A teacher background check is a procedure that provides educational institutions more information about an applicant or prospective teacher. The information gathered through the investigation includes criminal records, driving records, past employment records, civil records, educational certification, health and medical records, current and previous addresses, credit history, court records, criminal records, and bankruptcies, among others.
Teaching may be one of the few professions where experience and professional history are as closely scrutinized as personal history. An educational institution carries out a teacher background check as part of its pre-screening process to guarantee the safety of the students. This procedure is legally mandated in the 50 states of the USA. Individual persons such as parents can also hire agencies to do background checks.
For a new teacher, or one in a new district, the application process includes several elements that enable a complete teacher background check. Drug and alcohol tests are not uncommon, for example. Calling references provided and checking on previous work experience is also something that will be done as part of a teacher background check. Especially in public school districts in the United States, fingerprints are usually taken and submitted to a national organization, like the FBI, for checking.
Source : wisegeek