ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

SPARTAN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE (CHEATING/PLAGIARISM)

The purpose of Sparta High School’s Academic Integrity Code is to advocate and inspire our students to meet the highest standards of intellectual honesty and academic conduct.  To be prepared to engage themselves as societal leaders and role models, they must be educated in an ethical learning environment that promotes honor in scholastic work.  To that end, they must also realize that any act of dishonesty reflects upon them as students and individuals and, subsequently, the entire school community.

Cheating – Cheating is defined as giving or receiving any unauthorized aid on tests, exams, reports, term papers, homework, or any other school/course related assignments.

Plagiarism – Plagiarism is to steal and pass off as one’s own the ideas and words of another.  It is to use, intentionally or unintentionally, without crediting the source, to commit literary theft and present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source.

Collaboration – Collaboration is to work jointly, especially with one or a limited number of others, on a project involving composition or research to be jointly accredited – Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.

EXAMPLES OF UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR/ACADEMIC CONDUCT

• Paying someone else to write a paper and submitting it as your own work

• Turning in a paper that has been purchased from a commercial research firm or obtained from the internet and submitting it is your own work

• Turning in a paper purchased from another student or written by another student and submitting it as your own work

• Turning in work that has been previously submitted in another course without the teacher's permission

• Using undocumented sources as your own words and using them in classwork which is submitted for credit or a grade.  This includes, but is not limited to using artificial intelligence software to generate work and passing it off as your own original work. 

• Using the exact language of someone else without proper credit to the author

• Presenting a sequence of ideas or arranging material of another author, but making it appear your own, without credit

• Using unauthorized notes in an exam, quiz, or any other graded assignment

• Obtaining an unauthorized copy of an assessment in advance of its scheduled administration

• Giving or receiving answers by use of physical signal or electronic device during an assessment

• Using an electronic device for any reason during an assessment “as an unauthorized aid.”

• Copying with or without the person’s knowledge during an assessment

• Altering answers on a scored assessment and submitting it for a better grade

• Doing a class assignment or homework for someone else

• Stealing class assignments or homework from another student and submitting it as your own

• Copying a class assignment or homework from other students and submitting it as your own

• Using a word translator for World Language assignments and submitting them as your own

This list is not intended to be exhaustive; other situations may be considered unacceptable academic conduct.

PUNITIVE MEASURES LEVIED BY ADMINISTRATION/ACADEMIC POLICY COMMITTEE

First Offense:

• A grade of “0” will be issued for the assignment/report

• A “U” in conduct will be written on the student’s report card / any student who receives a “U” for conduct will be removed from Honor Roll for that marking period

• A Detention or a Saturday Detention and/or referral to our ALIGN counseling program will be administered to the student

• The student’s parent(s) will be called by teacher

Second Offense:

• A grade of “0” will be issued for the assignment/report

• A “U” in conduct will be written on the student’s report card / any student who receives a “U” for conduct will be removed from Honor Roll for that marking period

• An In -School-suspension (ISS) and/or referral to our ALIGN counseling program will be administered to the student

• The student’s parent(s) will be called by teacher

A STUDENT’S GUIDE TO PREVENTING PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC HONESTY

“If you are asked to do something that you feel is wrong or unethical, it probably is.  Aiding someone in committing an academically dishonest act is just as serious as receiving the aid” (Akers).

During the research process, students should make a sincere effort to fully acknowledge the source of any information that is not common knowledge.  A good rule to remember is, “When in doubt, cite the source!”

Follow these tips for avoiding plagiarism and academic dishonesty:

• Use quotation marks, footnotes, or parenthetical textual notes to acknowledge the words or ideas of others

• Do not “copy and paste” without giving proper credit to the source

• Do not include sources in your paper’s final “Works Cited” that you have not used in the preparation of your paper

• Check with your teacher before turning in a paper or project you submitted in another course

• Do not acquire previous papers, lab reports, or assignments used in a class with the intention of copying all or parts of the material unless approved by your teacher

• Keep copies of your rough drafts as proof that the final paper is your own work

• Do not look around during an assessment.  It may appear that you are trying to copy from others

• When testing, shield your answer sheet

• Ask your teacher if you may move if you suspect that someone is trying to copy your work

• During a test, make sure that no notes, materials, or devices are in sight that would lead one to suspect that you are using unauthorized aids

• When completing take-home assessments, do not collaborate with others unless approved by your teacher

• Do not make marks on a graded assessment if there is any chance that you may submit it for a re-grade

Akers, Stephen.  “Academic Integrity: A Guide for Students.”  West Lafayette, IN: Purdue 

University ODOS, 2009