POLICY APPROVED BY PEC 3/16/11
The Educational Field Experiences office currently collects clearance documentation on over 1,500 students completing practicum and student teaching experiences each semester. To comply with both Missouri State and school district requirements, our office requires all students provide documentation to show completion of all required clearances before the student enters the classroom.
What is required?
The College of Education requires all students to register with the Family Care and Safety Registry (FCSR) starting with their first practicum course. The Educational Field Experiences Office then runs a current background check through FCSR each semester a student is enrolled in a practicum consisting of 30 or less clock hours. Therefore, the FCSR check is only valid for one semester. Students must provide verification of their FCSR registration to the Educational Field Experiences Office in Hill 200 before their first practicum experience begins.
All students in practicums and student teaching must provide verification to our office of the following:
- Registration with the Family Care and Safety Registry (one-time registration)
- Verification of current Professional Liability Insurance (must be renewed each academic year)
- Current negative TB Skin Test Results (valid for one year from date of test)
To verify compliance of these clearances, students must bring copies to our office in Hill 213H, email verifications to jdreinert@missouristate.edu, or fax copies to 417-836-5008. Failure to complete these items well before the beginning of your practicum or student teaching will result in delay or cancellation of the placement.
Students in practicums of more than 30 hours and all student teachers must complete the following:
FBI Background Check: This is ONLY required for students in practicums of more than 30 clock hours. The following PRACTICUM courses require FBI fingerprinting. In addition, ALL student teachers are required to have the fingerprinting done. This is required even if you are currently working on a Provisional, Temporary or Substitute Certificate, or if you are working as a Teacher's Aide. The results of the FBI Background check are valid for one year. Your results (clearance date) are reported on your DESE profile; please email jdreinert@missouristate.edu when your results appear in your profile. The results must be valid during the entire practicum or student teaching experience. A complete list of courses that require FBI fingerprinting is found HERE.
What if there is a "Hit" on my Background Check?
The Student Services Office receives a copy of all Family Care and Safety Registry Background checks, and a copy of all FBI Background checks. Occasionally, we receive a background check that indicates a student has a prior criminal record. When this occurs, the student will not be allowed to enter the classroom and the following process will be initiated. (Please note: The process completed in the Student Services Office is completely independent of any process required by the department of the student's major. In some cases, a student may need to also complete a separate process with the academic department of their major.)
For "Minor" Violations:
Students who have a minor violation on their record (to be determined by the Student Services Staff in conjunction with DESE guidelines) will be contacted and notified that they must meet with the Department Head and/or Program Coordinator prior to entering a public or private school classroom in a practicum or student teaching experience. All hits will be reported to the appropriate program coordinator. Hits involving Secondary/K-12 students may also be reported to the Secondary Education Director. The item(s) identified on the background check will be discussed, and if the Coordinator is satisfied that the situation has been resolved the student will then be allowed to enter the classroom. If not, the student will be referred to the process below for "major" violations.
After the meeting, the academic department of the student's major will be notified that there was a "hit" on the background check and one of the following will occur:
- The student has resolved the issue to the satisfaction of the department and will be allowed to complete their practicum or student teaching experience. The department will notify the Coordinator of Educational Field Experiences of the resolution and provide additional information as needed.
- The student did not resolve the issue to our satisfaction and will be required to follow the process below for "major violations".
For "Major" Violations:
Students who have a major violation on their record (examples: Any felony, certain drug charges, any violation involving children) will be required to complete the following process and will not be allowed to enter a public or private school classroom until completing the process and receiving "pre-approval" from DESE. This process may delay the student's ability to complete a practicum or student teaching by a full semester. Therefore, students who know they will have a major violation on their background check should initiate this process PRIOR to the semester they will be in a field experience. More information regarding offenses that may prevent a student from becoming certified can be found at this DESE website: http://www.dese.mo.gov/schoollaw/rulesregs/80800300.htm
- STEP 1: Notification.
- The student will be notified by the Student Services Office that there is a "Major Violation" identified on the background check. The student will also be notified that he/she will not be allowed to enter a classroom in a practicum or student teaching setting until the issue has been resolved.
- The School District will be notified that the practicum or student teaching experience has been "put on hold" pending further review. No other information will be shared with the school district.
- The academic department of the student's major will be notified that we have received a background check containing a "major violation", and they will be included in the rest of the review process below.
- STEP 2: Meeting with Student Services and Department.
- If the student has completed the Family Care and Safety Registry (FCSR) background check, they will be required to also complete the FBI Background check (see link above). This is necessary for the DESE Petition.
- The student will be required to meet with the Department Head and/or the Program Coordinator and the Director of Student Services. This will typically be the Department Head or Program Coordinator. At that meeting, the issue will be discussed.
- Once the student or Student Services Office has received notification from DESE (typically 2-4 weeks, but can be longer if additional information is required), the academic department will review the DESE findings and determine if the student will be allowed to enter the classroom. If DESE does not approve the Petition, the student will no longer be allowed to pursue Teacher Certification at Missouri State. If DESE does approve the petition, the academic department must still grant approval before the student is allowed to enter a public or private school in a practicum or student teaching experience. The academic department will notify the Director of Student Services of the decision made.
- STEP 3: Follow-Up Notification and Documentation
- The student will be officially notified in writing regarding their status by the academic department. A copy of that notification will also be sent to the academic department of the student's major and will be stored electronically in the Student Services Office.
- All documentation regarding this process will be permanently stored electronically in the COE - Student Services Office. A copy of all documentation will be made available to the academic department of the student's major upon request.