Student-Created Work
RCPS defines Student-Created Work, also referred to as Original Work, as a submitted product that reflects a student’s unique knowledge, skills, and ideas. It must represent the student’s individual effort and understanding, developed independently unless collaboration with others, technology, or any other resource is explicitly authorized by the instructor.
Key Characteristics of Student-Created Work
- Independent Thought: Original work should demonstrate the student’s personal insights and understanding
- Plagiarism Awareness: Students must avoid plagiarism by properly citing sources, including AI generated content, acknowledging ideas borrowed from other sources, and ensuring the final product is their original work
- Authorized Collaboration: Collaborative work is permitted within the explicit guidelines provided by the teacher
Guidance on AI-Generated Content
While content generated by AI tools may appear original, it is not considered the student's original work. When AI is used to generate ideas or content, students must not submit it as their own creation. Instead, students are encouraged to use AI tools to support their learning—such as by gathering information or refining writing—but they must always disclose their use of AI, just as they would cite any other source. This transparency ensures that AI enhances the learning process without compromising the integrity of student-created work.
Violations of Student-Created Work policy
|
Level |
Description |
Escalation Process |
|
Level One |
The majority of the work is original; however, the student has failed to document at least one phrase, sentence, or idea. |
1. Identify the undocumented content 2. Notify the student of the issue 3. Schedule a conference with parents, teacher, counselor, and student 4. Implement grade reduction as appropriate 5. Document the incident for future reference |
|
Level Two |
Significant portions of the work are clearly not the student’s own and lack documentation. |
1. Identify the plagiarized content 2. Notify the student of the issue 3. Schedule a conference with parents, teacher, counselor, student, and administrator 4. Assign a zero for the original assignment 5. Provide an opportunity to re-submit the assignment for a maximum of half credit 6. Document the incident for future reference |
|
Level Three |
Most or all of the work is clearly not the student's own. |
1. Identify the extent of plagiarism 2. Notify the student of the issue 3. Schedule a conference with parents, teacher, counselor, student, and administrator 4. Assign a zero for the original assignment 5. Provide an opportunity to re-submit the assignment for a maximum of half credit 6. Consider additional administrative actions (detention, suspension, referral to school resource officer) 7. Document the incident for future reference |
|
Level Four |
Student has violated the plagiarism policy on more than one occasion and/or in more than one course. |
1. Review the student's plagiarism history 2. Notify the student of the repeated offense 3. Schedule a conference with parents, teacher, counselor, student, and administrator 4. Assign a zero for the assignment with no opportunity for re-submission 5. Implement additional administrative actions (detention, suspension, referral to school resource officer) 6. Document the incident and update the student's disciplinary record 7. Consider long-term interventions to prevent future occurrences |
Appeals Process
Students have the right to appeal any Student-Created Work Policy violation decision. The appeals process is as follows:
1. The student submits a written appeal to the school administration within 5 school days of the teacher’s decision.
2. A review committee consisting of the building level principal and other staff selected by the principal examines the case.
3. The committee makes a final decision within 10 school days of receiving the appeal.
4. If the student is not satisfied with the decision of the school committee, they may submit a written appeal to the appropriate Executive Director of Instruction within 5 days of the committee's decision.
5. The appropriate Executive Director of Instruction will review the case and make a final decision within 10 days of receiving the written appeal. The decision of the Executive Director of Instruction is final.