• Safety Harbor Middle School's Philosophy on Academic Integrity:

    When academic integrity exists, real growth, empowerment, and opportunity are possible. Safety Harbor Middle trusts that students act with academic integrity and honesty in representing their work and the work of others. We provide learners with the time to practice the skills, values, and beliefs of academic integrity and expect our learners to be principled in their approaches to learning and assessments. 

     

    Purpose of this Document: This policy clarifies what constitutes academic integrity vs. academic misconduct, lists roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders, and explains consequences for academic misconduct. We practice the International Baccalaureate’s approach to learning of “failing well” and understand academic integrity is a learned behavior. At Safety Harbor Middle, we start each day fresh with high expectations and trust that each day we all strive to do better than the last. 

     

     
     
     
     
     
     

    Academic Misconduct is: (but not limited to) 
     
     
     
     

    Examples of Academic Misconduct: 
     
     
     
     

     

    • Cheating: communicating with other students during an exam or assessment, using an unauthorized device or material during an exam or assessment, or copying another students’ work. 

     

    • Collusion: assisting another student in being academically dishonest. 

     

    • Duplication: re-submitting work that was previously assessed or graded without the knowledge of teachers involved. 

     

    • Falsification: fabricating or changing items such as signatures or data to alter the outcome. 

     

    • Plagiarism: submitting work and/or ideas as one’s own, when in fact it is the work and/or idea of someone else or AI/bot. 

     
     
     

     

    • Modifying the work of someone else and submitting it as your own without proper citations. 

     

    • Telling students in a later class period, or an absent student, what material is on an assessment (face to face, written, or with social media) 

     

    • Bringing a cell phone or smart watch into an assessment that states no electronics.  

     

    • Using notes or references on an assessment without the permission of the teacher. 

     

    • Purchasing an assignment or writing from someone or AI/bot and submit it as your own. 

     

    • Using internet applications to solve math problems as represent solving as your own. 

     

     

     

    Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders: 

     
     
     
     
     
     

    Students 
     
     
     
     

    Teachers 
     
     
     
     

    Parents/Guardians and Families 
     
     
     
     

    • Take responsibility and practice integrity for their own individual and original work. 

    • Cite sources according to agreed upon age- appropriate format.  

    • Use cell phones, information technology, and library resources responsibility and with permission. 
     
     

    • Provide instruction in research protocols and citation of sources as well as summarizing and paraphrasing of information. 

    • Provide examples of proper citation, note-taking, and source summarization. 

    • Protect the fidelity of all exams and assessments. 

    • Review Academic Integrity Policy with students. 
     
     

    • Emphasize expectations for integrity and academic honesty on all work. 

    • Support your child to independently complete projects and tasks. 

    • Monitor your child’s use of digital devices as it applies to academic work. 

    • Consistently monitor your child’s planner and review grades and assignments in Focus. 

     

    Consequences of Academic Misconduct: (consequences below will depend on the scope, severity, and grade level and are subject to review with Administration) 

    Level One: first violation of the year 

    • warning and at teacher’s discretion; alternative assignment replacing 80% of possible grade. 

    • teacher notifies parent/guardian 

    • teacher reviews the Academic Integrity Policy with student 

    • teacher notifies all the student’s teachers of the misconduct 

    Level Two: second violation of the year 

    • zero grade; alternative assignment to replace 60% of the possible grade 

    • teacher fills out the Academic Integrity Misconduct Form and submits to IB Coordinator 

    • IB Coordinator reviews the misconduct and the Academic Integrity Policy with the student and parent/guardian and the policy is signed by all parties to represent understanding. 

    • Assistant Principal is notified, and detention is assigned 

    Level Three: third violation of the year 

    • zero grade 

    • Administrator meets with parent and student to determine next steps. 

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    Pinellas County Code of Student Conduct 

    The Pinellas County Code of Student Conduct states that teachers “shall also record a ‘zero’ for each act of cheating,” but other discipline could occur (including in-school suspension, parent shadowing, student work detail). (Pinellas County Code of Student Conduct, Feb 2023)