NCEA Important Information

• Dual Student with Te Kura (The Correspondence School) Application Form

• Appeals Form

• 2025 Student Authenticity Declaration Form

• Extension Request and/or Late Assessment Form

• Derived Grade Application Form 2024

Authenticity means that all work that you submit for marking for an assessment must be your own work.  The following will apply to ALL work presented for internal assessments for NCEA qualifications.

You must:

• submit work that is entirely your own.

• sign an authenticity declaration at the beginning of each academic year.

• acknowledge all sources and evidence including direct quotes, paraphrases and ideas that are not your own with appropriate references.

• ensure your data is accurate.

• attend classes regularly to allow your teachers to see you working on your assessments and to discuss the work with you.

It is your responsibility to:

• keep all drafts and working documents, and if required to, hand them to your teacher(s).

• keep a record of all sources you used.

• be prepared to discuss your work with your teacher(s).

You must not:

• plagiarise, collude, impersonate or cheat in any form during an internal assessment, external assessment or in class test or task.

• share your work (either physically or electronically) with other students or inappropriately help another student with any part of their work.

• use unauthorised materials or methods (i.e. Artificial Intelligence, commercially paid for assessments, etc.)  to produce a whole assessment, or part of an assessment.

• use unauthorised technology in a test or exam (e.g. non-approved calculator, cellphone, smart watch).

• knowingly present material which is incorrect or misleading.

You will be advised by your classroom teacher how to ensure the authenticity of your work and assessments. 

Use of Artifical Intelligence and Authenticity

In today's digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a valuable tool in various aspects of our lives, including education. AI can enhance your learning experience by providing personalised recommendations, offering instant feedback, and helping you explore complex concepts. It opens up a world of possibilities, making learning more interactive and engaging. However, while AI can be a powerful ally, it is crucial to remember the importance of authenticity in your academic journey.

Submitting your own work is not only an ethical requirement but also a valuable learning experience. When you complete assessments and projects independently, you develop critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deep understanding of the subject matter. It allows you to showcase your unique perspective and creativity, fostering intellectual growth. The process of grappling with challenges and finding solutions on your own helps you become a more confident and capable learner.

To ensure the authenticity of your work, teachers may use plagiarism and AI checkers if they suspect the work is not your own. These tools are designed to compare your assignments against a vast database of resources, looking for any similarities or instances of copied content. While it may seem intimidating, the purpose of using plagiarism and AI checkers is to maintain academic integrity and ensure the work you produce is your own so that you get the grade you have earned. Remember, the aim is not to catch you in a mistake, but to encourage originality and honest efforts. Embracing this approach will help you grow academically, gaining the skills and knowledge that will benefit you in the long run.

The BIG Question: Can I use AI in my NCEA assignments?

Answer: Often no, but sometimes, depending on what is being assessed.  Using AI opens you up to a potential academic misconduct or authenticity breach, so it's important to know how and when you can use it and if unclear, to ask your kaiako (teacher). Saying, "I didn't know" will not be a valid excuse.

EXAMPLES:

✅  Before starting an assignment.  It is usually okay (check with your teacher) to use AI before you begin an NCEA assignment to help with things like:

• Brainstorming

• Help understanding difficult concepts

• Suggesting a structure for the assignment

• Narrowing down or broadening a research topic

• Suggesting key words or search terms

❌ During an assignment.  

In most cases once you have started working on your actual NCEA assignment, using AI will result in an authenticity breach, which could then result in a consequence such as gaining Not Achieved. Again, check with your teacher if unsure. 

❌ After finishing an assignment. 

Gaining feedback or critique from AI after you have finished, but before you have handed it in is unsafe and may well result in an authenticity breach.  Using AI to check for spelling, grammar and writing fluency is also unsafe at this point (see below).  You should only use the basic spelling and grammar checkers found in software such as Word and Google docs, nothing that would alter the tone or quality of the writing so that it is no longer in your own words.

❌ Using AI tools to check/improve writing quality

For written assignments, we are assessing your thinking and understanding, so the work needs to be in your own words for us to be able to do this validly. For that reason, using Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, or Microsoft Copilot to check or improve the quality of your writing is not allowed.

❌ Using Quillbot or other paraphrasing tools

Quillbot is a paraphrasing tool. Using it for written NCEA assignments is considered inappropriate use of AI. Your assignment must be your own ideas in your own words. This is because you must demonstrate you understand the ideas and concepts you are writing about.

By using Quillbot, your kaiako has no way of validly assessing the depth and clarity of your own understanding.

❌ ✅ Grammarly

If using Grammarly you can only use the basic tools that check for spelling and grammar.  Grammarly also has AI functionality, that if used, would produce writing that would not be considered your own.

Grammarly tools to avoid:

❌ autocompleting sentences

❌ tone changing tools - getting Grammarly to change the tone and style of your writing to "academic" or "formal" language, for example

❌ any type of paraphrasing tools, including English fluency - remember, the work must be your writing, in your own voice

❌ first draft generation - all drafts must be your own work

❌ Grammarly generative AI tool - this may be used to evaluate your writing, or brainstorm ideas, but it must not be used for creating any content for your assignments

For breaches of the rules, the Principals' Nominee will decide the appropriate course of action in conjunction with the subject teacher and Poutiaki, based upon the evidence provided. 

However, the following will be used as a guideline:

• Minor Breach - accidental plagiarism; these may not result in a consequence but you will be formally warned and an expectation will be in place this will not occur again.

• Major Breach - intentional plagiarism; sharing of work; depending on the severity you may receive a Not Achieved grade or be disqualified from the standard in which case there would be no further assessment opportunity. 

• Severe Breach - serious violation of academic integrity e.g. falsification of documents, hacking into systems, stealing assessments, or repeated major breaches. Potential consequences could include suspension from school leading to a meeting with Board of Trustees to decide on further consequences. This may include being withdrawn from a course or exclusion from school.

For a breach of the rules such as having forbidden technology, communicating with another student or distracting other students during a test or examination, you may receive 'Not Achieved' for all the standards being assessed  and receive no opportunity for further assessment.

A register of all breaches of the rules will be maintained by the Principal's Nominee.

All work should be handed in on time and by the due date set by the subject teacher(s).

If you are planning to be absent, cannot submit an assessment on time, or cannot participate in an in-class test or activity, then you must apply for an extension, using the Missed Assessment Application Form, from your subject teacher(s) as soon as you know that you will be unable to participate, but no later than 48 hours before the assessment due date/time.  For school related trips, you should apply for an extension at least one week in advance. You will need to ensure that you self-manage your workload and time effectively across all subject areas. 

Self-interest leave, like family holidays, travel or part-time employment are not valid reasons to be granted an extension.  Having too many assessments due around the same time is also not a valid reason to be granted an extension.

Any extension is given at the discretion of the Poutiaki/subject-teacher and should be fair to all concerned.

You have the right to appeal any assessment-related decisions and you do not forfeit your right to an appeal by acknowledging the return of your work or by sighting your grade.

Appealing an assessment-related decision includes:

• an awarded grade

• a request for an extension or a new assessment date

• access to a resubmission or further assessment opportunity (if manageable)

• allegation of breaches to the rules.

You should use the following steps in the appeal process

1. Approach your subject teacher(s) and discuss your reasons for wanting to appeal.  You and your subject teacher should attempt to resolve this together.  This should be done within 10 days of the grade being returned.

2. If no resolution is found or you remain unsatisfied with the explanation/decision, then you should formally appeal to the Poutiaki of the subject using the Appeals Application Form.  This should be done within 5 days of the first appeal.

3. Should you still not be satisfied with the explanation/decision, then the appeal is passed onto the Principal's Nominee who will have the work marked by a subject specialist outside of RSHS - this decision of the PN is final.

The Principals' Nominee - not NZQA - is the highest authority for internal assessment matters and has the final say concering all internal assessments.