Academic Honesty

ACADEMIC HONESTY

LMUSD Board of Education Policy Regarding Academic Honesty: (BP 5131.9 )

The students, teachers, and administration of LMUSD are committed to the highest standards of honesty and integrity. To that end, members of the High School Council developed regulations and guidelines for district wide policy on cheating and plagiarism. This policy will be discussed in detail with the student body, printed in the parent/student handbook, posted online, and included in all class syllabi. The definitions and policies are:

Definition of Academic Dishonesty or Cheating Academic dishonesty is an action intended to obtain or assist in obtaining credit for work that is not one's own. Examples of academic dishonesty may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Communicating with another student during an examination or quiz;

2. Copying material during an examination or quiz or allowing another student to copy;

3. Using unauthorized notes or devices;

4. Submitting falsified information for grading purposes;

5. Stealing, distributing, obtaining or possessing a copy of and/or information about an examination or quiz without the knowledge and consent of the teacher;

6. Submitting a paper or project which is not the student's work;

7. Copying another person's assignments or allowing another student to copy one's assignment;

8. Impersonating a student to assist the student academically;

9. Changing answers and seeking credit on an assignment or examination after the work has been graded and returned;

10. Altering a teacher's grade book;

11. Falsifying information for applications (e.g., college scholarships);

12. Using computers, cell phones, audio/visual aids and programmable calculators in violation of guidelines established by the teacher;

13. Using professional help such as an author, expert, or purchased service in violation of guidelines established by the teacher;

14. Unlawfully copying computer software or data created by others;

15. Misusing school computers which are used for student, staff or administrative purposes;

16. Any other violation intended to obtain credit for work, which is not one's own.

Collaborations

Study or homework collaboration is not considered academic dishonesty unless prohibited or limited by procedures/expectations established by the teacher. Teachers shall guide students in understanding when collaborative efforts are not appropriate on assignments/tests.

Definition of Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the act of taking and using as one's own work another's published or unpublished thoughts, ideas and/or writings. This definition includes computer programs, drawings, artwork, digital creations and all other types of work, which are not one's own. Types of plagiarism include word-for-word, mosaic (rearrangement or rewording without documentation) and indirect (paraphrasing of a passage without documentation).

Material taken from another source without adequate documentation may include, but is not limited to, the following:

1. failing to cite with quotation marks the written words, or symbols of another author;

2. failing to footnote the author and sources of materials used in a composition;

3. failing to cite research materials in a bibliography;

4. failing to name a person quoted in an oral report;

5. failing to cite an author whose works are paraphrased or summarized;

6. presenting another person's creative work or ideas as one's own in essays, poems, music, audio, art, computer programs or other projects;

7. copying or paraphrasing ideas from literary criticism or study aids without documentation.

Consequences

First Offense

1. Teacher will notify parents, counselor, administrator, and principal. This infraction will be documented.

2. The student will do the test/assignment again without cheating or plagiarizing. The student may fail/earn-reduced credit on the test/assignment.

Second Offense

1. Referral to an administrator for definitive administrative action, with parent conference to follow.

2. Teacher will notify parents, counselor, administrator, and principal. This infraction will be documented.

3. The student will do the test/assignment again without cheating or plagiarizing. The student may fail/earn-reduced credit on the test/assignment.

4. Possible removal from activities for semester and possible loss of eligibility for Salutatorian/Valedictorian.

Third Offense

1. Referral to an administrator for definitive administrative action, with parent conference to follow.

2. Teacher will notify parents, counselor, administrator, and principal. This infraction will be documented.

3. The student will do the test/assignment again without cheating or plagiarizing. The student may fail/earn-reduced credit on the test/assignment.

4. Removal from activities for the year and loss of eligibility for Salutatorian/Valedictorian.

5. Loss of eligibility for local scholarships/grants.

NOTE: Students caught violating the academic honesty policy during any of their high school attendance will NOT be considered for valedictorian.