July 15-18, 2024
Instructor: Angelann Stephens
Angelann Stephens has been an AP English Language and Composition
instructor since 2005. She has also been a university adjunct composition
lecturer, teaching Freshman Composition. A 23-year veteran of the English
Language Arts (ELA) classroom, Angelann has taught primarily in urban and
inner-city classrooms. She has helped ethnically diverse students navigate
the AP English classroom using robust scaffolding techniques to bridge
students’ academic needs with the demands of the AP English course.
Angelann has served as a Department Chair, a curriculum writer for Georgia’s SLO Assessments for
Atlanta Public Schools, and has worked for the College Board’s ReadiStep (Reading) test as a
consultant in its initial phase. Angelann has been a continuous AP Reader since 2016.
Angelann has presented at several of the College Board’s National Conferences. Some of her
workshops included “Using American Protest Literature to Teach Rhetoric” (2015), “The Interactive
Notebook for Scaffolding Pre-AP Content for Non-traditional Students” (2013), “Making the Synthetic
Argument Applicable to Younger Students” (2010), “Teaching the Research Paper to ‘At-Risk’
Students Using Children’s Literature” (2008). She has also presented at the National Council of
Teachers of English (NCTE) Conference as well as the Georgia Educational Technology Conference
(GaETC) and Metro RESA (Griffin). After the impact of COVID-19 on her instruction, she presented
“Looking Back, Moving Forward: What Worked and Didn’t Work in Teaching High School ELA During
COVID” at GaETC’s Annual Conference (2021). Her most recent presentation was at the NCTE’s
Conexiones 2023 Annual Convention: “Using Critical Race Theory to Deconstruct the Historical
Context in a Short Story: Learning How to Use CRT to Deepen Our Teaching of Literature.” Angelann
stays up-to-date with current issues in the teaching of English and is well-versed in blending ELA with
instructional technology. She is an English teacher at Creekside High School for Fulton County
Schools.
Angelann has also been the recipient of several nationally recognized professional development
programs for teachers: the National Endowment for the Humanities Seminar, the Gilder Lehrman
Institute of American History Seminar, and the Smithsonian American Art Museum Summer Institute:
Teaching the Humanities through Art Seminar (SAAM).
A certified College Board Consultant, Angelann earned a BA in English from UNC-Charlotte, an MA in
English and African-American Literature from North Carolina A&T State University, an Ed.S. in
Teaching and Learning from Liberty University, and in 2022, a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Students
(Social Foundations) from Georgia State University. She has a Gifted and Talented Certification from
Valdosta State University and is certified to teach in the State of Georgia.
She is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, where she cares for her 81-year-old mother and a 12-year-old
chihuahua named Coco. Reading and researching are her passions.
Course Description:
This workshop is designed for teachers of AP English Language and Composition. Using the College Board’s newly revised AP Lang Course and Exam Description, we will explore contemporary units and lessons proven to effectively teach the three primary skills required for success in the course: argument, rhetorical analysis, and research (synthesis). Embedded within the course will be tech tools to enhance the teaching and learning experience for an AP course. Because AP English Language students need many opportunities to discuss complex texts in multiple genres, participants will gain hands-on experience with rhetorical-reading approaches to non-fiction, literary, and informational texts. We will conduct a simulated reading of recent Free-Response exam questions using the new analytic scoring rubrics, and participants will receive complete sets of sample student papers along with strategies for using those samples to inform teaching and learning. This course is also designed
to help teachers scaffold and support diverse learners to support the open-access policy of the
College Board so that the course will offer readings and writings from various writers.
Please Bring a Laptop or Tablet for Immediate Access to Multiple Digital Resources.
Goals of the APSI :
- To identify and apply the newly articulated standards of the AP English Language and
Composition exam to classroom practices - To explore print and digital resources, including the College Board’s new unit guides and AP
Classroom question banks and progress checks - To develop effective syllabi
- To expand participants’ repertoire of successful instructional strategies
- To develop a network of valuable colleagues
- To promote the cross-disciplinary benefits of AP Language curriculum
Day 1:
● Evolution of AP English Language Course (including equity and access)
● Overview of Course and Exam Description
● AP Lang’s CED “dig”
● Diversity, Inclusion, Equity, and Access tools and resources
● Introduction to the Rhetorical Analysis: Studying the “Visual”
● Syllabus Ideas
● Course Relationship Between Reading and Writing
● Readily Available Resources
Day 2:
● Rhetorical Analysis
● AP Rhetorical Analysis Essay Question
● Exam Tasks: MC Analysis Passages & Free Response Question #2
● Reading Rhetorically (units and lessons)
● Analytical Writing (units and lessons and students’ exemplars)
● Teaching Literary Texts Rhetorically (philosophy and resources)
● Sample Essay Reading with 6-Point Analytic Rubric
Day 3:
● Synthesis
● AP Synthesis Essay Question
● Exam Task: Free Response Question #1
● Collegiate Research Writing (units and lessons)
● Sample Essay Reading with 6-Point Analytic Rubric
● Strategies & activities for teaching exigence, invention, audience, purpose, etc.
Day 4:
● Argument
● AP Argument Essay Question
● Exam Tasks: MC Composition Passages & Free Response Question #3
● Arguing Convincingly (units and lessons)
● Sample Essay Reading with 6-Point Analytic Rubric
● Strategies & activities for current events, documentaries
● Course Evaluation
We will do our best to address all participants’ needs and questions throughout the week, and
will encourage discussion of best practices within the scope of our work.