DOE+Style+Guide

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Below is the DOE Style Guide. Please use this wiki to update it.
 * __Department of Education Language and Style Guide__**

Express school year in the above format. All acronyms must be spelled out on first reference. On second reference the acronym may be used. For example, on first reference the United Federation of Teachers should be written out. Subsequent references within the same document can be acronyms or abbreviations. If the acronym form is being used, it is always in capital letters. There are never periods between the letters (//USA instead of U.S.A.//) Although it is acceptable to use acronyms on second reference, it is preferable to use as few as possible. The Department has hundreds of acronyms and the goal is to make ourselves as understandable as possible—that might mean translating lingo into plain English words. a.m. consists of a lowercase “a” and a lowercase “m” (as in “//School starts at 8:20 a.m.”)// Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein is the proper usage for first reference. References to “the chancellor” should be uppercase (//as in “The Chancellor met yesterday with community groups,” **not** “The chancellor…”).// Should be two words, both capitalized. Never abbreviate. Capitalize the word city when it’s being used to refer to New York City (//The City is fighting for more funds in Albany. More families are moving into the City.//) Don’t capitalize the word city when it is referring to other cities (//The mayor of that city visited New York. All of the city education officials gathered in Houston.)// The plural we use is //curricula.// E-mail has a lowercase e (unless it’s at the beginning of a sentence), a dash, and a lowercase “m” mail. The word Internet has a capital I, whether it falls in the middle of the sentence or at the beginning. Small “i” followed by a capital first letter, even if it starts a sentence. MetroCard should be written like this. Should be hyphenated when it modifies something (//Multiple-choice tests are difficult for some students.)// These two words should not be hyphenated when they does not modify anything (//On the test there are three sections: multiple choice, short answers, and graphing.)// If a number is the first word in a sentence, it is always spelled out (//Thirty-two students boarded the bus//). If a number is in the middle of the sentence, it is generally spelled out if it is between zero and nine. If it is 10 or higher, it should be a numeral. The exception to this is if a number higher than 10 and lower than 10 are in the same sentence. In that case, just be consistent. //Right: Yesterday, five girls and fifteen boys remembered their homework.// //Wrong: Yesterday, five girls and 15 boys remembered their homework.// If a number is more than 1,000, there should be a comma separating the thousands, except in the case of years (e.g. 2006). //Right: More than 8,500 students went on field trips yesterday.// //Wrong: There are 3000 pencils in the supply closet.// New York City should never be abbreviated to “NYC” in formal documents, unless it’s in a direct quote or proper name (//NYC & Company, for example//). We should //never// be writing sentences like “If this program is effective in NYC, it can expand across the nation.” If you want to shorten New York City on second reference, you can write “New York” or “the City” or “the five boroughs.” No Child Left Behind may be abbreviated NCLB after first mention.
 * //STYLE//**
 * 2007-08**
 * Acronyms**
 * a.m.**
 * Chancellor**
 * Children First**
 * City**
 * Curriculum**
 * E-mail**
 * Internet**
 * iProgams (iLead, iCoach, iTeach, iLearn, iSite, iSupport)**
 * MetroCard**
 * Multiple-choice**
 * Numbers**
 * New York City**
 * No Child Left Behind**

The Office of Instructional Technology should be spelled out on first reference. On second reference it can be “the office” or OIT. Use “a” instead of “per” Right: //There are 20 kindergarteners a class under state law is correct.// //Wrong: There are 20 kindergarteners per class is wrong.// p.m. consists of a lowercase p and a lowercase m (//School lets out at 3 p.m. for some students.)// The word principal should //not// be capitalized unless it is the first word in a sentence. //Right: All middle school principals must reply by the end of September.// //Principals help make schools tick.// //Wrong: Next year Principals will have the option of hiring lead teachers.// Public school should be abbreviated without periods between letters. Capitalize the word state when it refers to New York State (//The State must send us billions of dollars in additional education aid.)// Do not capitalize the word state when it refers to other states. Should be hyphenated when it modifies a noun (//The students did test-taking drills all afternoon.)// It should not be hyphenated when it does not modify anything (//Test taking is a necessary part of learning.)// The word Web, when used in reference to the World Wide Web, should always have a capital “w” (//You can find it on the Web at [|www.nycenet.edu].).// This is two words. Web has a capital “w,” and site has a lowercase “s.”
 * OIT Job Titles**
 * **Director of the Office of Instructional Technology**
 * i.e., Troy Fischer
 * **Borough Instructional Technology Directors (BITD)**
 * i.e., the 5 Borough Directors
 * **Borough Instructional Technology Assistant Directors (BITAD)**
 * i.e., the 10 Borough Assistant Directors
 * **Borough Instructional Technology Specialists (BITS)**
 * i.e., the 25 Staff Developers
 * **Borough Instructional Technology Technicians (BITT)**
 * i.e., the 7 Supervising Service Technicians
 * Office of Instructional Technology**
 * Per**
 * p.m.**
 * Principal**
 * PS**
 * State**
 * Test-taking**
 * Web**
 * Web site**

Should be written with “and” not “&” and may be abbreviated CEC after first mention. This is the formal name of the principals’ union and should be used on first reference. Second reference can be principals’ union or CSA. The Department of Education should be spelled out on first reference. On second reference it can be “the department,” or DOE (not DoE). This is the biggest union in New York City. Its name should be spelled out on first reference. On second reference, DC 37 can be used. Empowerment School should be capitalized to distinguish from concept of empowerment. Use the Chancellor’s middle initial. United Federation of Teachers is the formal name of the teachers’ union. The full name should be spelled out on first reference. The second reference can be UFT or teachers’ union.
 * //DOE LANGUAGE//**
 * Community and Citywide Education Councils**
 * Council of School Supervisors and Administrators**
 * Department of Education**
 * District Council 37**
 * Empowerment** **School**
 * Joel I. Klein**
 * United Federation of Teachers**