat in October with additional training and information NEW! A February essay scoring session to help teachers more accurately score their own students’ essays. • Vertical team meetings at the school level throughout the year.

8. VASS- Sponsored STUDENT PREP SESSIONS are taught by experienced and/or retired AP teachers. • FALL SESSION gives students an overview of the parts of the exam at a local high school TBA. • January SESSION is a MOCK EXAM at HVHS. • SPRING SESSION is a deconstruction of the mock exam at a local high school TBA.

9. Financial incentives • VASS pays for half of the cost of taking the AP exam. • Students who earn qualifying scores (3, 4 or 5) receive a $100 bonus. • Last year’s students received their checks this past November.

10. STUDY SESSIONS AP English teachers provide additional support to students on Tuesdays before or after school (or by appointment).

11. Analyze, analyze, analyze! • In AP English Language and Composition students learn how to read non-fiction text more closely in order to analyze how the writer achieves his/her purpose and reaches his/her audience. • In AP Literature and Composition students learn to read fiction and poetry more closely to analyze how authors use traditional literary devices to make meaning and evince universal theme.

12. COURSE MATERIALS • College-level Textbooks in each course • Class sets of practice workbooks • Vocabulary study

13. Course Materials • The New York Times online http://eedition.nytimes.com/ Username and Password: 200282788 • AP Central College Board website http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/2123.html • NYTimes Upfront Magazine • VA Dept. of Education SOL released tests (for Grade 11)

14. NMSI Teacher Resources • http://www.nmsiteachers.org/index.php?sid=1&ssid=15

15. Contact information • Sally Miller, AP English Lead teacher, smiller@rcs.k12.va.us • Carol Brown, AP English Language & Comp cbrown@rcs.k12.va.us • Amy Ebel, AP English Literature & Comp aebel@rcs.k12.va.us • Carrie Honaker, AP English Literature & Comp chonaker@rcs.k12.va.us

16. National English Honor Society America's first honor society was founded in 1776, but high school students didn't have access to such organizations for another 150 years. N E W ! Since then, high school honor societies have been developed in leadership, drama, journalism, French, Spanish, mathematics, the sciences, and in various other fields, but not in English.

17. The National English Honor Society (NEHS), founded and sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, is the only national organization exclusively for high school students and faculty who, in the field of English, merit special note for past and current accomplishments. National English Honor Society http://www.nehs.us/nehs/about/index.shtml

18. National English Honor Society The NEHS motto, "gelast sceal mid are*," is Old English for: "duty goes with honor." The motto represents one of the earliest forms of our language--it affirms and celebrates an obligation to use one's gifts in service to others. Service to peers, school, and community are part and parcel of the NEHS mission--and, indeed, in the grammatical structure of the Old English phrase, "duty" actually precedes "honor." *Pronunciation: yuh-lahst' shal mid ahr-uh http://www.nehs.us/nehs/about/index.shtml

19. National English Honor Society • We have many exciting opportunities already in the works for this Spring!!

20. Scholarship Opportunities • Category 1: Four-year College or University Scholarships • One National English Honor Society Scholarship (NEHS) for $4,000This scholarship is given in honor of Dr. William C. Johnson, Executive Director of Sigma Tau Delta in recognition of his dedication to the founding of NEHS. • Two National English Honor Society (NEHS) Council Scholarship for $2,500 eachThese scholarships are awarded by the NEHS Advisory Council to the students presenting the best essays that are judged to be in second place. • Four Sigma Tau Delta Scholarships, each in the amount of $1,500These scholarships are funded by Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society for four-year colleges and universities, which is the sponsoring organization for NEHS. • Honorable Mention Stipends up to $1,000These awards will be given to those students participating in the scholarship process whose essays merit recognition even though the writing does not rise to the finalist category. The award amounts will vary based on the recommendations of the NEHS Advisory Council. • Category 2: Two-year Community College Scholarship • This category provides one $500 scholarship to a graduating senior who plans to attend a community college and is provided by Sigma Kappa Delta, the two-year college English honor society. http://www.nehs.us/nehs/about/index.shtml