Definition of Academic Integrity


The following standards relate to all work prepared for evaluation by teachers (i.e., homework, quizzes, take-home exams, in-class examinations, presentations and papers). Students are required to submit such work for evaluation for various reasons:

 

  • To help the students develop and express concepts, knowledge, and skills
  • To inspire creative thinking and work
  • To provide the teacher with feedback revealing whether or not students grasp the material presented
  • To provide a record of the student's progress
  • To promote the learning of new material and to reinforce old material

 

Ashland High School students are expected to follow these guidelines regarding academic standards and behavior. There is no intention to discourage interactions among students, teachers, and others. These guidelines, however, emphasize the need for attributing credit and for doing independent work when required/expected by the teacher. A violation of these guidelines may impact a student’s selection for scholarships, leadership positions, membership in organizations such as National Honor Society, or any other situation in which character is a part of the selection process. Violations will be recorded, and there will be more serious consequences for repeat offenders.

 

All work submitted to meet course requirements is expected to be a student's own work. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, students should always take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information taken from sources. Whenever ideas or facts are taken from a student's reading and research, the sources must be indicated. The term "sources" includes not only published primary and secondary material but also information and opinions gained directly from other people. The responsibility for using the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. Quotations must be placed within quotation marks, and the source must be credited. All paraphrased material also must be correctly cited.

 

The extent to which working with others is permitted in the completion of assignments can vary, depending upon the policy set by the teacher. Students must assume that working with others in the completion of assignments and tests is not allowed unless specifically stated  by the teacher.

 

A paper or other work normally is submitted to only one course. If the same or similar work is then submitted to any other course, the prior written permission of the teachers involved must be obtained.

 

Adapted from the following sources:      Baylor High School

                                                            San Jose State University

                                                            North Hunterdon High School

                                                            Orrville High School

Harvard University

 

 

 

Academic Dishonesty demonstrates a lack of character that is inconsistent with the goals of the Ashland City School District.  Cheating and plagiarism are forms of Academic Dishonesty, which are defined as follows:

 

Intentional Plagiarism occurs when writers or researchers are aware that they are using someone else’s words or ideas as their own.

Some specific examples of intentional plagiarism include but are not limited to the following:

·         Using pre-written papers from the Internet or other sources and claiming them as your own.

·         Copying an essay or article from the Internet, on-line source, or electronic database without quoting or giving credit, regardless of the language.

·         Cutting and pasting text or graphics to create a paper/project without quoting or giving credit.

·         Using Cliff’s notes, Spark notes, or a similar source, either hard copy or online, without giving credit.

·         Borrowing words or ideas from other students or sources without giving credit.

·         Allowing someone else to complete any part of an assignment given to an individual.

·         Presenting a technology-based foreign language translation as one’s own work.

 

Unintentional Plagiarism occurs when writers or researchers unwittingly use the words or ideas of others by failing to give credit to the source.  When in doubt, students must check with their teacher or writing lab monitor.

Some specific examples of unintentional plagiarism include but are not limited to the following:

·         Paraphrasing poorly: changing a few words rather than taking notes and rewriting the material.

·         Quoting poorly:  putting quotation marks around part of a quotation but not around all of it or putting quotation marks around a passage that is partly paraphrased and partly quoted.

·         Citing poorly:  omitting an occasional in-text citation or citing inaccurately.

 

Cheating is the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means.  Cheating in Ashland City Schools includes but is not limited to the following:

·         Copying, in part or in whole, from another’s test or other evaluation instrument.

·         Submitting work previously presented in another course, without the written permission of both teachers.

·         Using or consulting during an examination sources or materials not authorized by the teacher (for example, saving examination information on a calculator).

·         Altering or interfering with grading.

·         Sitting for an examination for someone else or allowing it to happen.

·         Stealing a test, quiz, etc.

·         Committing any other act in the course of his or her academic work, which defrauds or misrepresents, including contributing to or sharing in any of the actions defined above.

 

Homework Copying occurs when students misrepresent their own work by copying from another student.  In cases of homework copying, both the student who copies the homework and the student who allowed his or her work to be copied will be considered guilty.

 

 

 

 

CONSEQUENCES

 

In cases of Intentional Plagiarism/Cheating (consequences applied across all courses): 

 

1.   For the first offense, the student’s parents will be contacted and the student may choose to redo the assignment for a failing grade, or receive no credit.  The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion and a notation will be made in the student’s yearly electronic record. Both the student and his or her parents will be notified that a second offense will result in failure of the grading period.

 

2.  For the second offense, the student’s parents will be contacted and the student will fail the course (50% of earned grade) for the grading period in which he or she committed the second offense in addition to receiving no credit on the assignment. The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion and a notation will be made in the student’s yearly electronic record.  Both the student and his or her parents will be notified that a third offense will result in failure of the semester.

 

3.  For the third and subsequent offenses in the course, the student’s parents will be contacted and the student will fail the course (50% of earned grade) for the semester in which he or she committed the third offense in addition to receiving no credit on the assignment.  The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion and a notation will be made in the student’s yearly electronic record.

 

In cases of Unintentional Plagiarism:

             

The student may opt to choose one of the following:

1.  Redo the assignment within teacher guidelines.

2.  Receive no credit.

Repeated instances of unintentional plagiarism may be determined as cheating or intentional plagiarism at the teacher’s discretion.

 

In cases of Homework Copying (consequences applied in individual classes):

 

  1. For the first offense, the student will receive an F on the assignment and parents will be contacted at the discretion of the teacher.  The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion.

 

  1. For the second offense in the same course, the student will receive a 50% average of his or her earned homework grade for the 9 weeks in addition to receiving no credit on the assignment.*  The student’s parents will be contacted.  The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion.

 

  1. For the third offense in the same course, the student will receive a 0% average on all homework for the 9 weeks in addition to receiving no credit on the assignment.* The student’s parents will be contacted.  The assistant principal and school counselor will be notified to provide appropriate intervention at their discretion.

 

* Please note that this consequence is retroactive. This means that should a student commit a second or third offense at the end of a grading period, all homework assignments done previously would revert to a 50% or 0% for the entire grading period.