1. Style Guide
August 1, 2013
HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

2. Style Guide At-a-Glance
 Editorial Style Guide
 Correspondence: External, Memos,
Emails, Email Signature
 Publications
 Documents in other Languages
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3. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Abbreviations/Acronyms:
– If the abbreviation/acronym is known (i.e. SAT or ACT), it is
acceptable on first reference. If not, then spell it out followed by
the acronym in parentheses and use acronym thereafter.
– Periods are no longer necessary with acronyms.
Athletics
– The Athletics Department is the department that oversees the
athletics program. The Athletic Department is a department that
is athletic.
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4. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Board of Education
– Formal: Houston Independent School District Board of Education
– HISD Board of Education is permitted in all references;
subsequent references can be “the board” or “school board.”
– Do NOT use “Board of Trustees.”
Board of Education Titles
– Each trustee or member is referred to as a “trustee,” “schoolboard member,” or “board member.”
– These titles are only capitalized when used as a formal title
before the name.
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5. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Commas, dashes, and hyphens
– Include a comma before the last item in a series, i.e. A, B, and C.
– A dash is longer than a hyphen.
• An “en dash” is for ranges, i.e. 1965 – 1970. An en dash should be
used between a date range, i.e. Aug. 3 – 5. For consecutive days
write Aug. 3 and 4.
• An “em dash” indicates a sudden break, or sets something off from
the rest of the sentence, as in “The Texas Assessment of Knowledge
and Skills—the TAKS—is the state-mandated achievement test.”
• Dashes can be found under special Characters or the Insert tabs.
– A hyphen is a very short dash used to link works, i.e. after-school
or with compound words, “often-used.”
• Also hyphenate when using two or more modifiers preceding a
noun when they form a unit modifying the noun (middle-school
student, up-to-date records)
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6. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Days of the week and months
– July 1, 2013 NOT July 1st, 2013
– Use a comma after the year, “On July 1, 2006, teachers
attended…”
– Spell out all months when a year is attached or when alone
Professional degrees
– When writing an advanced degree, use abbreviations with
periods and no spaces (Daniel Jones, Ph.D.).
– When writing, follow rule above on first reference, then use
formal title “Dr.” in subsequent references.
– DO NOT use degree and title together (Dr. Daniel Jones, Ph.D.).
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7. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
email
– The “e” is lowercase and it is NOT hyphenated.
Facility names
– Use HS, MS, or ES after the school name on first reference.
– Use Delmar Tusa Complex when referring to the entire complex.
– If only the stadium is used, use Delmar stadium.
Houston Independent School District
– Formal name or HISD are acceptable on first reference
– If HISD is used in first, it must be spelled out in 2nd reference.
– It can be referred to as “the district” (lowercase) in subsequent
references.
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8. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
names
– It’s John Smith III, NOT John Smith, III
– Traditional: “John Smith, Jr., has been...”
– Common: “John Smith Jr. has been…”
numbers
– When a sentence begins with a number, whether cardinal or
ordinal, spell it out.
– Use figures for 10 and above: ninth grade, 10th grade
– Use all numbers in mixed situations: 5 out of 10 students
– Spell out ordinal numbers below 10: ninth, eighth
– Use numbers for grades 10 and above: 10th grade, 11th grade
– Round off numbers above a million: 2.75 million
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9. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Offices and departments
– Capitalize the word “office” or
“department” when used with name:
Office of Academic Services, Special Education
Department
– Use lowercase “o” or “d” in “the office” or
“the department” in subsequent references
percent
– In formal writing, use “percent” NOT the symbol (%).
prekindergarten
– Is one word; Pre-K is acceptable on second reference
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10. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Schools
– Use last name when referring to school: Twain Elementary
– Use first initials if schools are named after people with same last
name: C. Martinez and R. Martinez Elementary Schools
– Or use full name: Clemente Martinez Elementary School
SDMCs
– They are shared-decision-making committees NOT shared
decision-making committees (the decision-making is shared on
the committees, the decision-making committees are not shared
seasons
– It is “spring 2013” or “spring of 2013,” NOT “Spring 2013” or
spring, 2013
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11. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
spaces
– One space after a period at the end of a sentence and after
colons, NOT two.
students
– They are ninth-graders, NOT ninth graders. And it is “all ninthand 10th-grade students.
students names
– Use the last name of high school students on 2nd reference
– Use elementary and middle school students’ first names on 2nd
reference
Special Education
– Capitalize it when referring to Special Education programs
– Never use sped or SPED in reference to Special Education
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12. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
Superintendent of Schools
– Acceptable: superintendent of schools, HISD Superintendent
Terry Grier, Superintendent of Schools Terry B. Grier or HISD
Superintendent Terry Grier, the superintendent, or Dr. Grier NOT
HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier
telephone numbers
– No parentheses around local area codes
– Use hyphens not periods between numbers: 713-556-6961
the
– Capitalize it at the beginning of a sentence or if it is part of an
official name: The New York Times
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13. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
time
– Acceptable: 3 p.m. or 2 to 5 p.m.
Titles
– All titles are capitalized when they precede the person’s name
but NOT when used after or without the person’s name: School
Improvement Officer Armando Alaniz or Armando Alaniz, the
school improvement officer.
– Spell out all Congressional titles: State Representative Sylvester
Turner
under way
– It’s two words.
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14. Editorial Style Guide
Basics
website
– It’s one word and it begins with a lowercase “w.”
years
– It’s “2011—2012 school year” (with an en dash, not a hyphen).
– It’s “fiscal year 2005.”
– NOT 2011-12
ZIP code
– NOT zip code
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15. Correspondence
External Communications (print)
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Text Justified
11 point type
Arial
Use letterhead
Find templates at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
Memoranda (print)
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Active voice, simple, direct sentences
11 point type
Arial
1” margins, text justified, black ink
Find templates at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
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16. Correspondence
Emails
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Black or dark colors for type
Be cautious with attachment size
Stationery or backgrounds take up space, do NOT them
District-related communication purposes only
Emails to schools, all school support officers, or large groups,
principals, or regional-office personnel must be submitted as an
Academic Services memo. (instructions are on P9 of the Style
Guide)
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17. Correspondence
Email Signature
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Use standard fonts: Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman
Use 11-point type
Use default dark blue or black text color
Avoid any other logos or graphics than below
Avoid quotes or epigraphs
Find the template at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
Jennifer Medina
Writer, Multilingual Programs Department
Houston Independent School District
Hattie Mae Educational Support Center
4400 West 18th Street, Suite 2SW11 I Houston, Texas 77092
(713) 556-6961 I (713) 556-6980 fax
email: jmedina2@houstonisd.org
Click HERE to follow our Multilingual Blog
www.houstonisd.org
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18. Correspondence
How to change your sig: Step 1
GO TO TOOLS THEN CLICK
ON OPTIONS
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19. FIRST
Correspondence
How to change your sig: Step 2 & 3
SECOND
GO TO MAIL FORMAT TAB
THEN CLICK ON SIGNATURES
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20. Correspondence
CLICK ON NEW
How to change your sig: Step 4
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21. Correspondence
How to change your sig: Step 5
GIVE YOUR SIGNATURE A
TITLE, EX: WRITER
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22. Title of Slide Xxxxx Xxxxx
COPY AND PASTE MY SIGNATURE
FROM SLIDE 17 AND PASTE HERE
THEN EDIT WITH YOUR NAME, ETC.

23. Icons/Hyperlinks for FB, Twitter,
YouTube
https://twitter.com/HISDMultiPrgms
https://www.facebook.com/HoustonISD
http://www.youtube.com/thehisd
Migrant has its own Twitter account. /HISDMigrant

24. Title of Slide Xxxxx Xxxxx
FIRST
SECOND
COPY AND PASTE THE ICONS ONE
BY ONE THEN HYPERLINK EACH
WITH LINKS ON SLIDE 23.

25. Title of Slide Xxxxx Xxxxx
SET THE MESSAGES YOU WANT THE
SIGNATURE INSERTED INTO.

26. Title of Slide Xxxxx Xxxxx
DON’T FORGET TO SAVE AND CLICK OK.

27. Publications
Manuals, Reports, Newsletters, Brochures, Posters, Fliers
– See Me.
– Or see the guidelines at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
Power Point Presentations
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Use official HISD Power Point template
24-point type
Use easy-to-comprehend charts and graphics
When possible, use images. Approved HISD photos can be found
at www.houstonisdphotos.photoshelter.com. To download a
photo, use password “media” when prompted.
– Find template at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
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28. Documents in languages other
than English
Translation Services
– 713-556-6130
– Or see the guidelines at www.houstonisd.org/styleguide
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