An Examination of the Literary and Non-Literary Texts and Approaches Used in Public High School Standard English Classes

FAIN: EZ-50283-09

University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Fayetteville, AR 72701-1201)
Sandra Stotsky (Project Director: January 2009 to December 2009)

The applicant requested a Chairman's grant of $30,000 to fund one component of a planned 18-month humanities research project undertaken at the University of Arkansas in collaboration with the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics (ALSC). This project therefore has two main purposes: to find out what major fiction and nonfiction works are currently assigned in secondary literature and history curricula in the public schools, and to formulate recommendations for strengthening secondary school literature curricula so that students are well prepared for authentic college-level courses. The NEH Chairman's Grant of $30,000 will defray most of the estimated $35,000 cost of retaining a respected polling firm to contact a random stratified national sample of teachers and gather information in response to a jointly prepared questionnaire.

This proposal has two major purposes: 1. To find out what whole text fiction and non-fiction works are currently assigned in secondary literature curricula in public schools. 2. To formulate recommendations for strengthening secondary school literature curricula so that students are better prepared for authentic college-level English courses.