Field experience clearances | Messiah, a private Christian University in PA

Clearances

All graduate students enrolled in field experiences that include regular visits to public schools must process the three clearances mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Students will need to be pro-active in applying for these clearances in a timely fashion to ensure they are cleared by the Graduate Program in Education office prior to the first day scheduled in the school.

ALL Students participating in any field experience MUST SECURE:

These clearances must be:

Processed within three months of the student’s start date in the program, OR
Less than a year old from the student’s start date in the program and accompanied by an email from the student’s place of employment indicating uninterrupted work for the duration of time since the processing of the clearances, OR
If the student will complete all of the required field experiences in his/her current school district, security clearances greater than one year old will be accepted if they are supplemented by an email from the director of human resources at the school district where the student is employed indicating that the student’s clearances are currently valid and will remain valid for the duration of the student’s time in the program.

Students will also need to provide evidence of a recent TB test. Generally, a TB test within the past year is accepted, but some districts require the test be within the past three months. Tuberculin skin testing is offered through the Engle Center for a fee.

Follow the step by step directions below to ensure that you have processed your clearances correctly.

Request for criminal background check

Have a credit card ready, and click the link above for this clearance. NOTE: Pay special attention to the browsers supported on this link before processing. Safari is NOT supported, and this can cause problems with processing.
Choose Submit a New Record Check: Reason for Request - Employment (we cannonot accept volunteer clearances)
Complete the information requested and click Next
Verify, then click Proceed.
Enter your personal information again and click Enter the Request, then Finished.
Submit and enter your credit card information, then Next
Click on the hyperlink for the control number.
Click on Certification Form. You will only be permitted to access and print this one time.
Save the certification form to your computer and email a copy to bboone@messiah.edu.
If processing is delayed, call the number on the clearance website.

PA Child abuse history clearance

Click the link above to create your account. Once you have created the account, you will receive an email with your username and a second email with your password.
Copy your password from the email and select the link for: Child Welfare Portal. Choose Login. Access my clearances.
Enter your username and password. You will change your password in the next screen. Login with the new password. Accept the terms at the bottom of the next two screens and Create Clearance Application.
Application Purpose: School Employee governed by public school code
Work through the screens, as you complete the form and enter your credit card information.
After you have submitted your information and ended your session, you should receive an email to let you know when results are ready. You will need to log back into the portal, so be sure to remember the login and password you need for this. Print a copy to pdf to submit to bboone @messiah.edu and to save on your computer.
Contact number if processing is delayed (over 2 weeks) - 717-783-6211

FBI background check

Pre-registration is required before going to the fingerprinting site. In most cases, you will need to make an appointment for the fingerprinting.
Click on the link above. When prompted for a service code, enter 1KG6RT.
When you are succesfully registered, you will take your registration information to a registered site. The closest site to campus is the one on the Carlisle Pike in Mechanicsburg. See the website above for the full address.
Email the UEID to bboone@messiah.edu to allow TEP to check your results.
You will receive an email with a link to access the results. You will only be able to access results one time. If you neglect to save and print the first time you click on the results, you can use the UEID as evidence of your clearance. Note that you will only receive the unofficial copy of the results, and this is what you should use for evidence of your clearance. You may also simply provide the UEID, and the school will look up results.