The swift transition to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a reevaluation of academic integrity within digital assessments. This study investigates the pivotal role of educational leaders in preserving academic integrity during online assessments in Sharjah, UAE, focusing on policy formulation and implementation discrepancies. The research adopted a mixed-methods design to examine the credibility of online assessments in five private American curriculum schools in Sharjah, through surveys and interviews with 30 educational leaders and analysis of policy documents. Quantitative data was collected using a Likert scale survey focused on leaders’ perspectives on online assessment credibility, their role in policy implementation, and recommendations for improvements, while qualitative data came from semi-structured interviews addressing online assessment practices and policies. A document analysis of the schools’ assessment policies was then conducted to identify gaps between current practices and best practices as reflected in the literature and leader insights. The findings reveal significant gaps between existing assessment policies and their implementation, highlighting the outdated nature of many policies that failed to accommodate the nuances of online education introduced by the pandemic. Educational leaders were found to exert a critical influence on the maintenance of integrity, yet the effective alignment of policy with practice remains inconsistent. This research underscores the need for continuous policy evaluation and adaptation to technological advancements, and for fostering an ethical educational environment that actively discourages academic dishonesty. Recommendations for future research include expanding the geographical and demographic scope to enhance generalizability and delving deeper into the collaborative roles of different educational stakeholders in policy implementation.
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