TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT 214

 

Board Policy:  3.26 Academic Integrity

Students, teachers, and administrators work together to establish and maintain an academic environment that is fair to all students. Students are expected to strive to maintain academic integrity and to refrain from academic misconduct or from aiding others in academic misconduct. Academic misconduct is subject to disciplinary action defined by district and school/site procedures. Teachers will review the district policy and procedures regarding academic integrity at the beginning of every course and will incorporate instruction regarding the need for and value of academic integrity in their lessons.

 

Definitions of Academic Misconduct

 

Scholastic dishonesty A breach of the standards of academic integrity including all forms of academic cheating: e.g., plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records, and any other act designed to give unfair academic advantage to the student.

 

Cheating Any attempt to defraud, deceive, or mislead the teacher and/or school administration in arriving at an honest evaluation of learning. Cheating includes aiding other students in cheating.

 

Plagiarism A form of cheating that involves presenting as oneÕs own, the ideas or work of another. Plagiarism is not a question of intent. Any use of the content or style of anotherÕs intellectual product without proper recognition of the source, constitutes plagiarism.

 

Furnishing False Information Writing an exam or term paper for another student; soliciting another person to take an exam or write a paper for oneÕs own class; submitting the same work in more than one course when doing so is prohibited; or representing oneself as another person.

 

Creating an Improper Disadvantage Removing, defacing, hiding or deliberately withholding library books or other materials; contaminating a laboratory sample, etc.

 

Theft/Damage of Intellectual Property Sabotaging or stealing another personÕs assignment, book, paper, notes, experiment, or project; improperly accessing or electronically interfering via computer or other means with the property of another person.

 

Selling or Distributing Materials Selling or distributing course notes, handouts, readers or other information provided by a teacher without the teacherÕs permission.

 

Collusion The act of forming a secret agreement for a fraudulent or illegal purpose.

 

 

 

 

Standard Consequences

 

When an incident of academic misconduct is suspected, the teacher will take reasonable action to establish whether it actually occurred. After giving the student notice of the allegation(s) and an opportunity to explain his or her actions, the teacher will take the following disciplinary actions when it has been determined that academic misconduct has occurred.

 

The consequence for academic misconduct will always be more severe than the consequence for failing to do, turn in, or complete an assignment or to take the test/exam/assessment in question.

 

First Occurrence

  1. Zero credit for the assignment or examination.
  2. Possible course failure based on the weight of assignment or examination.
  3. The student is given the opportunity to make up the assignment/examination at the teacherÕs discretion at no credit.
  4. The incident is reported to the division head and documented by the dean as a disciplinary incident, and the parent/guardian is notified by an administrator of the incident and possible course failure. ÒAcademic MisconductÓ is added to the discipline referral form.
  5.  

Second Occurrence

  1. Zero credit for the assignment or examination.
  2. As a consequence, possible course failure as determined by the teacher and the principalÕs/directorÕs desingee(s).
  3. The student is given the opportunity to make up the assignment/examination at the teacherÕs discretion at no credit.
  4. Incident is reported to the division head and documented by the dean as a disciplinary incident and, the parent/guardian is notified by an administrator of the incident and possible course failure.
  5. The student may be excluded from consideration for academic awards.

 

Third Occurrence

  1. Course failure.
  2. Incident is reported to the division head and documented by the dean as a disciplinary incident and, the parent/guardian is notified by an administrator of the incident and course failure.
  3. The student will be excluded from consideration for academic awards.

 

Incidents of academic misconduct are cumulative in individual courses, i.e., an incident in one course is unrelated to any incidents in other courses. The administration, however, may detect a pattern of academic misconduct that requires an additional or alternative disciplinary intervention. The incident may be considered a cocurricular code violation.

 

I have read and understood  the Board of EducationÕs Policy on Academic Integrity, particularly the definitions of Academic Misconduct and the Standard Consequences.

 

Signature  of student ________________________________

 

Signature of parent ____________________________________     Date______________________