CRITERIA

Exemplary

Proficient

Partially Proficient

Incomplete

POINTS

Relevance of Content to Students and Parents

9 points

The content has a unique main idea/purpose/theme and includes useful educational information for students and parents.

The content is written clearly and concisely and points readers to high quality, up to date pertinent resources. The content is highly informative and provides essential information to the reader. Information is updated frequently and includes the date of the update to emphasize freshness of content. The website showcases students' research projects, data collection assignments, Q&A forums, or other assignments to promote interaction between students, teachers, and parents.

The website includes feedback loops such as surveys, forms, or questionnaires.

Annotations include motivating questions and advanced organizers that provide the reader with sense of what will be found on each Web page.

6 points

The purpose, theme, or main idea of the website is evident with appropriate educational information for students and parents.

The content points readers to quality information resources. The content is informative and provides useful information to the reader.

The website includes one feedback loop such as a survey, form or questionnaire.

There are clear annotations describing Web-based resources so that readers can navigate through the sites easily and locate the needed information.

3 points

The theme or main idea of the website is vague and does not create a strong sense of purpose or include educational information that students and parent can use.

The content points readers to information that does not relate to the purpose or theme of the page. Information is incomplete or inaccurate.

The website does not include feedback loops such as surveys, forms, or questionnaires.

A few of the annotations are missing or do not describe the resources clearly so that readers can navigate through sites easily and locate the needed information.

0 points

The website lacks a clear purpose or central theme and is not useful to students and parents.

The content points readers to some information resources which are inaccurate or misleading or inappropriate for the intended audience.

The website does not include feedback loops such as surveys, forms, or questionnaires.

Several annotations are missing or do not describe what students will find at the site or do not include advanced organizer questions to assist students in navigating easily through sites to locate the needed information.

  6

Use of Photos, Graphics, Sound, Animation and Video

6 points

All of the photographs, graphics, sound and/or video enhance the content and create interest.

All photos, graphics, audio and/or video files are high quality images or sound with proper voice projection, appropriate language, and clear delivery. Background audio is kept in balance and does not overpower the primary audio.

Information is included concerning the size of the files when providing links to images, sounds, movies, or other files.

Creativity and original images enhance the content of the Web pages in an innovative way

4 points

Most of the photographs, graphics, sound and/or video enhance the content and create interest.

Most of the photos, graphics, audio and/or video files are high quality images or sound and effectively enhance the content and create interest. Background audio is kept in balance and does not overpower the primary audio.

Information is included concerning the size of most of the files when providing links to images, sounds, movies, or other files.

Most of the files show use of creativity and original images to enhance the content of the Web pages.

2 points

A few of the photographs, graphics, sound and/or video are inappropriate for the content and do not create interest.

Some of the photos and graphics are not high quality images. A few of the audio and/or video files are edited with inconsistent clarity or sound (too loud/too soft/garbled) and ineffectively enhance reflective statements, do not create interest, and are inappropriate examples for one or more teaching standards. A few files have background audio that overpowers the primary audio.

Information is included concerning the size of a few of the files when providing links to images, sounds, movies, or other files.

Some use of creativity or original images is evident that enhances the content of the Web pages.

0 points

The photographs, graphics, sounds, and/or videos are inappropriate for the content or are distracting decorations that create a busy feeling and detract from the content.

Many of the photos and graphics are not high quality images or are not properly edited for Web display. Audio and/or video files are not edited or exhibit inconsistent clarity or sound (too loud/too soft/garbled) and ineffectively enhance reflective statements. The audio and/or video files are inappropriate examples for the content. The background audio overpowers the primary audio.

No information is included concerning the size of files when providing links to images, sounds, movies, or other files.

No use of original images is evident to enhance content of the Web pages in an innovative way

  4

Fair Use Guidelines

6 points

Fair use guidelines are followed with proper use of citations throughout the Web page.

4 points

Fair use guidelines are frequently followed and most non original material uses proper citations.

2 points

Sometimes fair use guidelines are followed and some non original material uses proper citations.

0 points

Fair use guidelines are not followed. Non original material is improperly cited.

  Not Applicable

Internal and External Navigation

3 points

All of the menus, navigation links and all internal links and sections of the website connect back to the home page and/or sitemap.

All external links to connecting websites are active and functioning.

A sitemap/index is provided to make the site easy-to-access.

2 points

Most of the menus, navigation links and internal links to sections of the website connect back to the home page and/or sitemap.

Most of the external links to connecting websites are active and functioning.

A limited sitemap/index is provided.

1 point

Some of the menus, navigation links and internal links to sections of the website connect back to the home page and/or sitemap, but in other places the links do not connect to preceding pages or to the original index page.

Some of the external links to connecting websites are not active and functioning.

No sitemap/index is provided.

0 points

There are significant problems with menus, navigation links and internal links to sections of the website and few or no connections back to the preceding pages or to the original index page.

Many external links to connecting websites are not active and functioning.

No sitemap/index is provided.

  2

Layout and Text Elements

3 points

The typography is easy-to-read and point size varies appropriately for headings and text.

Use of bullets, italics, bold, and indentations enhances readability.

Consistent format extends page-to-page. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately.

The background, colors and layout are artful and consistent across the website and enhance the readability of the information presented.

2 points

Sometimes the typography is easy-to-read, but in a few places the use of fonts, point size, bullets, italics, bold, and indentations for headings and subheadings detract and do not enhance readability.

A few minor format inconsistencies decrease readers' accessibility to the content. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space appropriately in most places.

The background, colors and layout are consistent across the website and make it easy to read the information presented.

1 point

The typography is difficult to read and uses too many different fonts, overuse of bold, bullets, italics or lack of appropriate indentations of text.

Some formatting tools are under- or over-utilized and decrease the readers' accessibility to the content. There are several format inconsistencies throughout the website. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space inappropriately in some places.

The background, colors and layout are distracting and make it difficult to read the information presented

0 points

The text is extremely difficult to read due to inappropriate use of fonts, point size, bullets, italics, bold, and indentations for headings and sub-headings and body text.

Many formatting tools are under- or over-utilized and decrease the readers' accessibility to the content. There are numerous format inconsistencies throughout the website. The layout uses horizontal and vertical white space inappropriately and the content appears cluttered.

The background, colors and layout make the site unattractive, and it is difficult to read the information presented.

  3

Contact Person, Copyright and Update Information

3 points

Each Web page includes a footer with a working e-mail link to the author of the website or contact person including department name, telephone and fax numbers with area codes, a connecting link to homepage, date of creation or revision, and copyright information.

2 points

The Web pages includes a footer with two of the criteria.

1 point

The Web pages includes a footer with one of the criteria.

0 points

No footer is included on the Web pages.

  2

Speed Web Pages Load

3 points

The Web page graphics are small in byte-size or optimized by providing image height= and width= tags, and pages download quickly for the target audience.

Descriptive alt= tags for each image provide text-only users with a good idea of what is shown in each graphic.

2 points

The Web page graphics are generally small enough to download reasonably fast for the target audience. Graphics could be optimized by using height= and width= tags so text loads before the images.

Most images include the alt= tags and the alt= tags are fairly descriptive.

1 point

The Web page graphics and content do not download quickly for the target audience. Images are large and require a long time to download.

Most images do not include the alt= tags, and the alt= tags could be more descriptive.

0 points

The Web page graphics and content take a long time to download for the target audience due to excessively large graphics or too many graphic elements on a page or graphics that have not been optimized.

All images lack alt= tags.

  2

Writing Mechanics

3 points

The text has no errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.

2 points

The text has a few errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling requiring minor editing and revision.

1 point

The text has errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling requiring editing and revision.
(4 or more errors)

0 points

The text has many errors in grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling requiring major editing and revision.
(more than 6 errors)

  3

TOTAL POINTS

     28/36