Philosophy
Ramsey High School is committed to providing an education to all students where academic honesty is valued. Moral development is an important aspect of the educational learning process. Further, school should be a place where the measure of each student’s work is an accurate assessment of that student’s performance.
Prevention
The first step in eliminating cheating is preventing it from occurring. We believe that teachers play a key role. It is the responsibility of the teacher to manage the classroom in a manner that minimizes the opportunity for cheating. The following guidelines are to be used and reviewed during testing:
No talking during the course of the test. If you need a question answered, raise your hand.
Come prepared for the test with the necessary items.
Take care of your needs prior to beginning the test (use the bathroom, get a drink, etc.)
Sit in your assigned seat or where directed by the teacher.
Desks must be cleared of all items unless approved by the teacher.
Books, backpacks, purses, wallets, and other items are to be off the desk and out of the aisle.
Drinks of any kind are not to be at your desk or accessible.
Hats may not be worn during testing.
Stay focused on the test and do not distract others.
Exercise caution during the test with regard to gestures or actions that can be considered inappropriate.
When the test is over, put down all writing instruments.
Types of Offenses
1. Cheating – giving or receiving unauthorized materials or information.
This includes copying from another student on an assignment, quiz, or test, receiving unauthorized assistance with a quiz, test, or other assignment, sharing information about a quiz or test in advance, using notes, books, or other devices without authorization, sharing copies of tests or exams, sharing homework and other assignments, storing data in calculators or other devices to assist during a test or exam, and/or changing the answers or grade after a quiz, test, or other assignment has been returned.
2. Plagiarism – the act of appropriating the work or ideas of another and passing it off as one’s own work (Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th Edition) or failing to properly cite any material from a published or unpublished source, including material available on the Internet. This includes buying, trading, stealing, and/or copying another’s work, translating the work of another and claiming to be the author, paying for or accepting the writing services of another person who revises the work but does not acknowledge the author, or combining and blending the work of several sources without acknowledgement.
3. Collaboration – working with another without prior authorization of the classroom teacher on an assignment or turning in homework assignments, laboratory reports, and projects that more than one student has worked on without the prior authorization of the teacher.
Consequences for the offenses cited above:
First Offense
• The student will receive a zero for the assignment, quiz, or test without the opportunity to make up the work.
• An incident report will be completed by the observing staff member, shared with the administration, and filed with the Supervisor of HS Education.
• The parent/guardian will be notified by the teacher.
Second Offense
• The student will receive a zero for the assignment, quiz, or test without the opportunity to make up the work.
• An incident report will be completed by the observing staff member and filed with the Supervisor of HS Education
• The student will be removed from consideration for admittance to the National Honor Society for one year.
• A conference will be held by the Principal. The student, parent(s), School counselor, and the teacher will meet.
• The advisor of any activity in which the student is involved will be advised of the infraction by the Supervisor of HS Education.
Third Offense
• Same sanctions as stated in the first two offenses plus:
• Automatic failure in the course.
• The student will be removed from the National Honor Society if he/she has been a member.
• The Principal will recommend that the student be removed from leadership positions in activities or sports.
• A Conference will be held by the Superintendent with any of the following allowed to attend: the student, the parent(s), School counselor, the teacher, the supervisor, or the Principal.
The student may appeal the findings of the Supervisor of HS Education to a committee composed of a supervisor and two classroom teachers from departments other than that in which the infraction occurred.
Additional Offenses
Tampering – the altering of school records, grades, or documents. This includes using a computer to change, add, or erase information and/or unauthorized access into an office or file or grade book for the purpose of altering a record or document.
Consequences for the offenses cited above:
First Offense
• The student will receive a zero for the assignment, quiz, or test without the opportunity to make up the work.
• An incident report will be completed by the observing staff member, shared with the administration and filed with the Supervisor of HS Education.
• The parent/guardian will be notified by the teacher.
• Three day out-of-school-suspension.
Second Offense
• The student will receive a zero for the assignment, quiz, or test without the opportunity to make up the work.
• An incident report will be completed by the observing staff member and filed with the Supervisor of HS Education.
• The student will be removed from consideration for admittance to the National Honor Society for one year.
• A conference will be held by the Principal. The student, parent(s), School counselor, and the teacher will meet.
• The advisor of any activity in which the student is involved will be advised of the infraction.
• Five day out-of-school-suspension
Third Offense
• Same sanctions as stated in the first two offenses plus:
• Automatic failure in any course.
• The student will be removed from the National Honor Society if he/she has been a member.
• The Principal will recommend that the student be removed from leadership positions in activities or sports.
• A conference will be held by the Superintendent with any of the following allowed to attend: the student, the parent(s), School counselor, the teacher, the supervisor, or the Principal.
• Ten day out-of-school-suspension and referral to the Board of Education.
The student may appeal the findings of the Supervisor of HS Education to a committee composed of a supervisor and two classroom teachers from departments other than that in which the alleged infraction occurred.