Secondary English Language Arts
- Secondary English Language Home
- DESK Standards and Scales
- Graduation Requirements
- Book Evaluation Committee & Approved Lists
- Additional Resources
- About Us/Contact
Secondary English Language Home
Welcome to Secondary English Language Arts!
Here, you will find information regarding the standards and proficiency scales used in English courses, graduation requirements for ELA, our Book Evaluation Committee and forms, approved whole-class instruction lists material lists for novels, contact information, and anything else you may need.
Following are the priority standards that every English course in Davis County works from. For more detailed grade-level information, see the proficiency scales for each grade-level band.
Quote of the Month
"You must feed your mind with reading materials, thoughts, and ideas that open you to new possibilities." Oprah Winfrey
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Poem of the Month
Fall Leaves, Fall BY EMILY BRONTË
Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away; Lengthen night and shorten day; Every leaf speaks bliss to me Fluttering from the autumn tree. I shall smile when wreaths of snow Blossom where the rose should grow; I shall sing when night’s decay Ushers in a drearier day.
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DESK Standards and Scales
Proficiency Scales are broad descriptions of a student's general ability level on a specific standard. Teachers use assignment-specific and assessment-specific grading rubrics to determine a student's level from 0-4, on the proficiency scale. Through these scales, teachers, parents, and students are assured that the work they do in class helps them to develop important skills at high levels of thinking and mastery so that when they move on to the next level, students are prepared for any challenge. Each band has a unique set of scales built around the DESK Standards that are universal for all grade levels, featuring USBE state standards for that grade.
DESK Standards for English Language Arts
Davis English 7/8 Proficiency Scales
Davis 11/12 Proficiency Scales
ELD/Multilingual Learner Proficiency Scales
Supplemental Standards:
*These state standards are used to supplement the core standards in specific classes. Links are coming for all courses with supplemental standards as they become available through USBE.
Humanities
Creative Writing
Journalism, Speech, and Debate
Technical Writing
Graduation Requirements
Four units (four years) of English credit are required for graduation.
Three credits must come from the Foundation Courses and one from the Applied/Advanced Courses.
Grades 9-11 Options | English 12 Options | |
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English 9 (required)
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Full Year Options:English 12 May be a semester or full year:Journalism |
Semester Options:English 12 Writing |
*These courses can also be used for the one Applied/Advanced credit. |
Book Evaluation Committee & Approved Lists
Book Evaluation Committee
The primary purpose of the Book Committee is to review books requested by classroom teachers for approval for whole-class instruction at various levels throughout Davis School District.
We currently have four lists:
- 7+
- 9+
- 11+
- AP/CE/IB. Books on the AP/CE/IB books are to be used in those classes only.
Each year we have at least a few open positions on our evaluation committee, which we advertise through schools throughout the district. If you are interested, please feel free to submit an application each year in April/May to be considered.
- Committee Member Application
- Mission, Norms, and Procedures of the current committee
- Teachers: Submit a book for review
7+ Approved List 9+ Approved List 11+ Approved List AP/CE/IB Approved List
Additional Resources
Collections Textbook
Student Access to Collections Online
Our primary text and instructional anthology in secondary English Language Arts, Collections is available in print through students' classrooms and online at www.my.hrw.com. Students may easily sign in through Clever, as instructed in the link above, the direct website, or will access through Canvas as directed by teachers.
Parents may contact us in Teaching & Learning if they'd like to check out a copy of their student's current Collections anthology.
Research & Writing Assistance
Login Name: online
Password: school
Students may also login through the 'Quicklinks' tab on the home page, select 'students,' and then click 'Utah Online Library.'
OWL has the most up-to-date resources on research and essay formatting.
Writable is a versatile text editor that students may access to work on assignments made by their teachers in any subject. They will login through Clever or by clicking the 'all apps' list in their Microsoft 365 portal.
Scrible is an amazing research assistant all students may access through Clever or by clicking the 'all apps' list in their Microsoft 365 portal.
Sora/Overdrive: eBooks and Audiobooks
Overdrive (DSD Digital Library)
Username: school email
Password: PIN
Sora or Overdrive can also be accessed under the 'Quicklinks' tab under 'Tools' or the through Office 365 by logging in, clicking all apps, and selecting Sora/Overdrive.
ACT Review
Free ACT Practice Websites:
- Shmoop University
- Magic word: BEEHIVE
- From Shmoop's Utah page find your school. Register or login to your account
- 50 Strategies for ACT Test Day
- McGraw Hill ACT Practice
- Crack ACT
- ACT Test Prep
- Test Prep Review
- Number2
- Utah's Online Library
- Learning Express Library
- Search "ACT"
About Us/Contact
Michelle has been a teacher in Davis County for 16 years, at both the junior high and high school levels and has been serving as Secondary ELA Supervisor for three years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Weber State in English teaching and an MFA from Antioch University Los Angeles in Creative Writing. Before joining the Teaching and Learning department, Michelle taught at Northridge High, Centennial Junior High, and Fairfield Junior High. She has participated in training teachers for the Wasatch Range Writing Project, USBE, and Davis School District.
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Dana Kearl
dkearl@dsdmail.net
ELA Office Assistant
801-402-5146