Background Check Copy Requests
The Oklahoma State Department of Education does not retain a copy of the background check. The form submitted for an employment background check is returned to the requesting school district.
Substitute Teachers
A substitute teacher may request a copy of their employment background check from the Department of Education to be sent to one or more school districts.
Newly Certified Teachers
For newly certified teachers the school district please see new background check rule below
New background check rule for the dual results policy-Effective July 1st, 2017
Senate Bill 29 alleviates the fingerprinting process for new school district employees that meet the following criteria...; "provided that a board of education shall not be required to obtain a new criminal history record check for an individual who has obtained certification from the State Department of Education within the previous twelve (12) months."
What this means:
A school district that hires a new employee who has been certified for the first time in Oklahoma within 12 months of their hire date does not have to conduct a new background check on the employee.
Furthermore, as of July 1, 2017, the Oklahoma State Department of Education will no longer be allowed to disseminate the results of certification background checks to public school districts (commonly referred to as dual results) except for the following conditions; if the applicant wishes to be fingerprinted for both certification and employment, this must be made known at the time they are fingerprinted. The applicant must provide a completed Application for National Criminal History Record Check along with their fingerprints. This process can only be completed by visiting the Department of Education in person or by mailing in fingerprint cards with this completed National Criminal History Record Check form from the district.
