Academic Integrity

List of 5 items.

• Code of Conduct on Academic Matters

  Academic Discipline Procedures 

  A teacher who suspects academic dishonesty will refer the matter to the Subject Head, who may then decide to involve the Assistant Head of School, Academics. They may deal with the issue together and apply an appropriate sanction, or they may refer the matter to an Academic Review Panel.
  
  

  The Academic Review Panel shall consist of the Head of School and/or Assistant Head of School, the subject teacher and the Mentor. 
  
  

  The following are examples, and not an exhaustive list, of instances of academic dishonesty:

  • copying from another student or making information available to another student;
  • submitting an essay written in whole or in part by someone else and representing it as one’s own;
  • preparing an essay or assignment for submission by another student;
  • copying an essay or assignment, or any part or parts of an essay or assignment, from any source, including the Internet, or knowingly allowing one’s essay or assignment, or any portion thereof, to be copied by someone else for the purpose of plagiarism (plagiarism means representing work done, in whole or in part, by someone else as if it were one’s own);
  • using generative AI tools such as Chat GPT without the consent of the teacher;
  • using direct quotations, or large sections of paraphrased material without acknowledgement; and
  • buying or selling term papers or assignments and submitting them as one’s own.

  
  

  The following are possible sanctions for academic dishonesty:

  • academic consequences;
  • parental involvement;
  • oral or written reprimand;
  • oral or written reprimand and re-submission of work;
  • grade of zero or failure for the piece of work;
  • grade of zero or failure for the course;
  • suspension; and
  • expulsion.

• Late Assignment Policy

  Crescent students are expected to model the four core values of the School. One of the core values, responsibility, relates to the completion of class assignments and submitting them by the established due date.
  
  

  Crescent School prepares students for the academic demands of university. Learning to both submit work on time and accept responsibility for late assignments helps students become independent learners.
  
  

  In Growing Success: Assessment, Evaluation, and Reporting in Ontario Schools, the Ontario Ministry of Education notes: Where in the teacher’s professional judgment it is appropriate to do so, a number of strategies may be used to help prevent and/or address late and missed assignments. They include: Deducting marks for late assignments, up to and including the full value of the assignment.
  
  

  To this end, the Upper School has adopted the following late policy. It applies to all classes and academic departments:

  • Students must submit assigned work by the posted due dates.
  • Work submitted late is subject to a late penalty.
  • The late penalty begins immediately after the due date.
  • Teachers can set an absolute final date for submission. For example, a teacher can set a rule that he/she will not accept an assignment after the other students’ work has been returned.
  • Students who claim they submitted their work must produce proof of submission (not proof that they completed the work). Acceptable proof is an electronic receipt of submission (a turnitin.com receipt, a sent email with the attached assignment) or proof that the assignment (hard copy) was submitted to their teacher.
  • Consistency in late assignment penalties is expected in classes with multiple sections (i.e. All Grade 10 English classes or all Grade 9 Geography classes will have the same penalty to ensure equality in those classes). A teacher can cap their penalty if they wish (e.g. No student will receive a deduction greater than 50%).
  • Teachers can decide when to apply their late penalty. Some assignments may be small, and the teacher may decide not to apply any late penalties. Students will be told when the penalty does and does not apply.
  • Subject Heads will help resolve disputes over late penalties. Crescent’s Assistant Head of Upper School, Academics will adjudicate in these matters if necessary.
    
    

    STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES	TEACHER RESPONSIBILITIES
    Students are responsible for keeping track of all assignment deadlines.	Teachers will communicate their late penalty to all students in their classes.
    Students must submit their work in the manner outlined by the teacher, i.e. electronic submission or hard copy.	The late penalty will be outlined in the teacher’s course syllabus and/or course web page.
    Work that is submitted electronically and cannot be opened by the teacher (due to student error in submission) will be considered late and the penalty applied until the work is submitted properly. The student will be notified quickly if this occurs.	Teachers will post due dates in a location of which students are aware, e.g. class Schoology page, class whiteboard, etc.
    Students who lose work due to computer malfunction, loss or damage will accept responsibility for not backing-up their work. Until the work is submitted, it will be considered late and the penalty will be applied.	Teachers will apply the late policy equally to all students in their class.

• In-Class Assignments

  The late policy does not apply to in-class assessments. Students cannot miss or postpone these assessments unless there are extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control (e.g. illness, family crisis, medical appointment, co-curricular commitment, etc.). Determination of whether such circumstances justify missing in-class assessments shall be made by the School at its sole discretion.
  
  

  End-of-Term Summative Assessments

  The late policy does not apply to end-of-term summative assignments. These assessments are as important as final exams. Summative assessments must be submitted by the established due date unless circumstances occur that are beyond the student’s control. Determination of whether such circumstances justify missing summative assessments shall be made by the School at its sole discretion.
  
  

  Assessment Standards

  In the Upper School, a period of assessment takes place at the end of the year/term. Different courses have different kinds of evaluation. For example: drama has a performance assessment, mathematics has a formal examination, and a small number of courses have both. In accordance with the Ministry of Education requirements, the Upper School end-of-year evaluations contribute 30% towards each student’s mark in each course.

  
  
  

• Examination Policy for Students With Medical Diagnoses

  It is best practice and a Ministry expectation that all students will write final examinations or complete a culminating task that will make up 30% of the final grade in every subject. Examination accommodations, such as postponing or spreading examinations over a longer time frame, will be considered on an individual basis for students who can provide appropriate documentation indicating that special considerations are necessary. Planning the examination accommodations will occur in consultation with the family and the Executive Director of Crescent Student Services.

   

• Homework

  Students need to do their own homework and projects. It is fine for parents to offer guidance, but they should support their sons in their own learning. If a student is having difficulty, the School will offer support. 
  
  

  Parents should expect their sons to have homework each evening. The amount of homework will vary throughout the year.