Academic Honor Code Middle and High School

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Academic Honesty

The North Dakota Center for Distance Education (NDCDE) is a member of the International Center for Academic Integrity. As such, it adheres to The Fundamental Values of Academic Integrity, which NDCDE refers to as its “honor code values.” They are defined as follows:

  • Honesty: “The quality of being honest, free from fraud or deception, legitimate, truthful;”3 examples include giving credit to the owner or generator of intellectual work such as written articles, images, and video clips; keeping promises; taking tests and completing assignments without unauthorized assistance; not providing unauthorized assistance to others; and being factual.
  • Trust: “The assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something;”4 examples include acting with sincerity, following through on one’s word; being clear and open when interacting with others, and holding the viewpoint that others are acting with sincerity and openness.
  • Fairness: “The quality or state of being fair, especially fair or impartial treatment, lack of favoritism toward one side or another;”5 examples include keeping an open mind, being consistent when applying rules, and treating others equally
  • Respect: “High or special regard, esteem; the quality or state of being esteemed;”6 examples include actively listening, receptively receiving feedback and finding ways to use it to improve, being kind to others, understanding that each person learns at their own pace, being punctual when meeting with teachers, working to meet the expectations of teachers and learning coaches, and being courteous when others are sharing their thoughts and ideas.
  • Responsibility: “The quality or state of being responsible; moral, legal, or mental accountability; reliability, trustworthiness;”7 examples include following NDCDE policies and individual course rules, being accountable for one’s actions, and setting aside enough time to study and complete coursework to ensure it reflects one’s best efforts.
  • Courage: “The mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty;”8 examples include asking questions when one is uncertain of what is expected or when an explanation is unclear, adhering to all of the above values even when the consequences could be negative, reporting any known violations of this policy to an NDCDE administrator, teacher, or learning coach, and being willing to continue to challenge oneself even when one may not immediately succeed.

Honor Code Pledges

Your teacher may require you to read and agree to the following pledge before starting an NDCDE course.

  • Middle and high school honor code pledge: I have been provided and read the NDCDE honor code policy, reviewing it with my NDCDE teacher, parent, or learning coach if I needed any clarification. I understand how to demonstrate the values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. I agree that when I’m uncertain whether my planned actions or behavior follow this policy, I will consult an NDCDE teacher or learning coach before I act. I understand that all NDCDE course content is copyrighted, and any attempt to share or access unauthorized information about it online or through other sources could be considered a copyright violation.

Your teacher may also require you to take the following pledge before starting a test or completing a major assignment:

  • Test/assignment add-on: When taking this exam or completing this assignment, I understand that while I will earn a letter grade, I’m also demonstrating whether I have gained certain skills or knowledge that will help me advance as a learner. I understand that if I do not complete this test/assignment on my own merit, I may break the NDCDE honor code policy, and such actions may prevent my teacher from helping me identify and fill gaps in my learning. I have taken the time needed to prepare to complete this task with my best effort. I am ready to begin this assignment/test, following the honor code values of honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage.

What to do when an NDCDE student, learning coach, or staff member may not be following the honor code: 

  • If you think another NDCDE student may not be following this policy, you should tell your learning coach or any NDCDE teacher. Your learning coach can share your concern with an NDCDE teacher if they are the person you choose to tell.
  • If you believe that your learning coach is not following this policy, please share this with any of your NDCDE teachers.
  • If you think an NDCDE staff member, such as a teacher, may not be following the honor code, ask your learning coach to contact an NDCDE principal. Principals can be reached through our website (https://www.cde.nd.gov/about-us/contact-us), at ndcde.learning@k12.nd.us, or 701-298-4830.

What may happen when the honor code is not followed? 

  • Your teacher will contact you to inform you that s/he wants to discuss the Honor Code policy with you and your learning coach, explaining how you may have acted contrary to the policy. During your meeting with your teacher, s/he will provide more information on the policy, what actions on your part were contrary to the policy, and evaluate if your actions were accidental or intentional. Your teacher will then file a short report with our school administrators.
  • Administrators will review the report in detail and compare it to your records to further help determine if the violation was accidental or intentional and whether you have had any past violations. If administrators determine that your actions were intentional, they will then determine the severity of the actions to help determine the appropriate response steps. Minor violations of the policy, such as first-time plagiarism, typically result in your teacher taking steps like giving you a zero for an assignment or asking you to retake a test. Moderate violations, such as repeated cheating violations, may result in NDCDE requiring the assignment of a new learning coach. Major violations, such as placing several NDCDE tests and all the answers online for other students to access, may result in dropping you from a course or expelling you from enrollment in NDCDE courses for the remainder of the NDCDE school year (July 1-June 30). The principal or a teacher will explain these consequences to you and your learning coach and why they decided on them