Ethics Policy

 

To create a fair and positive learning environment, the Mira Costa Administration and Faculty require that students act with honesty at all times in their academic endeavors. To this end, academic integrity is promoted and consequences have been established in cases of unethical behavior. The development of academic integrity in the students of Mira Costa High School is a significant priority for teachers and staff. We encourage students and parents to become partners in this goal as students explore ideas and achieve success as a result of their own efforts. The Manhattan Beach Unified School District expects students to take their responsibilities as ethical learners seriously.

 

Cheating includes, but is not limited to, plagiarizing, copying another student’s work, using notes, electronics, or other means of assistance on an assignment or test, passing answers or information to other students about an assignment or test, altering a teacher’s grade book/records, taking a copy of a test to use it for personal advantage or for distribution to other students and/or using AI tools such as ChatGPT. Please note that teachers utilize software (such as turnitin.com), internet search engines, and references to other materials (including Spark Notes) to ascertain the authenticity of student work.

 

At the beginning of the school year, students will learn about and sign the Mira Costa honor code pledge. If a student breaks their commitment, the following steps will occur. If the teacher determines that a student has cheated or plagiarized, a teacher-student conference takes place to discuss the circumstances of the violation. The teacher then fills out a referral form to the Vice Principal detailing the offense. The Vice Principal meets with the student, contacts the parent, and implements discipline utilizing the discipline/behavior intervention matrix.

 

The MLA Handbook defines plagiarism as the use of another person's ideas or expressions in your writing without giving proper credit to the source. The word comes from the Latin word plagiarius ("kidnapper"), and Alexander Lindey defines it as "the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person's mind, and presenting it as one's own" (Plagiarism and Originality [New York: Harper, 1952] 2).

"In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else" (Gibaldi 21- 25). This can include paraphrasing, copying someone else's writing word for word, or using ideas that aren't your own without proper citation.

Gibaldi, Joseph and Walter S. Achtert, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers (3rd ed. New York: The Modern Language Association of America, 1988), pp. 21-25. <http://hnn.us/articles/514.html>

 

It is not possible to enumerate every type of plagiarism; we expect students to diligently avoid taking credit for another person’s work. To that end, we provide some examples of plagiarism below. This list is not exhaustive and constitutes a guideline for students. We expect parents to support our efforts to encourage students to generate and express original ideas.

 

BEHAVIOR & ACADEMIC

 

Violation of Technology Use Agreement (per class)  

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2	Intervention Level 3	Intervention Level 4
- Parent Communication from    Teacher (cc VP)  - Document in Aeries record - Detention	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal  - Document in Aeries record - 2nd Detention	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal  - Document in Aeries record - Study Zone	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal  - Document in Aeries record - 2nd Study Zone - Parent/Student/Teacher/VP    Meeting

 

Ethics Violation; Plagiarism (MINOR) (As defined in the teacher’s syllabus; the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas, including AI generated work, and passing them off as one’s own; copying homework; allowing someone else to copy one’s homework; cheating on a quiz using one’s phone, a notecard, or writing on one’s body or belongings; giving or receiving information about a quiz)   

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2	Intervention Level 3	Intervention Level 4
- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Detention	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Detention - Study Zone	- VP Parent Contact  - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Possible loss of extra curricular activities - Possible 1 Day Suspension  - If third time with the same    teacher in the same year,    then NM/NC for the    semester - SST to determine placement    for the remainder of the    semester	If not with the same teacher: - - VP Parent Contact Zero on    the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Possible 1-3 Day Suspension  - If fourth occurrence, but third    time with the same teacher     in the same year, then    NM/NC for the semester.  - SST to determine placement    for the remainder of the    semester.

 

Ethics Violation; Plagiarism (MAJOR) (As defined in the teacher's syllabus; the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas, including AI generated work, and passing them off as one's own; cheating on a major assignment (as determined by teacher in writing) and/or exam using one’s phone; a notecard or writing on one’s body or belongings; giving or receiving information about an exam) 

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2	Intervention Level 3	Intervention Level 4
- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment - "U" in citizenship  - Study Zone	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment - "U" in citizenship  - 2nd Study Zone - If second time with the same    teacher in the same year,    then NM/NC for the    semester.  - SST to determine placement    or level change for the    remainder of the semester.	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship - Report the incident to    colleges  - SST to determine placement   or level change for the   remainder of the semester.	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Report the incident to colleges SST to determine placement or level change for the remainder of the semester.

Academic Fraud (MINOR) (Taking a photo or altering a regular quiz/test/exam; altering a grade on a regular quiz/test/exam; regular quizzes/tests/or exams are defined on the teacher's syllabus) 

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2	Intervention Level 3	Intervention Level 4
- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Study Zone	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal  - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Course change - Report the incidences to   colleges	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal  - Zero on the Assignment  - "U" in citizenship  - Course Change - Report the incidences to    colleges

 

Academic Fraud (MAJOR) (Stealing a quiz/test/assessment; reproducing or taking a photo of a midterm/final or a standardized test; altering a gradebook or a test; major quizzes/tests/or exams are defined on the teacher's syllabus)  

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2
- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the assignment  - "U" in citizenship if    occurrence associated with a    class  - 1-3 Day Suspension  - Course Change - Report the incident to    colleges	- Parent Communication from    Vice Principal   - Zero on the assignment "U" in    citizenship if occurrence    associated with a class  - 3-5 Day Suspension  - Course Change - Report the incident to    colleges

 

Intervention Level 1	Intervention Level 2	Intervention Level 3	Intervention Level 4
- If deemed a danger to persons    or the instructional process, the case will move to intervention level 2. - Detention - Counselor Intervention - Refer to MBPD and/or Referral to Diversion program	- Study Zone - Counselor Intervention - Refer to MBPD and/or Referral to Diversion program	- Counselor Intervention  - Refer to MBPD and/or Referral to Diversion program	- Counselor Intervention - Refer to MBPD and/or Referral to Diversion program