NORTH HUNTERDON HIGH SCHOOL

POLICY ON CHEATING AND PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism

Rationale: Plagiarism demonstrates a lack of integrity and character that is inconsistent with the goals and values of North Hunterdon High School.

Excellent written expression of well-formulated ideas is a fundamental skill for academic and career success. Plagiarism interferes with the assessment and feedback process that is necessary in order to promote academic growth. Plagiarism defrauds the instructor with a false view of a student’s strengths and weaknesses. It may prevent further instruction in areas of weakness and delay the student in reaching his or her potential.

Plagiarism includes:

· taking someone else’s assignment or portion of an assignment and submitting it as one's own

·submitting material written by someone else or rephrasing the ideas of another without giving the author’s name or source

· presenting the work of tutors, parents, siblings, or friends as one's own

·submitting purchased papers as one's own

· submitting papers from the Internet written by someone else as one's own

· supporting plagiarism by providing work to others, whether it is believed it will be copied or not

Cheating

Rationale: Cheating demonstrates a lack of integrity and character that is inconsistent with the goals and values of North Hunterdon High School.

Education is based on learning specific skills, forming lifelong work habits, and developing mature coping skills according to each student’s unique abilities. Stress propels students to make unethical choices. When students choose to cheat, it may be a symptom of more serious problems such as inappropriate class placement, over-commitment to extra-curricular activities, and/or academic desperation. The compromise of their values through cheating may lead to loss of self-esteem, as the students are often painfully aware of their shortcomings and fight a tiring battle to preserve their images at the cost of their ethics. True self-esteem is based on competence. Cheating robs students of their opportunity to become competent. Assignments should be considered individual unless the instructor states otherwise.

Cheating includes:

copying, faxing, emailing, or in any way duplicating assignments that are turned in, wholly or in part, as original work

exchanging assignments with other students, either handwritten or computer generated, whether it is believed they will be copied or not

using any form of memory aid during tests or quizzes without the expressed permission of the instructor·

using a computer or other means to translate an assignment from one language into another language and submitting it as an original translation

giving or receiving answers during tests or quizzes. It is the student's responsibility to secure his or her papers so other students will not have the opportunity or the temptation to copy

taking credit for group work when the student has not contributed an equal or appropriate share toward the final result

accessing a test or quiz for the purpose of determining the questions in advance of its administration.

using summaries/commentaries (Cliffs Notes, Spark Notes, etc.) in lieu of reading the assigned materials.

Alternatives to cheating and plagiarism:

No student needs to cheat or plagiarize. North Hunterdon High School provides numerous support services for students to help them achieve success honorably. Students who advocate for themselves and seek appropriate help when they need it will not need to cheat or plagiarize.

The following behaviors promote true student achievement:

1.	Be prepared. Try to keep to a realistic schedule balancing academic obligations and one's social and personal life.
2.	Make certain that you understand your assignments and the grading assessment that will be used. If you have questions about an assignment or an assessment, talk to your instructor. Do not rely solely upon a classmate for clarification.
3.	If you study for a test with a classmate, make sure that you do not sit near each other during the test since your responses (and errors) may be similar.
4.	Do not read or scan someone else’s paper before writing your own. Some of the ideas in the other person’s paper may be ideas that you would have used, but you will now need to credit the person whose paper you read for those ideas.
5.	Use all avenues of support available to you. For help needed beyond the classroom, see your instructor, other instructors in the department, a peer tutor, or a parent or other adult who is well versed in the subject.
6.	Assignments should be considered individual unless the instructor states otherwise.
7.	Be organized. Having class notes in an orderly, easily accessible format will save time and anxiety when studying for a test or writing a paper.
8.	Keep current with assignments. If you need to read an entire novel the evening before a test or before a paper is due on that novel, your performance on either will suffer.
9.	If, for whatever reason, you choose to use another’s ideas or solutions, cite that person as a source on your paper or project.
10.	Know what constitutes cheating, including all the variations of plagiarism.

The role of parental support in their children’s achievement and ethical development:

Parental support of academic achievement and ethical development is fundamental to students’ long-term success. The following behaviors will assist parents in promoting true student achievement:

1.	Teachers are available for extra help after school, and resource centers are open all day for individual assistance. In addition, peer tutors are available when extra help is needed. Encourage their use.
2.	Assess your child’s abilities realistically. Help her/him to choose courses in which she/he will be successful and challenged without undue stress.
3.	Don’t push children beyond their limits with your expectations or aspirations. Many times students make bad decisions because the pressure to excel is greater than their ability to meet the expectations.
4.	If you suspect your child is experiencing difficulty in a class, please contact the teacher. The sooner the problem is identified, the sooner steps can be taken to alleviate it.
5.	If your child is caught cheating and you are called, please remember that this is a learning experience; help your child to accept the consequences for his/her inappropriate actions.

Repercussions

See teacher grading policies and student handbook for discussion of consequences for plagiarism and cheating. Be aware that cheating is often a joint undertaking. Cheating is always harmful to all parties involved. It sacrifices the integrity of the person who provides the materials and robs the copier of the opportunity to learn. When cheating is not an individual activity, all parties involved are equally guilty and will be subject to the same consequences. Intellectual honesty on the parts of all students is fundamental to their ethical development.