Clearances
Students are required to submit originals of their current clearances (Acts 48 and 151) when they apply for admission to IUP's Teacher Education Program at the end of the sophomore year and when they apply (at the end of the junior year) for the Professional Sequence II field placement and their student teaching placement. Clearances are only good for one year, and school districts will not accept students who do not possess current clearances.
Act 34: Criminal Record Check
Act 34 is the criminal record check acquired through the Pennsylvania State Police Repository for in-state residents. For out-of-state residents, an FBI clearance is required. Act 34 criminal offenses are those which involve doing something against someone else, i.e. assault, sexual molestation, rape, etc. There are eighteen crimes listed for Act 34. However, an Act 34 check will yield a complete RAP sheet on the person. Thus, DUI may show up if the person was fingerprinted and if the local police department forwarded the offense to the State Police Repository. Any criminal charge or conviction beyond a minor traffic violation may be enough to keep a person from being certified as a teacher.
The Act 34 Criminal Record Check may be completed on line at the Pennsylvania State Police website. Click on the Criminal History Request button. You’ll need a credit card for the $10 fee. At the end of the process, be sure to print a copy of the verified clearance. This page will have a state seal in the background.
Refer to the Student Affairs for information regarding violations.
Act 151: Child Abuse Clearance
Act 151 is the Child Abuse Clearance acquired through the Department of Welfare in Harrisburg. These clearances are good for only one year from the time they were dated and issued. This clearance must still be submitted by mail, and can take as long as a month to be returned to you. Forms are available at the CCAC/IUP Collaborative Elementary Education Program office in SSC 173.
Act 114: FBI Fingerprinting
Act 114 is the Federal Criminal History Check. Students must register online for this screening through Cogent Systems and follow the directions given. This clearance is good for the entire college career as long as the student is continuously enrolled (taking classes every Fall and Spring semester) at the same college or university. Any incident for which the student was fingerprinted may be included in this report. Charges or convictions beyond a minor traffic violation may create complications for field-experience placements and certification and should be reported to the College of Education and Educational Technology.
TB Test
Pennsylvania state law requires that all who work in a school setting must pass a tuberculosis test. No student will be permitted to enroll into the Teacher Education Program without completing this requirement. A TB test may be obtained free of charge at the Allegheny County Health Department, 3441 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412-578-8060).
Speech and Hearing Screening
In order to teach effectively, an educator must be able to communicate and thus must possess intelligible speech and adequate auditory ability. The screenings are required before students may be admitted into the Teacher Certification Program. The IUP Speech and Hearing Clinic offers free speech and hearing screenings at the CCAC Allegheny campus.
