Supporting academic integrity in ourselves and one another is one way to show respect and dignity to individuals, ideas, environments, and property. Cheating, lying, misrepresentation, plagiarism, and other academically dishonest behaviors jeopardize the rights and welfare of others and ourselves. Issues of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: 

• Copying someone else’s work or allowing someone to copy your work.  
• Representing someone else’s work or ideas, in part or in whole, as your own, or creating work for use by another person. A work need not be identical to the original to be considered plagiarism. 
• Using any unauthorized aid—including (but not limited to) online foreign language translators, “cheat sheets,” and technical devices such as smart phones, calculators for reasons other than math problems, etc.— during tests or any other form of assessment.  
• Sharing or receiving information about an assessment. This includes verbal, non-verbal, written, photographic, and electronic means of communication. 
• Handing in work for which you already earned credit in another course. 
• Downloading, purchasing, or acquiring materials or files without authorization. 
• Employing others to do your work. Students may ask a peer, teacher, or family member for clarification of the directions or process on an independent assignment, but the work itself must come only from the student (unless the teacher clearly communicates otherwise). Assignments are to be personally typed, written, revised, and/or edited unless other arrangements have been pre-approved. 

Please refer to each division’s section for more information about academic integrity. 

Middle School Academic Integrity Policy 

Supporting academic integrity in ourselves and one another is one way to show respect and dignity to individuals, ideas, environments, and property. Cheating, lying, fraud, misrepresentation, plagiarism, and other dishonest behaviors jeopardize the rights and welfare of others and diminish ourselves. 

Issues of academic integrity include, but are not limited to: 

• Copying someone else’s work or allowing someone to copy your work. 
• Representing someone else’s work or ideas, in part or in whole, as your own, or creating work for use by another person. A work need not be identical to the original to be considered plagiarism.  
• Using any unauthorized aid—including (but not limited to) online foreign language translators, “cheat sheets,” and technical devices such as phones—during tests or any other form of assessment. 
• Sharing or receiving information about an assessment. This includes verbal, non-verbal, written, and electronic means of communication. 
• Handing in work for which you already earned credit in another course. 
• Downloading, purchasing, or stealing materials or files without authorization. 
• Employing others to do your work. Students may ask a peer, teacher, or family member for clarification of the directions or process on an independent assignment, but the work itself must come only from the student (unless the teacher clearly communicates otherwise). Assignments are to be personally typed, written, revised, and/or edited unless other arrangements have been pre-approved. 

Consequences 

Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes academic dishonesty. Since MPA censures all forms of academic dishonesty, all acts of cheating are treated equally (i.e., there is no differentiation between homework, papers, tests, etc.). These consequences are not limited to cheating in one class; they are cumulative. It is important to note that consequences are intended to hold students accountable for their actions while educating them about integrity.  More, it is also recognized that missteps in academic integrity present learning opportunities for all students and especially for those new to our community.  

First Offense: 

• Zero credit for work. 
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Middle School Director, who will meet with student and note incident in student’s behavior file. 

 

Second Offense: 

• Zero credit for work.  
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Middle School Director, who will set a meeting with the student, a parent/guardian, and the teacher, when appropriate. 
• Student may lose credit for the class and/or may be put on probation. 
• Student must work with an assigned adult to gain a greater understanding of the importance of academic integrity, and learn how to cite properly or study appropriately (as the situation requires). The student must then submit a one-page typed essay to the MS Director explaining what he/she learned from the experience. 

Third Offense: 

• Zero credit for work. 
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Middle School Director, who will set a meeting with the student, a parent/guardian, and the teacher, when appropriate. 
• Consequences may include loss of credit for the class, suspension, and/or dismissal from school.    

Upper School Academic Integrity Policy (Cheating and Plagiarism)  

Supporting academic integrity in ourselves and one another is one way to show respect and dignity to individuals, ideas, environments, and property. Cheating, lying, misrepresentation, plagiarism, and other academically dishonest behaviors jeopardize the rights and welfare of others and ourselves. Issues of academic integrity include, but are not limited to:  

• Copying someone else’s work or allowing someone to copy your work.  
• Representing someone else’s work or ideas, in part or in whole, as your own, or creating work for use by another person. A work need not be identical to the original to be considered plagiarism.  
• Using any unauthorized aid—including (but not limited to) online foreign language translators, “cheat sheets,” and technical devices such as smart phones, calculators for reasons other than math problems, etc.— during tests or any other form of assessment.  
• Sharing or receiving information about an assessment. This includes verbal, non-verbal, written, photographic, and electronic means of communication.   
• Handing in work for which you already earned credit in another course.  
• Downloading, purchasing, or acquiring materials or files without authorization.  
• Employing others to do your work. Students may ask a peer, teacher, or family member for clarification of the directions or process on an independent assignment, but the work itself must come only from the student (unless the teacher clearly communicates otherwise). Assignments are to be personally typed, written, revised, and/or edited unless other arrangements have been pre-approved.  

Consequences  

Students are responsible for understanding what constitutes academic dishonesty. Since Mounds Park Academy censures all forms of academic integrity, all acts of academic dishonesty are treated similarly (i.e., there is no differentiation between homework, papers, tests, etc.). These consequences are not limited to cheating in one class; they are cumulative. Consequences are intended to hold students accountable for their actions while educating them about integrity. These consequences apply to all students except for international students who may be allowed up to a one-year grace period as they adapt to the expectations of Mounds Park Academy. 

First Offense:  

• Zero credit for work. 
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Upper School Director, who will meet with student and note incident in student’s behavior file.   

Second Offense:  

• Zero credit for work.  
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Upper School Director.  
• The Upper School Director will set a meeting with the student, a parent/guardian, and the teacher, when appropriate.   
• Student may lose credit for the class and/or may be put on probation.  
• Student must work with an assigned adult to gain a greater understanding of the importance of academic integrity, and learn how to cite properly or study appropriately (as the situation requires). The student must then submit a one-page typed essay to the Upper School Director explaining what he/she learned from the experience.  

Third Offense: 

• Zero credit for work.  
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Upper School Director. 
• The Upper School Director will set a meeting with the student and a parent/guardian. 
• Consequences may include loss of credit for the class, suspension, and/or dismissal from school.  

Fourth Offense: 

• Zero credit for work. 
• Teacher notifies parents/guardians and the Upper School Director. 
• The Upper School Director will set a meeting with the student and a parent/guardian.  
• Consequences may include dismissal from school. 

Last Updated: August 26, 2019