The goal of the English department is to develop skilled and confident readers and writers. To that end the department teaches writing as a process and emphasizes peer review and revision and employs a reading pedagogy based in reader response and literary analysis. Courses move from foundation courses in the freshman, sophomore and junior years that provide a background in writing, literary genre, and close-reading to more specialized courses in the senior year. In addition to two AP courses, the department has rich and varied elective offerings. College Prep courses are designed to help students develop a thorough understanding of the fundamentals of a subject. Curriculum is presented at a deliberate pace, and class time is devoted to reading, discussion, skills development, and collaborative activities intended to enrich students’ open-mindedness and understanding of literature, non-fiction texts, and, to some extent, media. Honors courses are designed to engage the students who have a genuine interest in the subject matter. In an atmosphere that requires initiative and an accelerated pace with little repetition of previous work, students with demonstrated academic achievement and independence will expand their mastery and appreciation of the course content.

The department maintains a strong publications program through the high school newspaper and the literary magazine. The student-run Algonquin Writing Center fosters collaboration among peers to support growth in student writing across the curriculum.