7-410 - Cheating

Policy 7-410

CHEATING

The Newtown Public Schools will not tolerate cheating. One of the cornerstones of Newtown’s Success-Oriented School Model is the expectation that students will value their own work and respect the work of others. Cheating is wrong. It harms both the student who is honest and the student who cheats. All students may be compromised and placed at an academic disadvantage by the student who cheats. Students who cheat may well avoid study and preparation but fail to reap the gains from them.  Teachers must clearly articulate the valuable opportunity offered by study groups or other planned activities in which students are encouraged to investigate and share their findings with other students, which would not violate this policy.  It is our aim to support and protect the students who do not cheat, to deter those who might consider doing so, and to punish those who do cheat. To discourage cheating in our schools, the following actions will be taken:

Elementary Schools

Students must be taught what cheating is so they may understand what they are asked not to do.

If cheating occurs at the elementary level, staff members will use the incident as an opportunity to educate the student about the importance of valuing his or her own work and respecting the work of others.

Should a second offense occur, the consequence should be progressive, and parents should be informed.

Middle School

When they enter the Middle School, students will be asked to read and sign the statement of understanding on cheating. If cheating occurs on a test, quiz, homework assignment, or class activity, the student will earn no credit for the assessment or assignment. If cheating occurs on a research paper, the teacher will determine whether the student will correct the work and/or receive a grade reduction or zero, based on the extent of the plagiarism.

The student will meet with all the cluster teachers and/or involved exploratory teachers.

The teacher will inform the guidance counselor of the incident for further counseling and record keeping. The teacher or counselor will inform the parent of the incident.

If the cheating involved another student who was unaware of the cheating, the two will go to the Solution Room to make a plan whereby the student who cheated makes restitution to the student who was unaware of the cheating.

High School

When students reach high school, they will again be asked to read and sign the statement of understanding on cheating. If cheating occurs on any assignment, test, or quiz, the student will lose all credit and will not be allowed to correct the work. The teacher will inform the guidance counselor of the incident for further counseling and record keeping.  The teacher or counselor will inform the parent of the incident.

Cheating may make the student ineligible for the National Honor Society as well as for scholarships and other honors requiring a recommendation based on ethical behavior.  Multiple or severe cases of cheating on the part of a student may be noted in recommendations to colleges or places of employment.

Definition of cheating

Tests and quizzes
  • It is cheating to use unauthorized notes during a test or quiz.
  • It is cheating to copy another student’s work during a test or quiz.
  • It is cheating to allow another student to see one’s answers during a test or quiz.
  • It is cheating to give information to students who have not yet taken the test.
  • It is cheating for students who have not yet taken the test to receive information.
Homework and class activities
  • It is cheating to copy another student’s work.
  • It is cheating to allow another student to copy one’s work.
  • Note: Sharing ideas in a group as directed by the teacher is not cheating.

Research
  • It is cheating to plagiarize by copying another person’s work from any resource (periodical, book, Internet, etc.) and submit it as one’s own.
  • It is cheating to plagiarize by paraphrasing or using parts of another person’s work (ideas, written work, diagrams, charts, etc.) without citing it as a resource in context or in a footnote.

Implementation

Adoption of this policy by the Newtown Board of Education is just the beginning. Student review of this
policy has made it clear that its implementation requires a thoughtful process of education involving
students, teachers, administrators, and parents, including a comprehensive evaluation of this policy after
one year.

Adopted 10/12/99
Inspiring Each Student to Excel

3 Primrose St., Newtown, CT 06470
Phone: 203-426-7600