IB Policies

Purpose of the Academic Honesty Policy

The Academic Honesty policy was designed to communicate the expectations of these IB Programmes as they pertain to the submission of authentic work by Suncoast candidates.  The school upholds the learner profile attribute of “principled” in actions taken to disseminate knowledge of academic honesty characteristics and in delivering appropriate consequences for academic misconduct.  To perform these tasks, terms and concepts associated with academic misconduct are explained in student classrooms, student assemblies, parent events, stakeholder meetings, school websites, and school district offices.  The candidate- and parent-friendly version of the school academic honesty policy is included on the school website.  

Candidates and teachers work together in preventing academic misconduct by candidates taking responsibility for their roles in producing authentic work and teachers in the investigation of suspected academic misconduct. If academic misconduct is suspected, the teacher brings the written allegation with supporting documents to the Diploma Head of School for review. (Academic Honesty in the IB Educational Context, 2014, p. 6).  Parent – candidate- teacher – IB Administration conferences, to review the allegations, may lead to student dismissal from the Career-Related and Diploma Programmes.  

Academic honesty is sent as a strong message to students and parents, in our school, through teachers and administration. Teachers are consistently encouraged to view webinars on this  subject to keep their knowledge ever present.  In addition, discussions are conducted during faculty meetings  to remain proactive for issues that can surface in the school.

Academic Honesty Expectations

Candidates should be cognizant that intellectual and creative products, i.e. scientific data, literature, or works of art are considered to be intellectual property.  Therefore, students that use ideas and/or images from these works within their work products, without proper attribution to the author, are partaking in academic misconduct.  Candidates must understand that “an authentic piece of work is one that is based on the candidate’s individual and original ideas with the ideas and work of others fully acknowledged” (Academic Honesty, 2011, p. 2).

Candidates are taught to refrain from academic misconduct while in the classroom.  They are given reference material, resources via websites, FAQ seminars, and teacher-created internal assessment guide books in IB subjects  such as English A Literature, Theory of Knowledge, Psychology, and History.  Students also attend seminars on referencing and citation offered by our IB trained – Media Specialist.

In the classroom, teachers should provide sufficient information and guidance to assist students in developing skills in paraphrasing and referencing sources with proper citations (Academic Integrity,, 2019, p. 14).  IB recognizes the use of quotation marks, indentations or other acceptable means of citation to denote that ideas were gained from another source.  In addition, the source of the ideas must be clearly identified within the body of the work as well as in the bibliography or works cited sections of the candidate’s work (Academic Honesty, 2011).    

According to Effective Citing and Referencing (2014), The IB does not specify which style(s) of referencing or in-text citation should be used by candidates.  This is left to the discretion of the school. (p. 11)   Suncoast Community High School ascribes to the expectation that students will cite the origin of ideas in a manner “that enables the reader to locate the exact source used” (Effective Citing and Referencing, 2014, p. 12).   In addition, students will “acknowledge sources of information and any help they have received from third parties during the process” (Academic Integrity, 2019, p. 21).

Candidates are encouraged to use refereed journals for quality control of sources in their authentic work.  It is communicated during student assemblies as the students’ responsibility to ensure they are submitting authentic work to their teachers.  Suncoast Community High School also houses an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) whereby students gain practice in research, referencing and citation through their work in MYP subject-based assessments, as well as the Personal Project prior to their matriculation through the Career-Related or Diploma Programmes.

Defining Academic Misconduct

Overall, student academic misconduct is defined as “deliberate or inadvertent behavior that has the potential to result in the student, or anyone else, gaining an unfair advantage in one or more assessment components of assessment.” (Academic Integrity Policy, 2023, p.3).  The following terms found in the Academic Honesty (2011, p. 3) document describe the following behaviors as academic misconduct by candidates in works submitted to the school and/or IB examiners. In the document Academic Integrity Policy, 2023, IB indicates penalty matrices ascribed to the terms below to provide further guidance to schools in how to diagnose student misconduct (p.31 - 32).  Terms and definitions are below:

The Academic Integrity Policy, 2023,  regards plagiarism as the more common form of academic misconduct and is defined as “the representation, intentionally or unwittingly, of ideas, words or work of another person without proper, clear and explicit acknowledgment” (p. 45) or “copying from external sources or peers” (p.31).

Collusion is when a very similar version of a report is presented by a number of candidates as their own individual work (Academic Integrity Policy,  p. 31).  Also, in an article by Sutherland-Smith (2013), additional definitions were provided to expand our understanding of collusion.  As stated in the article, collusion is the presentation by a student of an assessment task as his or her own; In whole or in part is the result of unauthorized collaboration with another person/persons; Is plagiarized due to inappropriate collaboration during group work; Involves working with others without permission; Is the product of two or more students working together without official approval; is the product of unauthorised cooperation between the student and another person; Is a form of academic dishonesty (cheating) because it is the same or very similar to that of another student. (p. 51)

Duplication of work is presentation of the same work for different assessment components and/or diploma requirements and fabrication of data is falsifying or inventing fictitious data or information and is an action that is interpreted as gaining an unfair advantage in an assessment component, for example: falsifying a CAS record (Academic Integrity Policy, 2023,    p. 32).

Student behaviors exhibited during examinations can provide unfair advantages, such as taking unauthorized material into an examination room, misconduct during an examination, stealing exam papers, or impersonating an authorized test taker).

By the order of IB, academic misconduct is first handled at the school level and when the offense is egregious or impacts student performance during an examination it is reported to the IB and placed under investigation.    

Citing and Referencing

Candidates must record the addresses (URL and date) of all websites from which they obtain information during their research, including the date when each website was accessed.”  Copying of maps, photographs, illustrations, data, and graphs is considered to be plagiarism without proper citation. “CD-Roms, DVDs, email messages and other electronic forms of media must be treated in the same way as the internet, books and journals” (Academic Honesty, 2011, p. 3).  IB recognizes the existence of rules for use of  intellectual property. It is a protected source of ideas that needs to be cited appropriately in student work.

Upon teacher request, candidates are required to upload specific IB assessments to Turnitin.com for originality reports and to affirm authorship of ideas included in these documents.  The IB Academic Honesty Office conducts random checks of internal assessments, external assessments, and Extended Essays submitted to examiners, for plagiarism; therefore, it is imperative that our school strongly monitor the authenticity of student work designated for external moderation.

Prevention of Academic Misconduct

Candidates will receive an annual copy of the General Regulations: Diploma Programme documents.

1. Candidates will be required to sign the Suncoast High School Honor Code enclosed in the IB exam registration document.
2. Candidates and parents will attend school seminars to review Diploma Programme procedures and academic integrity tenets.
3. Students attend annual success assemblies  featuring school rules, the Academic Integrity policy, and relevant school consequences.
4. The Academic Integrity policy is posted on the school website for access by candidates, teachers, parents, and stakeholders.
5. Research skills information and numerous sites on citation formats are available on IB English and History Diploma teacher Google Classroom pages, and the Media Center Specialist’s Google Classroom.
6. Candidates receive “troubleshooter seminars” on research guidelines and academic misconduct prevention from the Extended Essay coordinators during ToK class “push in sessions.”
7. Internal and external assessment assignments are coupled with reviews on research skills and citation formats by Advanced Placement, AICE, and IB Diploma teachers in the classroom.
8. Students are continually reminded about the IB learner profile which expresses the value of being “principled” and to act with integrity and honesty.

Academic Misconduct Consequences

Given school-directed support, it is the student’s responsibility to “understand and accept the principle of academic integrity and face the challenges associated with it” (Academic Integrity Policy, 2023, p.14).   According to the General Regulations: Diploma Programme (2023) document, if IB suspects academic misconduct, the school is notified of the allegations and the Diploma Coordinator is prompted to conduct internal investigations obtaining statements from the diploma student and teacher(s) or invigilator(s) involved in the incident.   The Diploma Coordinator submits findings to IB and notifies students of the decision from the IB Award Committee.

Authentication of Student Work:

The IB will only accept work for assessment or moderation that has been authenticated by the teacher and is the final version of the work; this verification should take place before work is electronically uploaded or sent in hard copy according to the Diploma Programme Assessment Procedures 2019, pgs. 38 – 39.

The authentication process is contingent upon the process of submission to IBO:

• Electronic uploads by the candidate are authenticated on-screen by the candidate and teacher.
• Electronic uploads by the school (on behalf of the candidate) are authenticated on-screen by the teacher.  The candidate authenticates the work as the final work before submission to the teacher.

“No replacement work will be accepted by the IB after the authenticity of a piece of work is called into question or the deadline for submission has passed.” (IBO, Coordinator Notes, September 2022. P.21)

Work identified as not authentic prior to submission to IBO:

Work still in draft form:  If a teacher has reason to believe that the candidate’s work, in part or whole, in draft form is a violation of academic honesty, “the teacher must draw the candidate’s attention to this risk” (Academic Honesty, 2011, p. 12).

Work in final version:  If a teacher has reason to believe that the candidate’s final work, not in draft form, submitted for internal or external assessment might violate academic honesty, the matter must be resolved within the school and not brought to the attention of IBO. This does not include written examinations. Because of the prior academic misconduct preventative measures, Suncoast does not allow the candidate to amend the final work.  If the concession to amend the work is not allowed by the school, then an F (meaning no work submitted) must be entered into IBIS by the Diploma Coordinator for the component.  An F will result in no grade being awarded for the subject/component.  

If there is no evidence of academic misconduct, only a strong suspicion by the teacher, the Diploma Administration conducts a parent-student conference to share these concerns and to identify potential risks to the IB Diploma at the meeting.  The Diploma Coordinator is asked by IB to give the candidate the benefit of the doubt and accept the work for assessment.  However, it is not appropriate to accept/submit suspect work and then expect the IBO to undertake an investigation (Academic Honesty 2011, p. 12).

Work identified as not authentic after submission:  If a teacher alerts the CP or Diploma Administration that he/she cannot authenticate a candidate’s final work, the CP or Diploma Coordinator is advised by IB to inform the IB information desk that the work will not be submitted on behalf of the candidate.  An investigation ensues by the IB Assessment Centre.  

At Suncoast, candidates receive discipline referrals by the CP or Diploma teacher if there are allegations of academic misconduct.  Suncoast developed a system to issue consequences for violations of the academic honesty code to candidates based upon the infraction.

Two Types of Level 1 Violations

Levels are determined by the importance of the assignment:

LEVEL 1 VIOLATIONS that pertain to assignments, homework and drafts of long-term projects at the school-based level.  Examples of Level 1 violations include, but are not limited to, sharing/copying homework, looking at another’s quiz/test, allowing another to look at your quiz/test, using secretive methods of giving/receiving quiz/test answers, not attributing information to its source, and attaining/receiving assistance on an independent assignment.

Administrative Action(s):  The student will receive a referral for the draft/assignment in question to be held in abeyance and parent contact will be made (by the teacher); the student’s Assistant Principal will file the referral to deter future acts of academic misconduct.  The student will be given one opportunity to submit a satisfactory revision, free of academic misconduct issues by the next class period or by teacher’s discretion.  The student will receive a maximum score of 75% on said revision.  The student will receive a grade of “zero” for an unsatisfactory revision that contains academic misconduct issues and the original referral will be processed. The parent will be contacted, and the referral will be documented in the student’s electronic discipline file.

LEVEL 1 VIOLATIONS that pertain to quizzes, tests, and final versions of work at the school-based level.

Examples include, but are not limited to, looking at another’s quiz/test, allowing another to look at your quiz/test, using covert methods of giving/receiving quiz/test answers, not attributing information to its source, and attaining/receiving an independent assignment.

Administrative Action(s):  The teacher will document the incident on a referral and contact the parent.  The student will receive a zero on the project/assessment, the student’s Assistant Principal will contact the parent, and the processed referral will become part of the student’s electronic discipline file.

A second level 1 violation will be considered a level 2 violation and will be handled accordingly.

A level 1 and a level 2 violation will be considered a level 2 violation.

A referral-level 1, 2, or 3- following a referral held in abeyance will be considered a second referral.

LEVEL 2 VIOLATIONS pertain to assignments that reach beyond the school-based level to the choice program level.

Examples of Level 2 violations include, but are not limited to, (a) taking information from a source that is not properly attributed in an IB assessment, CS final project, IB MYP Personal Project or assessment, or Science Fair project, (b) working with others on an IB assessment, CS final project, IB MYP Personal Project or assessment, or Science Fair project meant to be done by an individual, (c) duplication of one’s work (i.e. to present the same work for different IB assessment components and/or IB CP or Diploma requirements), (d) taking any part of a test to use or to give to another student, and (e) submitting a computer program that has been developed by another student. This includes the use of translation or writing assistance programs, such as Google Translate or other Artificial Intelligence apps .

For Drafts of Long Term Projects:  The student will receive a referral for the project/assessment in question to be held in abeyance and parent contact will be made (by the teacher); the student’s Assistant Principal will file the referral to deter future acts of academic misconduct.  The student will be given one opportunity to submit a satisfactory revision, free of academic misconduct issues by the next class period or by teacher’s discretion.  The student will receive a maximum score of 75% on said revision.  The student will receive a grade of “zero” for an unsatisfactory revision that contains academic misconduct issues and the original referral will be processed.  The parent will be contacted, and the referral will be documented in the student’s electronic discipline file.

For Long Term Projects in Final Form:  The student’s project will be uploaded to www.Turnitin.com.  If the teacher suspects academic misconduct, the Diploma teacher will consult with two to three colleagues within the choice program to determine whether evidence substantiates a form of academic misconduct. If deemed misconduct, the student will receive a zero on the project/assessment.  The incident will be documented on a discipline referral and becomes part of the student’s electronic file and the student will be placed on a behavior contract.  Additionally, a parent conference will be scheduled with the student, teacher, and program administrator.  

IB Students:  The internal/external assessment will not be submitted to IB which will result in no grade awarded by IB for the subject; thereby eliminating the potential for the IB Diploma (Diploma Programme Assessment Procedures 2019, p.36) and results in exit from the Suncoast IB Diploma Programme.  An internal/external assessment produced with academic misconduct for an IBCP student will not be submitted to IB and will result in no grade awarded by IB for the subject; the student will be exited from the Suncoast IB Career –Related Programme.

A second level two violation will be considered a level three violation and will result in exit from the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) or the IB Career - Related Programme (IBCP).

Students with a Level 2 or 3 violation are not permitted to enter the IBDP or IBCP junior year.  

LEVEL 3 VIOLATIONS include, but are not limited to, stealing quizzes, tests, or exams, altering grades via a computer, and submitting another’s work as one’s own.

Three Level 1 or two Level 2 violations will be considered a Level 3 violation and will be handled accordingly.

Consequence:  The student will receive a zero on the project/assessment, when applicable. The incident will be documented on a discipline referral, the student will be placed on a behavior contract, and the parent will be contacted for a conference with the student, teacher, assistant principal, and principal.  The referral will become part of the student’s electronic file. 

A level 3 violation will result in exit from IBDP or IBCP.

Roles and Responsibilities

Student

1. The candidate must ensure that all work submitted for assessment or moderation is authentic work.
2. Candidates must seek additional guidance on research skills and citation formats to include in IB assessments, if necessary.
3. Candidates must meet deadlines for IB assessments as determined by the CP or Diploma teacher and the Suncoast IB Calendar of Assessments.

Teacher

1. Teachers are in the best position to judge whether a candidate’s work is authentic.
2. Diploma teachers authenticate, via electronic uploading, IB assessments to confirm that, to the best of his or her knowledge, the final work is the authentic work of the candidate.  If the teacher does not authenticate the final work, he/she must notify Suncoast IB Administration of these concerns immediately.
3. Teachers must respect the intellectual property agreement of IB.
4. Teachers must record instances of academic misconduct on a discipline referral, in a timely fashion, and notify the parent(s) of the allegation prior to submitting the referral to the IB Administration.

IB CP and Diploma Coordinators

1. Ensure that Diploma teachers have the necessary professional development experiences, resources and information to guide students in maintaining academic honesty on IB assessments.
2. Maintain parent contact and participate in the investigation of academic infringement or academic misconduct.
3. Send reports/documentation to IB concerning academic infringement or academic misconduct, when necessary.
4. Communicate the Academic Honesty Policy to parents, teachers, students, and community stakeholders.

Administration

1. Conduct parent meetings during an investigation of academic infringement or academic misconduct.
2. Disseminate policy and procedures in alignment with the IB philosophy on academic honesty.
3. Support efforts for professional development and the development of teaching practices that encourage student-centered learning.

Supporting Documents (found in MyIB portal)

• The responsibilities of IB World Schools in ensuring the integrity of IB assessments, 2017
• Academic Honesty in the IB Educational Context, 2014
• Effective Citing and Referencing, 2022
• General Regulations:  Career-Related Programme, 2014
• General Regulations:  Diploma Programme, 2023
• Handbook of Procedures for the Diploma Programme, 2016
• IBO Academic Honesty, 2011
• Academic Integrity Policy, 2019 and updated 2023
• Rules for use of IB Intellectual Property, 2021
• Diploma Programme Assessment Procedures 2024
• Sutherland-Smith, W. (2013). Crossing the line: Collusion or collaboration in university group work?
• Australian Universities Review, 55(1), 51-58.
• The IB and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools, 2023

(updated November 2012; November 2014; July 2015; August 2016; August 2018; May 2019, August 2021, December 2022, October 2023)

School Context

Suncoast High School was a declining neighborhood school that reopened in 1989 as a world-class, pre-collegiate, magnet, public school in a low-income, suburban setting. Although the campus contains five buildings that enclose a large courtyard, athletic facilities and fields, students convene in one classroom building. As part of the school district’s initiative to build International Baccalaureate (IB) K-12 continuums, the new Suncoast building was erected in between an IB Primary Years K-5 elementary school and an IB Middle Years 6 – 8 middle school. Suncoast is one of two public high schools in the school district that accepts students from any neighborhood boundary within the county. Suncoast hosts four rigorous, college preparatory magnet programs/academies which students can only access by application and district lottery with the Choice and Career Office.

Admissions Process

All students, who are Palm Beach County residents, and entering grades 9 or 10, are eligible to apply for one of the Choice programs at Suncoast High School given he/she meets the academic criteria for the respective program; Computer Science - 3.0 GPA, Algebra 1 Honors and Geometry Honors; IB Diploma Track - 3.0 GPA; Innovative Interactive Technology - no criteria; Math, Science & Engineering - 3.0 GPA, Algebra 1 Honors, Geometry Honors, and Algebra 2 Honors. Standardized test scores and discipline records cannot be used to determine student eligibility for the district lottery.

Parents complete an online application with the School District Choice and Career Office by the designated deadline. As part of the application, the academic criteria for the Choice program must be met prior to August of the entering school year. It is the parents' responsibility to ensure that Suncoast receives the required student transcripts or academic records. The Suncoast selection committee checks student academic records against the criteria set up for the respective Choice program. The committee determines which applicants are eligible for the district computerized, random lottery selection process that is used to promote equity and diversity in student assignments to magnet schools. The Choice and Career Office notifies families of the lottery results by email approximately three months after the close of the application period.  

IB Diploma Retention Process

Students are encouraged to begin the IB Diploma Programme with a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA.  Students who fall below a 2.7 GPA in grade 11 are asked to join the IIT Program or enroll in their neighborhood boundary school.  An academic probation process can be initiated for students who are in danger of falling below a 2.7 GPA or have an interruption in monthly CAS activities.  Support systems are in place to assist students who experience academic difficulties or need consultation in time management, stress management, or mental health issues.  

School Context

The Suncoast student body represents over 55 different countries and 49 home languages.  However, given the geographical context of the school, the predominant languages spoken in South Florida are Spanish and French Creole.   Currently, 46% of the 11th and 12th grade student population is enrolled in the IB Diploma Programme.  Approximately, 58 students in grades 11 and 12 are enrolled in the IB Career-Related Programme.  The IB learner profile is regarded as the hallmark for the implicit curriculum of Suncoast Community High School.

Ninth and tenth grade students are enrolled in IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) core courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for all students in preparation for accelerated curricula  and the Diploma Programme.  As part of the IB Continuum, Suncoast ninth and tenth grade teachers engage in articulation meetings with middle school Spanish language teachers to align the curriculum of the MYP and DP programs.

We recognize that enrolled students speak mother tongue languages other than English; however, the Suncoast IB Diploma curriculum requires completion in English A: Literature HL for all diploma candidates and we offer Language Acquisition in Spanish B and French B.  Candidates that demonstrate high fluency in Language Acquisition receive Advanced Placement (AP) courses in Spanish Language or French Language, and Spanish Literature during their matriculation. These students are poised to take Spanish B HL, French B HL, or Spanish A: Language and Literature SL/HL for the Bilingual Diploma.  We are avidly striving to prepare an accelerated cohort for a Bilingual Diploma opportunity in French.

Purpose of the School Language Policy

According to IB Standards and Practices (2014), IB schools must implement a school language policy that communicates the expectations of the IB Programme.  Therein, schools communicate the philosophy, purpose and goals for language teaching and learning to school stakeholders and to outline common efforts toward language acquisition.  The Suncoast language policy also invites changes in the current language learning programs, as deemed necessary for student success.  In keeping with IB expectations, the school community should understand that this language policy is designed to: (Guidelines for Developing a School Language Policy, 2008)

1. Communicate the role of all teachers as language teachers.
2. Establish school curricular practices that promote student proficiency in at least one language in addition to their mother tongue.
3. Support the development and maintenance of the mother tongue language.
4. Promote inclusion and equity of access to the IB Program to all students.
5. Foster appreciation of students’ native languages.
6. Encourage professional development for language acquisition faculty, administrators and staff required to
   implement the tenets of the school language policy.
7. Provide opportunities for increased parental involvement in language development.  

Language Policy Development

The English Language department, World Language department, and school administration served as a steering committee to design the IB language development process and communicated their goals to teachers, parents, and community stakeholders.  The English Language Department developed a seamless Group 1 English A:  Literature curriculum for ninth and tenth grades inviting curricular ideas from Cambridge Education during the early years, College Board English Literature and finalizing with IB English HL during twelfth grade.  Students are provided opportunities to analyze poetry and prose from authors around the world, discuss ideas in a global context and fortify their writing skills through several genres.  Through vertical and horizontal collaboration, teachers identify students’ abilities to participate in theme development, literary device usages, and critical thinking.  In addition, a school-wide monitoring system of academic performance is utilized to identify and offer support to struggling students in the school.
 
The language policy is communicated to the school community through the school website, School Advisory Council meetings, open house events, IB teacher articulation meetings, and the faculty handbook.  The language policy undergoes review every two years following input from department head/school administration meetings.

School Language Philosophy

School Administration, English Language and World Language Departments and the Diploma Coordinator are responsible for communicating and implementing the Suncoast language policy.  Suncoast teachers should use the language policy to:

1. Design a curriculum that supports the development of interpersonal communicative skills and literacy in all students.
2. Understand the teacher’s role in implementing appropriate teaching practices that facilitate learner participation and engagement.
3. Demonstrate effective teaching practices that utilize constructivist approaches in activating prior knowledge and constructing personal meaning during instruction.
4. Foster meaningful interactions within the school community and to provide a richness of school culture with intercultural awareness.
5. Build and reinforce students’ sense of identity.

Language Practices

Group 1: Literature

English is the school language of instruction. In addition, structured studies in English A: Literature are enriched with mandatory studies in Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and AP English Literature.  All Suncoast diploma candidates take the Group 1 English A: Literature Higher Level exam in grade 12.

English Language Proficiency

1. English will be acquired with proficiency through Group 1 classroom instruction analyzing a variety of texts, such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and prose.
2. Students utilize the internet and web tools to facilitate research for all internal and external assessments and follow the MLA referencing protocols for citations. 
3. English teachers are expected to identify students with a semester grade of “F” and notify the IB Diploma Coordinator immediately.
   1. Teachers need to identify prerequisite skill deficiencies of students to be addressed in English tutorial sessions.
   2. Teachers are expected to analyze school-based data (i.e. district-wide data software (EDW), course-based exams, mock AP and IB exams) to provide remediation in skills and to support students in preparation for 11th grade and 12th grade English studies.
   3. English teachers communicate clearly with parents regarding student accomplishments and needs as they progress through language development.

Language Acquisition Learning

Language acquisition encourages language learning, learning through language and learning about language (Learning in a language other than mother tongue in IB Programmes, 2008, p. 4).  Suncoast teachers develop discrete skills in students through concentrated instruction in reading, writing, speaking and listening exercises. Students are assessed on their development of these skills along an MYP rubric.    Teachers reinforce basic interpersonal communicative skills in using social interactions to practice discrete skills in the classroom. The goal is to have students establish literacy through the application of language knowledge to other areas of their lives (Language and learning in IB Programmes, 2011).   As Diploma candidates, students should be able to transfer the skills learned in language acquisition to other subjects in the Diploma curriculum, thereby utilizing all Diploma teachers as language teachers.  In addition, all teachers should inculcate in students an intercultural awareness, understanding, empathy, and open-mindedness to others.

Currently, Suncoast offers Spanish and French in the Diploma curriculum.  Ideally, students should enter Suncoast with a minimum of one year of second language instruction.  Incoming ninth-graders are given a Suncoast diagnostic language proficiency exam to place them into the appropriate levels of language instruction for Spanish or French by the World Language department.   Students without prior world language instruction start at the first level in either Spanish or French.

Non-native speaking and native speaking candidates with little proficiency in Spanish or French, as assessed in Suncoast diagnostic language proficiency exam, will take four consecutive years of second language instruction.  These students are strongly encouraged to take AP Spanish Language or AP French Language in grade 11 and IB Spanish B or French B SL in grade 12.  Some students, on this pathway, feel prepared to take the higher level exam in grade 12.

Native speaking students with high proficiency in Spanish or French, as assessed on the Suncoast diagnostic language proficiency exam, will take four consecutive years of language acquisition courses as well.  These students are placed in AP Spanish Language or AP French Language in grade 10, AP Spanish Literature or IB French V in grade 11, and IB Spanish Language and Literature SL for the IB Bilingual Diploma, Spanish 6 HL or IB French 6 HL in grade 12.  Suncoast is currently receiving highly accelerated students from middle school bilingual programs; therefore, we have recently incorporated a pathway that leads to students taking IB Spanish Language & Literature HL in grade 12 for the Bilingual Diploma.  We plan to open a Bilingual Diploma pathway for French students when the need arises.

CP candidates are required to complete a language development portfolio of experiences in a 2-year period devoting 50 hours or more to this effort.  Candidates will develop oral, visual and written linguistic abilities in a target language they may need to communicate in their chosen career pathway.

Special Needs in Language Acquisition

Special needs students receive Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that specify specific accommodations they should receive in their classes.  Teachers of students with hearing impairments utilize lip reading, when possible.  However, the intonations of speech are not clear using this method.  Therefore, students that are hard of hearing use amplification devices during verbal discourse in the classroom.  Deaf students are provided with assistive technologies to transcribe the verbal communication of the teacher into written format during the class period.  This method reinforces the student’s ability to read and write in the language.  Students with severe anxiety disorder are given interactive oral presentation opportunities in small group settings, with the instructor present, after receiving appropriate authorization from IB.

The International Baccalaureate Language Program

International education should:

1. Provide international content while responding to local educational requirements and interests.
2. Encourage diversity and flexibility in pedagogical approaches.
3. Equip students with the skills to learn and to acquire knowledge, individually or collaboratively, and to apply these skills and knowledge across a broad range of areas.
4. View each teacher as a language teacher.  Practices for language learning should be a collaborative effort that examines planning and implementation of the language curriculum.
5. Include cultural immersion experiences, field trips, and enrichment activities that encourage all students to participate.
6. Include adequate resources for language teaching identified by teachers, department heads, or administration to support the syllabus, goals and objectives of the IB Diploma Programme.
7. Provide differential paths of instruction based on student ability or need for acceleration while acquiring the language.
8. Include professional development experiences for teachers to foster best language teaching practices teachers and administrators should attend workshops and conferences to share their experiences with the school in organized presentations.
9. Firmly state that each language teacher remain eager to learn more, update his/her sources and resources to improve instructional practice in their school program.
10. Involve teachers in articulation meetings to collaborate in decision-making school improvement processes.

Roles and Responsibilities

Head of School and Administration

1. Responsible for the professional development training of language teachers.
2. Responsible for providing resources to teachers and students for language development.
3. Communicate the values and expectations of the IB to teachers, parents, students, and community stakeholders.
4. Responsible for providing resources for library and media services.
5. Attract and retain highly qualified and experienced language teachers to support the program.
6. Ensure that the IB learner profile is firmly entrenched in the school culture.
7.  Encourage IB teacher articulation meetings to foster Approaches to Teaching and Learning practices.

Head of World Language Department and IB Diploma Coordinator

1. Informs all staff of IB procedures and assessment practices.
2. Oversees the implementation of the language program.
3. Ensures that appropriate textbooks, resources, and facilities are available.
4. Ensures that parents are informed of their student’s progress in language acquisition and development.
5. Organizes meetings for vertical and horizontal planning with language teachers.

Teacher

Current instructional practices related to language teaching and learning include:

1. Vertical and horizontal teams in the English and World Language departments to ensure smooth transitions of student skill acquisition between instructional levels; to plan instructional strategies, identify instructional resources for language teaching, and to address the goals and objectives of Approaches to Teaching and Learning.
2. Assigning meaningful and varied assignments to students that encourage proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening language skills.
3. Providing timely written and verbal descriptive feedback to students on assignments and assessments.
4. Communicating with parents, students, and the IB Diploma Coordinator regularly regarding student academic progress.
5. Focus on the assessment of student learning outcomes in language proficiency moreso than covering subject content in textbooks.

The following are optional activities:

1. Spanish and French teachers tutor their students after school and language honor students tutor the general population of language students during lunch. 
2. Student celebrations and festivals allow students to learn and participate in other cultural traditions through food, song, dance, and instrumentation.
3. Weekend enrichment activities that include language teachers and students on cultural immersion field trips.

Supporting Documents

Guidelines for Developing a School Language Policy, 2008
Language and Learning in IB Programmes, 2011
Learning in a Language Other Than Mother Tongue in IB Programmes, 2008
Programme Standards and Practices, 2014

 

School Profile

The new campus is fully accessible to special needs students with physical disabilities.  

Suncoast Community High School Inclusion Philosophy

The mission of Suncoast Community High School is to provide a challenging, innovative program to a diverse student population, empowering each individual to successfully compete in and contribute to the global society, while maintaining a safe school environment.  In alignment with the IB philosophy on inclusion, Suncoast embraces the concept of diversity in recognizing the ethnic, racial, socioeconomic, and learning style differences of our students.  Special needs students are challenged to follow their academic strengths and build up their weaknesses through full participation in the Diploma Programme.  In addition, the state of Florida adopted a teaching growth model/evaluation system that compels teachers to create new strategies to address unique student needs.  Suncoast faculty strives to integrate international mindedness and the learner profile attributes within student lessons while using differentiation strategies to address unique student needs. Teachers model learner profile attributes and approaches to teaching and learning strategies that encourage students to demonstrate strong academic behaviors in the classroom as well as service learning. Teachers are required to monitor student academic progress throughout lessons in the classroom.  

Suncoast students are seen as individuals with goals and aspirations meted out through the variety of academic programs that exist in the school.  Thus, professional development opportunities and the IB philosophy of inclusion is shared with all faculty members to ensure that teaching and learning practices are implemented to serve a diverse student population.  In addition, special needs students receive the specific accommodations prescribed for their needs during state, national, and international exams.  The Diploma Coordinator, school testing coordinators, invigilators, and proctors are made aware of the specific accommodations for special needs students to ensure fidelity of implementation.

The Suncoast Exceptional Student Education (ESE) Department includes an ESE Coordinator, two support facilitators, and a school administrator to monitor educational services for a school-wide special needs population of 9% in an overall population of 1560 students. However, the Diploma Programme, specifically, boasts a special needs population of 5% within 450 students.  In accordance with state and federal guidelines, special needs students may be entitled to receive specific accommodations in the classroom and/or during assessments as deemed appropriate for their needs.    Federal law requires that, upon parental request and with medical documentation, a meeting is held with parents, student, ESE staff, administration, and teacher(s), school psychologist, speech/language pathologist, sign language interpreter and deaf/hard of hearing teacher (as needed) to discuss and record specific accommodations outlined for the student.  The accommodations are recorded on a 504 plan or Individualized Education Plan (IEP), depending on the student’s need.

To date, special needs students at Suncoast may use assistive technologies, word processors for essay exams, scribes, readers, frequent breaks or additional time for assignments and assessments as prescribed on 504 plans or IEPs.  Students’ teachers are given copies of 504 plans or IEPs to implement the accommodations outlined for classroom participation and/or assessment.  Special needs students are protected under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and have a right to receive education in the least restrictive environment. The student is continually monitored by the ESE staff and the ESE administrator during their matriculation at Suncoast, and the IEP is updated annually.  The Suncoast Exceptional Student Education Department works closely with veteran and new teachers in developing an understanding of how accommodations are aligned with each student’s needs.

School Development and Resources

Suncoast students are met by the Counseling Services Department for seminars that encourage strong academic habits and time management strategies. The school also conducts career and college preparation workshops, MYP Personal Project preparation, and IOP preparation for IB English and World Language students. Additional seminars that assist students in skill building for IB assessments, learning style strategies, and language development are needed.

Suncoast teachers attend district workshops and receive on-campus professional development in the areas of international –mindedness, learner profile, global contexts in unit planning, and differentiation for classroom implementation.  Suncoast administration strives for fidelity of implementation with these ideals as teachers progress through the state adopted teacher growth model/evaluation system.

Suncoast has access to school district personnel that specialize in Exceptional Student Education practices, procedural safeguards, test evaluations, parent conferences, and legal advisement. The school receives weekly/monthly visitations from an assigned district speech/language pathologist and a school psychologist. The staff of the Suncoast ESE department consists of support facilitators that attend specific classes with assigned special needs students to provide support according to the students’ needs.

The school district allocates funds to the school to hire and train special needs support staff based upon the number of enrolled students diagnosed with disabilities.  Therefore, the ESE department has limited funding for support facilitation services.  The Suncoast ESE department is also limited by the number of students in the general student population that can be evaluated for disabilities due to shortage of school psychologists in the district.  The ESE department does not screen or evaluate students for disabilities.  Students are evaluated at the district level by school psychologists, by parent or by Child Study Team request.  Thus, faculty, administrators, school counselors, and teachers with special needs students work together to follow and monitor the 504 and IEP plans devised to maximize positive student outcomes.  

Stakeholders

The Suncoast Special Needs policy is shared with faculty, parents, students and the school district on the school website, during parent meetings and open house events to articulate the school’s stance on providing inclusive educational services.  These stakeholders are made aware of the inclusion policy at Suncoast to ensure that all students take full advantage of the academic programs offered at the school.  Special needs students at Suncoast, including CP and Diploma students, participate in accelerated coursework through various academic programs offered on campus. The school district’s enrollment policy for magnet schools of choice encourages applications from students with special needs and does not permit test scores, teacher recommendations or student conduct records to eliminate eligible students from the applicant pool.

Communication

The Suncoast ESE department maintains parent communication through emails, phone conferences, parent meetings, and quarterly reports to parents.  The Suncoast ESE Coordinator facilitates parent meetings in which the school psychologist interprets psychological evaluations and the speech/language pathologist interprets language evaluations of students.  In 504 and IEP meetings, accommodations for special needs students are discussed, with teachers present to support student success in the classroom.  The Diploma Coordinator applies to the IB, on behalf of the student, for accommodations in the classroom and/or for external examination periods.

When students are in transition from middle to high school, a transition IEP meeting is conducted prior to arrival at high school to allow a district transition specialist to provide parents with information about success in high school.  In transition to college, a transition specialist is available to provide information to parents of special needs students about career and college preparation.  Students are invited to use their IEP or 504 plans to apply at the student disabilities office of their choice colleges for accommodations.

Confidentiality

Suncoast administration respects student confidentiality through the transmission of information about special needs students to faculty.  The Suncoast ESE coordinator maintains student records in a secure location and discloses records to parents, upon written request, to teachers or to district ESE personnel.  Pertinent information about special needs students is disseminated to administrators, faculty, or test proctors with confidentiality as sealed documents or marked “confidential.”

Learning

Special needs students, depending on their disability, require skills in organization, executive decision-making, information processing, cognitive processing, and language processing to function in the high school classroom.  In addition to support facilitation in the classroom, students also receive individualized assistance during the daily 40-minute lunch period from Suncoast ESE support facilitators in the aforementioned areas.   Speech and language impaired students receive support services during elective class periods from the speech/language pathologist.  Special needs of students at Suncoast include anxiety, Asperger’s syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder/Attention Deficit Disorder, chronic illness, emotional/behavior disorder, hearing impaired, Other Health Impaired (OHI), and speech impaired.

Policy Review

The Special Needs policy will be reviewed every two years to ensure that the IB philosophy of inclusion is safeguarded and communicated to faculty, staff, administration, school counselors, students, parents, and stakeholders.  The Suncoast ESE department will be the predominant voice in the policy to address how the learning needs of special needs students should be monitored and addressed in the classroom.  The responsibility of meeting the needs of special needs students rests on the shoulders of the entire school population with parental support.

Supporting Documents

• Candidates with assessment access requirements, July 2014
• Guidelines for developing a school assessment policy in the Diploma Programme, 2010
• Learning Diversity in the International Baccalaureate Programmes: Special Educational Needs within the International Baccalaureate Programmes, August, 2010
• Meeting Student Learning Diversity in the Classroom, May 2013
• Programme Standards and Practices, 2014 

Mission Statement

Suncoast High School is committed to providing a safe, welcoming environment that delivers challenging, innovative programs of the highest standard for a diverse student population, empowering each student to apply their knowledge to be competitive and balanced global citizens who are resilient by leading them to post-secondary education and beyond.

Vision

Suncoast High School students will gain a career perspective and graduate college-ready so life choices are limited only by their imaginations.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to set forth procedures stakeholders must follow when submitting a complaint.

Roles and Responsibilities

All stakeholders, including students and parents, teachers, and administrators, agree to implement the complaint procedure policy. They also agree to the following:

• Students: All International Baccalaureate students commit to adhering to the terms outlined in their signed Suncoast High School’s IBDP/IBCP program contracts, Policies, Procedure Manual, and General Regulations provided by IB.
• Teachers: All educators agree to implement the guidelines set forth by Suncoast High School and the International Baccalaureate Program.
• Parents: Parents of our IB students commit to complying with the terms specified in Suncoast High School’s program contract, Policies, Procedure Manual, and General Regulations provided by IBDP/IBCP.
• Coordinators: Coordinators pledge to implement the IB guidelines established by Suncoast High School.

Procedures

Bullying: Follow district procedures by completing a Student Mistreatment Report located in the front office and/or complete a Bullying/Harassment Anonymous Drop-Box Report and file it in the drop boxes placed at various locations on the campus or complete the online Bullying and Harassment Report. A student can also call Safe Schools’ centralized Bullying Anonymous Hotline Telephone to report concerns of bullying at 561-434-8200.

Grades: Teachers must enter a minimum of two grades into SIS weekly, or four bi-weekly for block schedule, to ensure students have access to their current grade information. If you have any concerns, please email your child's teacher first. If the desired resolution is not achieved, contact the appropriate grade-level Assistant Principal via email and allow 1-2 school days for a response.

Faculty member: If you have any concerns with a specific faculty member, please contact the appropriate grade-level Assistant Principal via email and allow 1-2 school days for a response.

Assignment and Class Grades: Teachers must reach out to parents and record interventions in SIS when assisting students with grades below a "C." For any grading concerns, parents can communicate with the teacher via email.  If the desired resolution is not achieved, contact the appropriate grade-level Assistant Principal via email and allow 1-2 school days for a response.

Assessment: Teacher, district, and state assessments are given to monitor students’ academic progress. If you have any concerns, please email your child's teacher first. If the desired resolution is not achieved, contact the appropriate grade level School Counselor or Assistant Principal via email and allow 1-2 school days for a response.

Appeals: If you would like to appeal an IB programme decision made by the school, please first contact the child’s Assistant Principal.  If the desired resolution is not achieved, contact the Choice Coordinator to schedule a committee meeting.  

Evaluation of Policy

The IB faculty and administration remain deeply committed to ensuring the success of the complaint procedure policy. The faculty and administration will review the policy regularly with an eye on continuous improvement. The policy will be reviewed annually by the administrative team. This policy was last reviewed in August 2023.

Policy Distribution

A copy of Suncoast High School's IBDP/IBCP complaint procedure is available on the school’s school website.

Language Committee

• Mrs. Kathryn Koerner                
• Ms. Karen Blumner
• Ms. Dawn Gordon
• Mr. Brandon Hawkins
• Mr. Aaron Keevey
• Ms. Attallah McLawrence