Academic Integrity Policy

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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.
Because our HKIS Core Values remind us that:

  • 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.

Responsibilities of our school community

STUDENTS will:

  • commit to the school wide Academic Integrity Policy;
  • complete all assigned work 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;
  • discuss academic integrity issues with parents.

TEACHERS will:

  • present the Academic Integrity Policy in a clear written form, including guidelines for working on assignments and assessments;
  • explain the use of permissible study aids including tutors;
  • check and monitor student work for academic integrity;
  • report to the Associate Principal for Academics any violations of the policy and follow through on consequences;
  • model proper citation of sources used in the classroom.

HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM will:

  • publish the Academic Integrity Policy in the student and parent handbooks;
  • consult with teachers to make informed decisions;
  • 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 National Honor Society, Senate/Class Officers, Student Digital Leadership Team, and Student Ambassador Board for academic integrity violations.

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.

Effective Academic Collaboration

The HKIS Strategic Objectives define collaboration as: “Each student will use a variety
of methods within diverse environments to communicate and respectfully work together to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.” This is to be distinguished from collusion which is an agreement between people to beat or cheat the system to gain an unfair advantage which negates genuine collaboration and damages integrity and self worth. What this means is...

  • students are responsible for asking for clarification if in doubt about what is acceptable practice.

  • teachers are responsible for being clear about what acceptable collaboration looks like for each assignment.

Academic Malpractice

Academic malpractice includes but is not limited to:

  • copying homework (including allowing someone to copy from you);
  • cheating on assignments, quizzes or tests by giving or receiving questions or answers; using unauthorized materials (e.g. calculators, cell phones/watches or crib notes) to complete an assignment or exam; bringing unauthorized materials, whether they are used or not.
  • plagiarism;
    • 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. At HKIS, the high school has adopted the standards set forth by the Modern Language Association (MLA).
    • 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.
    • Re-submitting your own assignment/paper that has been previously submitted for another class without consulting with the teacher.

HKIS community members should take advantage of the expertise of teachers and the resources of school librarians when questions arise about plagiarism, copyright and other ethical issues, and good academic practice for referencing sources.

Consequences for Academic Malpractice

Incidents of academic malpractice will be reported to Associate Principal for Academics 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 student and parents. Incidents of academic dishonesty are cumulative throughout the student’s high school career. Our goal is that the students learn from their mistakes and understand the importance of academic integrity.

Classroom related incidents:

  • After investigation, in a first instance of academic malpractice, the Associate Principal for Academics 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 will determine how the student can demonstrate their learning in an alternative way. Additionally, if applicable, membership in National Honor Society will be terminated. 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.
  • A second incident of academic malpractice may result in up to a two day in-school suspension and an “IE” or failing grade (depending on if formative or summative) will be recorded for the work (or parts of the work). In addition, a parent conference will be held with the Associate Principal for Academics and possibly the Counselor and the incident will be entered into the student’s internal disciplinary record.
  • A third incident of academic malpractice will result in an out-of-school suspension. In addition, a conference will be held between the student, the parents, the Principal and Associate Principal for Academics, 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 reported on the student’s secondary school report sent to colleges and universities.

Incidents outside of the classroom: (SAT, ACT, AP Exams...)

  • Incidents of academic dishonesty for an external test (in or outside of HKIS) will be reported to the Associate Principal for Academics and entered into the student’s internal disciplinary record.
  • The incident will result in an out-of-school suspension for a minimum of 3 days, a mandatory parent conference with the Principal and Associate Principal for Academics, and a review of the student’s continuing enrollment at HKIS.
  • A mandatory “Incident Report” will be sent to the College Board, and if asked by the post-secondary institution, will be reported on the student’s secondary school report sent to colleges and universities.