The Provisional Certificate in a Teaching Field (PCTF) is for individuals entering the field of education in certain K-12, 4-8, and 6-12 teaching fields (excluding Early Childhood, Elementary Education, Special Education and areas of instructional support). Certification based on the PCTF must be requested by an employing Alabama city/county superintendent or eligible nonpublic/private school administrator. An individual should contact the school system in which employment is desired for information concerning certificate eligibility.
Passing scores on the appropriate Praxis subject assessment(s) are required for the first PCTF. Under the PCTF, 12 semester hours of specific, approved coursework with grades of “C” or above must be earned. This approach leads to Class B (bachelor’s level) certification.
Fingerprinting Process with Fieldprint
Students in the College of Education must be fingerprinted for a background check by the FBI and the ABI.
***To avoid errors, complete this process from start to finish without interruption.
It should take approximately 15-20 minutes. Be sure to enter all information carefully and correctly.***
Create an AIM account. Go to aim.alsde.edu and select “Need an account?” to begin. (Make a note of your ALSDE ID#. This will be needed to complete registration with Fieldprint.)
Complete background check registration in AIM.
When AIM account registration is complete, you will be taken to your home page. Select “Fieldprint Background Check” to register for a background check.
(NOTE: For the question about an RSA ID: If you do not have or do not know your RSA ID number, simply select “NO” and “Continue” to complete your AIM registration. You will immediately be transferred to the Fieldprint Welcome screen.)
At the “Welcome” screen, log in to Fieldprint.
At the bottom of the “Reason” page, you will find the Alabama Department of Education listed. Click the “Continue with this Reason” button to continue to the next step in the registration process. No Fieldprint Code is required – leave it blank!
Schedule an appointment. You must schedule an appointment with Fieldprint before visiting a fingerprint location.
Submit payment of $44.95 online (debit card, credit card, or PayPal only).
Review appointment details and logout.
You will receive an email confirmation of the appointment. The email will include a list of approved forms of identification that must be presented during your fingerprint appointment. (Original documents are required. Photocopies will not be accepted.) The name provided for the appointment must match both forms of identification, and the date of birth must be on the primary form of ID — and must match exactly. Be sure to review procedures for canceling an appointment, if needed.
Results are typically received within 3-5 business days.
Provide a copy of your results to the Office of Student Services. Bring a copy of your results to 104 Carmichael Hall or email results to jachapman1@ua.edu to be processed into our system.