Beyond Standards: Excellence in the High School English Classroom

by Carol Jago

"It's a crime," Carol Jago declares, "to let any studentswhatever their native abilitiesdrift through the school year without effort, without growth, without goals. Each student is capable of achieving excellence. But it requires a nurturing, vigorous classroom environmentnot the glass ceilings set by even the best of standards-based instruction." To help current and future high school English teachers create and maintain this kind of environment, Jago has created this groundbreaking book. Beyond Standards offers concrete ways to reconceive what it means to foster excellent performance in the classroom and vivid examples of student work that was motivated by the pursuit of excellence rather than by test scores. Packed with richly detailed classroom anecdotes, it explores the many ways teachers can select books, design lessons, and inspire discussions that can lead all their students to extraordinary achievements, both in the study of literature and in their writing assignments. Included are practical tips on everything from helping students self-edit their writing to "tricking" them into reading a lot more poetry. Beyond Standards may be seen as a series of storiesor "ethnographic studies"on how to make the work of the high school English class humanly and genuinely important to students so that they will engage in literate activity with the same kind of attention and effort as "real" writers. Under such conditions, Jago asserts, students will learn more and produce more useful and impressive products than any standards document could possibly anticipate.

124 pages, Paperback

First published January 17, 2001

About the author

Carol Jago is an American English teacher, author, and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. In 2016, Jago received the CEL Kent Williamson Exemplary Leadership Award from the National Council of Teachers of English.

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is an 11-year-old book, Jago's sentiments are apropos re: today's educational dilemmas. In our district, in the 11 years since the publication of this book, we are now ready to roll out a third set of standards, this time based on the national Common Core. Three Presidents later, each with his own educational agenda to promote excellence in the classroom--yet, our young people are still struggling. For me, Jago is preaching to the choir; I have always believed in excellence in my classroom--what makes her book valuable is that she shows how she fosters enthusiasm in her students despite all the baggage each brings every day. At the end of another exhausting and fulfilling school year, it is a joy to read Jago's words of encouragement. Bottom line for all educators: no matter what, don't lower YOUR standards.

[Janice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything this woman writes resonates with ultimate professionalism and a genuine love for literature.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm in line with Jago philosophically, so I enjoyed her take on helping take students beyond the standards. I appreciated her discussion of classroom activities and inclusion of student work.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not being an AP Lit teacher the poetry chapter was not useful to me. However she had good guidelines for research papers. Some of what she said about mandatory testing has certainly come true.

[Emma-Kate Schaake · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good sentiment, but pretty dated.