Educator candidates must successfully complete all steps of the clearance process before they can work at a school or community agency. It is solely the responsibility of the educator candidate, including certification candidates and BES students, to correctly follow the instructions that are outlined below.
Step 1: FCSR Background Check
You are required to go to the Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR) website to complete your registration online.
- You will pay $15.55 for a lifetime registration and will receive your background checks via email to the email address you provide.
- Checks must be within one calendar year to be considered valid.
- Although you obtain lifetime membership, you are required to request a new check YEARLY by calling 1-866-422-6872.
- By law, no outside background checks will be accepted. Your background check must come from the FCSR.
- If, and only if, your background check shows a disparaging history, you will be required to meet with the Senior Director of Clinical Experiences, Stephanie Koscielski, and you will also be required to secure a Substitute Certificate from DESE at this point in the program, which will require an FBI fingerprint check. In this situation, you will not be permitted to enroll in further courses until the Initial Content Substitute Certification is secured via dese.mo.gov and uploaded to MyCOE.
Family Care Safety Registry
Step 2: TB Test Results
You are required to get a TB test, which can be administered by the University Health Services in the MSC, Walgreens Take Care Clinics, the Department of Public Health, or by your physician.
- You must provide negative TB test results.
- As with FCSR background checks, the results are considered invalid after one calendar year.
- The test will be administered and must be read by the physician 48-72 hours after being administered, so plan your visit accordingly.
- If your TB test results are positive, you will need to follow the physician's instructions as well as provide a chest X-Ray.
- If you get TB test results from UMSL's University Health Services, be sure to scan and submit both pages of the 2-page document.
University Health Services