Standards
Editorial Guidelines
These guidelines establish the required standards for all news, analysis, and editorial content published by Chicardgo School. They are designed to ensure accuracy, objectivity, and consistency across our reporting on high school performance, education policy, and college matriculation.
All writers, editors, and data analysts contributing to the Chicardgo School newsroom are required to adhere to these protocols. We make these guidelines public to maintain transparency regarding our editorial processes with our readership.
1. Core Journalistic Standards
Content published by Chicardgo School must prioritize factual accuracy and objective analysis. Reporters must separate their personal opinions from data-driven findings.
Writers must verify all claims before publication. Do not rely on secondary reporting if primary source data is available. All university placement statistics, district policy changes, and enrollment figures must be cross-referenced with official school profiles, district dashboards, or internal Chicardgo ECPI datasets.
Primary data sources must be linked directly within the text. When interviewing subjects (e.g., admissions officers, principals), quote them accurately and in context. The use of anonymous sources is strictly prohibited unless the source's physical or professional safety is explicitly at risk, and such use requires prior approval from the Editor-in-Chief.
Maintain a neutral, authoritative tone. Avoid editorializing or employing superlatives (e.g., "the absolute best," "a disastrous policy") unless directly quoting a source or describing a statistically significant anomaly explicitly defined in the text. Evaluate all institutions—public, private, charter, or magnet—using identical metrics and criteria.
Provide adequate context for all data points. A standalone statistic is often insufficient. Reporters must explain the underlying factors contributing to the data, such as changes in local district zoning, shifts in standardized testing mandates, or demographic adjustments.
2. Newswriting and Formatting
Our readers expect clear, scannable, and highly structured information. All news articles and analytical reports must follow a standardized formatting architecture.
Required Article Structure
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The Lede (Summary): The opening paragraph must succinctly state the core finding, policy change, or data shift. Do not bury the primary conclusion. Keep the lede to a maximum of two sentences.
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Significance Statement: Immediately following the lede, explicitly state the implications of the finding. Address how this information directly impacts students, parents, or administrators utilizing the report.
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Data Presentation (Bulleted Lists): When presenting three or more related statistics, extract them from the narrative paragraph and format them as a bulleted list. This enhances readability and allows users to scan key metrics quickly.
Copy and Mechanics
- Headline Standards: Headlines must be factual, active, and strictly avoid clickbait. They should clearly state the subject and finding (e.g., "Bay Area Magnet Schools See 15% Drop in Ivy+ Acceptances Following Policy Shift" rather than "You Won't Believe What Happened to Bay Area Acceptances").
- Active Voice: Write in the active voice. (e.g., "The district implemented the policy," not "The policy was implemented by the district.")
- Paragraph Length: Restrict paragraphs to 2–4 sentences. Long blocks of text perform poorly on mobile interfaces.
- Headings: Use clear, descriptive subheadings (H2, H3) to break up sections. Do not use clever or ambiguous phrasing for headings; prioritize functionality and SEO alignment.
3. Data Reporting Standards
Given Chicardgo School's core mission regarding the Elite College Placement Index (ECPI), handling data responsibly is our highest priority.
Methodology References
Any article referencing Chicardgo School rankings must include a hyperlink to the official Methodology page. Reporters must briefly explain the parameters of the data (e.g., graduating class year, sample size) within the text.
Defining "Elite" Metrics
When referencing elite placement, explicitly define the tier being discussed (e.g., Ivy+, Top 25 National Universities, Top 15 Liberal Arts Colleges). Do not use "elite" as an ambiguous catch-all term.
Avoiding Correlation Fallacies
Do not imply causation where only correlation exists. If a school sees an increase in applications and an increase in placement, state both facts without baselessly claiming one caused the other.
Data Analyst Review
All articles analyzing primary datasets must be submitted to the quantitative analysis team for a secondary review prior to publication to ensure statistical claims are mathematically sound.
4. Ethics and Corrections
Editorial Independence
The Chicardgo School editorial team operates strictly independently of the Northwestern Media LLC business and partnership divisions. Content decisions, ranking adjustments, and news coverage cannot be influenced by external financial relationships. Schools, districts, or consultancies cannot pay for favorable coverage, nor can they purchase alterations to their ECPI data. Any sponsored content, if introduced, will be distinctly labeled as "Sponsored" and produced by a separate team.
Conflicts of Interest
Writers and editors must disclose any personal or financial ties to institutions they are covering. An editor with a child attending a specific high school, or who consults for a specific university, must recuse themselves from reporting on or editing data sets directly related to those institutions.
Corrections Policy
Chicardgo School is committed to correcting errors promptly and transparently. If a factual error is identified in a published article or data set:
- The author must immediately notify the Editor-in-Chief.
- The text must be updated with the correct information.
- A formal "Correction" note must be appended to the bottom of the article. This note must state the date of the correction, the original (incorrect) phrasing or data point, and the updated fact.
- Silent editing (changing facts post-publication without a disclosure note) is strictly prohibited.