Academics

Academic Honor Code

It is the responsibility of all Canton High School educators to prepare students for higher academic study by challenging them to engage rigorous curriculum. Academic honesty is an essential element of a healthy learning environment. We expect that all students exhibit honesty and integrity in their academic work, and that the work students submit represents their own best effort. The Canton High School faculty takes seriously any potential violation of honesty and academic integrity.  Academic violations are usually categorized as cheating or plagiarism.  Other offenses, however, may be classified as academic violations. Academic violations may also carry disciplinary consequences in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Definitions

Cheating

Includes but is not limited to, the following:

• copying another student’s homework and giving the impression it is your work

• copying someone’s ideas, data, or exact wording without citing your source

• copying or sharing answers by talking, signing, or gesturing during an assessment

• allowing another student to copy your work

• passing test or quiz information to others in another class period with the same teacher or course

• submitting a pre-written writing assignment at times when such assignments are supposed to be written in class

• using unauthorized study aids, notes, books, text messages, data, or other information

• sabotaging the projects or experiments of other students

• lying or failing to give complete information to a teacher for the purpose of gaining academic advantage

• feigning illness to gain extra preparation time for tests, quizzes, or other assignments

• purchasing a paper or having someone write a paper for you

• altering graded exams and re-submitting them for re-grading

• submitting papers/projects that have been done for a previous class

• using the internet/Wi-Fi to access group chats via personal devices and copying/sharing another person’s homework, test, quiz or ideas via texting, social media or otherwise.

Plagiarism

The unauthorized use or close imitation of the language and thoughts of another author and the representation of them as one’s own original work. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• submitting an assignment in whole or in part that has been copied from a  published source or downloaded from computer software or the Internet 

• borrowing the sequence of ideas, the arrangement of materials, or the pattern of thought of someone else without proper acknowledgment

• having a parent/guardian or another person write an essay or do a project that is then submitted as one’s own work

• failing to use proper documentation and/or bibliography

• using artificial intelligence to generate ideas, essays, or parts of essays without permission or without disclosing the source of the ideas or writing 

Collaboration

The Canton High School faculty encourages students to collaborate with one another in accordance with the guidelines provided by the teacher of the course.  

• What collaboration looks like will vary from class to class- do not assume that collaboration is allowed on every assignment, or that collaboration expectations are the same for every assignment. 

• Working together on assignments that were intended to be completed individually will result in a violation of the Academic Honor Code.

Accountability for violations of the Academic Honor Code

Faculty Responsibilities

Faculty members should take the following steps when they suspect that a student(s) has violated our Academic Honor Code.

• The teacher notifies their Department Coordinator and consults, if necessary, to determine whether the issue is a violation of the Academic Honor Code. 

• Teachers may assign a failing score for the assignment after consulting the Department Coordinator

• The teacher discusses the concern with the student(s). If the student shares information that changes the teacher’s understanding of the violation, the teacher may change the consequence. 

• The teacher finalizes the academic consequence with their Department Coordinator and/or Assistant Principal. 

• Teacher calls parents to inform them of the violation and academic consequence.  Teacher also notifies the School Counselor and Assistant Principal.

• School counselor reaches out to the student. 

• The Assistant Principal meets with the student to discuss any additional consequences for this incident and/or any future consequences of another violation of our academic integrity policy. 

Additional Accountability

• Students who violate the Academic Honor Code more than once may be removed from leadership positions and/or extracurricular activities, especially if they belong to organizations (i.e. honor societies) that prioritize academic achievement and integrity.

• When appropriate, the Assistant Principal may determine that additional accountability is necessary in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Honor Roll Requirements

Students who earn grades of B- or better in all subjects will be eligible for the Honor Roll (published each term). 

Students who earn grades of A in all subjects will be eligible for the Highest Honors category. 

Students who are taking three or more Accelerated/AP courses are eligible for the Honor Roll if they have no more than one C in those subjects. 

Class Valedictorian and Salutatorian

The student in the Canton High School graduating class with the highest cumulative weighted GPA at the end of seven semesters (following semester one of a student’s senior year) will receive the honor of being named the class valedictorian.  The student with the second-highest weighted GPA will be honored as the class salutatorian.  In the case of a numerical tie, there could be more than one Valedictorian or Salutatorian.

Summer School and Courses Taken Outside of Canton High School

COURSES TAKEN OUTSIDE OF CHS

Any student who is a full-time student at Canton High School may not receive graduation credit for a course taken outside of Canton High School during the school year without the prior approval of the high school principal. Students must apply in writing to the principal for any non-CHS course for credit.

SUMMER SCHOOL MAKE-UP AND CREDIT

A student may attend summer school for enrichment in a course OR a student may attend summer school to make up a failed course when the following criteria are met:

• The student has not withdrawn from the course during the school year.

• The student has received at least a 50% for a final grade.

• The student obtains prior approval from the principal or designee before enrolling in summer courses at a different school system. 

• The following conditions may apply: 

  • The student may be asked to submit a portfolio of work performed at summer school, including a record of attendance, homework, assessments, etc.

  • The principal or designee reserves the right to administer a test that must be passed before students can receive credit for a course taken in summer school.

Summer school grades and credits appear on the Canton High School transcript, but are not included in calculating the Weighted or Unweighted GPA.

Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership

The Massachusetts Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) is a program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college-level courses at a local college while enrolled in high school.  The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides funding to public institutions of higher education for a limited number of students to take advantage of this option.  Students who would like to pursue a Dual Enrollment course should meet with their counselor to discuss this option and are responsible for enrolling in the college course(s) directly with that college’s registrar or Dual Enrollment coordinator.