College of Education

West Chester University

251 Francis Harvey Green Library
West Chester University
West Chester, PA, 19383
(610) 436-3090

Must be a U.S. Citizen OR hold a permanent resident visa to become certified in PA

Important Clearance Information

The State of Pennsylvania requires that all persons who interact with students in schools must have the following clearances

TB test
PA Criminal Record Check
PA Child Abuse Clearance
FBI Fingerprinting

How to obtain your clearances

TB Testing can be administered by your doctor or Student Health Services, Wayne Hall, 2nd floor on specified dates or by appointment – check with Student Health Services, (610) 436–2509, for that information. Cost: $30 with RAMeCard or Check.

TB Testing can also be obtained at The Occupational Health Center, 915 Old Fern Hill Road, Building A, Suite 3, West Chester, PA 19380, (610) 738–2450, no appointment necessary. Minimum 30 minute wait. Hours: 7:30 – 5:00. Cost: $15 cash or check. No testing on Thursdays.

You can use the attached form 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 your immunization record is not acceptable as proof of the test.

Note: School districts hosting early field students and student teachers want to see a TB Report issued within the year they begin their school district assignment. School district requirements take precedence over University policy. Never retest until after the ‘Date Read’ of any previous TB reports. You do not have to have another TB test for a later field class unless you are placed in an early childhood daycare setting, which requires the TB to be done every two years.

PA Criminal Record Check This clearance is mandatory for all field experience students and student teachers. This clearance is good for ONE YEAR from the date of issue. Cost is $10. This clearance can easily be completed online at https://epatch.state.pa.us/ and paid with a credit card. Make sure you print the certificate and not just the receipt! You also can apply by mailing the form found at: : http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Resources/Documents/Pdf/FillInForms/statepolice-bkgd.pdf

Students must maintain current documents and renew clearances before they expire!

Child Abuse This clearance is mandatory for all field experience students and student teachers. This clearance is good for ONE YEAR from the date of issue. NOTE: The turn-around time for processing this clearance is up to 6 weeks. Cost is a $10 money order payable to Department of Public Welfare. Clearance requests and money order must be mailed to the Department of Public Welfare. The request form can be found at: http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/Resources/Documents/Pdf/FillInForms/DPWchildabuse.pdf You may call
717-783-6211, to check on your application. The office is open 9-11 a.m. and 1-4 p.m..

FBI Fingerprinting Background Check (Fingerprinting must be completed in PA) Before visiting one of the PA fingerprinting sites, register online using debit/credit card or by phone, payment accepted at site using a money order or cashiers check payable to 'Cogent Systems'. The fee for the fingerprinting service is $33. Additionally, when registering, in order to better facilitate your placement with a school district, you must request a paper copy of your fingerprint report. The paper copy fee is $2.50. If you don't receive the report within 3 weeks after getting your fingerprints, call, 717-783-6211, to check on your application. The office is open 9-11 a.m.and 1-4 p.m..

Registration and Information: http://www.pa.cogentid.com

Points to Remember

Keep the originals of your clearances. The Office of Field Placements and Student Teaching does not keep copies of clearances on file.

Provide copies of your clearances to your department, if required.

Please be aware that school districts require students to obtain and possess “current’ Child Abuse, Criminal History, and FBI Fingerprint. “Current” is defined as being issued no earlier than one year prior to the last day of the semester. A TB test should be done within 3 months of the first field and be current at the time of student teaching. School Districts will not accept a TB report that is older (see 'date read' on report) than one year of the student teacher's first day. See the WCU Policy for further explanation.

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 clearance.