Our school’s Shared Philosophy of Education includes the expectation of high standards in ethical behavior as well as scholarship. Academic integrity is an integral component of this philosophy. HKIS Core Values remind us:
- integrity is essential to trust and credibility.
- society progresses when individuals strive for excellence and seek challenges.
- learning thrives in the presence of high expectations and mutually respectful relationships.
- together, parents, faculty, staff and students create the conditions for children’s success and a healthy lifestyle.
We expect that all members of our community will commit to and uphold ethical practices and values in everything we do. Students are responsible for asking for clarification if in doubt about what is acceptable practice, and teachers are responsible for being clear about what acceptable collaboration looks like.
Academic integrity includes, but is not limited to:
Cheating - Cheating is obtaining or attempting to obtain, or aiding another person to obtain, credit for work or any improvement of a score or grade of performance, by any dishonest or deceptive means. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: lying, copying from another’s test or piece of work and any unauthorized assistance given to another’s piece of work. Simply stated, cheating is anytime that you use another’s words, work, and/or ideas, and claim them as your own. Cheating may include:
- Giving or receiving questions or answers to work, including quizzes and tests
- Bringing and/or using unauthorized materials (e.g. calculators, cell phones/watches or crib notes) to complete an assignment or exam
- Using outside sources such as tutors, paid organizations or the Internet to complete assignments in part or in whole, write papers or produce projects for you and submitting as your own without acknowledging and/or citing their work.
Stealing - To take or acquire another's property or ideas without explicit permission.
Lying - A false statement made with the conscious intent to mislead others.
Forgery - The intent to mislead others by falsifying a signature in an academic matter.
Plagiarism - "The act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts, or passages of his [or her] writing of ideas, or the language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one's own mind." (Black's Law Dictionary, 5th Edition) Plagiarism includes borrowing the work or ideas of another person without giving them proper credit whether or not the source copied has been published. One gives proper credit by citing the original source in a way that is recognized as a legitimate citation. HKIS has adopted the standards set forth by the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Works Cited
Work cited in the Middle School adheres to the MLA 9th edition style rules, which now also includes guidelines on citing generative AI. To support students in the development of their citation skills, all MS students are provided an account with NoodleTools which is an online citation and research management tool. Research skills are taught with the support of NoodleTools throughout the Middle School.
Note: The use of Artificial Intelligence without attribution is a form of academic dishonesty. For HKIS’s position on the use of AI, see the The Use of Generative AI Tools at HKIS document that is available on DragonNet.
Responsibilities of our School Community
STUDENTS will
- commit to the Academic Integrity Policy
- complete all assigned learning with integrity
- seek clarification from teachers about questions related to the process of completing an assignment or assessment
- encourage their peers to pursue their academics with integrity
- express concerns regarding academic integrity to teachers, counselors or administration.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS will:
- read and understand the Academic Integrity Policy.
- support the school’s core values and Academic Integrity Policy.
- support the decision of administration regarding consequences if the policy is violated.
- ensure that when helping with assignments, the work remains the student’s own.
- encourage open communication with teachers and counselors on any academic issues.
TEACHERS will
- publish the Academic Integrity Policy in the course syllabus.
- include guidelines for working on assignments and assessments.
- model proper citation of sources used in the classroom.
- explain the use of permissible study aids including tutors.
- check and monitor student work for academic integrity.
- report to an Associate Principal any violations of the policy and follow through on consequences.
DIVISIONAL LEADERSHIP will:
- enforce consequences for policy violations in a consistent and transparent manner.
- communicate decisions with teachers, students, and parents in a timely manner.
- record and maintain confidential records of policy violations.
- check applications for House Leaders, PCG Leaders, Student Digital Leadership Team, and Student Ambassadors for academic integrity violations.
Violations of Academic Integrity
Violations of academic integrity will be reported to the Associate Principal and entered into the student’s internal disciplinary record. In collaboration with the teacher, decisions made regarding consequences will be consistent with this policy and communicated to the student and parents. Violations of academic integrity are cumulative throughout the student’s academic school career. Our goal is that the students learn from their mistakes and understand the importance of academic integrity.
Classroom-Related Incidents:
- First Incident: The teacher and/or Associate Principal will meet with the student and possibly their counselor to discuss the importance of academic integrity, and the incident will be recorded in the student’s internal disciplinary record as a first offense. The work (or parts of the work) will receive an “Insufficient Evidence” (IE) and may no longer be used as evidence for learning. The teacher may determine how the student can demonstrate their learning in an alternative way. Eligibility for other student leadership positions will be considered on a case-by-case basis. In all cases, parents will be notified of the incident.
- Second incident: May result in an in-school suspension and the assignment (or parts of the assignment) will receive an “Insufficient Evidence” (IE) and may no longer be used as evidence for learning. The teacher may determine how the student can demonstrate their learning in an alternative way. In addition, a parent conference will be held, and the incident will be entered into the student’s internal disciplinary record.
- Subsequent Incident(s): Will result in an out-of-school suspension. In addition, a meeting will be held regarding the student’s continuing enrollment at HKIS. The incident will be recorded in the student’s internal disciplinary record and if asked for or required on application materials, must be reported on the student’s report sent to other schools.
