At Dr. EP Scarlett High School, we (staff and administration) are committed to providing assessments (whether assignments, quizzes, formal tests, and/or final exams), which individually and collectively assess a student’s achievement of curricular outcomes.

Staff Responsibility

Staff will

• clearly communicate the expectations for academic honesty and the consequences (see below) of not being academically honest.
• provide instruction on the proper means of citing others work, to minimize unintended plagiarism.
• take care in establishing a testing environment.
• report to school administration and make note of incident(s) of academic dishonesty on the student’s file.
• Progressive Student Discipline will be adopted so that teachers, parents, and administrators can help students take responsibility for their learning to achieve their academic goals. 

Student Responsibility

Students are expected to behave according to the CBE Student Code of Conduct.  Students are expected to be academically honest in pursuit of their studies, whether through learning with their peers, completing class work, or in preparing for, and writing examinations. This includes avoiding plagiarism and cheating.

To be academically honest, a student must…

• during a quiz, test, or final examination
  • refrain from copying another student’s work.
  • use only materials which are permitted (as clearly stated by the teacher)
  • refrain from communication during the testing session
  • follow all communicated directions and expectations
• for papers and presentations
  • create and submit for marks original work that has been completed through their own or their group’s effort(s)
  • credit the creative and intellectual efforts of others.

Plagiarism

When ideas are taken from other sources without giving credit, this is known as plagiarism. Plagiarism is the unacknowledged use of somebody else’s words or ideas.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense and will be dealt with by the teacher and/or administration.

We expect our students to act with academic integrity, and to use their own knowledge to demonstrate authentic learning. Authentic learning occurs when students create and demonstrate their own knowledge.  We expect our students to be honest and ethical in their schoolwork and in how they deal with others. Our teachers support students' authentic and ethical learning through teaching when and how to cite resources to acknowledge and respect the rights of creators.

When To Give Credit in Your Work

Credit must be given:

• When you are using or referring to somebody else’s words or ideas from a magazine, book, newspaper, song, TV program, movie, web page, computer program, letter, advertisement, or any other source.
• When you use information gained through interviewing another person.
• When you copy the exact words from somewhere.
• When you paraphrase the written work of others
• When you use any diagrams, illustrations, charts, and pictures that are not your creations

No credit required:

• When you are writing your own experiences, your own observations, your own insights, your own thoughts, your own conclusions about a subject.
• When you are using common knowledge, common sense observations, or shared information.
• When you are using generally accepted facts.
• when you are writing up your own experimental results.

Cheating

Absolutely no cell phones or personal electronic devices are allowed during exams or testing situations. These devices must be turned off and placed in your backpack; or not brought into the class at all during exams. This is in accordance with Alberta Education Diploma Rules and Regulations. Failure to comply – such as having a phone or personal electronic device on your person during an exam or quiz will invalidate your exam.

Academic Misconduct includes, but is not limited to:

• cheating or helping others to cheat. Forms of cheating include the use of unauthorized materials such as: cheat sheets or notes and/or on-line sites for essays, sharing answers.
• copying, communicating with others, which includes but is not limited to: whispering, passing notes or other materials, signaling, exchanging papers, texting answers, posting questions or answers on social media.
• writing quizzes, tests or exams for others
• using calculators inappropriately (eg. storing data prior to a test or information from a test afterwards)
• use of text messaging on a cell phone or other device
• inappropriately accessing the internet or computer files
• allowing another person to copy one’s work or answers
• failure of protect your work from being copied
• discussing an exam before instructed by a teacher that it is permitted to do so
• altering the mark or answers on assignments, tests or quizzes marked in class

Consequences

Academic misconduct is a serious offence. Depending on the severity of the violation, the offending student may suffer any or all of these consequences in consultation with the subject Learning Leader and/or Administrator’s discretion.  Penalties include, but are not limited to:

• notation on the student’s file describing  the offence
• zero grade on work involved
• removal from course and loss of credits
• referral to the administrator
• loss of computer access
• school suspension
• recommendation for expulsion