High School English Curriculum for Private and Independent Schools
ELA Complete – High School is a grades 9–12 English curriculum that private and independent schools can use to give their upper school English courses a written structure. It provides 100+ resources on literary analysis of short stories, novels, drama, poetry, essays and speeches, plus multi-paragraph narrative, informative, argumentative and analytical writing. It downloads instantly, so the department can review it before the term begins.
See the English curriculum →ELA Complete – High School, from $149.90, is a digital English curriculum for grades 9–12. It teaches literary analysis across short stories, novels, drama, poetry, essays, speeches and nonfiction, focusing on theme, characterization, symbolism, structure, rhetoric and point of view. Writing covers narrative, informative, argumentative and analytical multi-paragraph essays from planning through editing. Private schools decide credit and accreditation matters themselves and should confirm the fit with their own requirements.
The curriculum
ELA Complete – High School, Grades 9–12
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
Upper school English without a shared framework
Independent high schools pride themselves on English, yet the course often lives in individual teachers' heads. English 9 might mean close reading of poetry one year and a novel-heavy survey the next, depending on who teaches it. That freedom is part of the culture, but it creates problems. Analytical writing standards drift between sections, so a junior can write a strong personal narrative but has never built an argument about symbolism across a full essay. College counselors and parents ask for evidence that students are being prepared for college-level writing, and the school struggles to describe a common thread. Small departments of one to three teachers cannot spend a summer writing a shared framework. Then there are transitions. A new hire needs to know what students already learned about rhetoric and point of view, and a student transferring in mid-year needs to catch up on how this school expects a thesis to work. What helps is a structured spine for analysis and essay writing that leaves room for each teacher's chosen texts, so the department speaks one language about theme, structure and evidence.
Why it fits
What it adds to an independent school English department
The curriculum supplies common ground while each teacher keeps their literature.
- Analysis lessons on theme, characterization, symbolism and structure work with any novel or play you assign.
- Rhetoric and point of view units strengthen how students read essays and speeches.
- Analytical essay instruction prepares juniors and seniors for college-level writing expectations.
- One planning-to-editing process gives every section the same vocabulary for revision.
- Drama and poetry lessons cover genres that novel-based courses often skip.
- A written structure helps new hires and transfer students get oriented quickly.
Getting started
Bringing it into your department
This is one way a small English department might adopt it over a few weeks.
- Map texts to analysis skillsList the major works taught in each grade. Next to each, note which curriculum lessons on symbolism, structure or rhetoric fit, so skills follow the literature you already teach.
- Agree on one essay modelChoose the curriculum's multi-paragraph analytical essay structure as the department standard. Every teacher grades thesis and evidence the same way. Post the model in every classroom so students see it in each section.
- Add a poetry or drama unitIf a grade has no poetry or drama, schedule one of those units this semester. It broadens the program without replacing a beloved novel. Students hear new voices in literature.
- Run a nonfiction rhetoric lessonTeach a speech or essay analysis lesson early in the year. Students practice point of view and rhetoric on short, focused texts. Rhetorical terms carry into every later text.
- Share a summary with counselingGive the college counselor a short description of the writing and analysis skills taught each year. It supports accurate school profiles and recommendation letters. Update it each spring.
Which version
Choosing your version
The $149.90 version with 100+ resources is the full high school English course. The $189.90 version adds Teach-Life-Balance, a digital course with a planner, guides and templates for managing workload. English teachers carrying heavy essay grading and advisory duties may find it worthwhile, but it contains no literature or writing content. If you or your colleagues also teach middle school English, buying ELA Complete – Middle School with TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off and makes the grade 6–12 writing process continuous.
Honest limits
What it does not do
Full novels and plays are not included; your school keeps its own reading list. It is not an AP Language or AP Literature course. Credit, graduation and accreditation decisions belong to your school, so review the units against your requirements before publishing course descriptions. Department use needs a short message to Teach Lessons first. If it is not a fit, you have 7 days to exchange it for store credit of equal value, not a cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it standards-aligned or approved for high school credit?
Teach Lessons does not claim alignment with Common Core or any state standards, and no accreditor or standards body has endorsed it. It is written for U.S. high school English classrooms. Whether it supports a credit-bearing course is for your registrar or academic dean to confirm against your school's requirements.
Does it replace our reading list?
No. It teaches analysis through short stories, novels, drama, poetry, essays, speeches and nonfiction, but it does not supply full-length books. The lessons on theme, symbolism and structure are designed to work alongside the texts your teachers choose. Your teachers can then focus on teaching texts they already know well.
Is it an AP English course?
No. It covers serious analytical and argumentative writing and rhetoric, which help students headed for AP courses, but it is not built around any AP framework or exam. Schools offering AP should plan those courses separately. Rotate the curriculum's shorter texts in where a unit needs more range.
Can it support several English teachers at once?
Use within your own school is possible once you send Teach Lessons a short message first. Each curriculum shares the same structure, so teachers working across grades can find their way easily. Public posting or passing files to other schools is not allowed. Check what your school wants first.
How do we handle a mixed-grade elective?
Each unit stands on its own or in sequence, and worksheets come differentiated. In a mixed-grade elective, assign the same text to all students and set more demanding analytical writing tasks for upperclassmen. Mention how many teachers and sections will use the curriculum, and Teach Lessons can explain what the licence allows.
Can our business office ask questions first?
Yes. Questions about school purchasing or about the licence for your department can be sent to Teach Lessons before you buy. The purchase itself happens online, with instant access afterward. Over a two-year cycle, rotating texts also prevents students from repeating material in consecutive years.
Give your English department a common thread
Check the contents on the product page, choose a version, and plan your semester with the full curriculum in hand.
See the English curriculum →