Academic Integrity

I. Purpose

At Franklin Middle School (FMS), we believe that academic integrity is the heart of learning and central to the learner profile. “Academic integrity goes beyond a definition and well-structured school policy;  it should be part of an “ethical culture” of any educational institution, be that a primary school or a university. It is an obligation which must be embraced and fostered by the entire school community, so students continue their future life, whether in higher education or in the workplace, in strict adherence to this principle” (Academic Integrity, October 2019, page 3). The MYP fundamental concepts, holistic learning, intercultural awareness and communication, focus on the development of the whole student and teaching academic integrity is an important factor as we develop our students. The IB Learner Profile is infused and an integral part of all that we do and believe at Franklin Middle School. Following the guidance of an IB principled learner, helps students realize the importance of academic integrity and the importance of honoring the work and intellectual properties of others.

II. Definitions 

a. Paraphrasing- The rewording of a text to give meaning.

b. Plagiarism – The representation, intentionally or unwittingly of the ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgement.

c. Collaboration- Working together on a common aim with shared information that is open and cooperative and does not allow for one’s work to be copied for assessment purposes.

d.  Collusions – Supporting malpractice by another candidate, as in allowing one’s own work to be copied or submitted for assessment by another. 

e. Duplication of work – The presentation of the same work for different assessment components and/or IB requirements. 

f. Intellectual Property- Material that results from the original, creative thought on one’s behalf. 

g. Academic Misconduct – A behavior (whether deliberate or inadvertent) that results in, or may result in, the student or any other student gaining an unfair advantage (or that disadvantages other students) in one or more assignment components. 

h. Summarizing- A concise restatement of a body of work.

III. International Baccalaureate: Middle Years Programme (MYP) Academic Integrity Guidelines

A. It is the role of the Head of School and School Leadership Team to:

i. understand what constitutes academic integrity.

ii. understand what constitutes malpractice.

iii. understand the consequences of breaching the academic integrity policy. 

iv. promote positive academic practices.

v. hand out sanctions with teacher’s and student’s input.

B. It is the role of the teacher to:

i. teach students the basic meanings related to academic integrity.

ii. educate students regarding intellectual property.

iii. educate students regarding the differences between collaboration and collusion.

iv. educate students in the various entities of plagiarism.

v. instruct students in the necessity and practice of acknowledging another’s work, paraphrasing, summarizing, quoting and citation.

vi. be knowledgeable of and educate students regarding the uses of the Library Media Center. 

vii. support and promote positive academic practice.

C. An academically honest student:

i. exercises academic integrity in all aspects of their work. 

ii. acknowledges the work of others, including material taken from other sources. 

iii. observes the integrity of their own and other students’ work.

iv. submits only his/her own work.

v. gives credit to resources utilizing a consistent format (MLA).

vi. knows what plagiarism, collusions, duplicating work and malpractice is.

vii. helps other students without just giving them the answer.

viii. strives to uphold academic integrity in all work .

ix. adheres to Green Bay Area Public Schools Middle School and High School Expectations

D. Parents/Guardians:

i. encourage academic integrity for all work completed by students

ii. supports students’ independent learning through encouragement and coaching

iii. reference Franklin Library resources on our website: 

iv. reference Franklin Newsletter for updates

v. informed of academic integrity through the GBAPS Middle School and High School Expectations Book

IV. Professional Learning on Academic Integrity

A. All teachers will receive yearly training and review on the importance of academic integrity and citation.

B. All new teachers to Franklin Middle School will receive additional professional learning on academic integrity.

V. Educating all students on Academic Integrity

A. All students are  educated on the academic integrity policy and appropriate use policy for our district through the Library Media Specialist. 

B. Education includes intellectual property, copyright laws, plagiarism, internet rules and policy, and all IB academic integrity policy expectations. 

C. The academic integrity policy is taught at the start of the school year in the courses that have the first research project and instructed by our Library Media Specialist. 

D. The policies and procedures are  reviewed and reinforced throughout the year by Library Media Specialist, classroom teachers and Community Project Supervisors.

VI. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Clause

A. artificial Intelligence is used within accordance with IBO policy.  

B. AI-generated materials in all assignments and assessments. This includes, but is not limited to, using AI-generated text, images, videos, or other media in any academic work that is properly referenced as required by IBO.

C. FMS recognizes the professional expertise and experience of our staff in identifying academic misconduct.

D. If a teacher has reason to believe that a student's work is not their own, they may take appropriate action as outlined in this policy.

VII. Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

A. Students are educated on proper citations and are given the opportunity to receive feedback prior to final submission. 

B. Students are given the opportunity to redo and resubmit assignments that are suspected of academic misconduct and/or did not contain proper citation are not punished for the resubmission. 

C. Teachers will re-teach how to properly paraphrase and cite with students as needed along with emphasizing the nature of integrity and intellectual property. 

D. Students involved in repeated and serious academic dishonesty will not receive credit for the original task/assignment/work submitted. 

E. Infractions of the Academic Integrity Policy are handled on an individual basis including consultation with, but not limited to, the student, guardian(s), teacher, Head of School, IB Coordinator, School Counselor, and the IBO. 

F. Repeated academic misconduct will be noted in Infinite Campus for reporting and recording purposes.

VIII. Review Committee

A. annually reviews, supports, adapts the FMS Academic Integrity Policy 

B. annually reviews the policy to ensure we are meeting the needs of all our students and provides a report to the entire staff and community.

Green Bay Area School District: Cheating

Copying the work of others, and/or providing work and/or answers for others to copy and submitting it as one’s own, or obtaining test information in other dishonest ways are forbidden. (Green Bay Area Public School District, Student Expectation Book)

Green Bay Area School District Board Policy 771.1