Background Check
Georgia State Law requires that teachers undergo a criminal background check prior to employment. The College of Education at Georgia Southern University operates in accordance with the law and in response to the desire of school systems to have criminal background checks on teacher candidates participating in field experiences in schools. For purposes of Georgia Southern University, every student identified below must complete a criminal background check through CastleBranch.com:
- Students registered for Pre-Professional Block Practicum. Students will be informed of the background check requirement for PPB during advisement the semester prior to enrollment in PPB. Students may begin the background check at that time, but not later than the first Friday of classes during the semester enrolled in PPB. Any exceptions to this deadline due to financial aid distribution must be approved by the PPB Coordinator via email.
Background Check Fees:
- Initial Background Check – $33.00 (out-of-state residents will have on additional county check completed at an additional $13.50 fee) – package code GE00
- Recheck – $15.00 – package code GE00R
Complete the following steps for a criminal background check:
- Go to CastleBranch.com and click on Place Order.
- In the package code box, enter the Georgia Southern package code GE00 or GE00R
- Select a method of payment.
- Complete the background check on-line by the first Friday of classes.
- Complete the CastleBranch release form by providing a digital signature.
- As part of the process, you will also be required to sign the Criminal Background Check Disclosure Form. This form will be signed during PPB orientation or as part of the student teaching application process. The form will allow the PPB Coordinator in the Office of Undergraduate Teacher Education to review the results of the background check.
The PPB Coordinator will notify the student of a negative finding and may request a meeting to discuss the situation and the impact it could have on field placements. The background check information will be shared with any school system which is asked to host a field experience for the student. The decision to accept the student for field placement will be at the sole discretion of the school. The PPB Coordinator will make up to three attempts to identify a school willing to host the student with negative findings for a field experience. Please be aware if a criminal background check (or recheck) shows that you have a felony charge that is pending, you must resolve it prior to receiving a field placement.
Additional Placement Guidelines and Candidate Expectations
Ensuring Professional Readiness and Program Integrity
To support a high-quality clinical experience, Georgia Southern’s teacher preparation programs outline clear expectations around placement diversity, enrollment limits, employment eligibility, accessibility accommodations, and intervention protocols. These policies help ensure candidates are prepared, supported, and held to the professional standards of the teaching field.
Placement Experience Diversity
Teacher candidates typically will not return to a school where they have previously been placed.
Exception: Year-long senior placements may occur at the same school.
Clinical Practice Enrollment Limits
Exception: Enrollment in TCLD 4235 and/or COED 3160 may exceed this limit.
Candidates may enroll in a maximum of 12 credit hours during their clinical practice semester.
Teacher of Record Requirements (MAT Candidates)
MAT candidates may only accept employment in a Georgia school that meets GaPSC rule 505-3-.01, section 4 (iv).
If hired as a Teacher of Record, candidates must:
- Teach full-time
- Teach in the content area of the certification they are pursuing
- Continue teaching in this content area during their clinical practice/internship semester
Accessibility & Accommodations
All candidates must demonstrate the ability to meet, with or without accommodations, the professional standards and expectations of the teaching field.
Candidates needing accommodations must consult with the Student Accessibility Resource Center (SARC) in the semester prior to their field experience.
Withdrawal & Removal
- Withdrawing for any reason—without penalty, while failing, or at the recommendation of faculty—will count as one (1) attempt at that field experience.
- If school personnel request a candidate’s removal for performance or professionalism, the placement will end immediately.
- A new placement will rarely be assigned until the following semester.
Intervention
Should Problems Arise
If problems arise for a Georgia Southern teacher candidate in the field experience or clinical practice experience, the school contact person should be informed as well as the university supervisor. If the university supervisor is unavailable, the department chair or director of field experiences and clinical practice should be contacted.
- Candidates are allowed a maximum of two (2) Professional Support Plans (A/B) (each for different areas of difficulty) per field experience or clinical practice.
- Candidates are allowed a maximum of one (1) Probationary Status per field experience or clinical practice.
- Candidates may repeat each field experience or clinical practice one (1) time.
- Withdrawing without academic penalty, withdrawing failing, or withdrawing at the recommendation of the program faculty from a field experience or clinical practice will be considered one (1) attempt at that field experience.
- When school personnel request that candidates be removed from the school for performance or professional reasons the placement will end immediately. A new field placement will rarely be identified until the following semester.
- In very rare situations an extension of a pre-student teaching or internship field experience (maximum of two weeks) may occur at the recommendation of the program coordinator and upon approval of the department chair.
- In very rare situations an extension of the student teaching experience or internship experience (maximum of three weeks) may occur at the recommendation of the Program Coordinator and upon approval of the department chair.
- When school personnel request that candidates be removed from the school for performance or professional reasons, a new field placement will rarely be identified until the following semester.
Appeal Process
Initial Teacher Preparation
Appeal Process – Failure to Complete Field Experience
The evaluation of the quality of a teacher candidate’s performance in a field experience is the prerogative of the university and clinical supervisors working in collaboration to guide the teacher candidate’s development in meeting standards and expectations of the program and teaching profession. If a teacher candidate does not agree with the outcome of the intervention process, the candidate may initiate an appeal process. It is the candidate’s responsibility to begin this process within three business days of the intervention meeting. The stages of the appeal process are as follows:
A teacher candidate must submit a written appeal via email to the university supervisor providing additional information and documentation to support the request that the decision be reviewed. The university supervisor in collaboration with the program coordinator will review the written appeal and provide the candidate with a written response within five business days. Teacher candidates are strongly encouraged to keep a copy of the written appeal for their records.
If the teacher candidate is not satisfied after the review by the university supervisor, the candidate must submit a copy of the written appeal to the department chair within three business days of the decision from the university supervisor. At this stage, the candidate must include all written communication and intervention documentation for the chair to review. The chair will consult with the instructor and other persons who have relevant information.
If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the departmental level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate must submit the written appeal, all communication from the university supervisor and department chair, and all intervention documents to the associate dean for initial educator preparation and assessment within three business days. The associate dean will examine the appeal and all documents provided by the teacher candidate. In an attempt to resolve the appeal, the associate dean may consult with the student, university supervisor, department chair, and director of field experiences. The associate dean will provide the candidate with a written response within five business days.
If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the associate dean level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate must submit the written appeal, all communication from the university supervisor, department chair, associate dean, and all intervention documents to the dean of college within three business days. The dean will examine the appeal and all documents provided by the teacher candidate. In an attempt to resolve the appeal, the dean may consult with the student, university supervisor, department chair, associate dean, and director of field experiences. The dean will provide the candidate with a written response within five business days.
If all efforts to resolve the appeal at the college level are unsuccessful, the teacher candidate may submit the written appeal to the Provost. The Provost will examine the appeal and other pertinent materials submitted by the student. The Provost will render a final university decision.