​School Entity Procedures: CHRI Access and Review

Administrators of approved school entities will have access to review the official report of the applicant online through a secure website. Approved school entities are public schools including school districts, intermediate units, Career and Technology Centers and Charter Schools; and private schools including Approved Private Schools, PRRIs, licensed private academic schools and non-public schools. Teacher Training Institutions (higher education institutions) are also considered approved school entities to access CHRI reports for prospective student teachers.

Each school entity is provided with one general administrative login and password from PDE. Account information is issued via email to the chief school administrator at each approved entity (e.g. Superintendent, Director, CEO, etc.).

The general administrative login and password will allow each chief school administrator to create “school user” logins and passwords so that school staff can have access to the secure website. The school administrator is responsible for maintaining the list of personnel who will have access to the system. Any changes to the added user accounts will be managed by the administrative account. This includes adding additional school user accounts, unlocking accounts and/or modifying the password, and disabling accounts for staff who should no longer have access to FBI reports.

Administrative accounts are managed by PDE. PDE can assist school entities, using the following functions:

• Add new administrative accounts for new schools that have not yet registered with IDEMIA. (NOTE: Access is only for schools.)
• Provide the username and password to school administrators if account information has been misplaced.
• Unlock the account and reset the password if necessary (due to 3 unsuccessful login attempts).
• Update the administrator name and email address associated with the account/school.
• Disable the administrative account when a school is closed.

Questions or requests regarding any of the above issues with administrative accounts can be directed to RA-PDE-SchoolService@pa.gov.

To allow the school to review an applicant’s CHRI report, the applicant must provide the UEID). To access a record, the school user will go to a secure website specific to the online access of CHRI reports for PDE. At this screen, the school user will log in with their personal username and password and PA SafeCheck Token. After the number is entered, the CHRI report will appear in a separate window for the user to review. The CHRI that is available for review online constitutes the official record.

The administrator of the school entity is required to review the CHRI to make a determination as to the fitness of the applicant to work in a position in which they will have contact with children. If the applicant is hired, the school administrator must print out a copy and retain it in the employee’s file. If the applicant is not hired, the administrator is prohibited from printing a copy and retaining it in a file.

Access to the online review system is limited to authorized users for approved school entities and is not permitted for independent contractors or other schools. School entities should work with their contractors to establish a process for the contractor to provide the UEID to the school, in order for the school to access the CHRI online. In the case of a contractor’s employee, the school is to review the CHRI and transmit the fitness determination to the contractor. If the applicant is hired by the school entity or contractor, the school will make a copy of the CHRI for the employee’s file. If the contractor wishes to maintain their own file copy, it is suggested that contractors provide the unofficial copy to the contractor.