Background checks for individuals working with minors are mandated by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in Act 24 of 2011, Act 34 of 1985, and Act 114 and Act 151 of 2006.   Compliance with the following Temple University College of Education and Human Development (CEHD) Policies and Practices is required for any and all students completing fieldwork as a course requirement. 

Please review the full clearance policy here: CEHD Clearance Policy (PDF)

Clearances Requirement

The College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)’s Clearances Policy requires that all students enrolled in CEHD courses with fieldwork submit annual documentation of updated clearances to the College each summer, by July 1st, via its online platform, EdPortal.  For the majority of students taking CEHD courses with fieldwork, this means that all four clearances must be renewed and submitted each year by July 1st.  

Four required clearances

1. Pennsylvania State Police Criminal History Record (Act 34),

2. Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Child Abuse History Clearance (Act 151),

3. Federal Criminal History Background Check (FBI/fingerprint check) (Act 114), and

4. P.P.D. (TB) Test (School Health regulations, 28 PA Code, Section 23.44).

For detailed information about these requirements, refer to the Pennsylvania Department of Education website. 

Who needs clearances?

All undergraduate, graduate, and non-matriculated students who will be enrolled in any CEHD course requiring fieldwork during the academic year, including students who received approval to complete fieldwork / field projects with minors at a site in which they are currently employed full-time (see On-the-Job Fieldwork below). 

A list of current College of Education and Human Development courses that require fieldwork, and therefore, clearances, can be found online.

Consequences for Not Having Updated Clearances

After students submit their clearance documentation on EdPortal, they will be reviewed by Office of Field Experiences staff and marked as “CLEARED” or “OTJ CLEARED” (on-the-job) when accepted as complete. Students must have the note of “CLEARED” or “OTJ CLEARED” next to all four of their clearances.  Students without “CLEARED”  or “OTJ CLEARED” status are prohibited from engaging in fieldwork until their clearance documentation is approved.

• Not having required clearance documentation uploaded on EdPortal and approved by either the Office of Field Placement or graduate program faculty by the applicable semester’s deadline (i.e. “CLEARED” status on EdPortal) will prevent a student from beginning any field hours or field-based assignments for a course.  This requirement applies to in-person clinical work and remote fieldwork, synchronous or asynchronous.
• Any coursework (e.g., field observations of classrooms) that is not completed due to lack of clearance renewal or verification cannot be made up or submitted late. A grade of zero (0) will be given for these assignments.  The instructor will provide the list of field-related assignments that will be impacted by this policy.
• Students who do not complete 100% of the field component cannot earn a grade higher than a B-in that course.  Students who do not complete a minimum of 75% of the field component will receive an F for the course.
• Students who engage in fieldwork without approved clearances will not receive credit for that fieldwork in the course, will possibly fail the course, and will be subject to disciplinary action by the College of Education and Human Development for lack of professionalism.
• If updated clearances or a verification letter are not uploaded to EdPortal prior to registration, students will not be able to enroll in courses that require fieldwork. If clearances are up-to-date at the time of registration, but not renewed by the summer deadline, the student may be dropped from courses with fieldwork. 

Please review the full clearance policy here: CEHD Clearance Policy (PDF)

Process for Obtaining Required Clearances

Below are further details on obtaining the necessary clearances for fieldwork. Please select the relevant section to learn about the next steps in the clearance process.