• Academic Honesty Policy

     

    “International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes encourage students to inquire and to think critically and creatively; students are then asked to give shape to their thinking through oral discussion or presentations, through visual representations and displays, and in multiple forms of writing. However, we live in an age in which we are all flooded by information and opinions. How can we help students navigate these waters so that they are able to confidently talk or write about what they are learning, making visible and explicit how they have constructed their ideas and what views they have followed or rejected? According to the document Academic Honesty in an IB Educational Context, academic honesty is: making knowledge, understanding and thinking transparently.”

     

    Purpose of the Benteen Elementary School Academic Honesty Policy

    1. To develop an understanding that we cannot take credit for work that is done by others.
    2. To guide students and staff in acknowledging others’ intellectual property through citations and references.
    3. To demonstrate our understanding that academic honesty is a part of being principled learners.

     

    Student Responsibilities 

    • Students will take responsibility for their own work.
    • Students will work independently unless otherwise instructed.
    • Students give credit to other people working in their groups.
    • Students do not copy other people’s work.
    • Students will reference sources according to age-appropriate bibliographic formats for each grade.
    • Students will be solely responsible for their work, no parental assistance is needed.
    • Students will properly cite their sources for the information used.

     

    Teacher Responsibilities

    • Teachers will provide opportunities for students to practice and learn how to use other people’s work in support of their own.
    • Teachers will model proper use of sources by citing references inappropriate bibliographic formats.
    • Teachers will teach awareness of misconduct and appropriate procedures.
    • Teachers will emphasize ethical use of information in the inquiry process

     

    Media Specialist 

    • Media Specialists will teach students to use media center resources and information technology responsibly.
    • Media Specialists will teach students how to use other people’s work in support of their own.
    • Media Specialists will model proper use of sources by citing references inappropriate bibliographic formats.
    • Media Specialists will teach developmentally appropriate lessons on academic honesty.
    • Media Specialist will emphasize ethical use of information in the inquiry process

     

    School Responsibilities

    • The school will maintain fairness and consistency in assisting student learning
    • The school will provide professional development for teachers and promote parental awareness.

     

    Parent Responsibilities

    • Parents will ensure that students are working independently unless otherwise specified.
    • Parents will assist students with work but ensure that the work reflects students' effort and ideas.

     

    Academic Dishonesty

     

    Academic dishonesty is defined as representing someone else’s work as your own, this can include plagiarism or using forbidden “help” on a test. There is no academic consequence for academic dishonesty until 4th grade when students will sign a contract at the beginning of the year acknowledging the policy and their adherence to it. Samples of academic dishonesty include but are not limited to copying peer’s work, using information without giving credit to original author, and someone else completing assignments other than assigned student.  Consequences will be determined by teachers and/or administrators on a case-by-case basis.

     

    Policy Review

     

    This policy was created by the Benteen Pedagogical IB Leadership Team.  This policy received input from parents, the community, and staff.  Only this committee may change, revise, or alter this policy for Benteen Elementary.  This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis.

     

     

    Frederick W. Benteen Elementary Academic Honesty Policy Created Spring 2020