The English program at Carver Center follows the curricular scope and sequence of Baltimore County Public Schools and is designed to promote habits of effective reading, writing, and thinking. Each of the four courses focuses on a different kind of literature: Grade 9, on general literature, including both classics and young adult titles; Grade 10, on World literature; Grade 11, on American literature; and Grade 12, on literature of the British Commonwealth. During the four years of English instruction, students learn to write essays, stories, poems, personal narratives, and journal entries. They also study English grammar and vocabulary.
Instruction at Carver Center is rigorous and prepares students for the SAT, for the HSA's, and for college writing. In 2004, Carver Center's seniors had the highest average Verbal SAT score among Baltimore County Public Schools: 568. Carver Center AP English students have a 90% pass rate on the Advanced Placement English tests; they also score the top score on the test (5) at much greater rates than the national average.
Students who visit the school when they are on break from college usually report the following: they are doing well in their composition and literature courses at four-year colleges (including the most selective colleges in the nation); they pass the English placement tests at two-year and four-year colleges so that they do not need to take remedial courses; they succeed on their writing assignments in courses other than English courses. These reports are anecdotal, but, when taken with the scores on the SAT and the AP, they are a testament to the quality of the English program at Carver Center.