To my Conestoga students and their families:
The amount of information available to our students and the varying quality of that information make it increasingly important for our students to gather, evaluate and use both electronic and print resources in an efficient, effective and ethical way. This letter outlines my expectations regarding cheating and plagiarism. In conjunction with classroom instruction specifically addressing these issues, this letter will present examples of behavior that is unacceptable in a community of scholars.
Unacceptable behaviors include, but are not limited to:
Cheating:
· unauthorized use of notes or study aids in a quiz, test or exam;
· looking at another student's quiz, test or exam paper;
· loading unauthorized data into a calculator or other device for use in a quiz, test or exam;
· use of a cell phone, PDA or other texting or internet device in a quiz, test or exam;
· presenting the work of another as your own, including homework, lab results, papers;
· allowing another to do your work;
· lending your work to others;
· copying homework or answers to study questions from another student
· submitting the same paper for more than one course;
Plagiarism:
· copying words or ideas from another source and presenting them as your own;
· paraphrasing improperly and/or incorporating information from an outside source without attribution;
· purchase and submission of an essay or part of an essay from a "paper mill";
· presentation of material from "study guides," such as Spark Notes or Cliff's Notes as your own;
Exceptions:
Behaviors noted below are acceptable under some circumstances; when in doubt, ask your teacher:
· collaborating with other students on a group project or homework assignment
with expressed permission of the teacher;
· working together to review for a quiz, test or exam;
· getting help from a friend or family member to proofread a paper;
· peer-editing a paper, with approval of the teacher;
· using books, notes or other approved materials in an open-book quiz or test;
Students will receive direct classroom instruction regarding proper paraphrasing and attribution of sources. In addition to my direct instruction, students will be provided with reference sites to further clarify the points covered in class, and students are encouraged to consult directly with me or with our school librarians when they have questions regarding what may or may not constitute plagiarism. My primary goal is to educate my students in the ethical behaviors that assure their integrity as a student in a community of high academic standards.
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