Academic Integrity Policy

One of the visions of Berthoud High School is to provide educational experiences that inspire academic excellence, personal growth, and social responsibility. Berthoud High has also created our positive behavioral expectations of achieve, respect, and engage. Within these two statements are the belief and expectation that our entire community act with honesty and integrity in all interactions. Honesty is a value that holds each person to tell the truth and to defend the truth. Honesty supports intellectual growth and creates a fair learning environment. Integrity is adhering to our values whether we are in the presence of others or not. In an environment of honesty and integrity, the work we submit as our own will be our own. 

Instructors and administrators at Berthoud High School firmly believe that cheating/academic dishonesty denies the value of education, damages the ethical character of the individual student, and undermines the integrity of our school community. The Academic Integrity Policy affirms that we value learning for its own sake, and that we therefore expect personal integrity and intellectual honesty in all academic work. Our school culture places a high value on original thinking and intellectual property with the ultimate goal of encouraging our students to express themselves authentically, confidently and competently. We strive to develop our students to become principled young adults who take responsibility for their actions and accompanying consequences. 

Academic dishonesty: is any attempt to gain an unfair academic advantage or recognition to which one is not entitled, or to assist others to do so. Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, falsifying academic records and the misrepresentation of facts. 

• Copying or permitting the copying of graded or ungraded work. 

• Gaining unauthorized prior knowledge of assessments or providing such knowledge to others. 

• Using technology (texting, email, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.) to aid you or another student on an assessment when that use is not intended by the instructor. 

• Incorporating the information, ideas, words, graphics or artwork of another source, including AI sources,  into your own work without giving the originator the credit. 

• Downloading information from the Internet in part or in whole, including AI sources, and inserting it into one’s work without giving proper credit to sources. 

• Using a paper or project you created previously to substitute for a current assignment without getting teacher approval. 

• Unauthorized collaboration/collusion with another person in preparing/completing academic assignments or assessments. 

• Giving your ideas for an assignment to another individual and having them complete the assignment for you in their own words. 

• Falsifying data or sources in graded or ungraded work. 

• Altering a grade whether on an individual assignment or in the student records (gradebook). Or changing answers to an assignment after it was graded.

• Misrepresenting facts or situations for academic gain, including as a means to receive additional time to complete graded or ungraded work. 

• Taking assessment materials without permission to use later or help someone else.

• Having a parent/guardian/friend/acquaintance do the work for you.

Upon the classroom instructor’s (teacher of record) determination that the Berthoud High School Academic Integrity Policy has been violated, the following procedures and consequences are recommended in an effort to support due process and good communication. 

• The instructor will document the violation in writing and will discuss the violation concerns with the student(s). Providing an opportunity for student explanation is required to satisfy due process considerations. 

• The instructor will report the violation in the Infinite Campus behavior reporting tool. 

• A building administrator will document the violation in Infinite Campus under Behavior and will review the student’s disciplinary record in an effort to determine if other similar integrity violations have occurred in the past. The discipline review findings (as applicable) will be shared with the classroom instructor. 

• The instructor will contact the parent/guardian for each student involved in the violation as soon as possible. 

• A meeting with the parent/guardian may be necessary to support district policy, student “due process”, and to ensure good communication. 

• Appropriate follow-up communication will take place by the instructor and/or administrator with the student’s counselor and any related instructional institution (FRCC, AIMS, CTE, etc.) (if applicable) for any violation related considerations. 

• Because it may not be possible to know the limits and absolute extent of the integrity violation, a student in violation will receive a grade of zero (loss of credit) on the specific assignment or assessment. The overall effect of this zero grade toward the overall final grade in the class may not be realized until the end of the grading term or semester, however passing the class should be recoverable.  

• A restorative process including a letter of apology, a written reflection of the violation, lunch or after-school detention, assignment re-assessment, or suspension may be applied to the student(s) involved or responsible for a violation. 

• A possible suspension or exclusion from school leadership opportunities, school activities, the specific class, or school program may be applied as a consequence. 

• Additionally, the consequence may include a loss of credit in the current class and possible disqualification in the Honor Roll, the National Honor Society and earning any special diploma.

• Consequences impacting post-secondary options may include declining to write a letter of recommendation for the student, rescinding letters of recommendation, college or university Common Application follow-up by school officials, and the possible inclusion on school records as required by District policy. 

• The specific consequence(s) will be assigned on a case by case basis, with attention and consideration to the consistency for the specific consequence(s) assigned. For confidentiality reasons, the details of the violation and consequences should be limited to only those staff members that need this information. 

• The Berthoud High School Academic Integrity Policy has been developed in collaboration with Thompson School District , the staff at BHS and the consideration of a large number of existing policies across Colorado and the nation. 

• Read, understand and follow the Academic Integrity Policy as set forth in instructors’ course descriptions and Spartan student handbook 

• Assume ultimate responsibility for ensuring that your work is authentic while acknowledging the thoughts and ideas of others 

• Report any observed violations of the Academic Integrity Policy (reporter will remain anonymous) 

• Accept the consequences of your actions.

• Read, understand and support the Academic Integrity Policy and the Spartan student handbook and discuss them with your youth. 

• Be actively involved in their education and reach out to teachers first when you have questions or concerns. 

• Support violations to the Academic Integrity Policy or other violations of the Spartan student handbook, by first contacting the teacher, and then administration when necessary.