Academic Integrity Policy

I. Statement of Belief:

An academically honest student submits work that is solely his or her own. The IB leaner profile clearly speaks to the characteristics of being excellent communicators, principled learners, caring citizens and knowledgeable individuals. Therefore, our school believes that academic honesty is crucial in maintaining and encouraging high standards. We also believe that academic honesty is the responsibility of all stakeholders. As such, students will know that teachers will not ignore or condone cheating, plagiarism or any other act of academic dishonesty. Students will know that teachers, administrators, districts and parents/guardians will hold them accountable for any form of academic dishonesty.

II. Definitions/Examples:

Plagiarism and academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to the following forms:

A. Exams and Tests:

1. Copying from another student

2. Using unauthorized materials including but not limited to note cards, cell phones, notes

3. Verbal and non-verbal communication between students during the designated testing time

4. Informing other students of assessment/test content

B. Essays and Assignments

1. Submission of an essay written in whole or part by someone else

2. Preparing an essay or assignment for submission by another student

3. Copying an essay or an assignment in whole or in part

4. Allowing one's essay or assignment to be copied by someone else.

5. Failure to identify sources quoted or paraphrased.

C. Collaboration versus Collusion:

1. While the I.B. fosters meaningful collaboration between students and teachers may allow group assignments, students need to possess an awareness of what constitutes collaboration versus unacceptable collusion.

2. Examples of collaboration: Discussing how to approach an assignment; a group assignment where tasks are equally distributed amongst members; creating and sharing study guides with classmates; proofreading peers' work; discussing studying strategies; putting a shared idea into one's own words; etc.

3. Examples of collusion: Sharing an entire assignment with a peer; copying a peer's work or words in part or in whole; taking credit for group members' work in a group assignment where student did not equally contribute; revising/rewriting a peer's work; doing another student's work; sharing assessment items and information with students who have not yet taken the assessment; etc.

D. Proper citation of sources- students are expected to properly cite their sources using either MLA or APA per teacher instruction.

1. Students can reference the Purdue Online Writing Lab for samples of each form.

2. Students are taught in their ninth grade English class the difference between plagiarizing, citing, summarizing, and paraphrasing.

3. Below is a basic example of MLA citation for a book and a web based source.

a. Book in Works Cited: Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. Harper Perennial: New York, New York. 2000. Print.

b. Book parenthetical: (Hurston 26).

c. Web based source in Works Cited: Jordison, Sam. "Interview: Elizabeth Sigmund, dedicatee of The Bell Jar - Reading group." The Guardian. 18 Jan 2013. Web. 21 November 2014.

d. Parenthetical web based source: (Jordison 2).

Consequences

The penalty for plagiarism as described above shall generally result in a zero for the piece of work. A student who allows work to be copied is also subject to the same penalties. The consequences listed below may be adjusted depending on the item which is plagiarized (i.e. an Internal Assessment versus a worksheet). Incidents of plagiarism are tracked for each student and consequences for each offense are cumulative, not per class.

First Offense	“0” on Assignment	Parent/Guardian Notification	Notation in Grade book	Administration Notification
Second Offense	“0” on Assignment	Parent/Guardian Notification	Notation in Grade book	Administration Referral
Third Offense	“0” on Assignment	Parent/Guardian Notification	Notation in Grade book	Administration Referral & Suspension

Communication

Communication and review of the Academic Honesty Policy will occur with all students through class meetings and through teacher-led discussions. Students will also sign the Academy Honesty Pledge that is shared with parents/guardians prior to the start of the IB Diploma Programme. In addition, when students are registering for the IB Exams, they are given copies of the IBO Academic Honesty Policy in the DP, the IAM Academic Honesty Policy and will be asked to sign a copy of the Acknowledgement of Document Review - General Regulations: Diploma Programme.

Monitor

Academic honesty will be monitored by teachers through the use of electronic means like TurnitIn.com and other such anti-plagiarism software.

The Academic Honesty Policy will be reviewed at regular intervals by subject area teachers as well as through the Extended Essay process.

This is a school-wide policy and supersedes any policies that may be found in course syllabi.

Printable copy.