Center for Academic Integrity
How to Get Started at the K-12 Level

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David Gould, Chair of the Theology Department at Saint Andrew's School, has crafted a wonderful resource handbook that explicitly maps out how to get an honor code started at a private coeducational school (grades 6-12). This publication can be easily generalized to any k-12 school. It provides an in-depth chronology of a successful process at Saint Andrew's School. Below is a snapshot of this publication.

A copy of the timeline of the development of an honor code system (p. 57 of the Resource Handbook):

Honor Code Development Stages: A Timeline

I. INITIATION:

One to two month process. Crisis and/or grassroots movement brings the need for an honor code into focus.

II. STEERING COMMITTEE:

One to two month process.

The committee is formed either through administrative or grassroots leadership, but with administrative recognition. The committee discusses the potential of an honor code and gets approval from the administration to forge a process.

III. OPEN FORUM:

One-day event.

The school discusses the idea of having an honor code in an all-school open forum.

IV. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION:

No later than four weeks after the open forum.

Two-day convention in which broad ideas of honor code are developed.

V. DRAFTING PROCESS:

Two and a half month process.

A drafting committee meets and develops a formal honor constitution.

VI. APPROVAL AND INSTALLATION:

No later than a month after the constitution has been formally submitted by the drafting committee to the administration and the rest of the school community.

VII. IMPLEMENTATION

Formal implementation of the code at the beginning of the next school year.

The full text of this publication is available for purchase by contacting CSEE (Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education at 1-800-298-4599 or info@csee.org.

Costs:
CAI members discounted rate of $28.50
Non-members $35.00

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