Academic Integrity is essential to a K¹² education.

At K¹², our program is based on the idea that by developing personal mastery of academic subjects, young people can begin to realize their full potential. Inherent in this premise is the belief that one cannot master any topic or skill if one cheats, plagiarizes, or takes other "shortcuts."

Indeed, by cheating, a student inevitably cheats him- or herself—not only of the acquisition of knowledge and attainment of skill, but also of the character development from honest, challenging effort that is a core component of any good education.

Guidance and Support

We realize, however, that young people need guidance and support to help them adhere to high standards of integrity. To this end, K¹² employs many tools:

• Teacher Oversight. Through frequent interactions, instructors can recognize each student's unique writing style, easily identifiable in a reviewed piece of writing. Teachers also have access to reports that show student performance on tests which they can use to identify irregular patterns in performance that may require further investigation.
• Parental Involvement. K¹² encourages parents to talk to their children about the importance of honesty. K¹² and its partner schools expect and rely upon parents and mentors to enforce the highest standards of integrity, and to support their children's efforts to maintain those standards. In everyday terms, this means resisting the temptation to contribute too much to school projects, to write papers for their children, or to allow their children to cheat in any way.
• Individual School Codes. Our partner schools document their academic integrity policies for students and parents and ensure that violations of academic integrity result in appropriate disciplinary action. We expect students in K¹² managed schools to read these policies and practice academic honesty at all times.