University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Teacher Education Program

Required Clearances

When students enroll in the first education course with a field experience, they must submit copies of the required clearances to Jody Randolph in 152 Swarts Hall. The three required clearances are: PA Child Abuse Clearance, PA State Police Criminal Record Check, and the FBI Federal Criminal History Record. The FBI clearance must be obtained through the PA Department of Education's mandated system. Students must keep originals of all clearances so they are available when requested by school district personnel. According to the PA Department of Education, students who are working in schools as part of required field experiences are NOT considered to be volunteers. Do not select volunteer as an option when applying for your clearances.

The PA Child Abuse clearance can be obtained online at this site https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis. An account will have to be created, and the $13 payment can be made online. When you are asked to select the reason for the clearance, choose "School Employee Governed by Public School Code 111." Often times, the clearance can be printed quickly.

To obtain the PA State Police Clearance go to this site https://epatch.pa.gov/home and click on "Submit a New Record Check." The cost for this clearance is $22.

The FBI clearance must be obtained through IDEMIA. Go to this link to register: https://www.identogo.com/locations/pennsylvania. Once you get to the page, click on "Digital Fingerprinting." After you get to the next page, you can enter 1KG6RT as the service code, then click on GO. Fingerprinting can be done at The Guidance Center, 110 Campus Drive in Bradford, but you must register first. The cost for this clearance is $25.25, and payment is made at the time of fingerprinting.

As long as you are continuously enrolled in courses at Pitt-Bradford, you will not need to renew your clearances unless they become more than five years old. If you are not enrolled in classes at Pitt-Bradford for two or more consecutive semesters, you will be required to submit new clearances upon return to the Education Program. Please note this is Pitt-Bradford's policy. However, some school districts may request updated clearances for field placements in their buildings.

Please contact Ms. Randolph if you have any questions about applying for clearances.

 

 

Pitt-Bradford Academic Programs


"I feel that the Education Program at Pitt-Bradford did an excellent job preparing me for my career. I regularly reference things that I learned at Pitt at work."
Nick McIntire, '16
First Grade Teacher
Coudersport Area Elementary School
Coudersport, PA

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