Honor Code Constitution

I will neither give nor receive unauthorized aid on any test, quiz, research paper, lab or any other student-generated work as long as I am enrolled at this or any other academic institution." Expect Excellence Forest Park High School The Honor Code Pledge

Faculty Responsibilities As a member of the Forest Park Senior High School Community, each member of the faculty and staff is responsible for referring all cases of suspected cheating, plagiarism and any other violation of the Honor Code to the student’s administrator.

Faculty Responsibilities Faculty and Staff members shall: abide by the decision of the Court and the administrator in charge. Inform students of their responsibilities as they apply to the Honor System Correct behaviors in students who they feel are starting to exhibit questionable behaviors as they relate to the Honor System

Faculty Responsibilities Continuously remind students of their responsibility to uphold all portions of the Honor System Inform students of the requirements of any assignment as they pertain to the Honor Code Conduct both formal and informal lessons on the Honor Code and cheating Post the Honor Code in each classroom in a prominent place.

Student Responsibilities It is the responsibility of all students to: –Ensure that they will not violate any portion of the Honor Code –Question faculty and staff members when uncertain about potential violations of the Honor Code –Seek permission to combine their efforts with other students when working on any assignment

Grounds for Conviction for Violation of the Honor Code Activities that have the effect or intention of interfering with education, pursuit of knowledge, or fair evaluation of a student’s performance are prohibited. Examples of such activities include but are not limited to the following definitions:

Cheating: using or attempting to use unauthorized assistance, material, or study aids in examinations or other academic work or providing unauthorized assistance or material, or study aids. Example: using a cheat sheet in a quiz or exam, giving information about a test or quiz already taken, altering a graded exam and resubmitting it for a better grade, etc.

Plagiarism: using the ideas, data, or language of another without specific or proper acknowledgment. Example: copying another person’s paper (including homework assignments), article, or computer work and submitting it for an assignment; replicating someone else’s ideas without attribution; failing to use quotation marks where appropriate, etc.

Fabrication: submitting contrived or altered information in any academic exercise. Example: making up data for an experiment, fudging data, citing nonexistent articles, contriving sources, etc.

Misrepresentation of academic records: misrepresenting or tampering with or attempting to tamper with any portion of a student’s transcripts or academic record. Example: forging a change of grade slip, tampering with computer records, falsifying academic information on one’s resume, etc.

Facilitating academic dishonesty: knowingly helping or attempting to help another violate any provision of the Code. Example: working together on a take-home exam or allowing someone to copy your work, etc.

Unfair advantage: attempting to gain unauthorized advantage over fellow students in an academic exercise. Example: gaining or providing unauthorized access to examination materials, obstructing or interfering with another student’s efforts in an academic exercise, lying about a need for an extension for an exam or paper, continuing to write even when time is up during an exam, destroying or keeping library materials for one’s own use., etc.

Reporting a Suspected Violation Any student, member of the faculty or staff or administrator may refer a student to the Honor Court for a possible Honor Code violation. All referrals must be in writing on the appropriate form and must be signed by the person who fills out the referral. The Court, its members and representatives, will keep these referrals confidential. All referrals will be turned in to the administrator who oversees the Court.

Procedures Meeting Schedule The Honor Court will meet once a month starting in the second week of school and continuing through the last week of school in June. Additional days may be added to the calendar as the number of referrals dictates. Court dates are to be posted on the Forest Park Senior High School website.

Procedures Preliminary Actions 1. After receiving notice of a suspected Honor Code violation, the Honor Court shall have five school days to send written notice of the violation to the accused 2. The Honor Court must act on the referral within the next two-week period or/at the next Court date set by the administrator who oversees the Court

Procedures Preliminary Actions Cont’d 3. The accused shall be called before the Court. The Chief Justice, Associate Justice, Clerk, a minimum of two other Court members and at least one faculty advisor must be present for the Court to convene. 4. At this hearing, the accused will enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. –If the accused enters a plea of guilty, he/she will receive a punishment in accordance with the school discipline guidelines. He/she may choose to not be present if a plea of guilty is entered. – - If the accused enters a plea of not guilty the hearing will continue.

Procedures Honor Court Proceedings 1. In order for the Court to convene a minimum of five Court members and a faculty advisor must be present. If a quorum of these individuals cannot come together the Court will not meet and a new date will be set.

Procedures 2. During the trial, the accuser’s statement will be read and he/she may make a statement if they are present. The accused can then also make a statement. In addition, the accused may bring one witness to the hearing to speak on his/her behalf.

Procedures 3. After these statements, the Chief Justice may wish to call any witnesses that the Court deems necessary to arrive at a just conclusion. The members of the Court, faculty advisors, or administrator can ask any witness questions to help determine guilt or innocence.

Procedures 4. At the end of the questioning period, the accuser or the accused can make a final statement before the Court enters a closed session to deliberate based on the evidence given in Court.

Procedures 5. Conviction of a student requires a majority vote by the voting members of the Court. The faculty advisors and administrator may not have a vote in this process.

Procedures 6. As soon as a decision has been made, the accused will be verbally made aware of the verdict and will be notified in writing within three school days. The administrator in-charge will then set up a time to hand down the appropriate punishment that will be determined by the Court's recommendation, the administrator and Prince William County School policies and regulations.