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This process applies to all Employees, Prospective Employees, Sub-Contracted Individuals, Interns, and Student Teachers (Child Protective Services Law/Act 153) 

Under Act 153 of 2014 all school employees and volunteers are required to obtain background checks on a periodic basis. Clearances must be submitted prior to the commencement of employment or service. Effective immediately, clearances must be obtained and renewed on a five (5) year cycle/sixty (60) month cycle. Links and instructions for obtaining the clearances are below. 

Current Fees for employees to obtain clearances are as follows: 

• PA Child Abuse History Clearance  $13.00
• PA State Criminal Check   $22.00
• FBI Criminal Background Check  $26.20
   

PA Child Abuse History Clearance/Act 151 

•  Visit Child Welfare Portal
• Select “create individual account” – follow steps to create Keystone ID and password
• Select “create clearance application”
• Be prepared to provide the names of all individuals with whom you have lived with since 1975. (ex. parents, guardians, siblings, spouses, children, etc.)
• Select “school employee governed by public school code” under purpose
• After payment and completion of application you will be granted online access to your clearance within two weeks.  You will be notified via e-mail when the result is available.
• Save Keystone ID and password for future use. This site is also used for Child Line referrals and future clearance renewals.
   

PA State Criminal Check/Act 34

• Visit Pennsylvania Access To Criminal History
• Select “submit a new record check”
• Select “individual request” – reason for request is employment
• After payment and completion of request, you will be granted immediate access to your record check result.
• Click on link to open and print official report with PA state seal in the background.
   

FBI Criminal Background Check/Act 114

• Visit IdentoGO
• Enter PA Department of Education service code - 1KG6XN
• Select “schedule or manage appointment”
• Complete personal information and select identity document for enrollment
• Select location for appointment
• Choose appointment time or register as a walk in
• Payment is collected at fingerprinting site (major credit cards, money orders or cashier’s check)
• After you are fingerprinted you will receive a receipt containing a “UEID” number.  Please provide this number to HR as it will be used to obtain the fingerprinting result.  
   

Please contact Human Resources with any questions or concerns at 717-252-1555, press 9

Level I Pennsylvania Instructional and Educational Specialist (temporary/provisional) certifications are valid for six (6) years of service, not calendar years. If you have been working in Pennsylvania on a Level I (Education Specialist or Instructional) certificate for 3-6 years of satisfactory service, completed an Induction Program and have earned 24 post-baccalaureate credits, you may apply for a Level II certificate through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS).

Conditions for Eligibility:

• 24 Post bachelor’s degree Credits: A minimum of six of the credits must be related to your certification area(s) and/or designed to enhance professional practice.
• Creditable Service: You must have at least three years of creditable service on your Level I certificate.
• Evaluations: Completed 6 Semi-Annual Evaluations and received a satisfactory rating on each. Three years of satisfactory service.
• Induction Program: Completion of a PDE induction program, verified by the chief school administrator of your employing entity.
   

Validity of Level I Certifications:
Level I Pennsylvania Instructional and Educational Specialist certifications are valid for six years of service, not calendar years. A ‘service year’ is defined as a year in which you were employed as an educator in one of the following settings:

• Public schools;
• Intermediate units;
• Career and technical schools;
• Approved private schools for special education (APS);
• Special program jointures;
• Pre-K Counts programs (effective 2008-2009 school year);
• Scranton State School for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children;
• State correctional facilities when providing inmate education and training to school age inmates;
• Juvenile correctional facilities or county jails (when employed by a public-school entity);
• Local education agency (LEA) alternative education programs including after school program alternative education programs where the students receive credit for coursework;
• A charter school as a principal, assistant principal, or vice principal;
• A charter school in any special education certificate area: speech-language, visually impaired, hearing impaired, general special education, supervisory.
• A charter school in related services positions as defined by IDEA which includes the position of school psychologist, school nurse, school counselor, school social worker and education specialist speech and language pathologist.
   

The specific requirements for Level II certification can be found on:

• Certification Staffing Policy Guideline 7 - Level II (Permanent) Certification 
   

Applying for Level II:
To apply for Level II certification, please follow these steps through the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS):

1. Complete the Online Application: Log in to TIMS, complete your application, and pay the required fee.
2. Submit Required Documentation: Send any necessary documents, such as official transcripts, directly to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). If the college/university has the capability to send electronic transcripts, the college/university should send official transcripts to ra-teachercert@pa.gov
3. Supervisor Assessment: Ask your supervisor to complete the PDE 427 Level I to Level II Summative Evaluation Form and submit it to Human Resources. You can find this form on the PDE Website here.
4. Human Resources Processing: Once Human Resources receives the completed and signed PDE 427 Level I to Level II Summative Evaluation Form, they will verify your work history in TIMS and forward your application to PDE for processing.
5. Notification: After your certification is issued, please contact Mrs. Carla Myers, Director of Human Resources (cmyers@easternyork.net) to inform us so we can update your personnel file or the district HR that you work for. Please note that PDE does not notify us directly.
    

For further assistance, please refer to the following resources:

• Video Tutorial: Converting Your Level I Certificate to Level II (YouTube)
• Career and Technical Certification
• Frequently Asked Questions
• How to Submit a Level II Application