EL Wright Middle School
and
Richland Northeast High
School
Academic Honesty Policy
The root of the Academic Honesty Policy at EL Wright Middle School and Richland Northeast High School
can be found in the principles of the International Baccalaureate Organization, the principles of Richland
School District Two, and the fundamental core values established at Richland Northeast High School. The
Richland District Two Honor Code is:
On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized assistance on this assignment. I
understand that any violation of the RSD2 Honor Code will result in academic and disciplinary
action.
EL Wright Middle School and Richland Northeast High School, has aligned goals with the International
Baccalaureate Organization, and believes that academic dishonesty “should be treated in a positive way,
stressing the benefits of properly conducted academic research and a respect for the integrity of all
forms” of student work.
As a result, the purpose of the academic policy is to:
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Define academic honesty and malpractice in accordance with the statements of the IBO
Establish roles and responsibilities for all students as well as teachers
Provide resources for prevention of academic dishonesty or malpractice
Outline penalties associated with academic dishonesty
Academic honesty is defined by the IBO as “an authentic piece of work based on one’s original ideas and
work of others fully acknowledged.” Malpractice is defined as behavior which may result in someone
gaining an unfair advantage over another such as:
A. Plagiarism: using someone else’s idea or work as one’s own without proper documentation
B. Collusion: copying work or allowing someone to copy one’s own work
C. Duplication: turning in the same work as someone else
D. Misconduct: refusing to follow directions (taking test materials from a classroom or prohibited
electronic devices)
Roles and Responsibilities:
1. The Head of School understands and actively encourages academic honesty, promotes a positive
school culture, and provides resources to support academic honesty on the campus.
2. The Media Center Specialist provide resources for all teachers and students in person, through the
school’s library website.
3. Teachers provide support for academic honesty through the MYP Approaches to Learning, and
recognize all teachers on campus share the responsibility of reinforcing best practices and teaching
proper research skills. Teachers should give specific requirements as well as written examples of proper
citation of sources in all subject areas.
4. Parents provide support by sharing the school’s academic honesty policy with their students and
monitor students’ work in the home to the extent possible and feasible
5. Students make every effort to practice academic honesty by accepting the challenge to be original
and creative in order to produce their own works. In honoring the Richland District Two Code of
Conduct, the student is promising that work is original.
6. Students also communicate and inquire when they have questions regarding the proper way to cite
sources.
Prevention of Academic Dishonesty and/or Malpractice:
Education is the key to preventing academic dishonesty and malpractice. The school recognizes that not
every attempt of academic dishonesty is an intentional attempt to present another person’s idea as
one’s own. EL Wright Middle School and Richland Northeast will take proactive measures to inform and
teach learners preventative measures as outlined in each unit planner. Specifically, teachers will work
with students to provide opportunities to properly cite sources and correct their work if academic
dishonesty is detected, particularly when plagiarism is unintended. We recognize a “teachable
moment,” and will employ that strategy as much as possible when dealing with issues of malpractice.
Penalties:
In the event a student does not adhere to preventative measures, EL Wright Middle School and Richland
Northeast High School has the following guidelines in place to deal with academic dishonesty.
Middle School:
1st offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, parent/teacher conference
2nd offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, after school detention (ASD)
3rd offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, In-School Suspension (ISS)
High School:
1st offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, three hours of after school detention
2nd offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, in-school suspension
3rd offense – Call to parent, zero on the assignment, out of school suspension
All cases of academic dishonestly shall be referred to the assistant principal of curriculum. In addition,
any student found to be in violation of the honor code will not be admitted into the National Honor
Society for a period of one year following the violation.