Policy on Criminal Background Checks for EDUC courses

All students enrolling in an EDUC course must adhere to the following steps regarding a criminal background check in order to be assigned a field experience placement. 

1.      Complete and sign a Criminal Record Disclosure Form.    This completed form gives the student the opportunity to make an unspecific disclosure acknowledging that charges and/or convictions are present on the student’s criminal background check.  The Criminal Record Disclosure Form also gives the field experience coordinator permission to review each student’s criminal background check once it has been submitted by the student.

2.      Obtain a certified criminal background check from a local law enforcement agency.

3.      Submit the background check to the field experience coordinator. Each background check will be screened to verify that each record is clear of Crimes of Moral Turpitude as required and outlined by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.  Following screening and approval, the field experience coordinator will secure a field experience placement for each student.

***If the Student DOES Have Charges or Convictions***

Any student who has been convicted of or charged and awaiting a hearing for a Crime of Moral Turpitude will be responsible for securing his/her own placement.

4.      Go to the principal of the school and make a full disclosure of his/her criminal background check. 

5.      Have the principal complete and sign the “Permission to Observe” form.

6.      Return the completed form to the field experience coordinator before observations begin.

In the event that the student DOES have charges or convictions and does not wish to reveal his/her record to the field experience coordinator, he/she may sign the Criminal Record Disclosure Form stating that he/she DOES have convictions on his/her record and will secure his/her own placement by following the procedures above.