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Academic Honesty Policy

Ranchview’s IB MYP & Diploma Programme

Academic Honesty Policy

I. Purpose

At Ranchview High School, we believe in high achievement for each student and that academic honesty should be maintained at all times in support of that goal. “Academic honesty must be seen as 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 Diploma Programme Academic Honesty, July 2011). The IB mission statement strives to create lifelong learners who are caring and respectful while creating a better, more peaceful world. IB students shall be knowledgeable, principled thinkers according to the Learner Profile in order to better understand the importance of academic honesty while honoring the work and intellectual properties of others.

This document is designed to define expectations associated with any submitted work within all Honors & IB Diploma courses. It seeks to ensure that students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders are aware of those expectations, what constitutes academic malpractice, and the consequences of such action.

II. Expectations

  • It is the expectation that students & teachers in any Honors and/or IB Diploma course understand and adhere to the Academic Honesty Policy.
  • It is the expectation that Honors and/or IB Diploma teachers ensure that students understand what constitutes academic honesty by providing necessary verbal and printed resources, and report cases of academic misconduct to the IB Coordinator & appropriate administrators.
  • It is the expectation that students in any Honors and/or IB Diploma course submit work that is a representation of their own knowledge and understanding, without the use of unauthorized assistance and refraining from committing any acts of academic misconduct as described below. This pertains to both formative and summative tasks, as well as assignments submitted for IB assessment. Students will return a signed copy of the Academic Honesty Policy each year they are enrolled in an Honors and/or IB Diploma course.
  • It is the expectation that the IB Coordinator & Administrators ensure all instances of academic misconduct are appropriately documented, and will facilitate any necessary Academic Honesty Review Board meeting when necessary. When appropriate (e.g. for work related to an official, submitted IB assessment), a report will be filed with the International Baccalaureate Organization.

III. Definition & Major Categories of “Academic Misconduct” defined by the IB:

(Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme, 2014)
Academic Misconduct – A behavior that results in or may result in a student or group of students gaining an unfair advantage because of unauthorized assistance of any sort. Some major categories of academic misconduct include, but are not limited to:

  • Plagiarism – the representation, intentionally or unwittingly, of the ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgment. The use of translated materials, unless indicated and acknowledged, is also considered plagiarism
  • Collusion – when a student supports academic misconduct by another student, for example allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted by another, or sharing information about what appears on an assessment
  • Duplication of Work – the presentation of the same work for different assessment purposes, especially for submission to the IB Diploma Programme assessment components

IV. Strategies to Help Promote Academic Honesty

(Adapted from Oakmont High School’s Academic Honesty Policy, 2017)

  • Always take notes in your own words, and never write responses while directly looking at your textbook or other source of information, unless allowed by your teacher.
  • Always properly cite sources in footnotes and a bibliography according to the teacher’s instructions for that particular assignment.
    • Use quotation marks to identify someone else’s words and properly cite the source.
    • When you paraphrase ideas and information, properly cite the source.
    • Try to combine information from different sources; when carrying out research, don’t just use one source of information.
  • Avoid “cutting/copying and pasting” large parts of text from the internet.
  • Remember that your teacher wants to know your ideas and read your words, not the ideas and words of someone else.
  • If a friend asks you what is on a test or asks you to complete their homework, explain why you cannot do so. Explain to your friend that they are putting your grades and student record at risk.
  • Always contribute as much as you can in group work so you do not end up taking the ideas of others.

V. Consequences of Academic Misconduct

All instances of suspected academic misconduct are reported to the IB Coordinator and, depending on the nature and frequency of the incident, the Associate Principal. The IB Coordinator (and possibly the Associate Principal) will meet with the teacher and student separately in order to determine the appropriate consequence.

Disciplinary consequences may include, but are not limited to:

  • Disciplinary action, as outlined in CFB-ISD’s Student Code of Conduct
  • Informing the student’s parents and extra-curricular coordinators/coaches
  • The student being removed from National Honor Society
  • The student appearing before the Academic Honesty Review Board (outlined in Section VI)

Academic consequences may include, but are not limited to:

  • The student receiving a 0 for the assignment in question
  • The student being put on Academic Probation for Honors/IB Course(s), as determined by the Review Board
  • The student’s removal from the Honors/IB Course(s) or the IB Diploma Programme

VI. Academic Honesty Review Board

Depending on the nature and frequency of reported instances of academic malpractice by the student, Ranchview’s Academic Honesty Review Board will convene to determine the appropriate academic consequence. The Review Board will consist of The IB Coordinator, the Associate Principal, the Student’s Counselor, and at least one IB Teacher. The teacher who reported the malpractice will not be part of that particular Honor Board meeting. If the Review Board is convened, the student will be notified in writing no later than two days prior to the convening. This notification will include a description of the offense and the time and location of the Review Board meeting.

Unless the student is instructed otherwise, the student’s presence is required at all Review Board meetings. For the first offense, it is encouraged, but not required, that the parent(s) or guardian(s) are present at the meeting. Should the student be involved in any subsequent reported case of academic misconduct, the presence of a parent/guardian is required.

No later than one school day before the meeting, the student will be asked turn in a written statement to supplement his/her personal statement to the Review Board. The Review Board will consider these statements as well as the evidence of academic misconduct in order to determine the most appropriate academic consequence. The student shall be informed of the decision of the Academic Honesty Review Board no later than two school days following the meeting.

VII. Appeals Process

Decisions made by the Academic Honesty Review Board may be appealed to the Associate Principal, in writing by the student, within three school days of the Board’s communication of their decision. The Associate Principal will present the appeal to another administrator for a final decision.