Dunwoody High School Cheating and Plagiarism Policy

The Dunwoody High School Plagiarism Policy has been written to serve as further elaboration on and clarification of the nature of plagiarism and the various types of offenses that constitute it. Simply put, plagiarism is an act of fraud and should be considered as serious an offense as stealing someone’s personal property or a patent on an invention. It is our expectation that students will always abide by this policy, in all classes, for all assignments.

The faculty and administration of Dunwoody High School have developed this policy because:

	We value academic integrity and ethical work within our students, and we want to foster a positive environment in which students produce original work, respecting the work of others.
	 We believe that the ability to research and write effectively, correctly, and honestly is a key component of an individual’s academic and professional development.
	We want our students to respect the ideas and intellectual property of others, to understand correct research methodology, and to appreciate quality scholarship.
	We believe plagiarism and cheating prevent students from developing those crucial skills of thinking and writing for themselves.
	We believe that plagiarism is ethically unacceptable.

	We want our students to understand that the principles of quality writing and research apply to all areas of academic study.
	We want students to understand that the consequences of plagiarism in colleges and universities can range from failure in a course to expulsion from the school.
	We understand that it has become very easy to access information from the internet; we want to help students navigate sources and responsibly use the information available to them in a way that promotes integrity and ethical academics.
	We notice the increasing number of formerly respected professionals whose careers and reputations have been permanently marred by the discovery of plagiarism in their work, and we want to teach our students how to avoid suffering the same fate.

Listed below are definitions of some of the key terms used in this policy.

Source: All materials from which students might obtain information. This includes books, newspapers, magazines, the internet, movies, television, videos, CD-ROMs, other people, and interviews.

Citing: Using ideas, words, or facts from a source. Citing sources is the aim of research and is encouraged, as long as all information that is cited is also documented correctly.

Citation: The documentation of sources that are cited within student work.

	Parenthetical citations refer to the citations included in parentheses within the body of a student’s essay.
	MLA citations are the full citations that are listed in a works cited page at the end of student papers.

Documenting: Providing adequate information about where to find each idea, word, or fact that did not originate in the student’s own mind. If you do not provide proper documentation for each source you cite in your work, you are claiming those ideas as your own, thus plagiarizing.

Correct Documentation: Providing the information mentioned above in a prescribed format that is dictated and accepted by a scholarly organization. In English classes, students are expected to follow the format outlined by the Modern Language Association (MLA). Science or Social Studies classes might require that students follow the format of the American Psychological Association (APA).

All Dunwoody High School students receive the following guidelines regarding cheating in the Student Code of Conduct, printed in your Student Handbook:

CHEATING POLICY – Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, the following actions:

	 Using or possessing, as well as giving or receiving, unauthorized materials in a testing situation (including notes, textbook, cheat sheets, electronic devices),
	Giving or sharing information on a test, quiz, homework, project, or any other work from your classes. 	Copying another student’s work of any kind in any form,
	 Turning in the same work for multiple assignments, whether for one class or multiple classes. (This is called "self-plagiarism"),
	Passing on or receiving definite answers to test or quiz questions,

	 Turning in work for credit that is not one’s own (This includes, but is not limited to, information from the internet),
	Submitting text that has been cut-and-pasted from the internet without attribution,

	Sharing or copying information from another student's computer or mobile device, and 	Paraphrasing without attribution.

Plagiarism of any sort, as defined and explained in the Dunwoody High School plagiarism policy, is strictly prohibited.

A student will be considered to be in violation of the plagiarism policy if he or she does any of the following:

	 Uses the direct wording of another source without documenting the source and putting the words in quotation marks,
	Uses the ideas of another person without fully documenting the source of those ideas,

	Copies the basic sentence structure of another writer’s work, but changes some of the words, 	Downloads and turns in information as one’s own work,
	Provides incorrect or fictitious information about a source,

	Cites a source in such a way as to change the content, meaning, or intention of a source, 	Turns in the work of someone else (peer, teacher, parent) as his or her own,
(This includes homework assignments, journal entries, formal papers, and projects. Though many teachers at Dunwoody High School effectively practice cooperative and team learning, turning in another person’s work is not compatible with the theories and objectives of cooperative learning)
	 Completes another student’s assignment for him or her and allows it to be turned in as the other student’s work, and/or
	 Turns in the same work for multiple assignments. For example, if a student turns in an essay for both American Literature and U.S. History, it is considered self-plagiarism.

Please note: Plagiarism and cheating are not limited to the examples provided above. Please read the student conduct handbook carefully for a complete list of actions that will be considered violations of this policy.

Consequences: As stated in the student code of conduct, when a teacher can provide evidence that a student has plagiarized any portion of an assignment, the student will receive a “0” on the assignment without an opportunity to rewrite it. The student will receive an “N” in conduct for the grading period after their first offense of plagiarism/cheating. Repeated offenses will result in a “U” in conduct for the course. The teacher will also submit a discipline referral to the Assistant Principal of Instruction. Students should consider the impact that plagiarism could have on their grades and their permanent conduct records before they make the decision to violate the policy. Teachers and administration will follow the plagiarism policy in its entirety and without exception.

The following consequences will apply when violations occur:

	 The teacher will confer with student and the student’s parent(s)/guardian(s) if suspicion of a violation arises.
	The teacher will inform the Assistant Principal of Instruction of the incident.

	After a student’s first violation of the plagiarism policy, the student will receive an “N” in conduct for the grading period. Any subsequent offenses will result in a “U” in conduct for the course. Receiving a “U” in conduct may impact club and honor society membership.
	A credit of "0" will be recorded for the test or the assignment involved.

Signing this policy indicates that the student and parent understand the rationale for the policy, the definition of plagiarism/cheating, and the penalty for violating this policy. A signature indicates that neither the student nor the parent will attempt to explain or to justify a plagiarism offense with the argument that the student was unaware of the policy or did not understand that he or she was committing plagiarism.

I have read the policy and I understand it. My teacher has reviewed this policy with me and has given me a chance to ask questions about it. I understand that it applies to all of my assignments in all of my classes all year long, including any summer reading assignments.

Print Student Name: ___________________________ Date: ______________

Student Signature: ____________________________ Date: ______________

I have read the policy and I understand it. I will support it by discussing it with my child and agree that my child will abide by it. I will do my best to ensure his or her accountability in his or her schoolwork.

Print Parent Name ______________________________ Date: _____________

Parent Signature: _______________________________ Date: _____________