Fingerprint Verification

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All Education and TESOL students required to complete classroom or fieldwork hours in a New York City Public School must self-register with the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS), a database specifically for LaGuardia Community College students and complete a background check, including the completion of fingerprinted by the NYCDOE before starting an education course requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours.


Field Experience & Fingerprint Requirements

All Education and TESOL students must complete and submit the three documents linked below in which they start the first course with required classroom observation or fieldwork hours. Please note that the forms listed below require an email address before they can be accessed. DO NOT USE your LaGuardia email, instead, use your CUNYFirst login credentials, e.g. username@login.cuny.edu.

  1. Complete this mandatory online field experience training
  2. Complete this fingerprint and background verification agreement form
  3. Submit a letter of employment (see sample in mandatory training)  to this employment verification form OR a screenshot showing completion of a background check and fingerprint clearance to this Fingerprint and Verification Confirmation Form.


Failure to complete these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours.
See Fingerprint Clearance Requirement below for specific information for providing proof of completing a fingerprint and background check by the NYCDOE.


Fingerprint Clearance Requirement

The NYCDOE requires that all education students completing classroom observation or fieldwork hours in a NYC public school complete a background check and fingerprints on file with the NYC DOE. As part of the clearance process, students must self-register with the NYCDOE Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) office so that clearance can be confirmed by LaGuardia Community College before the semester begins. The NYCDOE no longer offers fingerprinting services. This process can take up to two months depending on your individual case. The current cost of obtaining fingerprints from IdentoGO is $101.75. Fingerprinting is no longer done by the NYCDOE at Court Street.

If you are currently employed in a school setting, stop here and complete this employment verification form. Do not register with PETS. 

If you are NOT currently employed in a school setting, go to the relevant instructions below to obtain fingerprint and background clearance. Please follow all steps exactly to avoid delays in processing your information.

For more information or assistance, email the Education Program at educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu. You can read more about field experience requirements on the Education & TESOL Programs website.

Education Program Directors: 

Michele de Goeas-Malone and Caterina Almendral

The Education Program is located in the Department of Education and Language Acquisition in B234


Students who have not been previously fingerprinted by an education department (e.g., NYSED, NYCDOE)

  1. Self-register with the NYCDOE PETS Office
    1. Send an e-mail to the Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) at PETS@schools.nyc.gov. Indicate that you are a LaGuardia Community College student needing fingerprinting clearance for fieldwork. Include your name, phone number, complete home address, date of birth, and email address.
    2. When you receive a reply from the NYCDOE PETS fingerprint office, follow all instructions provided in their email. Provide all documents requested including proof you are a LaGuardia community College student. If you need a letter requiring an enrollment verification certificate, email educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu.

  2. Applicant Gateway
    Once your nomination has been processed in PETS, you will receive an e-mail from PETSAdminSupport@schools.nyc.gov.
    1. Read all the information provided in the email carefully.
    2. Follow the instructions on creating your Applicant Gateway account.
    3. Complete the forms available to you on Applicant Gateway, including the background questionnaire.

  3. Fingerprinting
    1. On your Applicant Gateway account, you will find instructions on making a fingerprinting appointment. Follow these instructions and get fingerprinted.

  4. Verification and Submission of NYC DOE Clearance
    1. Monitor your progress via your Applicant Gateway account. When all sections read “complete” your clearance should be in the NYC DOE system.
    2. Take a screenshot of all sections marked “complete”
    3. Submit screenshot to this Fingerprint and Verification Confirmation Form. Once the program has received your submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt.

Students previously fingerprinted by the NYC DOE who need to be added to the LaGuardia College roster

  1. Self-register with the NYCDOE PETS Office
    1. Send an e-mail to the Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) at PETS@schools.nyc.gov. Indicate that you are a LaGuardia Community College student needing fingerprinting clearance for fieldwork. Include your name, phone number, complete home address, date of birth, and email address.
    2. When you receive a reply from the NYCDOE PETS fingerprint office, follow all instructions provided in their email. Provide all documents requested including proof you are a LaGuardia community College student. If you need a letter requiring an enrollment verification certificate, email educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu.

  2. Applicant Gateway
    Once your nomination has been processed in PETS, you will receive an e-mail from PETSAdminSupport@schools.nyc.gov.
    1. Read all the information provided in the email carefully.
    2. Follow the instructions on creating your Applicant Gateway account.
    3. Complete the forms available to you on Applicant Gateway, including the background questionnaire.

  3. Verification and Submission of NYC DOE Clearance
    1. Monitor your progress via your Applicant Gateway account. When all sections read “complete” your clearance should be in the NYC DOE system.
    2. Take a screenshot of all sections marked “complete”

Submit screenshot to this Fingerprint and Verification Confirmation Form. Once the program has received your submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt.


Students fingerprinted by NY State Education Department who require their fingerprints be transferred to the NYC DOE

  1. Self-register with the NYCDOE PETS Office
    1. Send an e-mail to the Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) at PETS@schools.nyc.gov. Indicate that you are a LaGuardia Community College student needing fingerprinting clearance for fieldwork. Include your name, phone number, complete home address, date of birth, and email address.
    2. When you receive a reply from the NYCDOE PETS fingerprint office, follow all instructions provided in their email. Provide all documents requested including proof you are a LaGuardia community College student. If you need a letter requiring an enrollment verification certificate, email educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu.

       

  2. Applicant Gateway
    Once your nomination has been processed in PETS, you will receive an e-mail from PETSAdminSupport@schools.nyc.gov.
    1. Read all the information provided in the email carefully.
    2. Follow the instructions on creating your Applicant Gateway account.
    3. Complete the forms available to you on Applicant Gateway, including the background questionnaire.

       

  3. Submitting an OSPRA 103 form
    For your NYS DOE fingerprints to transfer to the NYC DOE, you are required to submit an OSPRA 103 form. This can take up to 6 weeks.
    1. Click here to download the OSPRA 103 form.
    2. Complete sections I and II on the OSPRA 103 form
    3. Once complete, email the form to the email provided at the bottom of the form.

       

  4. Verification and Submission of NYC DOE Clearance
    1. Monitor your progress via your Applicant Gateway account. When all sections read “complete” your clearance should be in the NYC DOE system.
    2. Take a screenshot of all sections marked “complete”
    3. Submit screenshot to this Fingerprint and Verification Confirmation Form. Once the program has received your submission, you will receive an email confirming receipt.

International Students (F1 visa holder)

International students must contact the NYCDOE for further instructions on the process of fingerprinting. 

  1. Email OPIINFO@schools.nyc.gov and explain you are an international student who requires NYC DOE clearance for fieldwork. If you need a letter requiring an enrollment verification certificate, email educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu

  2. Work with the NYC DOE to get fingerprinted.

  3. Verification and Submission of NYC DOE Clearance

  4. Once you are fingerprinted, it can take up to 3 business days for the NYC DOE to complete a background check. 

  5. Submit your proof of verification to this Fingerprint and Verification Confirmation Form.
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