Academic Honor Code

HONESTY

• Tell the truth
• Present your own work only
• Give credit for all sources

INTEGRITY

• Act in accordance with high moral principles
• Cooperate with efforts to maintain high moral principles
• Encourage high moral principles in others

RESPECT

• Consider each action as a chance to gain trust
• Create a community that values learning and learners
• Demonstrate self-respect

RESPONSIBILITY

• Be willing to own what you do and say
• Embrace and advance the common good of our community
• Have the courage to do what is right

Each STUDENT will maintain and support academic integrity at RHS by:

• completing all assigned work, activities and tests in an honorable way that avoids all cheating, lying, and stealing
• understanding the school-wide Academic Honor Code policy and individual teacher assignment guidelines
• clarifying with the instructor anything that may be unclear about an assignment, with respect to how the Academic Honor Code may apply to it
• participating in the further development in the Academic Honor Code during the student’s high school career
• encouraging other students to make appropriate use of their work

Each TEACHER will maintain and support academic integrity at RHS by:

• presenting the school-wide Academic Honor Code principles, in some clear written form, to show how they apply to that teacher’s class, including guidelines for working on assignments in that class
• reporting (to an administrator and school counselor) violations of the Academic Honor Code that are serious enough to have incurred discipline in that teacher’s class, and following through on the directives of the administrator
• maintaining the integrity of the testing process
• explaining the use of permissible study aids – including tutors – in coursework
• checking student papers for plagiarism
• encouraging students to make appropriate use of their work

Each ADMINISTRATOR will maintain and support academic integrity at RHS by:

• making available to all students, teachers and parents a copy of the school’s Academic Honor Code
• facilitating ongoing conversations and reflection about the Academic Honor Code
• administering fair and consistent consequences for offenses of the Academic Honor Code
• maintaining records of Academic Honor Code offenses
• reporting de-identified violations of the Academic Honor Code to the Honor Council to be used as a tool for further teaching and reflection about academic honor. In this context, a “de-identified” record is one in which the identity of any student(s) involved will be kept confidential
• encouraging students to make appropriate use of their work

Each PARENT/GUARDIAN will maintain and support academic integrity at RHS by:

• becoming knowledgeable about the school-wide Academic Honor Code and guidelines for individual teachers’ classes
• helping the student understand that the parent values Academic Honor and expects the student to comply with the school’s rules of Academic Honor
• supporting the imposition of consequences if the Academic Honor Code is violated
• encouraging students to make appropriate use of their work

Each member of the HONOR COUNCIL will maintain and support academic integrity at RHS by:

• organizing education sessions, to be held every fall and throughout the school year, to help all students understand the Academic Honor Code, suggest ways to act honorably in difficult situations, and provide a forum through which students can contribute their comments and questions to the ongoing discussion about academic honor at RHS
• reviewing the Academic Honor Code each spring, considering teacher, student, administrator, and parent input
• maintaining “de-identified” records of Academic Honor Code offenses
• maintaining confidentiality
• encouraging students to make appropriate use of their work

1. To cheat: To violate or to intend to violate the rules deliberately for one’s own gain in academic, extracurricular, or other school work in order to (or with the intent to) gain an unfair advantage. [Resources used in the development of this definition were American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd ed., and the W.T. Woodson H.S. Honor Code.] With regard to academic performance, conduct that constitutes cheating or the intention to cheat includes, but is not limited to, cases illustrated by the following examples:
    
   • Unpermitted collaboration on assigned work, or work submitted by any student, including but not limited to papers, projects, products, lab reports, other reports, and homework
     Unauthorized use of a cheat sheet, marks/writing on body, teacher textbook, formula, note-card or notes, calculator/computer, cell phone, iPod, Blackberry, language-translation website or device, or any other technological device that would inappropriately enhance one’s work
   • Creating a disadvantage for another student by hoarding or by sabotaging materials or resources
   • Unauthorized prior knowledge and/or use of tests, quizzes, midterms, finals, or other assignments
   • Having another individual take a test or prepare an assignment, or assist in the test or assignment without approval
   • Sending or receiving unauthorized information through hand signals or other gestures, talking, text messaging, looking at someone else’s test, showing your own test, or (during an in-class essay) using e-mail
      
2. To lie: To make a statement one knows (or reasonably should know) is false, with the intent to deceive or with disregard for the truth; to give a false impression. [The resource used in the development of this definition was Webster’s New World Dictionary, 3rd ed.] Lies can be made verbally, in writing, or by gestures that are intended to convey a false impression or understanding. With regard to academic performance, conduct that constitutes lying includes, but is not limited to, cases illustrated by the following examples:
    
   • Fabrication of data or information (i.e., making it up)
   • Falsification of data or information (i.e., falsely changing the result)
   • Forgery of signature on documents for school record
   • Changing a grade or attendance record in a teacher’s grade book or in the attendance records
   • Making statements that you know or reasonably should know have caused a false impression or understanding to have been created, and failing to correct the false impression or misunderstanding
      
3. To steal: To get, take, or give another’s property or ideas without permission or acknowledgement. [The resource used in the development of this definition was Webster’s New World Dictionary, 3rd ed.] With regard to academic performance, conduct that constitutes stealing includes, but is not limited to, cases illustrated by the following examples:
    
   • Plagiarism: The copying of language, ideas, thoughts, images, programming or computer code of another without proper acknowledgement/citation
   • The purchasing and/or using of another’s work or thoughts as your own

1. Generally. Consequences reflect the seriousness of the violation, promote respect for the rules of the School District, protect students and the School District from further violations, demonstrate that justice and integrity matter, and, when appropriate, provide the student with opportunities to prove that he or she sincerely regrets any wrongdoing and is committed to making things right. Consequences shall be determined solely by the appropriate administrator (except for those matters referred to the School Board of Directors).
2. Method for Determining Consequences. The administrator will assess the severity of the offense and implement an appropriate response under the guidelines of Level I, Level II, or Level III violations, as defined in the RHS Student Handbook.
3. Classroom Discipline. Nothing in this Academic Honor Code limits what consequences the classroom teacher can impose, consistent with the teacher’s authority in the classroom. Consequences can include but are not limited to a “0” (grade of zero) on any test or assignment where there has been cheating or lying or stealing, or the assignment of make-up or additional work.