Academic Integrity Policy
Academic integrity is considered an essential core in our school, where all students are expected to maintain the highest level of honesty and ethical behavior in their academic work. “Academic integrity is a guiding principle in education and a choice to act in a responsible way whereby others can have trust in us as individuals. It is the foundation for ethical decision-making and behavior in the production of legitimate, authentic and honest scholarly work.” (Organization, 2019)
Vision and Mission of Alam Kidz School
Vission
A community supporting young people to realize their potential; forever learning, forever teaching, in the service of humanity. To inspire a community of lifelong learners who embrace diversity, act with compassion, and strive for excellence in an ever-changing world.
Mission
To provide a unique, learning-centered environment that progresses young people through an integrated and developmental approach to education. To provide a challenging and inclusive education that empowers students to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners.
Aim
To develop interpersonal, intrapersonal, physical and cognitive competencies; empowering young people to lead purposeful, fulfilling lives. To develop knowledgeable, and caring young people who are motivated to succeed and make a positive difference in the world.
IB Learner Profiles
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 issues 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. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. |
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. |
The Principles of Academic Integrity
Academic integrity has simple principles like honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Adhering to good and honest learning practices means acknowledging information correctly and respecting the intellectual property of others. IB assessments will be fair only if all students are given equal opportunities and if students take responsibility for their own learning.
- Honesty
- Trust
- Fairness
- Respect
- Responsibility
Purpose of Academic Integrity Policy
The main goal of academic integrity in our school is to cultivate honesty in students where they value the authenticity of their own work. We emphasize the importance of respecting the work of others and the awareness of personal responsibility in completing academic tasks with high integrity.
Responsibilities
Teacher Responsibilities:
PYP teachers have a mission to assist all students in understanding the fundamentals of academic integrity, especially the ideas of authenticity and intellectual property, as well as their significance. It is mandatory for educators to encourage the school community to adhere to the Academic Integrity Policy. Teachers must help students understand all matters relevant to academic honesty. Citing material from publications, internet links, movies, interviews, pictures, and other sources. Additionally, educators should urge students to show their work; Provide them with guidance when they have questions or concerns; point them toward the enclosed APA citation format; provide them instances of excellent academic integrity; and describe the many types of academic dishonesty and fulfill the following responsibilities:
- Assisting students in understanding and adhering to school regulations and guidelines.
- Ensuring that students comprehend the regulations of the school and their consequences.
- Encourage students to exhibit positive behavior by completing their work with care, honesty, and authenticity.
Students Responsibilities and expectations
In order to create high-integrity learning activities, students have several responsibilities, including:
– Create original content and complete assessments truthfully and authentically.
– Take responsibility for completing their work.
– Students should learn to respect the work of their classmates and teachers. This means not taking or using someone else’s work without permission.
– Seeks for help when needed.
Students’ expectations regarding academic integrity typically involve a commitment to honesty fairness, and ethical conduct in all academic activities. As written below:
– Show balanced behavior in group work.
– Are responsible for the work they hand in.
– Are honest, responsible, and ethical at all times.
– Act in a principled way and distinguish right from wrong.
Grade 1 and grade 2 students
Should | Should not |
Utilize, explore, or read a book to discover new information. | Claim the work of their parents or others as their own. |
Be able to explain what they have learned (from books, parents, the Internet, texts, audio, and video materials) in their own words. | Reproduce tasks or replicate solutions from their friends.. |
Start working in groups to share the information learned and present it to others, with contributions from all group members. | |
Be aware of the need to seek assistance from parents, teachers, and friends to facilitate learning. | |
Share their knowledge with others, incorporating contributions from every group member. | |
Understand copying as cheating |
Grade 1 and grade 2 students
Should | Should not |
Be able to mention the title of the book they read and its author. | Directly copy entire words or sentences from books or printed materials into their own work. |
Start identifying and using key words to note the most important points learned from written and video materials, with guidance from teachers. | Claim the work of a fellow group member as their own. |
Start to summarize key points from the texts or videos they have reviewed. | Use copied sentences in their work, pretending they are original. |
Start integrating information from multiple sources to develop their conclusions and ideas. | |
Be able to identify each group member’s contribution and specify who completed which tasks when collaborating in a group. | |
Be able to identify the author of specific digital information sources. |
Grade 4 students
Should | Should not |
Research information from different sources, such as books and other printed materials, to collect data. | Incorporate entire sentences or phrases from any source into their work without providing proper citations or quotes. |
Write notes in their own language by incorporating keywords and rephrasing. | Reproduce all or part of a friend’s work without their permission, whether in individual, pair, or group assignments. |
Begin utilizing primary sources and conducting interviews to collect information. | Claim or present another student’s work as their own while collaborating in a group. |
Can create a summary of their understanding from audio and video materials using their own words. | Duplicate homework or permit someone else to copy their homework without authorization. |
Collaborate within a group by contributing information and sharing their understanding of what they have learned. | Use others’ work or refer to “cheat sheets/notes” during a test. |
Begin referencing the sources of information used in their work with assistance from their teachers. |
Grade 5 and grade 6 students
Should | Should not |
Using formal vocabulary and more complex language when writing reports or summaries. | Claiming someone else’s work as their own. |
Collect the references and list them in the bibliography section at the end of the document. | Presenting false invented information as if it were a confirmed fact. |
Gain a deeper understanding of plagiarism and recognize that it is kind of cheating. | Not including relevant sources of information when submitting completed work. |
Downloading and copying documents from electronic sources without permission is a form of fraud. | |
Parents Responsibilities:
- Play an active role in fostering the educational success of the students.
- Promote the prevention of plagiarism and cheating.
- Encourage and assist their child in taking responsibility for their work.
Penalty
- Students asked to redo the assignment or activity under supervision to ensure they understand the importance of doing their own work.
- Schools may notify parents or guardians of the student’s academic misconduct, involving them in the resolution process and reinforcing the importance of academic honesty at home
Integrating AI Tools in PYP Program.
Providing students with an understanding of the ethical and wise use of artificial intelligence (AI) is crucial in preparing them for the digital era. By introducing the concept of AI to students, explaining what it is, how it works, and presenting its various applications. Using simple examples to make it easily understandable for students. Encourage students to engage in discussions about the ethical considerations surrounding artificial intelligence (AI).
- Encouraging students to think critically about AI and providing opportunities for them to analyze where AI is used and identify both positive and negative implications of its use.
- Providing real-life examples of AI applications that are used for good purposes and those that are not.
- Educating students about the importance of transparency in AI usage, introducing them to when AI is appropriately used, and training them to make informed choices based on their knowledge of it.
Referencing Strategy.
Teachers and students of Alam Kidz School implementing APA formatting style. It is important for both to understand the citing technique in order to avoid academic misconducts and build strong credibility of academic work. Proper citation also demonstrates the students’ commitment to academic integrity and allows them to present their research and ideas with the support of credible evidence.
Parents Responsibilities:
- Avoiding plagiarism
- Acknowledging others’ work
- Help the reader to distinguish our work and the source used.
- Fulfill academic requirements
- Demonstrate honesty and fairness
What and how to cite?
When any ideas or sources are used in any form as a quote, paraphrase, or summary and are not the authors’ own, the authors are expected to cite them properly. Written or electronic materials can include: visual materials, audio and graphic recordings, lectures, interviews, shows, maps. Guidelines for citation, as below:
Quoting Intellectual Property:
Cite thoughts, statements, claims, or results of others, as they are their intellectual property.
Using Original Sources:
Always quote from the original source. If the original source is not available, specify the secondary source with phrases like “taken from:…” or “according to…”.
Direct Quotes and Paraphrasing:
For direct quotes, use quotation marks around the quoted material. If paraphrasing, mention the author and present the idea without quotation marks.
In-Text Citations:
After quoting or paraphrasing, include the author’s surname and the publication year in parentheses, separated by a comma (e.g., (Smith, 2020)).
Citing Anonymous Works:
When citing a work with no known author, mention only the title of the work or the source from which the information was taken.
Related Policies
- Admissions Policy
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Assessment Policy
- Language Policy
Related Policies
Organization, I. B. (2019). Academic integrity policy. United Kingdom: International Baccalaureate Organization.