This document outlines an academic integrity policy for a school district. It defines expectations for trustworthy and responsible student behavior. The document discusses the pillars of character and aims to foster good citizenship among students. It describes cheating and plagiarism, potential consequences, and procedures for handling suspected violations in a fair and uniform manner.

1. SIX PILLARS of CHARACTERTrustworthinessRespectResponsibilityFairnessCaringCitizenship http://www.findstone.com/img/rs83pillars.jpg

2. AIM:To foster good citizenship, we expect all students to care about making ethical decision and to respect others by taking responsibility for their actions. Should students not meet the district’s expectations for trustworthiness, we are committed to providing and modeling a uniform and fair process for determining appropriate consequences.

3. DID YOU KNOW?57%of high school students say they didn’t think copying a few sentences without proper credit, sharing test answers, or getting answers from someone who had taken the test was cheating. (Rutgers University Study, 2001)53%of high school students say that cheating is “no big deal.”*98%say the have let others copy their work.*34%said their parents never talked to them about cheating.**(Josephson’s Institute of Ethics, 2000) http://www.pbs.org/inthemix/educators/ethics_guide.pdf#search='why%20students%20cheat'

4. Cheating Increaseswhen students…believe the benefits outweigh the costsdo not understand plagiarism’s definitionlack proper research skillsdo not think they’ll get caught.

5. INTEGRITYAmerican Heritage Dictionary's definition of integrity is the "steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code." http://www.washington.edu/president/provost/bestpractices.html

6. INTEGRITYDon McCabe of Rutgers University and the Center for Academic Integrity:“There is less cheating at institutions or in classrooms where the students perceive the faculty as committed to academic integrity in their professional lives and in their dealings with their students.” http://www.washington.edu/president/provost/bestpractices.html

7. ACADEMIC INTEGRITY POLICY:EXPECTATIONS, POLICIES, and PROCEDURES

9. Teachers are encouraged to create a learning environment which helps students to embrace the ideal of academic integrity as something valuable in its own right.

11. OBLIGATIONS District-wide, each student is expected to Know and abide by the expectations of academic integrity. Know the consequences for violating these expectations.

12. OBLIGATIONS Teachers are expected to Review with students the policies and procedures for academic integrity at the start of the school year. Specify classroom expectations regarding collaborative versus individual work. Take action against students who violate the school district's expectations for academic integrity.

13. CHEATING To the student: Cheating is defined as creating a dishonest advantage for yourself and has no place in a school community that values and expects personal and academic integrity of its students. If you are accused of cheating, being truthful to your teacher and to the Honor Board throughout the investigation process is extremely important. While cheating is certainly a most serious personal and academic offense, lying about it will do irreparable damage to your credibility and subject you to additional consequences (see below).

14. CHEATING To the student: Simple cheating includes, but is not limited to, the following serious offenses: Copying another student's homework or assignment. Providing or receiving test questions or answers while taking a test or afterwards. Making your work available to another student for the purpose of cheating or copying. This includes posting or circulating your work electronically. Inappropriately using electronic translators as part of a foreign language course.

16. If you are assigned work to be accomplished collaboratively, you must insure the work you submit is solely your own. For example, you are not to do lab reports step by step with a partner or allow a partner to use your work in preparing his or hers. Although your classmates may perform the same procedures, you must summarize the procedures independently and refrain from copying them from a lab sheet.

19. The student will receive a zero for the assignment.

20. Additionally, for major assignments such as research papers, the student will receive a zero for any graded material pertaining to the paper-writing process (e.g. note-cards, outline, drafts, etc.).

21. The teacher MUST fill out an incident form describing the incident and penalties. This form must be submitted to the assistant principal in a timely manner.

23. PROCEDURE FOR SUSPECTED CHEATING 4. The department chair will notify the chair of the Honor Board to convene a hearing of the board.

24. PROCEDURE FOR SUSPECTED CHEATING 5. The department chair will notify the student's parents of the allegations and invite them to a hearing of the Honor Board.

25. PROCEDURE FOR SUSPECTED CHEATING 6. The Honor Board must have a quorum of at least four teachers from four different departments (one of whom must teach in the same department as the teacher making the allegation), and the assistant principal. The student's teacher, however, may not be a voting member of the board. The board will be tasked with examining the student's work and other relevant exhibits presented by either side. The teacher and student may share their opinions and evidence with the board.

26. PROCEDURE FOR SUSPECTED CHEATING 7. Should the board reach consensus that the student has plagiarized, the student will receive a zero for the assignment. Additionally, the student will receive a zero for any graded material pertaining to the paper-writing process (e.g. note-cards, outline, drafts, etc.). The Honor Board's chair will also notify the student's teacher, guidance counselor, and assistant principal of the incident by filling out a discipline form which summarizes the circumstances and the board's decision. This form will be kept on file with all four parties for no more than three years following the hearing date.

27. PROCEDURE FOR SUSPECTED CHEATING 8. The Honor Board's chair will notify the student's parents of the board's decision in a timely manner and inform them of any applicable consequences.

29. Community service

30. Notification of the administration and the student's guidance counselor

31. Notification of teachers in the department who may decide individually not to write a recommendation to college

32. Notification of class advisor or coach which may result in impeachment or forfeiture of leadership position

33. Notification of the National Honor Society advisor which may result in ejection from the society

35. SIX PILLARS of CHARACTERTrustworthinessRespectResponsibilityFairnessCaringCitizenship http://www.findstone.com/img/rs83pillars.jpg