The English Department has committed to teaching six drafted, researched essays to their 9th and 10th grade students and eight drafted, researched essays to their 11th and 12th grade students.  These essays are articulated through grades 9 – 12 so what is learned in the early high school years by our students is built upon in their later high school years.

Clovis West is the only school in CUSD offering concurrent college English credit to high school seniors.  In 2009, Clovis West High School partnered with Clovis Community College (formerly Willow International Community College) to improve the college readiness of Clovis West’s graduating seniors.  During the five years preceding 2009, the percentage of students graduating from Clovis West and other CUSD high schools, but needing remediation prior to taking college-level English averaged 62%.  Additionally, minority and socio-economically disadvantaged (SED) students were disproportionally placed in English classes that had the lowest college readiness rates.  The 2014 – 2015 school year marked the fourth year of the partnership’s implementation of a new curriculum, and 86% of the 2015 senior class earned four units of transferable college credit by taking English 1A on campus during their senior year or by earning a passing score on the AP Composition exam. Perhaps most impressive, less than 10% of the graduating population needed to enroll in remedial classes prior to taking college level English classes.  Additionally, minority and SED students are now earning concurrent college freshmen English credit on the CWHS campus at rates greater than their percentage of representation on the campus.  In four years, Clovis West has both significantly improved the college readiness of their graduating seniors and the equity on campus by taking strides to eliminate the achievement gap.

The following co-curricular programs are advised by Clovis West English teachers

The Olympiad, Clovis West’s yearbook Advisor - Lauren Mueller
The Torch, our Literary Magazine Advisor - Caroline Ferdinandsen
National Honor Society and tutoring center - Advisor Katy Merrill
California Scholarship Federation - Advisor Stephanie Avery
Mock Trial - Advisor  Gillian Tarascou