Website Standards and Expectations
A website is a communication tool providing an opportunity to inform our constituents and shine a spotlight on our schools, enhancing our district image and pride. Quality websites require quality content that is updated regularly. This means a website will be updated frequently, sometimes more than once a day to provide updated information for students, staff, parents, and the community. For example, after an event ends, the info about the “upcoming event” should be removed from the website.
To ensure that all NUSD stakeholders have access to consistent information, schools and departments will have flexibility in producing and displaying content on their websites — but that content must fall within established minimum standards outlined in this document.
The district, through a Website Leadership Team, will coordinate and monitor the district’s, schools, and department websites. It will troubleshoot, resolve questions or problems, gather feedback, set policy, and create and adjust content standards. The Website Leadership Team encourages and welcomes ideas to improve our websites.
NUSD’s website standards, expectations, and operating plans are presented below:
Website Leadership Team
- Members: Communications, Constituent and Customer Services (CCS), and Research and Data (RD)
- Governance and oversight for the district, department, and school websites
Operational Plan: Roles and Responsibilities
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- Communications, Constituent and Customer Services (CCS), and Research and Data (RD) will monitor websites, review content and designs, provide feedback to schools and departments, and may require content changes to meet board policy, administrative regulations, or web standards
- Department/School Oversight by Principal or Department Leader:
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- Ensures website is kept up-to-date and used to communicate important school/department events and information
- Leads staff in preparing relevant content, and monitors website to ensure content is appropriate, accurate and up-to-date
- Assigns designee to be responsible for different sections of school/department website without relinquishing ultimate responsibility for content
Updating Websites
- RD will provide technical support for adding content and updating district and school websites and will add content submitted by staff
- CCS will monitor and review websites for current information at least monthly
- RD will provide trainings throughout the school year and provide direct support to staff
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- As website trainings become available you will be able to sign up for them through the My NUSD Portal
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- Leaders, Teachers, School Secretaries, Admin Assistants and other staff:
- May add, edit, and update content, including pictures
- If assistance is needed, staff should submit content/pictures one week in advance through Track It
Basic Rules for All Webpages
- Webpages should be kept up-to-date as the NUSD website should be used as a living communication tool
- Place a link to webmaster in footer for ALL websites
- Place contact information (phone and address for school or department) in each footer
- Place a link to the Constituent and Customer Services website on home pages for all school and department websites
- Place a link to provide feedback to the Principal or Department leader
- Ensure content is accurate and free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors
- Access to social media tools are encouraged (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
Things NOT to do
- Change the page layout
- Change the categories for sub-pages or page sections on home page
- Use student’s first and last name with picture without parent consent (Note: this rule does not apply for students participating in CIF sports because they already have given permission to have photos and names published)
- Post content that is not directly associated with school/department/district
- Create any forum, comment board, discussion board, or other social medial tool that allows students or communities to post information directly on website
- Leave photos and videos on website for more than two months without prior permission from Website Leadership Team
- Use Clip-Art or use photos that are copyright protected
Design Standards
- Design should be simple, clean, and professional
- Design should be consistent across entire website
- All designs will be monitored by NUSD, RD and Communications departments, which reserve the right to change design or require school/department to change design
- Font
- Font size 14 point or greater
- Font type should be consistent throughout website
- Font should be simple, without curls, complicated serifs, or
- Fonts should be colored white, or black
- Colors
- Colors should match school or district standard colors
- Avoid the use of excessively bright or neon colors
- Colors should not be used to identify action needed, for example, avoid phrases such as: “Click the green button to ….”
- Do not use colored fonts to distinguish individual pieces of information or events
- Web pages should utilize the same color scheme throughout the entire website at a school
- Department web pages must use the same color scheme as the district
- Images
- Do not use students’ photo with their first and last name without parental permission
- Use google image “advanced search” to find images not protected by copyright
Minimum Expectations for NUSD School Websites
- Home Page
- Photos and videos should be updated frequently, and no more than two months old
- Access to social media tools are encouraged
- Link to Constituent and Customer Services to gather feedback
- Include photo of exterior of school
- Links on the home page or Student dropdown link to:
- About Us (All Schools)
- Brief history of school with facts such as enrollment, awards, achievement results
- School policies and handbook
- Links to SARC
- Link to district homepage
- Bell Schedule
- Contact information for staff, with email address
- District registration information, “is this my school,” district boundary, intra-district transfer
- Highlight honors, awards, or accomplishments for the school
- Include information about the leadership team with areas of responsibility
- Programs (All Schools)
- Information should be present about the school/department including:
- Unique programs
- Opportunities in academics, athletics, and art
- Provide links to webpages for these specialized programs
- Information should be present about the school/department including:
- Parent (All Schools)
- Message from the school leadership about how to get involved and support their children’s success in school
- Links to external support/booster organizations used by students and families, such as:
- Accelerated Reader
- Infinite Campus (parent portal)
- NUSD Parent/Family Resource Page
- District Forms
- PTA/PTSA and other parent organizations
- District registration information, “is this my school,” district boundary, intra-district transfer
- Lunch menu
- Volunteer Information
- Students (All Schools)
- Services offered to students: health services, lunch menus, counseling, career guidance, etc.
- Links on the home page or Student dropdown link to:
- Information about student programs, clubs, tutoring, activities, after-school programs, etc. with a summary, contact information, and ways to get involved.
- Student Handbook: school rules/policies, course catalog, information about college/career preparation, scholarships, graduation requirements with important deadlines, hyperlinks to useful resources such as UC and CSU, California State Standards, information, curriculum and other basic instructional information
- Important hyperlinks such as Infinite Campus or other websites used by students
- Athletics (Secondary Schools)
- Include a list of all athletics programs, schedules, coach/leader, and contact information
- Include awards, recognitions, etc.
- Include information about booster clubs with contact information
- Display photos/videos of student-athletes competing
- Up-to-date calendar of upcoming events with new information posted as least one month in advance
- Teacher Sites (All Schools)
- All teachers will have an individual landing page with teacher name, school, email, and school phone number
- Teachers may add other content to their website such as class information, assignments and projects, links to Infinite Campus, etc.
- Teachers may link directly from their teacher landing page to an external website
- This page should also include a link to the Parent Page on the district website
- All teachers will have an individual landing page with teacher name, school, email, and school phone number
- Principal’s Corner (All Schools)
- Should be updated August 1, November 1, February 1, and May 1 each year
- Include bio of Principal/Site Leader
- Include visionary message about what makes the school successful/special/excellent
- Include announcements, complements, or observations
- Contact information to provide parents/students/staff to send comments
- Calendar (All Schools)
- Include link to district annual calendar, and an up-to-date school specific activities calendar
- Include important dates such as holidays, test dates, graduation, athletic events, back-to-school night, report cards, parent conferences, minimum days, etc.
- Include deadlines for students including: school programs, college applications, scholarships, etc.
- Student Spotlight (All Schools)
- Spotlights should be posted September 15, November 15, February 15, and April 15 each year.
- Student spotlights highlight students demonstrating excellence at their schools in academics, arts, activities, athletics, attendance, sportsmanship, citizenship, and/or character
- Schools may spotlight more than one student if they choose
- NOTE: Do not submit a student without parental consent to display their name and photo on the website.
- Upcoming Events
- Events should be kept up-to-date
- Events should be added to website at least two months in advance or as soon as possible
- Include important dates including: holidays, test days, graduation, athletic events, back-to-school night, etc.
- Include deadlines for students including: school programs, college applications, scholarships, etc.