Academic Integrity Expectations & Procedures
Millbrook High School Diploma Programme
Academic honesty is an extension of and a reflection of the IB Learner Profile and several traits that include principled, knowledgeable and reflective, in addition to others. To practice academic honesty is to engage in academic pursuit in a truly authentic manner.
Academic honesty is the responsibility of all parties involved in the student’s education, including the students, teachers, administrators and parents. It is important that our teachers communicate to students the importance of academic honesty and integrity for very positive reasons. As part of their social and ethical development, students need to see academic honesty beyond the context of “not cheating”, but as an integral element of their social and intellectual construct. While academic honesty is broad in scope, we will start with the basic IBO statement:
Academic honesty is the responsibility of all parties involved in the student’s education, including the students, teachers, administrators and parents. It is important that our teachers communicate to students the importance of academic honesty and integrity for very positive reasons. As part of their social and ethical development, students need to see academic honesty beyond the context of “not cheating”, but as an integral element of their social and intellectual construct. While academic honesty is broad in scope, we will start with the basic IBO statement:
Students will exercise academic honesty in all aspects of their work. They will acknowledge the work of others, including material taken from other sources. They will not claim as their own the work of others. They will not give their work to others to pass off as their own. They will observe the integrity of the examination room.
Ethical Practice Within the Diploma Programme, IBO |
It is necessary to understand that students will not always approach assessment in an ethical manner. In cases of student malpractice, the Millbrook’s IB Programme will follow a policy that is congruent with the WCPSS policy and that of the IBO.
Responsibilities regarding academic honesty
DP Coordinator
Teachers
Students
Parents
Types of Academic Malpractice
Academic misconduct is defined by the IBO as, “behaviour that results in, or may result in, the student or any other student gaining an unfair advantage (or a behaviour that disadvantages other students) in one or more assessment components.”
Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme
The IBO, in its document, Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme, includes in its definition of malpractice the following categories and definitions:
Responsibilities regarding academic honesty
DP Coordinator
- To inform students of the views of the IBO with regard to academic honesty and malpractice
- To report to the IBO any academic malpractice concerning an assessment required by the IBO, such as an internal or external assessment
- To support teachers in their enforcement of the DP’s academic honesty policy
- To communicate the IBO and MHS expectations regarding academic honesty to parents, and to report any academic malpractice tied to IB-required assessments
Teachers
- To teach strong academic practices as they pertain to academic honesty, including the citation of work and rules regarding individual and group work
- To reinforce the characteristics of the Learner Profile that pertain specifically to academic honesty
- To make clear to students the penalties for academic malpractice on formative and summative assessments
- To communicate to parents acts of academic malpractice by their students
- To report to DP coordinator, and if necessary the administrator, acts of malpractice by students
Students
- To know the rules and expectations regarding the IBO and Millbrook’s academic honesty policy, including the consequences of academic malpractice
- To act in a manner consistent with the IBO and Millbrook’s expectations of academic honesty
- To self-report instances of academic malpractice conducted by self or peers
Parents
- To understand the rules and expectations of the IBO and Millbrook’s academic honesty policy, including the consequences of academic malpractice
- To reinforce the value, expectations and practice of academic honesty to their students
- To support teachers as they enforce the Academic Integrity procedures as they pertain to the students in the MHS Diploma Programme.
Types of Academic Malpractice
Academic misconduct is defined by the IBO as, “behaviour that results in, or may result in, the student or any other student gaining an unfair advantage (or a behaviour that disadvantages other students) in one or more assessment components.”
Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme
The IBO, in its document, Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme, includes in its definition of malpractice the following categories and definitions:
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: supporting academic misconduct by another student, for example allowing one’s work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another. Misconduct (during an IB exam): taking unauthorized material into an examination room, disruptive behaviour and communicating with others during the examination. Duplication of Work: the presentation of the same work for different assessment components and/or Diploma Programme requirements. |
Consequences of Malpractice
When a student is considered to have engaged in an act of academic dishonesty or malpractice, the teacher will have the discretion to act in a manner that is commensurate with the extent of the transgression. Action taken can include contacting the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s), notifying an administrator, and assigning a revised assignment that aligns with the learning objectives of the coursework in question.
When a Diploma Programme student acts in a manner that reflects academic malpractice in a Diploma Programme class, the teacher will begin the process of investigation to determine the manner and extent of the malpractice. Depending on the teacher’s findings, including the scope and severity of the offense, the significance of the assignment (i.e. homework, unit test, internal assessment, etc), and the recidivism of the offending student, the teacher will use discretion to determine the specific consequence of the offense.
In each case, the teacher will:
Further consequences, at the discretion of the teacher, can include:
Further consequences, at the discretion of the DP coordinator, can include:
If the academic misconduct is tied to an IB-required assignment, such as an internal assessment, an in-school external assessment such as a Written Task, or a DP examination, the following will occur in addition to the above consequences:
Download/Print PDF Version of Accountability Practices
For more information regarding academic honesty and malpractice, see the IBO’s publication, Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme.
When a student is considered to have engaged in an act of academic dishonesty or malpractice, the teacher will have the discretion to act in a manner that is commensurate with the extent of the transgression. Action taken can include contacting the student’s parent(s) or guardian(s), notifying an administrator, and assigning a revised assignment that aligns with the learning objectives of the coursework in question.
When a Diploma Programme student acts in a manner that reflects academic malpractice in a Diploma Programme class, the teacher will begin the process of investigation to determine the manner and extent of the malpractice. Depending on the teacher’s findings, including the scope and severity of the offense, the significance of the assignment (i.e. homework, unit test, internal assessment, etc), and the recidivism of the offending student, the teacher will use discretion to determine the specific consequence of the offense.
In each case, the teacher will:
- Meet with the student to discuss the offense and its implications
- Contact the parent(s) to inform them of the malpractice
- Contact the DP coordinator to inform him of the malpractice
Further consequences, at the discretion of the teacher, can include:
- Contacting the student’s counselor and/or submitting a referral to the student’s administrator
Further consequences, at the discretion of the DP coordinator, can include:
- Discussion of the student’s ability to continue in the Diploma Programme, depending on the repetition of offenses (juniors)
- Discussion of the student’s ability to participate in the IB Diploma Programme graduation ceremony, depending on the repetition of offenses (seniors)
If the academic misconduct is tied to an IB-required assignment, such as an internal assessment, an in-school external assessment such as a Written Task, or a DP examination, the following will occur in addition to the above consequences:
- The DP coordinator will contact the IBO and the work will not be submitted
- The student will forfeit their status as an IB Diploma Candidate
- If the student is a junior in the IB Diploma Programme, the student will not be allowed to continue with the Diploma Programme their senior year.
- If the student is a senior in the IB Diploma Programme, the student will not be allowed to participate in the IB DP graduation ceremony. In addition, Student Services will be contacted, with consideration of notification to colleges
Download/Print PDF Version of Accountability Practices
For more information regarding academic honesty and malpractice, see the IBO’s publication, Academic Honesty in the Diploma Programme.