Susan Kelly
Elementary Language Arts Coordinator
972-968-6144

Dr. Shirley H. Wright
Middle School Language Arts Coordinator
972-968-6136

Dr. Shirley H. Wright holds a Bachelor of Science degree in English from Bishop College, a Master of Arts in English from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Doctorate of Education in the College Teaching of English from East Texas State University (Texas A&M University-Commerce).   Dr. Wright joined the C-FB team in July 2004.  Her career in education is extensive having served as an ESL teacher for grades K-8, a high school teacher, a college professor, and a K-12 supervisor for Marshall ISD and Longview ISD.  Before joining C-FB, Dr. Wright was an educational consultant for Education Service Center Region XI.  In addition, she was a contributing author on Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Reading 2001 and also served as an educational consultant for McGraw-Hill Companies.  During a period of growth and change in the state of Texas, Dr. Wright served as co-chair of the English Language Arts and Reading Committee for drafting the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for grades K-12.  Some of her professional organizations include the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), the Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA)–president in 1996, the International Reading Association (IRA), and the Coalition of Reading and English Supervisors of Texas (CREST).

Erica Ysbrand
Coordinator of High School Language Arts and Languages Other than English
972-968-6241

Erica Ysbrand holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and English from Texas A & M University, a gifted endorsement from Southern Methodist University, with graduate work from the University of North Texas completed with a Masters of Educational Administration at Grand Canyon University. Mrs. Ysbrand joined the CFB team in 1994, serving as an English language arts teacher, instructional facilitator, department manager, gifted and talented liaison, professional development presenter and secondary ELA instructional specialist in this district. She is also an AVID certified ELA trainer, and a Ruby Payne certified trainer. Her professional organizations include National Staff Development Council (NSDC), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA), and Metro CREST (Coalition of Reading and English Supervisors of Texas).

Philosophy
The English language arts enrich the human spirit and promote an inner joy that comes with literacy behaviors. Effective language arts instruction is based on the complete and constant integration of each of its components — listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing — in meaningful contexts that recognize student differences, experiences, and perspectives at every level of development, pre-K through grade 12. The language arts provide a means of communicating and thinking critically about all disciplines because language is the primary instrument for making sense and for connecting who we are with what we want to discover and need to know. Such discovery leads to lifelong learning and extends the collective wisdom of the nation.

Guiding Principles

The English Language Arts curriculum of Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD reflects the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills and has been developed around the following guiding principles that define a quality language arts curriculum as being one that:

1. Teaches the strategies necessary for acquiring academic knowledge, achieving academic standards, and attaining independence as learners
2. Embeds explicit skills instruction in prposeful and meaningful learning
3. Emphasizes the process of learning and the creation of quality products and presentations
4. Integrates all aspects of the language arts – reading, writing, speaking, listening, research, viewing, and critical thinking
5. Promotes student interaction and communication
6. Promotes the learner’s ability to assess his own learning strengths and needs and set goals for personal academic growth
7. Integrates technology and teaches students to become proficient users of all forms of media
8. Encourages respect for cultural differences while nurturing students’ sense of their common ground as American citizens.

National Standards
National Standards for Language Arts

State Standards
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/teks/index.html

Content Standards K-12

Standard 1: Reading
Students read and understand a wide variety of literary and informational texts.

Standard 2: Writing
Students compose a variety of written texts with a clear controlling idea, coherent organization, and sufficient detail.

Standard 3: Research
Students are expected to know how to locate a range of relevant sources and evaluate, synthesize, and present ideas and information.

Standard 4: Listening and Speaking
Students listen and respond to the ideas of others while contributing their own ideas in conversations and in groups.

Standard 5: Oral and Written Conventions
Students learn how to use the oral and written conventions of the English language in speaking and writing.