Search Institute

In their research covering six diverse high schools in Connecticut, authors David Wangaard, Ed.D., and Jason Stephens, Ph.D., discovered that over 90% of students participate in some form of cheating during the average school year. Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity aims to reverse this trend, and it provides the following: A research-based justification for schools and communities to make academic integrity a priority. Tools, resources, and strategies to improve students' sense of scholastic honesty and help them resist cheating. A discussion of plagiarism and tips to prevent it. Activities on reproducible handouts (see below).

In addition, Wangaard and Stephens give instructions for establishing an Academic Integrity Committee—with representatives from the school administration, teachers, students, and the parent community—to plan and implement policies that support a climate of honesty and hard work.

David B. Wangaard is the director of the School for Ethical Education in Milford, CT. Prior to earning his doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Northern Colorado, David was a school principal in Alaska. He developed the Integrity Works! project at SEE to help secondary schools initiate academic integrity programs.

Jason M. Stephens is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Connecticut, where he teaches classes on human learning and academic motivation. His research focuses on academic motivation and moral development during adolescence, particularly as they relate to the problem of academic dishonesty.