The Do's and Don'ts of Academic Integrity

Thu, 05/05/2016 - 8:13am

Integrity is a synonym for honesty and implies so many truths: fairness, truthfulness, sincerity, freedom from deceit.  The RHHS Academic Integrity Code states, "People who have integrity are honest and fair in everything they do and say."  Specifically academic integrity addresses concerns such as copying another's work, cheating, using technology during a test, or improperly citing sources.  With high stakes tests like Advanced Placement and PARCC, classroom assessments, and exams upon them, our students are feeling the pressure of a lot of work and a lot of studying. Students may feel like they don't have enough time or they are juggling several course preps at the same time.  That pressure can be intense: teachers will help with suggestions for balancing workload and parents can help by monitoring how students balance work with free time. 

High schools mirror the academic integrity expectations that our students will find in colleges and universities.  MIT, for example, lists the Do's and Don'ts of Academic Integrity.

Plagiarism

  • Do trust the value of your own ability and provide accurate documentation for the credit of work to its authors/researchers.
  • Don't copy ideas or wording without citing your source.

Cheating

  • Do demonstrate what you know.  Right answers indicate what you understand and wrong answers highlight what you can still learn.
  • Don't copy from others; don't ask others for their answers; don't use cell phones or any electronic device during testing.

Inappropriate Collaboration

  • Do work with others when that is part of the assignment and give your fair share.
  • Don't share work or answers beyond the expectations of the assignment or assessment.

Additional information is provided in our RHHS Agenda Book on pages 23-26 and on page 17 HCPPS Student Code of Conduct in the HCPSS Student & Parent Handbook.

While we can all anticipate times of pressure, we also need to plan how we will manage those pressure points.  Study breaks, time management, extra help, and positive support are good strategies!