Contact Us
Room: B-Building, B-234
educationprogram@lagcc.cuny.edu
Welcome
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.
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 Security Clearance Requirements
To receive official documents required to complete and report fieldwork or classroom observations hours, all LaGuardia Community College (LaGCC) Education and TESOL students, students on ePermit taking Education courses at LaGCC and students registered in SSY105 must complete the steps listed below:
Important: Before completing the forms below please be aware that the forms will ask for an email address or telephone number before you can access them. DO NOT USE your LaGuardia email, instead, use your CUNYFirst login credentials, e.g. Firstname.LastnameNN@login.cuny.edu (NN is the last two digits of your EMPLID). If you are having issues accessing these forms, review the steps in this troubleshooting document. If none of the steps solve the issue, please contact the Fieldwork Coordinator or the Education Program for additional support. Do not email the program any documents.
STEPS:
- Complete this Mandatory Online Training
- Complete this Security Clearance Agreement Form
- Complete a New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) security clearance check, which includes getting fingerprinted and passing a criminal background check and submitting a letter of employment, if applicable. See relevant steps for obtaining clearance below.
The process of obtaining NYCPS security clearance can take 2 or more weeks and cannot be expedited. Students working outside NYCPS, international students, and undocumented students need to check with the fieldwork coordinator about fingerprinting requirements. Education and TESOL students, or students taking SSY105 who have New York State Education Department security clearance may need to get re-fingerprinted by the NYCPS at their own expense. All NYCPS employees who have records already in the NYCPS system must also have their records reconfirmed by the Fieldwork Coordinator. Fingerprint and background checks through the DOI, DOH or other fingerprinting agencies are different from NYCPS fingerprinting clearance and will not be accepted.
The current cost of obtaining fingerprints from IdentoGO is $101.75 and requires a NYCPS code. Fingerprinting is no longer done by the NYCPS at Court Street.
Failure to complete any of these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours or an F in the course due to incomplete fieldwork or classroom observation hours. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all of these requirements before the semester begins.
Students Working with Children in a School Setting
If you are currently employed in a classroom setting, you can use your place of employment to complete your fieldwork or classroom observation hours, pending the Fieldwork Coordinator’s approval. To obtain approval, you must complete the steps outlined below. Please remember to use your CUNYFirst log in credentials when completing these forms.
STEPS
- You must submit a letter of employment (see sample on this website) to this employment verification form, and
- Note that submitting a letter of employment does not guarantee that your place of employment will be approved as an appropriate site to complete your hours.
- Reconfirm your records with the NYCPS by completing this Personal Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) Registration Form. PETS is a NYCPS database system that provides LaGuardia Community College staff with the ability to confirm students’ security clearance. This step authorizes the Fieldwork Coordinator to enter your personal information and nominate you into the PETS system. The PETS Registration Form MUST include your social security number and your complete address. If you have never been cleared by PETS, please follow the instructions for Students without New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Security Clearance below.
Important: Your status in the NYCPS PETS must be listed as “Eligible” before the program will provide an introduction letter that schools require.
Failure to complete any of these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours or an F in the course due to incomplete fieldwork or classroom observation hours. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all of these requirements before the semester begins.
Students without New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Security Clearance
If you do not have NYCPS security clearance, you must complete the steps outlined below. The process of obtaining NYCPS security clearance can take 2 or more weeks and cannot be expedited. Please remember to use your CUNYFirst log in credentials when completing these forms.
STEPS:
- Complete this Personal Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) Registration Form. This step authorizes the Fieldwork Coordinator to enter your personal information and nominate you into the PETS system. PETS is a NYCPS database system that provides LaGuardia Community College staff with the ability to confirm students’ security clearance. The PETS Registration Form MUST include your social security number and your complete address.
- After PETS Entry (aka “nomination”), you will receive a nomination email from PETSAdminSupport@schools.nyc.gov with instructions to log into the NYCPS Applicant Gateway.
- You MUST activate your NYCPS Applicant Gateway within 10 business days after PETS entry “nomination”.
- Use the same email address you used when you enrolled in PETS. Verify that your Social Security Number is correct in the Applicant Gateway and notify PETSADMINSUPPORT@schools.nyc.gov immediately if there is an error.
- Fill out the required online forms and use the code provided for you to schedule a fingerprinting appointment at an IdentoGO location.
- Please note: If you get fingerprinted prior to submitting the online forms on the NYCPS Applicant Gateway, the fingerprint results will not have a confirmed profile to be transmitted to; therefore, you will need to be fingerprinted again and pay a second time. Print out a copy of the Fingerprint Instruction Sheet with the correct code for your appointment.
- Visit IdentoGO and select “Schedule or Manage an Appointment”
Important: Your status in the NYCPS PETS must be listed as “Eligible” before the program will provide an introduction letter that schools require.
Failure to complete any of these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours or an F in the course due to incomplete fieldwork or classroom observation hours. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all of these requirements before the semester begins.
Students with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) Security Clearance
If you have NYCPS security clearance and you have not previously been added to the Personnel Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) for LaGuardia Community College, your security clearance records will need to be reconfirmed by the Fieldwork Coordinator. You must complete the steps outlined below. Please remember to use your CUNYFirst log in credentials when completing these forms.
STEPS:
- Complete this Personal Eligibility Tracking System (PETS) Registration Form. This step authorizes the Fieldwork Coordinator to enter your personal information and nominate you into the PETS system. PETS is a NYCPS database system that provides LaGuardia Community College staff with the ability to confirm students’ security clearance. The PETS Registration Form MUST include your social security number and your complete address.
- Please wait 3-5 business days to receive confirmation from the Fieldwork Coordinator that your PETS entry is complete.
Important: Your status in the NYCPS PETS must be listed as “Eligible” before the program will provide an introduction letter that schools require.
Failure to complete any of these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours or an F in the course due to incomplete fieldwork or classroom observation hours. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all of these requirements before the semester begins.
All Other Students requiring Security Clearance
International students, undocumented students, and students who have been previously cleared by the New York State Department of Education should contact the Fieldwork Coordinator for further instructions.
Failure to complete any of these requirements may result in an academic withdrawal from the class requiring classroom observation or fieldwork hours or an F in the course due to incomplete fieldwork or classroom observation hours. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all of these requirements before the semester begins.
Contact Information
Education Fieldwork Coordinator:
Karen Lew
Email: karen.lew33@lagcc.cuny.edu
Education Program Directors:
Michele de Goeas-Malone and Caterina Almendral
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.
The Education Program is in the Department of Education and Language Acquisition in B-234.