Burbank Unified School District

 

John Burroughs High School Academic Honesty Guidelines

 

Academic Honesty:

Students shall not misrepresent examination materials, research materials, classwork, and/ or homework assignments as their own, when in fact they are the work of someone else.

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to the following:

  1. Turning in any work, or part thereof, that is not the student's own work
  2. Copying another student's or author's work or class assignment
  3. Allowing another student to copy your work or class assignment
  4. Putting your name on someone else's paper/project.
  5. Using a "cheat sheet" or any unauthorized piece of writing on a quiz/test
  6. Giving another student help on an individualized quiz/test
  7. Tampering with the teacher's grade records or tests
  8. Stealing and/or selling quizzes/exams* (*This offense will result in an automatic suspension because of the seriousness of the offense.)
  9. Using teacher manuals/solution manuals.
  10. Using any material from the Internet without proper citation and appropriate credit.

 

The classroom teacher in charge is responsible for determining if cheating has occurred.

 

First Offense:

  • Student will receive a zero on the assignment.
  • Teacher will contact parent or guardian and warn them of possible consequences for subsequent offenses.
  • FYI referral will be sent to an administrator for recording.

 

Students will be penalized for second and/or third infractions if the incidents have taken place in the same academic year as the first infraction.

 

Second Offense in the same or any other class:

  • If the class is an A.P. or Honors class, student will be transferred to a regular class (with the same teacher if possible).
  • Student will receive a zero on the assignment.
  • Teacher will contact parent or guardian and warn them of possible consequences of subsequent offenses.
  • Student's grade may be dropped by one letter grade at the teacher's discretion.
  • Student will lose privileges, such as lunch pass, dance and game admission.
  • Student will receive a referral to an administrator or counselor
  • Administrator/Counselor will inform all the student's teachers that this is the student's second offense.
  • Student may receive a "U" in citizenship and "cheating" comment for the semester in the class where the second offense occurred.

 

Third  or Subsequent Offense in the same or any other class:

  • Student will receive a zero on the assignment.
  • Student may be drop/failed from the class in which he/she committed the third or subsequent offense or, if student is not drop/failed, his/her grade will be dropped by one or two letter grades at the teacher's discretion.
  • Student may be suspended from school.
  • Administrator will meet with  parent or guardian, student and teacher.
  • Administrator will inform all the student's teachers that this is the student's third offense.
  • A notice stating that this student has committed at least three offenses of the Academic Honesty Policy will be placed in the student's permanent record.
  • Student will receive a "U" in citizenship and "cheating" comment for the semester in the class where the third offense occurred.
  • Student (if a senior) will be excluded from participation in senior activities.

 

 

Special thanks to Crescenta Valley High School and Burbank High School for sharing their academic honesty policies with us.

What is Plagiarism:

"Plagiarism is using others' ideas and words without clearly acknowledging the source of that information."              - from: Plagiarism: What It is and How to Recognize and Avoid It

                                                   http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/wts/plagiarism.html, accessed March 12, 2002.

How to Recognize and Avoid Plagiarism:

PARAPHRASING

Original Text
(from The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics by Richard Davenport-Hines, 2002).

The prohibition policies of the USA have escalated into the global Wars on Drugs associated since 1969 with the Nixon, Reagan and Bush administrations. The American approach can be summarized as requiring unconditional surrender from traffickers, dealers, addicts and occasional recreational users.

Plagiarism
(Unacceptable Paraphrase)

The prohibitive policies in the United States have become the worldwide Wars on Drugs associated since 1969 with the Nixon, Reagan and Bush administrations. The American way of dealing with things can be summarized as requiring complete surrender from dealers, addicts, traffickers and occasional recreational drug users.

Why is it plagiarism?

 1) Only a few words were changed or the order of words was altered.
 2) The source of the text is not cited.

Acceptable Paraphrase

Drug policies in the United States emphasize prohibition at all levels: traffickers, dealers, addicts and occasional recreational users. Although these policies originated in the US, particularly with Republican administrations of the last 30 years, they have grown into the "global Wars on Drugs" (Davenport-Hines 15).

Why is it acceptable?

1) The passage was rewritten in the writer's own words while maintaining the meaning of the original text.
2) The source of the text is cited.

Note: You can use paraphrase and quotations together. This is particularly useful for phrases which you don't wish to reword because that would alter the meaning.

 

QUOTING

Original Text
(from Becoming Evil: How Ordinary People Commit Genocide and Mass Killing by James Waller, 2002).

In 1492, it is estimated that well over 100 million indigenous people inhabited the Western hemisphere. Two centuries later, it is estimated that the indigenous population of the Americas had been diminished by some 90 percent and was continuing to fall steadily.

Unacceptable Quote

"In 1492, it is estimated that well over 100 million indigenous people inhabited the Western hemisphere. Two centuries later the population of the Americas had been diminished by 90 percent."

Why is it plagiarism?

1) The passage has not been quoted accurately.
2) The source of the quotation is not cited with a footnote.

Acceptable quotation

It is thought that in 1492 there were over one hundred million native inhabitants in the Western hemisphere. "Two centuries later, it is estimated that the indigenous population of the Americas had been diminished by some 90 percent and was continuing to fall steadily." (Waller, 37)

Why is it acceptable?

1) The first sentence is an acceptable paraphrase.
2) The second sentence is quoted accurately
3) The whole passage is cited.

 

To Cite or not to Cite?

Needs Documentation

NO Documentation Needed

When you use or refer to someone else's words or ideas whether from a printed source (book, magazine, etc.), the Internet, television, advertisement, movie, or any other medium.

When you are writing about your own experiences, observations opinions, conclusions, etc.

When you use information from an interview with another person.

When you are using "common knowledge"--that is, information that most people know. It might be common sense observation, folklore, shared knowledge, etc.

When you use statistics, diagrams, factual data from another source.

When you are stating generally accepted facts.

When you use ideas that others have given you in conversation or by email.

When you are reporting the results of your own experimental work or primary research.

 The source used in creating this document was:

<http://www.glendale.edu/library/libins/icweb/Handouts/Plagiarism.html> 

Last Updated 1/05/2005