Shared expectations for every stakeholder, plus practical guides for students and families — to support honesty, productive struggle, and learning with integrity in the age of AI.
Tony Frontier, PhD © 2026
Supporting Academic Integrity: Expectations for Stakeholders — © Tony Frontier, PhD & the AI Center for Effective Teaching & Learning, 2026.
Using unauthorized help, information, or shortcuts to complete work that is meant to demonstrate your own knowledge and skills — copying answers, using prohibited notes, or submitting work done by someone else, or by AI, as your own.
Cheating skips the struggle that builds understanding and undermines trust. You might get away with it, but the knowledge and skills gap stays and grows over time.
How to avoid itPresenting someone else's words, ideas, or work as your own, or without giving proper credit — copying text without citation, paraphrasing without attribution, or submitting AI-generated writing as your own original work.
Plagiarism substitutes someone else's thinking for your own. You might get away with it, but you fail to develop the skills to think and communicate independently.
How to avoid itYou own what you know, acknowledge what you don't know, and are transparent about the process and resources you used to learn. When you act with integrity, you can explain and expand on the answers and ideas in your completed work.
Acting with integrity builds deeper learning, helps you navigate the struggle that results in growth, and builds the skills and strategies to persevere and become an independent learner.
How to practice it“I know what these terms mean, can recognize them in real situations, and understand why they matter.”
Knowing what integrity, plagiarism, and cheating look like helps you follow guidelines and stay within boundaries.
“I didn't mean to plagiarize” doesn't make it not plagiarism. Understanding why something is a violation helps you avoid it.
Know what the consequences are. Understanding what's at stake helps you make good decisions.
If you're unsure whether something is cheating or plagiarism, ask your teacher before you act.
“I use only the tools and resources my teacher has authorized, and I document everything.”
Your teacher will tell you what AI use and other resources are permitted.
Document resources as you work: websites, books, AI tools, tutors, classmates. Documentation is easy when done in the moment.
Insert citations while you write so you don't forget where an idea came from.
If you're not sure whether something needs a citation, add one. Over-citing is never a problem; under-citing is.
The grade from a shortcut fades. The knowledge gap it creates stays with you.
“I plan ahead so I'm not in a position where cheating feels like my only option.”
Write down due dates and work backward from deadlines to set checkpoints.
Most cheating happens when students run out of time. Starting early removes the pressure that leads to bad decisions.
Small steps are easier to take and allow you to ask questions along the way.
Schedule homework and study time like an appointment.
If you feel stressed or overwhelmed, share that with a trusted adult.
“When I'm unsure about instructions or expectations, I ask before I act.”
If an assignment's instructions are unclear, ask for clarification.
If you are unsure what tools and resources are allowed, ask your teacher.
When a teacher clarifies expectations verbally, jot a note so you can refer back to it.
If you're unsure whether something is allowed, ask your teacher.
“Everyone's doing it” is never a valid justification. It's okay to say no if a classmate pressures you to cheat.
“Learning is challenging; your teachers value hard work, honesty, and integrity.”
Honesty about what you know and don't know helps your teacher teach more effectively.
Owning errors helps you ask questions, learn from mistakes, and build agency.
Own bad decisions and correct them. Covering up a mistake is almost always worse than the original.
Learning requires productive struggle. Celebrate your progress along the way.
“I show up, engage fully, and take ownership of my learning.”
Passive presence isn't participation. Ask questions and take part.
Getting stuck is part of learning. Unaddressed confusion often leads to shortcuts.
The purpose is learning. Productive struggle now pays off with deeper learning and higher achievement later.
This phrasing works well with both teachers and AI tools:“I understand ___, but I don't understand ___. Can you help me?”
“I report every tool, source, and resource I used, completely and honestly.”
Record sources as you work using a notes app or a list at the bottom of your document.
Note the tool, the prompts you entered, and how you modified the output.
If a parent or friend helped you, note it. Your teacher needs to know what you did independently.
Answer questions about your process honestly and completely.
“I can explain, expand on, and justify my thinking in every part of what I submit.”
Before submitting, ask yourself this. If the answer is no, keep working:“Could I explain this to my teacher right now?”
If you don't fully understand what a source or tool produced, dig deeper first.
If you can't explain it clearly in your own words, you have more work to do.
A teacher asking you to explain your work is a chance to demonstrate learning.
“I ask questions before I act, not after. Asking for help or clarification is always better than risking a violation of the expectations for integrity.”
Teachers prefer answering a question before an assignment to addressing a violation after.
Teachers appreciate this kind of transparency:“I was thinking about doing X. Is that within the guidelines?”
Always verify directly with your teacher.
Before using any resource you haven't been told is allowed, pause and ask first.
When a student acts with integrity, they own what they know, acknowledge what they don't know, and are transparent about the process and resources they used to learn.
Students are expected to openly report every tool, source, and resource used to complete an assignment, including AI tools.
Students are expected to explain, expand on, and defend the ideas and answers in their completed work in their own words.
Students are expected to follow the teacher-assigned level of AI use, which indicates how much AI involvement, if any, is permitted for a given assignment.
When a student engages in productive struggle, they work through a difficult problem with effort and perseverance. This struggle is what builds understanding and skill.
When a student has agency, they take ownership over their learning and believe that their effort and choices shape their outcomes.
When a student seeks help, they ask for guidance, clarification, or support rather than 'the answer'. Help-seeking is a sign of self-awareness and academic maturity.
“I understand what the school expects and consistently reinforce those expectations at home.”
This lets you ask questions that keep your student on track, such as“Did your teacher say you could work with a partner, or is this independent work?”
This lets you ask questions such as“What Level of AI use did your teacher give you for this portion of the assignment?”
Counter statements such as “She said no AI on this, but everyone uses it” with your own values:“In our family, we do our own work.”
Honest work habits build stronger self-regulation over time. Shortcuts are easier, but they eventually catch up with you and make it harder later.
“I encourage my child to take ownership of their learning rather than rescuing them from difficulty.”
Students develop agency by working through difficulty themselves. Providing answers removes the struggle that produces growth.
“What have you tried so far?” keeps the thinking with your child.
Effort-based praise (“You were really focused”) builds resilience; ability-based praise (“You are so good at math!”) can undermine strategic effort (Dweck, 2006).
A teacher's response to a missed assignment is often more meaningful than a parent rescue.
“I help my child see struggle as a sign of learning in progress, not a sign of failure or a problem to be fixed.”
Working through challenge produces deeper understanding than being shown the answer (Kapur, 2016).
“You can't do this yet” shifts the narrative from fixed inability to growth-in-progress.
“What part is hardest right now?” is enough. You don't have to fix it.
A consistent, distraction-free workspace and predictable schedule matter.
“I help my child build the confidence and language to ask questions, seek support, and advocate for their own learning.”
“I understand ___, but I'm confused about ___. Can you help me?” is self-advocacy. Practice this language at home.
Students seek help more in environments where mistakes are treated as normal (Newman, 2002). Let your child know mistakes are a learning opportunity.
Brief rehearsals build vocabulary and confidence to self-advocate.
When your child seeks teacher feedback, acknowledge it. That's what independent learners do.
“I help my child manage time and responsibilities in ways that protect their well-being and prevent the desperation that leads to poor decisions, including academic dishonesty.”
Most cheating happens when students run out of time. Help your child work backward from deadlines and identify small steps to take each day.
Anxiety, avoidance, and frustration around schoolwork may signal a child struggling but not knowing how to seek help. If you are concerned, talk to your child and reach out to their teacher or counselor.
Sleep-deprived adolescents show significantly reduced self-regulation and decision-making quality (Walker, 2017). A rested brain learns better and makes better choices.
Students who feel intense pressure to perform face elevated risk of academic dishonesty (Anderman & Murdock, 2007). Make clear that you value learning and integrity more than grades.
According to the American Psychological Association (2026), teens may turn to AI assistants because it feels safe, private, and nonjudgmental — yet human connection and parental guidance remain essential. To learn more about supporting your child by talking about privacy, setting healthy boundaries, and recognizing red flags of inappropriate AI use, search “APA teens and AI help for parents” and talk to your child's school counselor or a health professional.
American Psychological Association. (2026, February 2). Your teen turned to AI instead of you. What experts say parents can do. apa.org