Academic honesty policy

The Mission of the International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. 

Mission of School-Gymnasium №153 named after A. Rozybakiyev

We create a multilingual educational environment that encourages global and critical thinking, creative exploration, and deep understanding of values.

In alignment with the school's mission and the standards set by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB), the teaching faculty has established an academic honesty policy aimed at fostering, encouraging, and reinforcing academic integrity as an essential value.

• This academic honesty Policy in the State Enterprise on the Right of Economic Management “School-Gymnasium №153 named after A. Rozybakiyev” has been developed in accordance with the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated July 27, 2007 No. 319-III “On Education” (with amendments and additions as of March 15, 2025), the requirements of the International Baccalaureate Organization and the Charter of the School.
• All participants in the educational process at the school believe that adhering to the principles of academic honesty should be an integral part of students' education, and should also become a part of their academic practice both within and outside the curriculum.
• The school’s academic honesty policy contributes to the development of personal qualities of the student as outlined in the International Baccalaureate student profile, namely:

Principled - we act in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, with a deep sense of fairness and objectivity, and with recognition and respect for the dignity and rights of every person. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Thinker - we use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze complex problems and take responsible actions to solve them.

Reflective: students give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. 

They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to 

support their learning and personal development.

1. Rights of Students:

• Students have the right to:
  1. Be informed about the content of these Rules.
  2. Freely express their opinions during the educational process.
  3. Defend themselves against unfounded accusations related to alleged rule violations.

2. Responsibilities of Students:

Ø  Students must:

1. Familiarize themselves with the Rules and understand the consequences of violating them.
2. Adhere to academic integrity by ensuring that all their work, whether assessed or not, is original.
3. Follow the correct style and formatting when referencing or citing others' ideas, texts, images, and materials.
4. Include a bibliography or list of sources in all assessed works.
5. Rely on trustworthy and accurate sources for their work.
6. Refrain from sharing their assessed work with other students.
7. Keep their work secure by using a password to protect their email and registration accounts.

3. Rights and Responsibilities of Parents/Legal Representatives:

• Parents and legal representatives have the right to:
  1. Review these Rules and understand the consequences of violations.
  2. Encourage and ensure that their children comply with the Rules and discuss the importance of upholding academic integrity.

4. Rights of Teaching Staff and Equivalent Roles:

• Teaching staff and those in equivalent positions have the right to:
  1. Confiscate any materials (e.g., crib sheets, phones, tablets, e-books, smartwatches) that are involved in rule violations and hand them over to the administration for further investigation.

5. Responsibilities of Teaching Staff and Equivalent Roles:

• Teaching staff must:
  1. Provide informational support to parents about the Rules and regulations.
  2. Assist students in finding reliable sources for their work.
  3. Educate students on the proper way to cite sources and format their bibliographies according to academic standards.
  4. Guide students in registering their projects in paper, electronic, and digital forms, ensuring all authors are credited.
  5. Encourage students to freely share their views during the learning process.
  6. Conduct awareness sessions with students on academic integrity prior to assessment work.
  7. Take preventive measures to avoid rule violations.
  8. Keep a record of any violations of these Rules.
  9. Notify the school administration and the students' parents or legal representatives about each violation. 
  10. Report any violations to the administration and parents or legal representatives in writing.

6. Rights of the School Administration:

• The school administration has the right to:
  1. Store any materials (such as crib sheets, notebooks, phones, tablets, e-books, smartwatches) related to violations of these Rules.

7. Responsibilities of the School Administration:

Ø  The school administration must:

1. Ensure that teaching staff conduct awareness programs for parents and legal representatives about the Rules.
2. Coordinate the enforcement of measures related to these Rules whenever students violate them.

Definition of academic honesty:  

Valuing the contributions and thoughts of others. When using or referencing someone else's ideas or creations, it is essential to provide proper credit and acknowledgment.

School gymnasium 153 defines the following types of violations of academic honesty:

1. Plagiarism

• Definition: The act of using someone else’s ideas, words, or work without giving proper credit.

Ø  Examples:

• Copying and pasting content from a website or book without citation.
• Paraphrasing someone else’s work without acknowledgment.
• Using another student's paper or project as your own.

2. Cheating

• Definition: Using unauthorized resources, assistance, or information during exams or assignments.

Ø  Examples:

• Bringing in cheat sheets or notes during an exam.
• Looking at another student's paper during a test.
• Using a phone or electronic device to look up answers during an exam.

3. Fabrication

• Definition: The creation or falsification of information or data that is presented as legitimate.

Ø  Examples:

• Inventing data or research findings in an experiment or paper.
• Reporting false or manipulated survey results.
• Making up references or sources that do not exist.

4. Self-Plagiarism

• Definition: Reusing one’s own previously submitted work without permission or proper citation.

Ø  Examples:

• Submitting a paper written for a previous course as if it were new.
• Using parts of a paper from a past assignment in a current one without acknowledgment.

5. Ghostwriting

• Definition: Having someone else write an academic paper or assignment on your behalf and submitting it as your own work.

Ø  Examples:

• Hiring someone to write an essay or thesis.
• Submitting a paper that was written by someone else but not giving them credit.

6. Collusion

• Definition: Collaborating with others in a way that is not allowed by the instructor or institution, typically leading to the submission of joint work as individual effort.

Ø  Examples:

• Sharing answers or work with other students during an exam or assignment when collaboration is not allowed.
• Working together on an individual assignment in a way that violates the rules.

7. Unauthorized Assistance

• Definition: Receiving or providing help that goes against the guidelines set for a particular assignment or exam.

Ø  Examples:

• Getting help from a tutor, friend, or online source during an exam when it is prohibited.
• Using online homework help services during an exam or when completing assignments that must be done independently.

8. Falsification of Academic Credentials

• Definition: Providing false information about one’s academic record or achievements.

Ø  Examples:

• Altering transcripts or test scores.
• Lying about educational qualifications or work experience on resumes or applications.

9. Violation of Exam Conditions

• Definition: Breaking rules during an exam or other formal assessments.

Ø  Examples:

• Using banned devices like cell phones, smartwatches, or unauthorized calculators.
• Leaving the exam room with a test paper or sharing test content with others after the exam.

Disciplinary measures and procedure

In case of detection of academic dishonesty administration of School –gymnasium 153 undertakes to accept the following measures: 

In case of detection of academic dishonesty both (meaning ACCIDENTAL – unsystematic – violation): 

• The teacher cancels the work of all students who have been found in violation of the provisions of the Policy. 
• Each of the students found in violation of the provisions of the Policy is invited to an individual conversation with the teacher in order to prevent such behavior in the future. 
• All students have the right to retake the work that was canceled at the time appointed by the teacher. 
•  The teacher makes a record of the fact and nature of the violation and notifies the IB coordinator. 
• Two-way equal punishment. Applying a penalty, such as dropping a score, to a student who helped in corruption.

In case of systematic violation of the Academic Honesty Policy (three or more cases identified by the teacher or administration):

• The teacher cancels the work of all students who have been found in violation of the provisions of the Academic Honesty Policy.
• The subject teacher draws up an act of violation (appendix 1) of the rules. The act, including the evidence of violation and copies of the student's work are handed over to the class teacher. 
• The class teacher writes about the violation to the student's parents or other legal representative, notifies and transfers all documents to the Disciplinary Committee.
• The Disciplinary Committee makes the decision.

In case of a permanent and prolonged violation of the Academic Honesty Policy, the administration of School-Gymnasium №153 reserves the right to apply other disciplinary measures according to the rules of Disciplinary Policy up to expulsion from school. Each specific case of blatant violation of the Policy is dealt with by a specially created commission consisting of the director of school, the MYP coordinator, the heads of subject areas and the teacher.

Appendix 1

ACT OF VIOLATION OF THE RULES OF ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Full name of the teacher: ____________________________________________________  

Subject: _____________________________ 

Phone number: __________________________          

Type of work: _______________________ 

E-mail: ____________________________________________________            

Full name of the student:____________________________________________________ 

Class:_________ 

Description of the violation (time, place) (if necessary, add an additional sheet 

will): 

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Signature  of the subject teacher or person authorized to participate in the exam\work 

(Underline what is needed)   

________________________________________________________________ 

Student's signature   

________________________________________________________________ 

I got acquainted with the act: 

signature of a parent or legal representative 

________________________________________________________________

Appendix 2

Referencing and Use of Sources

The school recognizes that the honest and correct use of sources is a fundamental element of academic integrity and a mandatory requirement of the International Baccalaureate. Any idea taken from an external source (books, articles, websites, interviews, images, charts, etc.) must be properly acknowledged by citing the author and source.

1. Principles of Referencing

• All borrowed material, whether directly quoted or paraphrased, must be accompanied by an in-text citation.
• School uses MLA style of citing throughout all student’s work.
• Failure to acknowledge sources constitutes plagiarism and violates academic integrity.

2. Examples of Referencing

Direct quotation in text:

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” (Mandela, 1994, p. 78).

Paraphrase:
 According to Nelson Mandela, education plays a decisive role in the transformation of society (Mandela, 1994).

3. Sample Reference List (References / Works Cited)

Book:
 Mandela, N. (1994). Long Walk to Freedom. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Journal article:
 Smith, J. (2018). The role of critical thinking in modern education. Journal of Educational Studies, 25(3), 45–59.

Book chapter:
 Brown, P. (2010). Inclusive education in practice. In R. Green (Ed.), Perspectives on Learning (pp. 120–138). London: Routledge.

Online source:
 International Baccalaureate Organization. (2019). Academic Integrity. Retrieved from https://www.ibo.org/academic-integrity

4. Student Responsibilities

• Students are required to acknowledge all sources used in their work, both in the text and in the reference list.
• Work that demonstrates cases of plagiarism, missing citations, or misrepresentation of sources may be returned for revision or considered invalid in accordance with IB regulations.
• Students are encouraged to seek guidance from teachers regarding proper citation and referencing practices.