What is the Clearinghouse? 

The NASDTEC Educator Identification Clearinghouse is the national collection point for professional educator discipline actions taken by the fifty states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Department of Defense Educational Opportunity schools, and Guam. NASDTEC, through the Clearinghouse maintains a database of all disciplinary actions reported by NASDTEC members and disseminates this information to all participating NASDTEC jurisdictions. The goal of the Clearinghouse is to provide each NASDTEC member state/jurisdiction with a notification of an action taken against the certificate/license of an educator by other member states/jurisdictions and in doing so, to protect the interests of children served by the professional education community within the United States and beyond.

How does the Clearinghouse work?

Once an educator's misconduct case is final and the results made public the prosecuting jurisdiction reports to the Clearinghouse information on the adverse action taken against a license or certificate, including public reprimands and denials. The Clearinghouse organizes the data and makes it accessible to NASDTEC Members who can then compare the information to their current lists of licensed educators and applicants. In addition, the Clearinghouse enables its members to maintain a comprehensive database, so every licensure applicant in a given jurisdiction can be checked against records in the Clearinghouse. While the presence of a name in the database does not necessarily preclude an individual from successfully obtaining a license in a jurisdiction, it does provide the governing agency a safety net enabling officials to review the nature of the adverse action before issuing the certificate or license.

Can Local Education Agencies and Educator Preparation Providers access the information in the Clearinghouse?

Local Education Agencies (LEA) and qualifying educator preparation providers (EPPs) may access information in the Clearinghouse. For more information on how LEAs and EPPS may access the Clearinghouse click here.

Do the Actions Being Reported to the NASDTEC Clearinghouse Only Involve Cases Concerning Moral Turpitude?

No, the nature of actions reported to the Clearinghouse varies and reflects the laws and regulations of the reporting member state or jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions are limited in the types of offenses for which they may take action. Others have a wide range of activities that constitute cause to take action. Those receiving NASDTEC Clearinghouse data should thoroughly investigate the nature of a specific case and determining the circumstances involved before drawing any conclusion. A reported action to the Clearinghouse by one jurisdiction does not compel reciprocal action by other members.

What kinds of information are reported to the Clearinghouse?

Jurisdiction members report the status of the adverse action taken (i.e., certificate/license denial or invalidation, annulled, public reprimand, revocation, suspension, and/or voluntary surrender) and the nature of the denial/invalidation. Reasons for action vary depending on the laws and regulations of the reporting member state or jurisdiction. The type of action reported can range from violent felonies to sexual misconduct to illegal use of controlled substances, from breach of contract to incompetence.