Pulaski High School is in full compliance with the rules of the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) concerning academic honesty. In the IBO Guide to Academic Honesty, malpractice is defined as:
Behavior that results in, or may result in, the candidate or any other candidate gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessment components.
Definition of Academic Honesty
Academic misconduct– Behavior that results in or may result in the candidate gaining an unfair advantage in one or more components of assessment.
Plagiarism– The representation, intentionally or unwittingly, of the ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgement.
Paraphrasing– The rewording of a text to give meaning without citing.
Collusion– Supporting malpractice by another candidate, as in allowing one’s own work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another.
Duplication of work- The presentation of the same work for different assessment components and/or IB requirements
Intellectual Property– Material that results from one person’s original creative thought
Violation of the Academic Honesty Policy is defined by IBO as:
Any act in which a student obtains or provides help on an assignment that is to be completed solely by a student. This can be done in such ways as plagiarizing, copying, using unauthorized devices, or any other act that is deemed to be dishonest.
Policy Goals and Expectations
Values and skills that promote personal integrity
Our school defines academic honesty as a set of values and skills that promotes personal integrity in teaching, learning and assessment. We believe that in order to achieve this, it is important that we focus on educating our students to be principled and risk-takers. We will recognize and celebrate authentic student work, and to take pride in promoting student learning through inquiry that includes responsible use of information and communication of original work.
Learner Profile
Inquirers– We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
Knowledgeable– We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issue and ideas that have local and global significance.
Thinkers– We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Communicators– We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
Principled– We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere.
Open-minded– We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring– We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Risk-takers– We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
Balanced– We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, and emotional – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
Reflective – We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Roles established for:
Leadership
- Establish an academic honesty policy and provide teachers with effective training opportunities.
- Ensure teachers and students adhere to the school’s academic honesty policy. (Training will occur the first two days of school for students and during PD prior to school starting for teachers.)
- Share the aims and goals of the academic honesty policy with legal guardians.
- Ensure everybody understands the academic honesty policy and consequences for IB students if they engage in academic misconduct.
Educators
- Set clear expectations for assignments and provide guidance to candidates on how to correctly cite the sources they have consulted.
- Discuss the benefits of submitting assignments that are correctly referenced.
- Be a role model – make sure all shared materials (handouts, presentations etc.) are correctly referenced.
- Design assignments that do not lend themselves to academic misconduct.
Scholar
- Work is submitted and authentic
- Work is cited
- Responsible for learning, understanding, and complying
- The student is expected to adhere to the principles of academic honesty in completing all school-related tests, quizzes, reports, homework, assignments, projects, activities, and other academic work, both in and out of class. No form of student work is exempted.
Parents
- The parent/guardian is expected to support the Academic Honesty Policy by reviewing the principles of academic honesty with the student and encouraging the student to practice honesty in all matters.
- The parent/guardian is an important partner in developing the appropriate core character traits; therefore, parent/guardian contact and involvement in all incidences of academic dishonesty is required.
Academic Consequences
At Pulaski High School, plagiarism is a serious violation of our academic expectations. Pulaski students are required to submit work that is either completely original or that is properly cited as outlined by a teacher’s directions for any given assignment. Plagiarism can occur in many forms beyond writing, for example, art, music, computer, mathematics, and scientific work. It is of utmost importance that our students understand that unauthorized collaboration on a classroom assignment is also considered plagiarism. In all academic work, and especially when writing papers, students are building on the insights and words of others. A principled writer must always distinguish clearly between what has been learned from others and what he/she is personally contributing to the reader’s understanding. To avoid plagiarism, it is important that students understand how to attribute words and ideas to their proper sources.
Papers that contain plagiarized work will be given a failing grade and returned to the student. The teacher, with collaboration by the department chair and administration, will decide on appropriate consequences regarding the student’s replacement work. According to the district’s policy, students have the ability to redo any work that needs improvement. As a result, students will have one opportunity to create work that is solely theirs and that reflects the tenants of the academic policy. They will not receive credit for the initial work.