KFA Academic Honesty Policy
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[Reviewed
Reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team September 2014]
2014
KFA Academic Honesty Policy 2014
2
Table of Contents
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
IB Learner Profile
IB Mission Statement
KFA Mission Statement
Rationale
Definitions
Scope and Sequence for teaching academic honesty
Delivery of academic honesty programme
Sanctions for academic honesty
3
4
4
4
5
6
7
8
KFA Academic Honesty Policy 2014
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I.
IB Learner Profile
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II. IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and
caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through
intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organization works with
schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging
programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These
programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate
and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can
also be right.
III. KFA Mission Statement
The KFA aims at providing a bilingual international education with an Islamic ethos to
students aged 3 – 18 years. We are committed to helping all students realise their
full potential and become well-balanced, productive citizens who appreciate the
multicultural world in which we live. We employ our skills and expertise to nurture
our students holistically, in terms of their intellectual, emotional, physical, social and
spiritual development through a challenging and balanced curriculum.
IV. Rationale:
At KFA, we aim to graduate principled students who act upon the attributes of the IB
Learner Profile. The IB Learner Profile is a key component of our three IB
programmes. At KFA, we work on developing our students’ learning and ethical skills
throughout the students’ school years. Accordingly, the academic learning skills are
addressed throughout the teaching and learning process inside the classrooms such
as inquiring, thinking and reflecting. Moreover, the ethical skills integrity,
responsibility, and honesty are emphasized throughout the school years until
graduation. . As a result, students are implementing the IB mission statement in
action through the emphasis on the IB Learner Profile.
The King Fahad Academy places Academic Honesty at the centre of teaching and
learning interactions. The following are the standpoints of the Academy’s policy on
academic honesty:
1. The Academy believes in the importance of developing academic honesty and
it is committed to ensuring that all teachers, staff, students and parents
understand the responsibilities this commitment embraces.
2. The Academy believes that all students should be honest in the work they
produce and should not cheat nor plagiarise any contents in order to pass it
as their own. We encourage taking inspiration from the idea or thoughts of
others and understand the importance and benefits of properly conducted
research and respect for the creative efforts of others.
3. We expect all staff members to be models of academic honesty and ensure
their curricular schemes reflect efforts to nurture this in students.
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4. The Academy will take the strongest action against breach of its academic
honesty policy in a way that is pertinent to the child’s grade level.
V.
Definitions:
5.1 Academic Honesty:
“a set of values and skills that promote personal integrity and good practice in teaching,
learning and assessment. It is influenced and shaped by a variety of factors including
peer pressure, culture, parental expectations, role modeling and taught skills” (IB,
Academic Honesty; 2009, p.2).
5.2 Academic dishonesty includes the following:
1. Collusion
2. Cheating
3. Plagiarism
5.2.1Collusion:
This is where two or more students agree to present work that is not their own
individual work with an aim to gain better marks and to deceive the teacher into
thinking it their own individual work.
5.2.1.1. How can you avoid Collusion?
Discuss work with others, but do not give anyone your hard copy. Under no
circumstances whatsoever give anyone an electronic copy.
5.2.2 Plagiarism:
This exists in two senses:
1. The use of other people’s work with or without referencing, even if referenced
correctly and extensive use of others’ work that makes the student’s work less
meaningful as it is not the ideas of the student. Whilst technically this is the
lesser error, it does essentially devalue a student’s work and for the purpose
of this policy is plagiarism.
2. The deliberate passing off the work of others poorly referenced or deliberately
submitted as a student’s own work.
5.2.2.1 How can you avoid Plagiarism?
Many students do not mean to plagiarise. However, the IB makes no differentiation
between mistakes and deliberate omissions and so both are equally serious
breaches. By referencing your work using the MLA Referencing System, which is
taught at KFA, students can avoid falling into the trap of plagiarism.
5.2.3 Cheating:
Presenting work dishonestly and/or trying to gain an unfair advantage in schoolwork
and/or tests by looking at other students/teachers’ work/papers. If a student agrees
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to allow another student to use their work for personal gain, this is collusion and
sanction will be applied to both students.
VI.
Scope and sequence for teaching of academic honesty:
Grades 11-12:
The following steps will be reviewed with students and complete compliance
expected
• Full/complete in-texts referencing and/or footnotes (endnotes)
• Full/complete works cited list
• All teachers are expected to reinforce this
Grades 9-10:
Teachers will reinforce the following practice:
• Full/complete in-texts referencing
• Full/complete works cited list
• All teachers are expected to reinforce this
Grades 7-8:
The following will be consolidated with students and reinforced by teachers:
• Full/complete works cited list
• Paraphrasing and plagiarism
• Online and print sources to be used for referencing
The following will be introduced to students:
• In-texts referencing
Grades 5-6:
The following will be consolidated with students:
• Paraphrasing and plagiarism
• Online and print sources to be used for referencing
The following will be introduced to students:
• Writing a full/complete works cited list
Grades 3-4:
The following will be introduced to students:
• Attempts to use some form of works cited (for example URL links or the
surname of an author)
• Paraphrasing and plagiarism
• Online and print sources to be used for referencing
Grades 1-2:
The following will be reinforced at all times:
• The importance of author/illustrator/producer
• Definition of terminology
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At DP level:
•
•
•
•
Students, teachers and parents understand that academic misconduct,
plagiarism, collusion and duplication of work all constitute academic
dishonesty.
For DP students this translates as “zero tolerance” for all kinds of academic
dishonesty.
The IB will not accept work if a teacher suspects plagiarism. IB schools are
required to withhold the work. Teachers are required to sign declarations that
any work submitted conforms to academic honesty guidelines and that the
teacher attests that the work is the student’s work alone.
Students who are found to have plagiarized risk having that subject ungraded,
leading to an automatic fail in the IB Diploma Programme.
At MYP level:
•
For MYP students, the above DP statements apply; however, there is more
leniency given for accidental mistakes and non-recurring technical lapses.
At PYP level:
To ensure that PYP students understand what Academic Honesty means, teachers
should:
• Refer to the IB Learner Profile and the PYP attitudes
• Equip the students with essential skills such as research, communication,
thinking, self –management, in addition to social skills.
• Students will be guided, giving examples of both good and bad practice,
asking students to re-submit work if necessary.
• During the stages of the Exhibition, student work will be penalised according
to the procedure set out in Primary Procedures.
VII.
Delivery of Academic Honesty Programme:
All teachers will:
• adhere to the academic honesty policy both in their own planning and
teaching and also in the students’ work
• inform students of the consequences for academic dishonesty
• display posters related to academic honesty in form-room
• provide guidance and information to students on how to avoid plagiarism
• provide students with clear guidelines on academic honesty.
Administration will:
• inform parents of the consequences for academic dishonesty
• ensure parents and students sign the Academic Honesty undertaking
All students will:
• Communicate if they do not understand the content of the policy
• Realise that the policy is for their benefit
• Comply with the content of the policy
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VIII.
Sanctions for Academic Dishonesty:
For Secondary students, there is zero tolerance. This includes plagiarism, collusion
and/or cheating. Apart from students not having their work graded, they also may not
be entered for any external exams and will be subject to Discipline Committee
process and procedures.
The Discipline Committee will consist of the IB Coordinator concerned, (PYP, MYP
or DP), head of the section and the HOD of the subject area involved. A translator to
be provided if needed.
Procedures for the Primary section:
The Deputy and Head will deal with each case on an individual basis, which may
include referral to the Primary Leadership Team. Parents will be informed and may
be requested to come for a meeting.
If a student is in clear breach of academic dishonesty, the student will receive the
necessary guidance and support to re-submit his/her work. In addition to the above,
the procedures below will be followed:
•
•
•
Step 1: The student will be reminded of the KFA academic honesty policy,
and asked to re-do the work.
Step 2: The deputy informs parents and the incident to be noted in school
records. The student will complete a reflection based on the incident.
Step 3: Teachers to keep a record of the incident for future reference.
Procedures for the Secondary section:
If a student is found to have copied the work of others or deliberately not followed the
policy on referencing then the following will take place:
• Teacher should investigate and collect evidence for the infringement.
• Teacher confirms with Head of Department that it is a serious case of
plagiarism/cheating/collusion.
• The student receives a score of zero for each of the criteria in the
assessment. The form tutor is informed.
• The case then moves on to the Head of Section who will contact parents to
explain what has happened.
• Should parents want to appeal, then a Review Panel of teachers will be called
to consider the case. If a student allowed his or her work to be copied by
another, then they will be initially counselled by the teacher and a note will be
put in their homework planner. If this happens again then the HOD and Head
of Section will be informed and parents contacted to discuss the issue further.
• For cheating offences, there is zero tolerance at Secondary and students will
get zero for the assignment. If cheating occurs more than once, the case then
moves on to the Discipline Committee, which will review it and make
recommendations based on the KFA and IB’s rules and regulations.
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•
Depending on grade level, if a student has used too much of any other
person’s work, but cited correctly they will re-do the work.
All grades should note that Wikipedia, Answers.com, Wiki answers, ask
Jeeves or any other related websites are NOT acceptable as a source.
Sanctions:
There is a “zero tolerance” approach to plagiarism, collusion and/or cheating.
• Students should be familiar with all sections of the policy and sanctions. It
should be clear to them that if a teacher suspects malpractice, their work will
not be sent to external IB assessors for moderation or marking.
• If a student deliberately breaches the rules on plagiarism and collusion, he or
she will be given a zero score for that assessment, parents will be informed
and should a repeat offence occur, then further sanctions are to follow. Such
sanctions will be decided by the Head of the section and where necessary,
with the approval of the school Director.
• For Secondary students, full sanctions apply as the IB expects full sanctions
even if mistakes are slight.
• There will be sanctions against students even if cited correctly, when a
student has used too much of any other person’s work to the point that it
contributes little value to the question or is no longer their own original work.
• For students found guilty of collusion, the IB and KFA will hold all students
equally guilty. The student who has lent their work and the student who has
received and used the work will both receive a zero grade for that
assessment.
KFA Academic Honesty Policy 2014