Score City Web Content

5

Prose is clear, concise, and direct. Based on user needs and provides a logical user pathway to an action. Format optimizes content clarity, provides an intuitive user experience, and enables interactivity when necessary.

• Measures at a 5th-8th grade reading level.
• Language is inclusive and uses words and grammar appropriately.
• No passive voice.
• Grammar score is at 90 or above.
• Answers a clear, distinct question or problem based on user research.
• Has a clear owner and timeline for refresh.
• Ready for publication.

4

Generally effective. Clear, well structured, supports a general concept and uses language understandable to a wide audience. Supports user needs with actionable information. May benefit from additional consolidation, editing or a different format.

• Measures at 9th grade reading level
• Language is inclusive, but uses language that references old adages, titles that were historically inappropriate.
• Grammar score is at 80 or above.
• Very few instances of passive voice.
• Answers a clear, distinct question or problem based on user research.
• Has a clear owner and timeline for refresh.
• Ready for publication, but ready for iteration.

3

Meets basic requirements, but has noticeable shortcomings. May be disorganized, difficult to follow, redundant or attempts to cover more than one subject. Has multiple goals and/or calls to action.

• Measures at the 10-12th grade reading level
• Language attempts to be inclusive, but uses words inappropriately in specific places.
• Grammar score at 70 or above.
• Some passive voice.
• Partially answers a distinct question or problem based on user needs.
• Has multiple owners, but a timeline for refresh.
• May be published in an emergency, but must be revised within 48 hours.

2

Below acceptable standards. Poor organization, ineffective sentence construction, unnecessary details and imprecise or misleading wording, incomplete, repetitive or uses excessive jargon. May include typos, broken links or other proofreading errors.

• Measures above 12th grade reading level
• Language attempts to be inclusive, but uses words inappropriately throughout the text.
• Grammar score at 60 or above.
• Some passive voice.
• Partially answers a distinct question or problem based on user needs.
• Clear owner of the content, but no timeline for refresh.
• Not ready for publication.

1

Inaccurate, unnecessary or so poorly written that it’s likely to confuse or mislead users. May include dense prose, acronyms and irrelevant material and located in a place that doesn’t match users expectations.

• Post-graduate reading level (i.e. muni code and heavy legal language).
• Language is exclusive, and clearly implies bias based on race, gender, sexuality and/or citizenship status.
• Grammar score of 50 or above.
• Heavy use of passive voice.
• Does not directly address a user based question or need.
• No owner of the content and no timeline for refresh.
• Not ready for publication.