Below you will find information on how to obtain required background clearances and trainings.

Act 34 Clearance - Criminal Record Check Clearance
P.A.T.C.H. Website

Effective January 1, 1986, all Pennsylvania residents must submit with their employment application a copy of a report of "Criminal History Record Information" from the Pennsylvania State Police or a statement from the Pennsylvania State Police  that the State Police central repository contains no such information.  Out-of-State applicants must submit with their application for employment a copy of a federal criminal record report from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.  The criminal record report must be no more than five (5) years old and upon hiring, the applicant must submit the original report.  Click on the "P.A.T.C.H. Website" link above to access the Act 34 Criminal History application website.

Act 114 Clearance - FBI Federal Criminal History Record Requirement
IdentoGo Website

Act 114 of 2006, Section 111 of the Public School Code was amended effective April 1, 2007.  All student teachers (participating in classroom teaching, internships, clinical or field experience) and prospective employees (including but not limited to administrators, teachers, substitutes, janitors, cafeteria workers, office employees) of public and private schools, Intermediate Units and area vocational-technical schools, including independent contractors and their employees and bus drivers, who have direct contact with children, must provide to their employer a copy of their Federal Criminal History Record that cannot be more than five (5) years old.  Click the "IdentoGo Website" link above to access the FBI Fingerprinting Clearance registration website.  *Use Service Code 1KG6XN (School District Employment) or 1KG6ZJ (Volunteer Position).

Act 151 Clearance - Child Abuse History Clearance
Child Abuse Clearance Website

Effective July 1, 1995, all Pennsylvania residents must submit with their employment application a copy of a report of "Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance" from the Pennsylvania Department of Welfare.  The child abuse report must be no more than five (5) years old and upon hiring, the applicant must submit the original report.  Click the "Child Abuse Clearance Website" link above to access the Act 151 Child Abuse Clearance website.  *If new to the site you will need to create an "Individual Account".

Act 126/Act 31 Requirement - Mandated Reporter Training
Mandated Reporter Training Website

All prospective employees, student teachers, volunteers must complete the three (3) hour mandated reporter training and they must provide a copy of their training certificate to their employer that cannot be more than five (5) years old.  Click the "Mandated Reporter Training Website" link above to access the University of Pittsburgh's free web-training for Act 126/Act 31 Mandated Child Abuse Training for school employees.

Act 168 Requirement - Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release (only needed when applying for a paid position.  Volunteers do not need to complete this form.)
Act 168 Form (editable) 

A school entity or an independent contractor (collectively referred to herein as "hiring entity") may not hire any applicant for a position in which the employee will have direct contact with children until the school entity has complied with the employment history review process delineated in Act 168 (24 P.S. § 1-111.1)

A hiring entity must require an applicant for any position in which there is direct contact with children to complete Section 1 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release form for all employers that fall within the following categories:

• The applicant's current employer (regardless of whether the employer was a school entity and/or where the applicant had direct contact with children);
• All former employers of the applicant that were school entities; and
• All former employers where the applicant was employed in a position where he or she had direct contact with children.

Note that the applicant must fill out a separate Sexual Misconduct/Abuse Disclosure Release form for each employer that falls within the above listed categories.  The applicant is not required, however, to disclose current or previous volunteer positions.  Under Act 168, the hiring entity is prohibited from hiring an applicant for a position involving direct contact with children unless the applicant provides the required information on the form and consent.