ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY
Education is intended to foster an individual’s intellectual pursuits. Only through academic honesty, can these pursuits be achieved for the individual student, as well as the school community. Academic honesty requires that students produce work that is their own, and unless otherwise directed by a teacher, students should accomplish all assignments individually. In contrast, academic dishonesty is a student’s attempt to claim and show possession of knowledge and/or skills that they do not possess, or having assistance to complete a test, project or other assignment in a way other than permitted by the teacher. Using dishonest, deceptive or fraudulent means to obtain or attempt to obtain credit for academic work will not be tolerated.
It is the intention of this policy to reinforce standards of integrity and to prepare students for post-secondary settings.
The following actions are reflective of academic dishonesty and are subject to disciplinary action by teacher, school, and/or district. Some offenses may be criminal in nature, and are therefore prosecutable under local, state, or federal laws. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to the following:
- Looking at another student’s test, answer sheet, or other materials.
- Talking during a test.
- Allowing another student to intentionally copy one’s own work (students are responsible for the security of their own test papers).
- Putting one’s name on another’s paper/project.
- Giving another student help on an individualized quiz/test.
- Tampering with teachers’ grade records or tests.
- Stealing or selling quizzes/exams.
- Using teachers’ manuals/solutions manuals.
- Falsifying research data or citations.
- Turning in any work, or part thereof, that is not the student’s own work.
- Copying, paraphrasing, or summarizing another person’s/author’s work without proper citation and appropriate credit.
Other Academically Dishonest Conduct: It is impossible to define every means by which a student may try to manipulate the system in an attempt to obtain higher grades, or to complete work. Any misconduct by which a student attempts to give the impression of a false student performance is prohibited. Any academically dishonest conduct will have consequences for the student(s) involved.
Responsibilities of Students, Parents, Teachers and Administrators
The student is expected to uphold the spirit and the letter of this policy both philosophically and behaviorally, in completing all school-related tests, quizzes, projects, reports, homework assignments or in-class assignments. The student is not to represent as their own, the work of anyone other than themselves. It is the student’s responsibility to know which academic behaviors are acceptable. It is also the student’s responsibility to learn how to attribute work properly by citation, footnote, and bibliography. No assignment is exempt from this policy.
The parent/guardian is expected to adopt the philosophical wholesomeness of this policy and uphold the spirit and letter of it by reviewing it with their student(s) and encouraging the student to practice academic honesty throughout their years at Arthur P. Schalick High School.
The teacher is expected to review the policy of academic honesty with the students at the beginning of each semester and other times during the year, as they deems appropriate. The teacher is expected to direct students to available resources that are useful in helping students to correctly copy, paraphrase, cite, and summarize another person’s work. The teacher is also expected to be specific as to whether an assignment is cooperative or individual, and to enforce the policy in all instances of academic honesty.
The administrator is expected to support the spirit of academic honesty with students, parents, counselors, teachers and other staff members, in conferences and in each classroom. Disciplinary action taken with students concerning the Academic Honesty Policy will follow the process as described in the policy.
MINOR ASSIGNMENTS: Homework, classwork, and any other assignment designated by the teacher as a minor assignment.
MAJOR ASSIGNMENTS: Quizzes, tests, lab reports, essays, research papers, projects, and any other assignments designated by the teacher as a major assignment.
The National Honor Society (NHS) advisor(s) will be notified by Administration of any offense that reaches the administrative level, and the NHS chapter by-laws will be followed.