CANDIDATE SERVICES - CLEARANCES for Educator Preparation/Educator Specialists
Pennsylvania state law requires that all persons who interact with children in schools must have clearances for their field courses. Clearances must be on file with the Office of Candidate Services. At the following link, you will find a list of Courses Requiring Clearances . Clearances are due at the beginning of July for the Fall semester and early January for the Spring semester. Students will be notified of clearance deadlines for Summer and Winter Sessions by email.
Background clearances are valid for one year from date of issue for field courses and cannot turn one year old during a semester. For the Spring 2024 semester, the issue date of your clearances must be on or after May 10, 2023. If you need to apply for clearances, please wait until December 10, 2023 to apply. This way, your clearances will also be valid through the end of the Fall 2025 semester, should you need them.
Spring 2024 Clearance Deadline: January 3, 2024
- How to obtain clearances: Instructions to complete clearance applications
- How to submit clearances: Directions for online submission through MyWCU 9.2
- Important: Choose Chrome or Firefox, clear cache, and restart your computer before submitting clearances
- Release Form required with clearances.
- International student clearance information, please contact Candidate Services at candidateservices@wcupa.edu
- Please see specific information for the three required background clearances and the Tuberculosis (TB) testing, below.
Candidate Services
Wayne Hall, Suite 107
125 W. Rosedale Avenue
West Chester, PA 19383
Fax: 610-436-2874
Kelsey Organ
Associate Director
KOrgan@wcupa.edu
610-436-0042
Judy Mullane
Administrative Assistant
JMullane@wcupa.edu
610-436-0065
TB Testing
It is preferred that the TB Test is no older than 3 months when starting the first field class for a program (not the first field class for the academic year or semester). If you currently have a TB test that is less than a year from the read date, it will be accepted.
- EGP Majors ONLY: The EGP program requires the TB test be renewed for field course EGP322 if two or more years old.
- All Other Majors: No retest is needed until applying for student teaching except in rare cases
Test Administration
- Your primary care physician
- Student Health Services (Commonwealth Hall, Ground Floor 610-436-2509)
- Cost: $34 with charge applied to student account
- Please contact the Student Health Center to make an appointment.
- The Occupational Health Center (915 Old Fern Hill Road, Building A, Suite 3, West Chester, PA 19380 610-738-2450)
- Hours: 7:30-5:00. No appointment necessary. Minimum 30 minute wait. No testing on Thursdays.
- Cost: $22 cash or check
- Some local Pharmacy/Drug Stores
The WCU TB Testing Form is preferred to report the results of your TB test or a letter from your doctor including the date the test was read and the test results.
Note: Some school districts hosting early field students require a TB test issued within the year they begin their school district assignment. School district requirements take precedence over University policy.
TB testing for student teaching must be issued no earlier than one year prior by the last day of the student teaching experience.
PA State Police Criminal Record Check
Online
- Pennsylvania Access to Criminal History
- Cost: $22 by credit/debit
Important: Print the certificate and not just the receipt!
PA Child Abuse History Certification
Online
- PA Child Welfare Information Solution
- Cost: $13 by credit/debit
FBI Fingerprinting Background Check
The only approved fingerprint provider for the State of PA is IdentoGO, effective November 2017. The closest fingerprinting site to campus is 707 E. Gay Street, West Chester (across from the Wawa, located inside AAA).
To enroll, https://uenroll.identogo.com and enter Service Code 1KG6RT to get started (All teacher ed students use this same code to be fingerprinted for PA Department of Education).
- Your payment of $25.25 will be made at the IdentoGo site when fingerprinting via credit
card, business check or money order. Within 72 hours of being fingerprinted, you
will receive an email from status@dev.pasafecheck.identogo.com with a link to access and print the results, one time only. Do not open the link on
your phone. Open the link on a computer with printing capability.
- IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU PRINT AND SAVE THE 2-PAGE UNOFFICIAL COPY! YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A PAPER COPY IN THE MAIL.
Samples
- IdentoGO Email Confirmation Sample
- IdentoGO Receipt for FBI fingerprinting Sample
- FBI Fingerprinting Unofficial Copy for Applicant Use Sample (For Student Use, Do Not Submit to Candidate Services)
OTHER INFORMATION
New: Encrypted Clearance Support Process to Schools
Employed School Professionals
Employed school professionals can be approved for one (1) semester by completing the Employed School Professional Form .
Transformative Principalship Program Employed School Professional Form .
The clearances and TB Test on file with the school or school district of employment must be submitted along with the form above.
Out-of-State students ONLY
Follow the directions to Submit a Fingerprint Card by Mail to IdentoGO at this LINK, Enter your Service Code to get started: 1KG6RT, click GO (all teacher ed students use this same code to be fingerprinted for PDE). Only submit a fingerprint card by mail if you are not able to travel to an IdentoGO fingerprinting enrollment center in Pennsylvania.
University Clearance Policies & Points to Remember
- University policy allows for candidates to be removed from educator preparation/educator specialist field courses if they have not provided clearances for examination and submission before the publicized deadline for a semester.
- In the event you have arrests or convictions on any clearance document, you are required to make an appointment with the Associate Dean for Curriculum and Accreditation in the College of Education to discuss university policy concerning continuation in teacher education and take steps to be cleared for field experiences. You should not report to any field experience site without first meeting with the Associate Dean, College of Education.
- The Office of Candidate Services handles clearances for Educator Preparation and Education Specialist Programs.