ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AT MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH
Miami Beach Senior High seeks to uphold the highest standards of academic rigor, which is only possible in a climate of strict academic integrity. Individual work is highly valued, and so dishonest misrepresentations of student work are not to be tolerated.
All students are required to sign the student honor code upon matriculation into the school, and periodically upon submission of major assignments.
Student grades and teacher and counselor recommendations only carry weight when they are perceived as being earned. As such, Miami Beach Senior High will implement the following policy when violations of the honor code are suspected. The examples provided serve as a guide, not a comprehensive list of possible infractions and penalties:
CLASS A VIOLATIONS:
Class A violations are generally errors of omission that result from unfamiliarity with the citation process. They are inadvertent and not intended to obtain unwarranted credit on assigned work. Students, who improperly attempt to paraphrase another author’s work by changing several words, while leaving the general sentence structure intact, are committing Class A violations, even when they cite the source. Failure to use proper MLA, APA or Chicago citation format is another common Class A violation, as is failure to disclose knowledge of a more serious violation on the part of another student.
Teachers adjudicate Class A violations on their own and are encouraged to use them as teachable moments with regards to proper paraphrasing and citation techniques. Students may be provided the opportunity to correct their error and complete an assignment on proper citation methods. Class A violations are only considered inadvertent the first time they occur. A similar second offense is treated as a Class B violation.
CLASS B VIOLATIONS:
Class B violations involve academic dishonesty in limited portions of minor assignments. Examples of Class B violations include improper paraphrasing or quotation without any citation, giving the impression that the ideas or words of another belong to the student. Class B violations also include copying homework or quizzes, falsification of lab data, and providing or receiving unauthorized assistance on individual assignments. Attempting to turn in one piece of student work for multiple assignments without permission is also a Class B violation, as is the citation of ghost sources to obfuscate the true source of one’s work.
Teachers adjudicate Class B violations on their own and are encouraged to deny credit on any assignment that has been tainted by a Class B violation. All Class B violations are reported to the Academy Lead Teacher and kept on file. Students who are found to have committed a Class B violation will be placed on Academic Probation. Students who are already on Academic Probation may be expelled from their Academy. Students found guilty of Class B violations may appeal the decision to a Student Honor Court.
CLASS C VIOLATIONS:
Class C violations are serious or widespread breaches of academic integrity, often involving major assignments. A second Class B violation is automatically treated as a Class C violation. Wholesale appropriation or plagiarism of another author’s work is a class C violation, as are unauthorized possession of testing material, conspiring to cheat during a test, copying during testing or facilitating copying, and attempting to alter assignments that have already been graded.
Teachers should refer suspected Class C violations to the Student Honor Court for adjudication and possible penalty recommendations to the principal. Penalties may include failing the course and expulsion from the Academy, dismissal from student activities, and referral to school administration for possible suspension. School staff members are duty-bound to disclose Class C violations to college admissions offices if they are asked to comment on students’ academic integrity. Decisions of the Student Honor Court may be appealed to the principal.
RESOURCES FOR PROPER CITATION:
Proper academic citation is rapidly evolving to keep up with technological developments. Below are several online resources for proper citation:
http://carmun.com/easy-bibliography-formatting-APA-MLA.php
http://citationmachine.net/
http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/Help/guides.html
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
MIAMI BEACH SENIOR HIGH STUDENT HONOR CODE:
I have read and understand the guidelines and consequences set out in the Miami Beach Senior High Academic Integrity Policy.
I affirm that all work I submit is mine alone, and that I will give proper credit to others when I use their words or ideas. I will neither give nor receive unauthorized assistance on any assignment, and I commit myself to academic conduct that will reflect well upon my school, my community and myself at all times. I understand that there are severe penalties for violating this affirmation.
______
Student Signature Date