Academic Integrity Policy
Sandtown Middle School is a Candidate School* for the MYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Sandtown Middle School believes is important for our students.
*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org
Sandtown Middle School’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme strictly adheres to the IB Academic Integrity Policy. The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) upholds principles of academic honesty, which encompass a set of values and skills promoting personal integrity and best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment. According to the IB Organization, malpractice refers to any behavior that gives a student or others an unfair advantage. Similarly, academic misconduct is defined as any behavior, whether intentional or unintentional, that leads to or may lead to unfair advantages for the student or others (Academic Honesty – Principles to Practice, October 2019).
Sandtown Middle School recognizes that academic integrity forms the cornerstone of academic excellence and student success. Every student and employee is entrusted with the responsibility to demonstrate honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility in all academic endeavors. These values are fundamental to fostering a positive learning environment throughout the school.
Violation of Policy
Any student behavior that disrupts education, the pursuit of knowledge, or the fair evaluation of student performance is deemed an academic integrity violation. Fulton County Schools uphold academic honesty as a cornerstone of their educational mission.
The consequences for academic misconduct vary and may include, at the discretion of the Head of School or their designee, repeating the assignment or a similar task, receiving a reduced grade or a zero on the test or assignment, or other appropriate consequences determined by the Head of School.
Extracurricular consequences of academic misconduct may encompass exclusion from activities such as extracurricular activities, interscholastic competitions, honor societies, and clubs. Additional repercussions could involve ineligibility for school offices or honors, as determined by the Head of School.
Terminology
Academic integrity violations are categorized into three main categories: Plagiarism, Cheating, and Facilitating Academic Dishonesty.
Plagiarism is the intentional use of another person's words, ideas, computer data programs, and/or graphics without proper acknowledgment, presenting them as one's own in any academic exercise. It also includes the unacknowledged or falsely acknowledged presentation of another person’s ideas, expressions, or original research as if they were one’s own. This act can mislead the reader into believing that the student has created or conceived something that was actually borrowed from someone else.
Cheating is defined as giving, receiving, or using unauthorized assistance, information, or study aids in academic work, or attempting to do so. It also includes preventing or attempting to prevent another person from using authorized assistance, information, or study aids. Additionally, any intentional actions taken to gain an unfair or undue advantage over others are considered cheating. This definition encompasses the use of technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), including platforms like ChatGPT, among others.
Facilitating Academic Dishonesty or Malpractice involves intentionally aiding or attempting to aid another student in violating any provision of this Code. This includes actions such as providing a copy of one's work to another student who then submits it as their own.
Summary
At Sandtown Middle School, we uphold high expectations for our students to embody principles of integrity and honesty, especially in their academic pursuits. Academic honesty is essential for fair and respectful learning environments. Any student, staff member, or administrator can report suspected honor violations, and students are encouraged to self-report any breaches of the honor code. Sandtown Middle School's Academic Integrity Policy is detailed in the student handbook to ensure clarity and adherence to these standards.
References
Fulton County Schools. Student Academic Integrity. 2018.
International Baccalaureate Organization. MYP: From Principles into Practice. Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization,
International Baccalaureate Organization. Programme Standards and Practices.
Cardiff: International Baccalaureate Organization, January 2014.
North Atlanta High School. Academic Integrity Policy. 2022.
Sutton Middle School. Academic Integrity Policy. 2022.
Westlake High School. Academic Integrity Policy. 2024