Clearances

All College of Education students must follow the College’s standard clearance requirements and submit their updated clearances before any interaction with minors. If registered for courses with field placements that involve minors, clearances must be submitted by the end of the second week of class. Please read this entire page for requirements.

All clearances should be presented in person unless approval is given to send electronically.

Clearances may be presented to the Office of Professional Certification, Iacocca A308.

Questions? Contact inedclr@lehigh.edu and you will receive a response within 48 business hours.

College of Education Clearance Requirements

Per the Pennsylvania Department of Education, all College of Education students who come into contact with children either through field-based or research experience in school settings must obtain and present to the Office of Professional Certification (Iacocca A308) the following up to date (not more than one year old) clearances upon registration for courses that have field placements that involve children:

1. FBI Federal Criminal History Record (Act 114)

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania uses the IdentoGO system for electronic fingerprinting for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) criminal history background checks.

When you go to the IdentoGO site, you will be asked to enter your Service Code.  If you are completing any sort of observations, field work, practicum, internship, or student teaching experiences in a school, you will use the following code:  1KG6RT

**There is a cost to this transaction that you pay to IdentoGo. **

Please check the site for current fingerprint locations and hours.  Because these sites handle more than just fingerprinting, it is strongly recommended that you make an appointment to ensure the best use of your time.

Lehigh’s Parking Services is an approved site for Lehigh students.  If you intend to use that site, enter SP-LHV instead of a zip code in the enrollment center search. No walk-ins will be accepted at that location.

As with the previous process, you will receive a receipt for your transaction and will receive an email in a few weeks with a UEID# and unofficial results.

--> Once you have logged in to see your results, you will have ONE chance to download and save your clearance. <--

You will not receive documentation with official results; the only way to access the official results is for approved entities to run the UEID# electronically.

Please refer to this FAQ for additional information.

2. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Records Check (Act 34)

Request your "New Record Check" through the PATCH system found at https://epatch.pa.gov/home

The Volunteer check is NOT acceptable for school districts and other child serving placements.

3. Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151)

For online requests: https://www.compass.state.pa.us/cwis/public/home You must indicate that you are a "School District Employee."  Although you are not employed by Lehigh or the district you are working in, Lehigh is a covered school entity in this category.  Please review the FAQs on the Compass website for more information.

**There is a cost for this clearance that you must pay to Childline. **

Use this link to complete a paper form through the mail.  Pennsylvania's government has created a website from which you can complete the online application, find the paper copy to mail, or find a listing of FAQs about this important topic.  The website is here.

4. Mantoux Tuberculosis Screening or the results of a chest X-ray

Students may obtain the TB clearance from the University Health Center; however, they no longer do the PPD test. The fee is $75 but can be submitted to insurance for reimbursement. Students who have university student health insurance will have the cost covered completely. The results are available 48 hours after the blood draw. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 610-758-3870. If you choose not to use the health Center, we will need signed documentation from your doctor that indicates the results of your test.

5. Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form (Act 24)

Teacher candidates must complete the PDE-6004 form to have on file in the OPC.  Additionally, schools may request candidates to sign a form for their files.  Form PDE-6004 - Arrest or Conviction Report

After obtaining all 5 clearances, bring your FBI secure registration ID# and all original documents to the OPC (Iacocca A308) so we can make copies for our records, as required by law.

Before students will be permitted to register for any course with a field experience component or initiate a research activity that involves school-based contact with children, they must have updated clearances on file with OPC. If clearances are not current, the student’s registration and/or field placement will be delayed until updated documentation is on file with the OPC. If anything, other than "negative" or "no record exists" is reported on a student's documentation, the exact nature of the reported health or criminal record issue will be reviewed by the OPC Director in accordance with the College of Education Policy on Clearances. Depending on the outcome of that review, the student may not be placed in field or research experiences until all documentation is clear. If any action is needed in response to any clearance check, that action is solely the responsibility of the student, not the College of Education faculty or staff.

It is the student’s responsibility to keep clearance documents current by obtaining annual updates throughout his/her academic program and presenting originals to the OPC upon receipt for verification and copying.

Be sure to store your original clearance documents in a secure location and to always keep them with you when dealing with children. The schools are mandated by PDE to check original clearances for anyone entering the building likely to be in direct contact with children. Lehigh students must have up to date (not more than one year old), original documents available for school administrators upon request during all field assignments. Failure to produce documentation upon request will result in removal from the schools.

The OPC is not permitted to replace lost clearances and will not supply copies on your behalf to the schools.

Decisions to admit students into public school practicum or internship placements are solely the purview of school districts. The department and/or program does not debate the merits of any school district decision in relation to clearance check results. If a student is arrested during his/her field placement or research experience, the Program Director will remove the student from the field placement or research experience pending dispensation of the arrest incident.

* Teacher candidates, Educational Leader candidates and others who are employed by a Pennsylvania school or district may submit the Lehigh University College of Education Clearances Waiver in lieu of presenting individual clearances.  The original document must be on file in the OPC.  The waiver is valid for as long as the teacher candidate is employed by the school or district and until the employer requires updates; however, all field work for courses must be completed at said school/district.  Should there be a situation in which the candidate cannot complete field work in his/her school, the OPC will help to find a placement in another school once all clearances have been updated.  (ex.  Candidates' home district does not offer summer programming compatible with summer course fieldwork.)

If you are employed out of state or in another country and have your current clearances on file with your employer, you may complete this form and return it to the OPC for review.