CA’s core values encourages all students to act in a responsible manner. An important aspect of being a responsible student is to practice academic honesty. Cheating, therefore, will not be condoned at CA. Academic honesty means acting with integrity in all your school work by making sure that your work is your own and not intentionally copied from friends, books or the Internet. Academic dishonesty is therefore defined as submitting as your own work that which is not your own. All kinds of cheating are academically dishonest and come under three broad terms:
Malpractice: Gaining an unfair advantage in a class or homework assignment. Malpractice includes offenses such as receiving unauthorized help from friends, parents, tutors or siblings on what should be an individual assignment.
Collusion: Assisting someone to cheat. Collusion includes offenses such as allowing one’s work to be copied or handed in by another student.
Plagiarism: The act of presenting another’s words and ideas as one’s own without crediting the source - this includes the internet. Paraphrasing material or an original idea without properly acknowledging the source. Also falsifying documents and/or signatures will be treated as academic dishonesty.
The most powerful tool that a student can use to avoid plagiarism is open communication with their teachers about expectations and requirements for any given assignment. Students can also avoid plagiarism by acknowledging the source of materials, using quotation marks, or revising all paraphrased material so that it is presented in one’s own style and language. When in doubt, ask your teacher or a librarian for clarification. High school students need to properly acknowledging the source of all materials using the APA style guide adopted by the school.
How the school will help: Advisors and subject teachers will provide lessons and review on this issue, showing examples of academic dishonesty and examples of good practice.
Grades 6-8
In cases where a teacher has determined that a student cheated or plagiarized an assignment, the student will not receive credit for the assignment. The teacher may choose to allow the student to re-submit under specified conditions. The incident will be noted as part of the Approaches to Learning section on the report card. The student will be given an individual training and support session with the secondary school librarian to help prevent the problem reoccurring.
Grades 9-12
First Occurrence: A level of achievement will not be awarded for the work, a meeting with the principal, counselor and IB Coordinator if applicable, a meeting with, or letter sent home to parents. The student’s name will be shared with the student’s current teachers. The student will also be given an individual training and support session with the secondary school librarian to help prevent the problem reoccurring.
Second Occurrence: Each of the consequences of the first occurrence, plus a two-day suspension from school and the consequences attached to that.
Continued occurrences may result in expulsion from Canadian Academy.