BEM Academic Integrity Policy 

What is Academic Integrity? 

Academic integrity is a set of values and skills that promotes personal integrity and good practice in teaching, learning, and assessment. As principled learners, students are encouraged to express themselves authentically and confidently to take ownership of their own work as well as properly citing the work of others.

How is it Related to the Learner Profile?

The Learner Profile is the basis for the development of academic integrity and academic honesty.  Knowledgeable students take credit for the work which belongs to them. They are a source of information about their topic. When working in a group, students demonstrate communication through collaboration, contribute equally, and give credit to group members. Students are principled when they recognize the work of others, cite their sources, and respect the intellectual property of others. 

What is Our Professional Responsibility in a Digital World?

All staff model positive digital actions and engage students in analyzing technology ethics as we navigate our hyper-documented world. Classroom teachers guide students through a Digital Citizenship course. Digital citizenship is an overarching concept that includes appropriate and responsible use of technology by staff and students. As members of 1:1 iPad learning environment, we all contribute to the security and data privacy of our community. When researching, students are taught essential media literacy skills along with responsibly citing sources and avoiding plagiarism.Understanding the legal and ethical use of technology is in the best interest of students, families, and staff. Open conversations about digital citizenship are opportunities to explore the ways our society addresses conflicting interests through law and policy.

Consequences

 Each child is unique, and disciplinary infractions are handled with the whole child in mind, inclusive of their individual circumstances. Ultimately our responsibility in handling infractions involving Academic Honesty is to support a child in making better decisions in the future, and helping the child understand and internalize the importance of Academic Honesty, so that their good choices become intrinsically driven. We are responsible for teaching each child the expectations of academic honesty, which will support students in understanding any following repercussions.