I.    PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish clear guidelines for academic honesty.

II.    GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

Minnetonka Public Schools’ responsibility to the community is that all school members will foster the development of good character and social responsibility. Therefore, the District will establish high ethical standards for all students in order to create a positive and stimulating learning environment. All aspects of curriculum and instruction will aim at developing life skills in all students. These life skills work to ensure that all graduates are ready to be contributing members of society and are able to achieve their highest level of both personal and academic achievement. All adults have a key role in helping support these standards. In order to enhance a student’s learning, caring adults will work to clearly set and communicate realistic expectations and model life-long learning skills.

Integrity is essential to excellence both in education and life. Assessments and other school work are measures of a student’s academic performance. Honesty is required to ensure an accurate measurement of a student’s academic knowledge. Each assessment must be evaluated on what the student knows or can do in order for the student and his/her family to have a clear and accurate accounting of the student’s mastery of the material. When a student chooses to violate the academic integrity policy, it is a behavior infraction. As a result, the teacher will need to find an alternative way to assess the student’s knowledge. It is at this point that all parties—parents, teachers, administrators, and the student—work to identify the root cause of the behavior and to help the student learn from the experience in a caring, consistent, and instructive way.

III.    DEFINITIONS

Cheating: Using dishonest methods to gain an advantage -- Websters New International Dictionary

Collusion: A secret agreement or cooperation especially for an illegal or deceitful purpose -Websters New International Dictionary

Formative Assessments (Academic Practice): work conducted when a student is still learning the material. It is an assessment that is designed to provide direction for both students and teachers. For the students, the adjustment may mean reviewing, additional practice, or confirmation that they are ready to move forward. For the teachers, it may mean changing instructional strategies, providing additional practice, or being ready to move forward. (e.g. teacher observation, quizzes, homework, rough drafts, peer editing, or notebook checks.)

Plagiarism: To steal or purloin and pass off as one’s own the ideas, words, artistic production of another; to use, without credit, the ideas, expressions or productions of another. -- Websters New International Dictionary

Record: Record means any information or data recorded in any way, including, but not limited to, handwriting, print, computer media, video or audio tape, film, microfilm and microfiche.

Summative Assessments (Academic Achievement): work conducted when a student has had adequate instruction and practice to be responsible for the material. It is designed to provide information to be used in making judgment about a student’s achievement at the end of a sequence of instruction, e.g. final drafts/attempts, tests, exams, assignments, projects, performances.

IV.    CLASSIFICATIONS OF ACADEMIC DISHONESTY

1. As a guiding principle, academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on schools assessments (formative or summative), plagiarism or collusion.
    
2. Each year, and when needed, the types of violations of the academic integrity policy will be outlined in the student handbook.  Students are responsible for being aware of both the violations and consequences. When in doubt, the student should always ask the teacher or an administrator for further clarification.
    
3. The following are example violations:
    
   1. Copying homework or allowing someone to copy your homework.
   2. Looking on another’s test/quiz or allowing another to copy a test/quiz.
   3. Plagiarism
   4. Reporting to another student what is on a test or quiz either verbally or electronically—including specific questions and/or answers.

V.    CONSEQUENCES FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY VIOLATIONS

1. A violation of the academic integrity policy is a behavioral infraction and shall be treated as such. Therefore, consequences shall be developed for each violation of the academic integrity policy.
    
   1. All violations are cumulative for all courses.
   2. The infraction will be examined in the context of the student’s record.
   3. If the behavior warrants it, the consequences may be increased based on the facts and the violations of other policies and procedures.
       
2. The objective in dealing with any violation of the academic integrity policy will be twofold:
    
   1. To educate the student about the severity of this ethical violation and its long-term implications; and,
   2. To encourage a behavior change in a caring, consistent and instructive way with the purpose of preventing any future violations. The student, parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators all play a key role in this process.
       
3. The violation will be recorded into the student’s official disciplinary record.

VI.    GUIDELINES FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT ADMINISTRATION

1. Assessments and other schoolwork are measures of a student’s performance. In order for a teacher to accurately assess a student’s knowledge, the student must generate the work on his/her own. Consequently, honesty is required to ensure accurate measurement of learning for both the student and the teacher.
    
2. In order to create an appropriate environment for students to accurately complete in-class summative assessments, clear protocol for both students and teachers will be developed and posted in each classroom.

VII.    AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

1. One must balance the responsibilities for students, teachers, parents, and administration to set a working relationship for true integrity in academics.
    
2. In order for each student to reach his/her academic potential, the student will:
    
   1. Understand how to accurately cite other’s work.
   2. Understand the definitions and consequences of and for cheating behavior.
   3. Understand the teacher’s expectations for all assessments. When in doubt about the expectations, ask for further clarification.
       
3. In order to help each student reach his/her academic potential with integrity, the teacher will:
    
   1. Clearly communicate the policy.
   2. Communicate expectations for all assessments (i.e. cooperative projects.)
   3. Develop a system to check for completion of assessments.
   4. Have clear due dates and deadlines for all formative and summative assessments.
   5. Provide help time and be aware of students who need help.
   6. Model and teach how to appropriately cite.
       
4. In order to help each student reach his/her academic potential with integrity, the parent(s) will:
    
   1. Understand and support the academic integrity policy.
   2. Help your student accept the consequences through this learning experience, if your student violates the academic integrity policy. If your student violates the academic integrity policy, the goal is to change the behavior and make assurances that it will not occur again.
       
5. In order to help each student reach his/her academic potential with integrity, the administration will:
    
   1. Document in the discipline record all violations of the policy
   2. Help develop consistent practices.
   3. Provide support to students in violation of the policy.
   4. Provide the support that teachers need to follow through with the enforcement policy and enforce consequences.
   5. Support the consistent enforcement of the policy across the school.
   6. Work to change the behavior of student who has violated the policy in a caring, consistent, and instructive way.

VIII.    IMPLEMENTATION

The Superintendent or designee is directed and authorized to develop and approve specific procedures for the implementation of this policy.