Honesty, Plagiarism, & Cheating (Updated 2025)

As a learning community, we will always promote academic achievement, but this is never a justification for using the words, thoughts, or ideas of another person without acknowledging their work.  To understand and comply with this policy, it is essential to interpret the meanings of the terms “honesty,” “plagiarism,” and “cheating” as defined by our school. 

Honesty:

SHS expects students to be honest and truthful in their interactions with school staff and within the building. Dishonest communication costs significant district time and resources and can, in many instances, lead to the denial of educational or employment rights to another individual. The prohibition against dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, times when students are interviewed about conduct that happened where they may have witnessed or participated in a violation of our code of conduct, a complaint made about another student or staff member, or if a student makes a report (including the report of a threat against the school or the pulling of a fire alarm.) Dishonesty in an interaction with an SHS staff member is grounds for discipline (see below).

Plagiarism: 

Students are expected to cite each web page, book, or any other source every time they include information from that source in an essay or project. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to:

• Including the words of another writer without including a proper citation. Copying from the Internet, other electronic sources, books, and other printed material—even one phrase or sentence—is considered plagiarism unless there are quotation marks preceding and following the quoted material or an in-text citation. Student must also include a citation of the source (Works Cited page or Bibliography) at the end of their paper. This applies to other forms of expression as well, such as artwork, photography, computer coding, and mathematical calculations.

• Citing the sources used but copying and pasting entire sentences (or photos/graphics/code) without using quotation marks or proper citation methods.

• Presenting the ideas of another person as one’s own original thoughts; unless a student attributes the ideas to the correct source, even if the wording is changed, it can be considered plagiarism.

• Submitting another student’s work as one’s own, for example, an essay written by a sibling or another student.

• Submitting a paper, artwork, etc., purchased from an Internet site.

• Using the generative capabilities of AI without prior approval or failing to properly cite AI.

Student Work (New 2025):

Unless otherwise permitted by the teacher, all typed assignments must be completed using Google products (e.g., Docs, Slides) through the student’s school-issued Google account. 

• The Student's revision history must be available for review. 

• Submissions cannot be copied from another account or submitted as PDFs without prior teacher approval. Any work submitted in this manner will be considered plagiarized, and the student will be responsible for proving its authenticity.

Cheating:

The following are specific examples of cheating:

• Copying another student’s work or assignment (including homework) to submit as one’s own.

• Allowing another student to copy your assignment (including homework) with the intention of taking credit for the work.

• Using an unauthorized set of notes, a “cheat sheet” or answer key, calculator, or other storage device during a test or quiz.

• Helping another student without permission on a test or quiz.

• Stealing, borrowing, or removing an exam from the classroom, or taking it from a teacher without explicit permission.

• Modifying or in any way altering a teacher’s grades or official records.

• Using a teacher’s notes, manuals, or guides without explicit permission.

• Submitting an assignment in two separate classes for different assignments without explicit permission from your teachers (in both subjects).

Plagiarism and cheating are unacceptable in any environment, but particularly in a learning environment. Students who misrepresent someone else’s work as their own are cheating.  If, at any time, you are unsure whether or not your work will be considered plagiarism, or if you need assistance with your writing or project, you should seek out the support of your teacher, the SHS Librarian, SHS Curriculum Coach, Mrs. Reeves, or Mr. Mckaig, Tech Integration Coach before handing in the work.  All cheating/plagiarism violators will be turned in to the office and will engage in the following process:

First Offense within the school year: The assistant principal will meet with the classroom teacher and verify that the allegation reasonably meets the criteria for plagiarism or cheating. The classroom teacher and assistant principal will decide the following. One, can the assignment be replicated? If not, a new assignment of equal difficulty will replace the original assignment. If a presentation was originally required, an alternative may be considered. And, two, the time extension required for the student to complete the work (see below).  Both the student(s) and the parent(s)/caregiver(s) will be informed of the violation and the consequences for any additional violations that occur during the same school year.

• The student will not receive credit or proficiency for the assignment until the redo work is completed. The student forfeits the opportunity to receive teacher feedback or editing before submitting the assignment (i.e., teacher-suggested edits). 

• An accelerated new due-date timeline is required. The redo timeline cannot exceed two weeks. If the assignment due date is at the end of the semester (or year, if a full-year course), the new due date shall be at the conclusion of that class’s Demonstration Days. 

• If the violation occurs during Demonstration Days, the student may not reassess targets and will only be assessed on the work completed without assistance.

Second Offense within the school year: The assistant principal will meet with the classroom teacher to verify that the allegation reasonably meets the criteria for plagiarism or cheating. The student may not reassess on that assignment unless there are extraordinary circumstances. The student must attend a meeting with the teacher, family, and assistant principal to discuss the harm caused by the plagiarism and the support needed moving forward. The student will receive consequences based on the meeting, likely to include at least one detention. 

Third and Subsequent Offenses within the school year: The student does not receive proficiency or credit in the course in which the offense occurred and appears before the principal to determine other consequences, which may include suspension.

* All or portions of this document were reworked for clarity using AI (Open AI, 2025).