Academic honesty Policy

AIM OF THE POLICY

• To inculcate and promote fair academic practice and a school culture which is based upon academic honesty
• To make students understand and realize the real meaning of academic honesty and dishonesty
• Encourage students to consult with their teachers, supervisors and coordinator for any help during the completion of assessed work.
• To ensure that students know and understand the real importance of acknowledging accurately and honestly all ideas and work of others
• To explain that students play a pivotal role in ensuring that their work is meets standards of academic honesty.
• To make students realize that ISA has zero tolerance for any form of academic dishonesty and that any breach of rules of academic honesty attracts commensurate penalty.

WHAT IS ACADEMIC HONESTY? 

As we are an IB World school, our definitions of academic honesty is in alignment with those of IB’s.

Standard B1stipulates that the school has developed and implements an academic honesty policy that is consistent with IB expectations.

Standard C3  stipulates that “Teaching and learning promotes the understanding and practice of academic honesty”. We strive to translate this Practice into reality.

In general, academic honesty may refer to:

• Observation of proper conduct during examination process.
• Producing original and authentic works for submission.
• Full acknowledgement of the original authors of any creative material.
• Fully honoring Intellectual Property Rights.

Authenticity of Work

According to the IBO, “An authentic piece of work is one that is based on the candidate’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of others fully acknowledged. Therefore all assignments, written or oral, completed by a candidate for assessment must wholly and authentically use that candidate’s own language and expression. Where sources are used or referred to, whether in the form of direct quotation or paraphrase, such sources must be fully and appropriately acknowledged” (“Academic Honesty” 2007).

Intellectual Property

The concept of intellectual property is potentially a difficult one for candidates to understand because there are many different forms of intellectual property rights, such as patents, registered designs, trademarks, moral rights and copyright. Candidates must at least be aware that forms of intellectual and creative expression (for example, works of literature, art or music) must be respected and are normally protected by law. By implementing measures to prevent plagiarism schools are helping to combat illegal out-of-school activities (for example, illegal music downloads, peer-to-peer/P2P file sharing) for which candidates may face legal proceedings. (“Academic Honesty” 2007,updated July 2011).

The teachers and administration of ISA make effort in all possible way so that Intellectual Property Rights are respected in all forms.

Article 20 in General Regulations, MYP, Handbook2010, defines ‘Malpractice’ as behaviour that results in, or may result in, the student or any other student gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessments.

 Malpractice includes the following:

Plagiarism: this is defined as the representation of the ideas or work of another person as the student’s own.

For example, the offenses consisting of paraphrasing or copying any source without giving proper credit to the author, of not using denotation when citing sources and of turning in any assignment which is not based on one’s own research and writing.

Collusion: this is defined as supporting malpractice by another student, as in allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another.

 In addition to the specific regulations enjoined by IBO, ISA also takes into account the following:

Cheating: It includes using, supplying, or communicating in any way unauthorized materials, including textbooks, notes, calculators, computers or other unauthorized technology, during a test or an exam or project.

Forgery: It includes gaining unauthorized access to tests/exams or answers to exams/tests, altering computer or grade-book records for the purpose of academic advantage.

PROCEDURE AND STRUCTURES AT PLACE

Special meeting on academic honesty is organized in the first week of September every year.

In the third week of January, Students’ Day, Reflection on academic honesty is done by the students.

Students Handbook is provided with Academic Honesty Agreement, to be signed by students and parents.

RESPONSIBILITY OF STUDENT

ISA students are expected to:

• Adhere to the norms and principles of academic honesty in respect of school-related tests, quizzes, reports, homework, assignments, projects , activities, and other academic work, both in and out of class.
• Ensure that all work submitted for assessment is authentically yours
• Ensure that you correctly acknowledge the work and ideas of others
• To thoroughly review your work to detect any passages, computer programmes, data, photographs and other material which has not been acknowledged.
• Meet all internal school deadlines.
• Prove, in case academic dishonesty is suspected, that all submitted works are his/her own, and that no part of it has been plagiarized.

REASPONSIBILITY OF TEACHER

ISA teachers are expected to:

• Encourage and inculcate the importance of academic honesty.
• Communicate to students in no uncertain terms that academic dishonesty will not be condoned and tolerated.
• Clearly define and explain the appropriate level of student collaboration for each assignment/assessment etc.
• Initiate the appropriate consequences when a student is found to have committed an academic misconduct.
• To be vigilant for apparent changes in a student’s style of writing, which does not match his age and class to detect plagiarism.
• To be vigilant in their subject to verify the authenticity of any work submitted.
• If a problems of authenticity arises due to plagiarism and/or collusion before the submission of work for moderation,, it must initially be dealt with by the subject teacher concerned and then brought to the notice of IB MYP Co-coordinator.

ADMINISTRATOR

The ISA administrators are expected to:

• Implement the School Academic Honesty Policy
• Motivate and support the teachers and students to put the policy into practice.
• Make sure that penalties/consequences are meted out for academic dishonesty and are proportionate to the offence.
• Ensure that the Academic Honesty Policy is in alignment with IB Academic Honesty Policy 

PARENTS/GUARDIANS

The ISA parent/guardian is expected:

• To motivate and encourage the student to practice honesty in all matters.
• To support the School’s Academic Honesty Policy by reviewing and explaining the norms and principles of academic honesty with the student.
• To be involved in handling all incidences of academic dishonesty

DETERMINATION OF ACADEMIC HONESTY 

It is based on specific evidence provided by the homeroom teacher, subject teacher or other supervising professionals, taking into consideration written materials, observation, or information from others. A thorough examination of the case in question will also be carried out by a person appointed by the administrator.

POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES 

In the event of a student found to be engaged in academic dishonesty, he/she shall be subject to disciplinary as well as academic penalties, as mentioned below.

COPYING CLASS WORK OR HOMEWORK: Level One Offence 

• Student will be given “no credit” for the work in question.
• Parent/guardian will be notified.
• A referral to the administration will be submitted.
• School detention might be awarded to the student.
• Parent/guardian will be contacted by the administration to discuss the incident.
• The incident will be entered into student’s disciplinary record book.
• Conference will be arranged with parent/guardian and the student in question.

PLAGIARIZING OR CHEATING ON AN UNIT TEST OR ASSIGNMENT: Level Two Offence

• Student will be given “no credit” for the work in question.
• Parent/guardian will be notified.
• A referral to the administration will be submitted.
• Counselor will be notified
• Depending upon the merit of the case, teacher will issue class suspension or dismiss the student from extracurricular activities or from elected offices held by the student.
• A conference will be organized involving parent ,student , teacher /and counselor

CHEATING AND PLAGIARISING IN FINAL EXAM OR ASSIGNMENT: Level Three Offence

•  Student will receive an “F” for the term in the class in which the offense is committed
• Parent/guardian will be notified.
• A referral to the administration will be submitted.
• Counselor will be notified
• Depending upon the merit of the case, teacher will issue class suspension or dismiss the student from extracurricular activities or from elected offices held by the student.
• A conference will be organized involving parent ,student , teacher /and counselor

REFERENCING:

• For the sake of uniformity, the school will use MLA style citations.
• MYP coordinator, Librarian and teachers to ensure that students are trained in the system

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Academic Honesty: Guidance for Schools, (2003, 2007), Published by the International Baccalaureate Organisation, Switzerland.

Middle Years Programme:General regulations: Middle Years Programme