Academic Integrity at AISJ

To act with integrity is a personal choice that impacts the community and our role within it. Everyday we are faced with choices to be honest, respectful, and courageous in everything we do. In choosing to act with integrity we gain the trust of others, we act from a place of fairness, and we live up to our responsibilities as a member of our community.  

This definition speaks to the culture of honesty and trust that AISJ embraces through the community and learning principles that underpin our mission as a place of learning. Our expectation is that all members of the community be principled and act honestly, fairly, and with integrity in all aspects of school life. The ethos at the heart of academic integrity must permeate all we do in the school, from our arts and sporting, programs, to our academic and service programs, to our decision making processes.

In the classroom: Academic integrity practices, with respect to each and every assignment, class activity, and assessment task are integral to student learning and addressed through the curriculum, the AISJ Portrait of a Learner and the IB Learner Profile attributes. Students are provided with targeted teaching of academic integrity practices within every subject area, and are given opportunities to demonstrate their understanding and knowledge of how to maintain this when accessing units of inquiry, in small group activities and experiences, and when completing assessments.

In sporting arenas: Playing honestly and with integrity underpins all of our sporting activities, from friendly matches between classes to cross-school competitions within and outside of the country. AISJ athletes rigorously demonstrate their acumen and skills on the playing field of all the sports in which we participate. Student athletes learn the rules and regulations of their chosen sport and abide by them honestly and with integrity.

Within the arts: Students participating in any arts program gain knowledge and understanding of the creators and artists that came before them. They acknowledge the work of others, those that have influenced them and duly give credit where credit is due. Students learn that copyrighted materials can be used but permission must firstly be sought and acknowledgment of sources become an integral part of their products.

Within the community: AISJ community members support the community principles that underpin our mission and vision for the school. Parents, students, faculty, and support staff act with integrity and honesty in their designated roles, whether on campus or within the wider world. They seek to engage with the world and its issues from a place of respect for those they serve, those with whom they share the earth and for the planet.

Throughout the course of any academic year students will have many opportunities to practice academic honesty and integrity in the curriculum, on the sports field, within the arts, and within the community. It is therefore the responsibility of all members of the community to ensure that these practices are taught, practiced, and respected in all circumstances.

Most cases of academic dishonesty are inadvertent and happen out of a lack of understanding or miscommunication. As such, students must get explicit instruction of what is expected of them for any product they are putting their name to. The practice of reminding students of academic integrity must be commonplace in all subject areas from the time students enter high school.

• Review the Academic Integrity at AISJ document at the beginning of the course and have it posted on the digital platform currently in use.

• Provide opportunities for students to learn the academic honesty practices that are a part of their course/subject. This includes MLA source citation for the text types used within the field of study. 

• Provide clear and consistent guidelines for what constitutes a breach of academic integrity and the consequences for the infraction. 

• Provide clear guidelines for working on individual and/or group assignments regarding the sharing of resources and materials.

• Explain the use of permissible study aides, including tutors.

• Ensure that deadlines are clear and conform to the High School ‘Assessment Practices’.

• C​heck and monitor student work for academic integrity, e.g. through the use of Google/Turnitin and artificial intelligence checkers.

• Report to the Assistant Principal any acts of deliberate academic dishonesty and follow through on consequences as outlined below.

• Model good practice in the classroom.

• Be familiar with the Academic Integrity at AISJ document.  

• Be familiar with the Technology Responsible Use Agreement.

• Ask for guidance from subject teachers and the librarian when unsure about how to use a source within their own work and how to cite it correctly.

• Take the necessary steps to protect their own work and stop others from copying it or using it for an unauthorized purpose.

• Complete all assigned tasks honestly and with integrity.

• Encourage and support their peers to pursue their academics with honesty and integrity.

• Express concerns regarding academic integrity to teachers, counselors or the high school leadership team.

• Organize their time to avoid last minute work and the temptation to plagiarize.

• Discuss academic integrity issues with parents.

• Publish the Academic Integrity at AISJ document in the parent-student handbook and in the Google shared drive for teacher access.

• Ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for students to learn the academic honesty practices are a part of each course. This includes MLA source citation for the text types used within the fields of study offered at AISJ.

• Consult with teachers to make informed decisions when an issue of academic dishonesty arises.

• Enforce consequences for academic dishonesty in a consistent and transparent manner.

• Communicate decisions with teachers, students, and parents in a timely manner.

• Record and maintain records of academic dishonesty on PowerSchool.

• Create a visible culture of integrity and honesty in all their dealings across the campus.

• Regularly review the Academic Integrity at AISJ document to ensure it aligns with best practice and school norms. This includes regular review of the tools and platforms in current use to ensure they are appropriate and serve the needs of all students.

• Read and understand the Academic Integrity at AISJ document.

• Support the AISJ community and learning principles and the Academic Integrity at AISJ practices.

• Support the decisions of the high school leadership team regarding the consequences of acts of academic dishonesty.

• Ensure that when helping with assessments, the work remains the student’s own.

• Where applicable, communicate with tutors about adhering to academic integrity and honesty expectations.

• Encourage open communication with teachers and counselors on any academic issues.

Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: add deliberate here - more notes on the learning aspect here or above.

1. Plagiarism – the representation of the ideas or work of another entity  (person or digital tool) as your own.

2. Collusion – allowing your work, or taking the work of others, to be copied or submitted for assessment by another person.

3. Duplication of work – the presentation of the same work for different assessments e.g. submitting the same lab report in Biology and Chemistry.

4. Misconduct during an examination or test – the possession or use of unauthorized materials in an exam or test e.g. calculators with illegal apps, cell phones, smart watches or notes. Copying the answers of another student in an exam or test. Disrupting the testing environment for other students.

5. Disclosing information – the giving or receiving of information about the content of an exam or test.

6. Other acts of academic dishonesty – falsifying CAS or Service records. Getting a tutor, parent, sibling, or some other to complete an assessment (or part of an assessment) on your behalf. Stealing exam or test papers. s.