• Academic Integrity Policy Purpose

    It is the foundation for ethical decision-making and behavior in the production of legitimate, authentic, and honest scholarly work. During the learning journey, students need support in understanding that academic integrity is fundamental in their development into responsible and caring world citizens of the future. By supporting learners, a culture of self-respect and respect for others can be nurtured and developed. The key educational reasons to take such a strong line on academic integrity are the following.

    To maintain fairness. IB assessments can only be fair if all students are provided with an equal opportunity; and to be valid, they need to provide an accurate reflection of a student’s achievement. Any act that undermines this fairness by students engaging in academic misconduct or schools committing maladministration will create a disadvantage for those who have complied with the rules. For more information see Assessment principles and practices—Quality assessments in a digital age.

    To maintain trust and credibility. Trust in academic qualifications is fundamental. When a student or a school denies the principle of academic integrity, that trust pact is broken with the IB as an awarding body accountable for the validity of the assessment process.

    To develop respect for others. Students who understand how knowledge is built will understand that it is acceptable to use the ideas, words or work of others. However, following good academic practice it is expected that information is appropriately acknowledged.

    Academic integrity at Benteen Elementary supports the development of principled learners as outlined in the IB Learner Profile and fosters Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills such as research, self-management, communication, and critical thinking.

    Academic Integrity Policy

    At Benteen Elementary School, academic integrity policy is the responsibility of the entire school community. It is important that we all adhere to clear expectations so that we support the learning process to show a true and genuine reflection of each student’s level of achievement. Our policy sets clearly communicates and models at an age-appropriate level that all students understand:

    · their responsibility for producing authentic and genuine individual and group work

    · how to correctly attribute sources, acknowledging the work and ideas of others

    · the responsible use of information technology and social media

    · how to observe and adhere to ethical and honest practice during examinations.

    Benteen Elementary proactively teaches students the skills necessary to uphold academic integrity through explicit instruction on citing sources, managing time effectively, collaborating responsibly, and using technology ethically.

     

    Use of Artificial Intelligence

    Benteen Elementary recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly available and can support learning when used responsibly. Students are taught to use AI as a resource for inquiry, idea generation and skill development—not as a substitute for original thinking or authorship. When AI tools are used, students must clearly acknowledge this support in accordance with age-appropriate citation practices.

    Teachers model and guide responsible AI use that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and ethical decision-making. Misuse of AI—such as submitting AI-generated work as one’s own—will be considered a breach of academic integrity. The use of AI at Benteen aligns with the IB learner profile attribute of being of principled, encouraging students to act with integrity, honest, and respect for the work of others.

    Roles and Responsibilities

    It is the responsibility of the entire school community to understand and commit to our academic policy. Below you will find the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in our school community.

    Administration

    · Understand, support, and enforce what constitutes good academic practice and ethical behavior and ensuring that teachers, staff, students, and parents/legal guardians have a common understanding

    · Offer training opportunities and resources to prevent inconsistencies in teaching strategies and practices

    · Follow district, state, and school protocols for investigating academic integrity misconduct

    Teachers & Staff

    · Understand and commit to Benteen’s Academic Policy

    · Attend all state, district, and school training to understand what constitutes good academic practice and ethical behavior

    · Provide opportunities to model tasks that align with the academic policy

    · Provide manageable workloads and goals to prevent academic misconduct

    Students

    · Understand and commit to Benteen’s Academic Integrity Policy

    · Engage in the learning process adhering to the Approaches to Learning

    · Produce authentic work independently and while working with a group

    · Be responsible when using technology including social media

    · Ask for assistance when expectations are unclear or support is needed

    Parents or Legal Guardians

    · Understand and commit to Benteen’s Academic Integrity Policy.

    · Reinforce the Academic Integrity Policy at home by ensuring that students are working independently unless otherwise specified.

    · Assist students with work but ensure that the work reflects students' effort and ideas.

    Policy Review

    This policy will be reviewed annually by the Benteen Pedagogical Leadership Team with input from all stakeholders.

     

    Cited

    International Baccalaureate Organization. (2023). Academic integrity. International Baccalaureate. https://ibo.org

    Review and Revised Ocotber 31, 2025