Hoofprint.net Grades

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What is a good Hoofprint.net story?

A good hoofprint.net story contains the following elements:

1. News information (as opposed to detailed features or opinion columns) with some analysis or perspective about Buffalo High School. The emphasis on timeliness is very important.


2. Information, reaction, or perspective from reliable, knowledgeable sources that isn't already well-known.


3. Audio, video, and photography when appropriate.


4. Consideration of the audience. Stories should be targeted at high school students, staff, administration, and parents.


5. Accuracy, integrity, and fairness.

How will my story be graded?
In order to even receive a grade, your story must be linked to on the appropriate Google Doc spreadsheet for the class. The following criteria will be used in determining your grade.

Incomplete (Not ready to Publish):

Your story will not be published if ANY of the following statements are true about your work:

1. The story has no sources. Information is not attributed to credible, reliable people or print sources. Quotes that are included come mainly from J2 Class.


2. The story is not formatted correctly. There are distracting grammar and style mistakes.


3. The story is based on the author's opinion or is trying to prove a point on behalf of the author.


4. The story contains patently offensive material, including quotes. The story is potentially libelous.


5. The story is plagiarized from another source in full or in part, or contains multi-media elements that are the property of another person or organization.


6. Opinions and research are not cited.


7. The subject of the story is not appropriate for an online audience. Remember, these stories are online for a very long time. Pay attention to what people say, who you quote, and what topics you choose to cover. Some topics that are appropriate for the print edition are not appropriate online.

Note: Grades turn from "Incomplete" to "Failing" after 7 days of being put in the gradebook. You can fix these mistakes or re-write your story to get partial credit, however, this should not be considered a deadline extension. Repeated Incompletes result in failing grades and no opportunity to make up credit.

Examples of Incomplete work:

[caption id="attachment_137" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This story contains the author's opinion, an image that violates copyright, no sources or quotes, and no reporting."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_138" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This story is unimportant. It contains no new information, reporting, or research."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_139" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This story is a great topic. It contains brand new information that concerns all students. However, it contains no sources or comment from administration, making it inappropriate to print."][/caption]

"C" (Okay to publish with minimal revisions):

1. Although there are sources present in the story, the author took the path of least resistance. The author did not work to obtain sources or relied on basic information. Sources consist of predictable, minimally-involved people with basic knowledge. There are no true authorities in the story.


2. There are occasional grammar and style errors that require fixing before publishing.


3. The story consists of information that is very easily obtainable from listening to the morning announcements or looking at signs in the hallway.


4. The story doesn't matter. The information is written for a narrow audience or is a rehash of information people already know.


5. There is a conflict of interest or a developing conflict of interest. The author is writing about events that they have participated in.

"B" or "A" (Ready to publish without revisions):

1. Appropriate, knowledgeable sources are used in the story to support all information. The author sought out sources beyond their comfort zone and got the most reliable people.


2. Links are provided for sources that are available online; including references and videos.


3. Students or faculty are quoted to give perspective to the story.


4. The story goes beyond information that is easily obtainable and expands on just basic facts.


5. The story matters or is presented in a way that matters to the school. The story has some interpretation that makes it unique from a simple "morning announcement."


6. The author wrote about something they aren't personally involved in.

Examples of A or A+ stories:

[caption id="attachment_140" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This is a great example of a short story that includes everything necessary for an A without going on too long. There's news, perspective, comment from an important source, and an image to go with it."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_141" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This is a topic that wasn't easy to find, and it's a story that gets the information behind the decision. An image is included, as well."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_142" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This is a story about breaking news that contains everything the school needs to know."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_143" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="This in-depth profile piece contains breaking news, personality, examination, and multi-media. A complete package that ended up being featured in the print edition of The Hoofprint as well."][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_144" align="alignnone" width="150" caption="Photos with complete captions complement this throurough in-depth look at a current event at the school"][/caption]

"A+"/Extra Credit (Giving the school something truly unique):

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="88" caption="Creative Commons Logo"][/caption]

Please note: All multimedia content (including photographs, audio, and video) must be original and produced by the student or used with explicit consent from the original author/creator. Work labeled with the Creative Commons (see image on right) license can be used if credit is given to the original author. Cameras and video cameras are available to be signed out, but are in limited supply, so plan out your story and ask in advance. See the tips page on bhs.cc for information on how to work with video and images.

Additional 5 points: The story contains a thumbnail image and an image within the story.

Additional 10 points: The story has a featured image on the top of the site (if the content warrants feature coverage), and the story contains a thumbnail image and an image within the story.

Additional 10 points: The story goes in-depth and contains detailed analysis or storytelling while remaining about a timely subject. Multiple quotes and perspective are present.

Additional 25 points: The story contains multi-media content; including audio and video content.