Fines ranging between $100 and $50,000 and up to a year in jail. Who knew these could be the consequences for something such as plagiarism? Those are the very major punishments if plagiarism is continued many times, but there are much smaller consequences for it here at Northeast High School.

According to the Patrick M. article, an online survey done by 698 undergraduate college students showed that 85% of the students plagiarize yet only 37% do it often. 25% of these students argue that plagiarism is acceptable behavior but agree that plagiarism is getting worse in schools.

If a student is caught cheating, he/she receive a due process and has a private conversation with the teacher to decide if he/she believe the student cheated or not. If the teacher has a reasonable belief that the student was cheating, the student is then sent to the office to receive his/her consequences. An English teacher, Mrs. Samantha Russell states “I think the consequences are adequate. Students need to realize that plagiarism is a serious offense, and they need to be held accountable.”

Plagiarism is not tolerated here at Northeast, yet there are very few reports from teachers. Although all students do receive the same consequences, students seem to think differently. A freshman, Markel Williams states, “Some teachers tend to let it slide, but some are more strict than others.” Many freshman students seem to agree with this statement, “It depends on the assignment as well as the teacher, Teachers seem to like different students more than others.”

After students receive their consequences, they develop exit strategies with a Capstone writing experience. It enables students to improve their skills and to address issues in higher education settings individually. Ellen Odson who is a Science teacher says, “It is beneficial for students to see how to present that much work and to show what kind of work they are capable of doing independently.” Students may also complete an alternate assignment or form of assessment, for full credit according to the Lincoln Northeast Cheating/Plagiarism Policy.