ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY

SCHOOL PHILOSOPHY  STATEMENT

At school-gymnasium 201, we believe in upholding strong ethical standards and promoting academic integrity among our students. Our Academic Integrity Policy is designed to ensure fairness, honesty, and accountability in all aspects of academic work. By adhering to this policy, we aim to foster a culture of trust, respect, and intellectual growth within our school community.

Academic integrity is the principle of acting honestly and responsibly in the pursuit of knowledge and academic achievement. It encompasses a range of behaviors, including but not limited to, originality of work, proper citation and referencing, ethical collaboration, and the rejection of any form of cheating, plagiarism, or fraud.

All students are expected to produce their own original work. This includes assignments, projects, reports, presentations, examinations, and any other academic tasks.  Unless stated otherwise by the teacher, any collaborative work should acknowledge the contributions of each participant and be honest in its representation as a collective effort.

In the International Baccalaureate (IB), academic honesty is a fundamental principle guided by the attributes outlined in the IB Learner Profile. It is expected that all members of the IB community uphold the value of being "principled," which entails acting with integrity, honesty, fairness, and justice, while also respecting the dignity and rights of individuals worldwide. Within the Middle Years Programme (MYP), students are required to exhibit academic honesty and refrain from engaging in any form of academic misconduct.

We strongly believe that it is imperative for all teachers, irrespective of their subject area, to offer accurate and consistent guidance on fostering effective collaboration, proper citation practices, and promoting a transparent learning environment. This approach ensures that students undertake their tasks with integrity right from the beginning. These formative years are crucial for shaping students' characters and equipping them with the skills to work independently, fostering a culture of lifelong learning among them.

Academic misconduct is characterized by actions that lead to, or have the potential to lead to, a student or another student gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessment components. This definition is outlined in the MYP: From Principles into Practice document (page 95).

Intellectual property encompasses creations of the mind, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, and commercial names and images. Various forms of intellectual and creative expression, such as literature, art, or music, deserve respect and are typically safeguarded by law.

Explanation of  Dishonesty

Plagiarism is the act of presenting someone else's ideas or work as if they are one's own. This includes using information collected, organized, or written by someone else without proper attribution, whether or not the original author has granted permission. In artistic contexts, plagiarism can extend to appropriating another person's ideas or concepts and passing them off as original creations.

To avoid Plagiarism

Whenever you incorporate someone else's words or ideas into your work, it's essential to give them proper credit. This means acknowledging the author or the source of the information in the same sentence where you use their words or ideas. Utilizing external sources not only strengthens your argument but also enhances the credibility of your work.

Collusion is supporting academic misconduct by another student, as in allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another.

To avoid collusion:

It's important to always complete your own work. If you're uncertain about something, it's best to seek clarification from your teacher rather than turning to a classmate for assistance. During exams or assessments, refrain from talking or glancing at your classmates' work. Instead, if you need assistance, raise your hand to ask the teacher for help or clarification.

Duplication is the presentation of the same work for different assessment components.

To avoid duplication:

When embarking on a new assignment, it's important to begin with a fresh approach and avoid copying any content from previous work. If you're unsure whether it's acceptable to draw upon an idea from a previous piece of work, don't hesitate to consult your teacher for guidance.

Cheating encompasses any behavior that grants an unfair advantage, such as falsely claiming to have submitted an assignment, utilizing cheat sheets or electronic devices during assessments, fabricating information to extend time or gain extra credit on assignments, projects, or exams.

To avoid cheating:

When taking assessments, it's important to leave all electronic devices in your locker. Refrain from communicating with or glancing at classmates during the assessment. Above all, uphold integrity by being honest and truthful in your actions.

USE OF TURNITIN

School-Gymnasium №201 officially uses Turnitin plagiarism detection software to support academic integrity across all grade levels and subject groups.

Turnitin is used to:

• Verify the originality of student work

• Identify similarities with digital databases, books, journals, and past student submissions

• Support teachers in making informed decisions about academic honesty

• Provide students with opportunities to revise and improve work

Turnitin reports are accessible only to authorized school staff and are used strictly for educational purposes.

TURNITIN SIMILARITY PERCENTAGE TABLE

Note: Percentages are guidelines. Teachers must consider context, assignment type, and matched sources.

When a Turnitin report or teacher observation indicates possible academic misconduct, teachers must:

1. Review the Turnitin report carefully, examining which parts were matched and why.

2. Have a private conversation with the student to:

3. 
   

   • clarify how the work was completed

   • explain the issue

   • identify whether misconduct was intentional or unintentional
     
     

4. Document the case using the school’s Academic Integrity Record Form.

5. Inform the MYP Coordinator and school leadership if the similarity is significant (31%+).

6. Notify parents for repeated or major cases.

7. Provide the student with guidance on proper citation, paraphrasing, and academic honesty.

8. Apply consequences consistently (see table above).
   
   

ACADEMIC HONESTY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)

AI can support learning when used ethically, but using AI to generate full assignments and submitting them as original work is considered plagiarism.

Students may use AI for:

• brainstorming ideas

• improving grammar or clarity

• generating practice questions

• receiving explanations of concepts

• translating short phrases (must be checked for accuracy)

AI use must always be acknowledged in the bibliography (e.g., “Generated ideas using ChatGPT”).

Prohibited uses of AI

• Generating full essays, projects, or answers

• Using AI-written content without citation

• Using AI to bypass thinking, inquiry, or creativity

• Using AI translation tools to produce entire assignments in another language

Teacher responsibilities regarding AI:

• educate students on ethical AI use

• monitor suspicious writing patterns

• request drafts, notes, or planning documents when needed

• integrate Turnitin’s AI Writing Detection when appropriate

• apply consequences equal to plagiarism if AI misuse occurs
  
  

Roles and responsibilities

Implementing this academic honesty (integrity) policy is the collaborative work of all the members of the school community, even though each one has a specific role and responsibility.

MYP Coordinator

• Develop the academic honesty policy in collaboration with teachers, students, and parent representatives, ensuring it promotes best practices and cultivates an environment of honesty within the school community.

• Encourage and support teachers in educating students about the academic honesty policy, emphasizing its importance and relevance.

• Implement consequences consistently and fairly when a student breaches the policy, reinforcing the significance of academic integrity within the school community.

School Leadership:

• Establish clear procedures for handling cases of academic misconduct.

• Provide ongoing professional development on academic integrity for staff.

• Ensure the Academic Integrity Policy is communicated to all members of the school community.

• Monitor the implementation of this policy and review it regularly to ensure effectiveness.

Teachers 

• Integrate the school's academic honesty policy into all subject group classes by fostering the development of relevant Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills.

• Lead by example and serve as role models of honesty for students to emulate.

• Offer guidance on studying techniques, academic writing, inquiry methods, and proper citation practices across various disciplines, ensuring students understand the importance of accurate citation and referencing. Guide students in the use of APA or MLA citation styles.

• Cultivate a classroom atmosphere that fosters academic honesty and critical thinking among students.

• Enforce consequences in accordance with the policy when a student breaches academic honesty standards.

• Use Turnitin reports to verify originality for major assessments.

• Guide students on ethical AI use and report misuse as academic misconduct.

Librarian

• Support teachers and students in identifying good practice regarding academic honesty.

• Help students obtain reliable information from various sources.

Students 

• Students incorporate learning and practicing academic honesty into their development of Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills, with additional support and guidance available from the coordinator, librarian, and teachers as needed.

• Students demonstrate a commitment to upholding the principles of academic honesty in both their attitudes and actions while completing all assignments.

• Students recognize that no assignment is exempt from adherence to the school's Academic Integrity Policy.

• Students receive and acknowledge a student version of the academic honesty policy, signifying their understanding and commitment to compliance with the school's Academic Integrity Policy.

• Students cite all resources used in any types of assignments and projects using APA or MLA citation styles. Seek guidance from teachers when unsure about citation or academic integrity expectations.

• Students utilize academic resources such as Google Scholar and Microsoft Academy to find reliable materials and understand proper citation methods.

• Students refrain from engaging in plagiarism, collusion, duplication, or other forms of academic misconduct.

• Acknowledge any use of AI tools in assignments.

• Submit only original work that passes Turnitin originality checks.

Parents

• Encourage and uphold the ethical values of honesty and integrity among all members of the school community.

• Communicate and reinforce the school's enforcement of the academic honesty policy, particularly emphasizing its application to work completed outside of school premises.

Consequences of Academic Misconduct The school’s response to academic misconduct will be guided by fairness, consistency, and a focus on education. Possible actions include:

• An opportunity to redo the task.

• A reflective discussion or counseling session.

• Documentation of the incident in the student’s record.

• Notification to parents and relevant stakeholders.

Support and Education To support adherence to academic integrity, the school will:

• Provide workshops and resources on proper citation and referencing.

• Integrate lessons on academic ethics into the curriculum.

• Offer access to tools like plagiarism detection software.

• Foster open communication about ethical dilemmas and academic expectations.

• Promote the use of APA or MLA citation styles across all grade levels.

• Encourage the use of academic resources like Google Scholar and Microsoft Academy for reliable materials and citation guidance.

• Workshops for students and teachers on ethical AI use

• Training on Turnitin and proper citation detection

Policy Communication The Academic Integrity Policy will be shared with the school community through:

• Student and parent handbooks.

• School website and communication channels.

• Orientation sessions for new students, parents, and staff.

Monitoring and Review 

This policy will be reviewed annually by the school leadership team in consultation with the IB Coordinator and faculty. Feedback from students and parents will also be considered to ensure continuous improvement and relevance.

Conclusion School-Gymnasium №201 is committed to upholding academic integrity as a cornerstone of education. By adhering to this policy, we aim to nurture principled learners who contribute positively to their local and global communities.

References:

• Academic honesty in the IB educational context (2014)

• MYP: From principles into practice. 2014. International Baccalaureate Organization.

• Adilet.kz