Best Practices For

SCREENING SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

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OVERVIEW• Screening Volunteers Has Its Challenges

• Trends Point to More Volunteer Screening

• Defining Who Is a Volunteer

• Setting Standards for Pass/Fail

• Who Will Review the Results?

• Managing Notifications

• Establishing an Effective Appeals Process

• Screening Annually for Maximum Protection

• Using Visible Credentials that Expire Each Year

• Implementing a Self-Funded Volunteer Screening Program

• Best Practices Checklist

Balancing tight budgets and concerned parents against the need to protect students.

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Screening VolunteerS HaS itS cHallengeSWhile screening teachers and staff has become

standard practice, screening volunteers is also fast

becoming a necessity. Failing to do so puts students

and school staff at risk and leaves school systems

and their administrators open to liability.

The reality is that the risks of not screening

individuals have quickly outweighed the reasons

for avoiding such screenings. The news has been

littered with recent reports of negligent hiring

lawsuits, violent workplace incidents, and child

predators who have found ways to get closer to

children. Today, most school administrators take

their role of protecting the school workplace and the

students they serve as a top priority.

Nevertheless, school systems are complex

environments, and volunteers bring unique issues

with them that administrators must handle. For

example, the sheer number of volunteers can make

screening and tracking them a challenge from a

cost and manpower perspective. Often, school

systems balance complex and demanding budgets,

and the cost of screening all volunteers is a difficult

decision for administrators to make. They may be

forced to reduce the number of screenings to only

certain types of volunteers, or they may conduct less

thorough screenings in order to reduce per-screen

costs.

After the background screen has been conducted,

administrators are still faced with keeping track

of who was screened and what access each person

is allowed within the school system. Imagine

hundreds, if not thousands of volunteers – some

screened and some not – who are moving in and out

of a decentralized workplace environment.

Of course, denying a parent the opportunity to

volunteer can cause conflicts for administrators and

even elicit lawsuits. Parent advocacy groups often

support screening but find it difficult to cope with

the reality that someone they know may be screened

out of volunteering.

There is a lot to think about when screening

volunteers, and the purpose of this paper is to help

administrators think through the complexities

and craft a smart, well-conceived program that

maximizes screening benefits while managing the

costs of doing so.

trendS Point to More Volunteer ScreeningDespite the funding and administrative challenges,

school boards and city councils are now pushing

for more screening, and the progressive school

administrators are often the ones advocating a

broader background screening process as a part

of their school safety programs. In fact, some state

governments are now mandating background

checks as policy.

As more and more school systems announce that they

plan to begin or expand their volunteer screening

programs, it is clear that volunteer screening will

continue to grow. Administrators who are considering

this action, should be prepared for pressure and

numerous questions about their system.

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deciding WHo iS a VolunteerOne of the most critical aspects of developing an

effective volunteer screening program is defining

the volunteer. The real distinction that must be

made is that of visitor vs. volunteer. Most parents

would believe they have a right to visit their children

while in school. This would include:

• Observing their children in class periodically

• Having lunch with their children,

• Attending classroom and school events

These are all occasions that could be classified

as “visitor” events, and complete background

screening should not be required in most of these

cases. When a parent wants to do more than visit

a child, by offering to help the school in some way,

that parent should then be considered a volunteer.

Examples include:

• A room parent who comes to class weekly to help

the teacher

• A lunchroom monitor

• A volunteer reader

• Someone who works in the library periodically

• A chaperone for a school field trip

• A “coach” who comes after school to work with the

children

Dr. Norman Ridder, Superintendant of Springfield,

MO public school says of volunteers, “If their

presence would be consistent enough that others

would become comfortable with them being in the

school regularly then they should be considered a

volunteer.”

Best Practice Guideline

Create a detailed list of “Visitor” versus

“Volunteer” guidelines and ensure it is

communicated to staff, educators and parents.

This list determines who must be screened.

Setting StandardS for PaSS/fail

What does an administrator do when someone

does not pass the background screening process?

A parent in this situation will not be happy about

the result, and each “failure to pass” outcome will

create conflict that, in turn, will create more work

for the school staff.

There are things that administrators can do to make

this process much easier to manage. First, develop

a clear and concise policy guideline as to what past

offenses will prevent a potential volunteer from

“passing” the background screen. This should be

a detailed document of offenses, and we suggest

working with the school systems council and a

professional background screening company to

develop these guidelines.

Next, communicate the guidelines to the potential

volunteer prior to the background screen. Sharing this

information in advance will act as a screen in itself.

For example, once the screening process is in place

and communicated up front, potential volunteers

with serious background issues will then elect not to

volunteer because they will be aware that they may

not qualify.

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Best Practice Guideline

Develop a clear and concise policy guideline as

to what past offenses will prevent a potential

volunteer from passing the background screen.

Communicate this to the volunteer candidate

prior to the background screen application.

WHo Will reVieW tHe reSultS?Another important aspect of a successful volunteer

screening system is the review of the background

screening results. The decision that must be made

is whether or not to have school system staff

review the final reports and make the decisions as

to which volunteers passed or whether to have the

background screening firm review the screens and

provide the results of its review to the school.

The screening firm may charge an additional fee

for this service, so each administrator must weigh

the costs of school staff review against the cost of

the screening firm’s review. Of course, another

consideration is whether school staff has the proper

training and expertise to make policy decisions

based on the background reports.

Managing notificationSNotifying someone that they will not be allowed to

volunteer based on their background is an important

but uncomfortable part of the process. Managing

this process effectively is the best way to avoid

political fallout over screening decisions.

Since most school systems use an outside background

screening firm to conduct their background screens,

we recommend the following process:

Approval Notification – A letter or email is sent

to volunteers letting them know that they have

passed the background screen and are approved to

volunteer within the school system.

OR

Pre-Adverse Letter Mailed to the Volunteer with Notice of a Potential Policy Decision – A

“Pre-Adverse Letter” is mailed to volunteers who did

not pass the screen, along with a copy of the report

and a copy of Consumer Rights. The volunteer is

provided an opportunity to contact the background

screening company directly within 10 days to dispute

the report prior to a final decision being made.

Dispute Resolution – If the volunteer disputes

the reported information, and the dispute is valid,

the background screening company will update the

report.

Final Adverse Decision Letter – If no successful

dispute has occurred, a letter is mailed to the

volunteer applicant after the 10-day waiting period,

advising that the applicant has not met the policy

guidelines and may contact the school system for a

personal appeals process.

This notification system allows the school system

to remove itself from any issues related to the

background report itself and allows the screening

firm to handle the applicant’s concerns prior to the

time of the final decision.

eStabliSHing an effectiVe aPPealS ProceSSWhen a final decision has been made that a volunteer

applicant has not passed the background screen, it is

important to have an appeals process in place that

provides individuals the opportunity to demonstrate

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a potential special circumstance. This process

should be taken seriously and should include the

input of people who are experienced in conducting

background screenings and evaluating criminal

offenses. Dr. Ridder says he personally gets involved

with appeals, “It’s an important part of the process

and I want to know what’s going on.”

The process should take into account real life

situations and whether an individual has shown that

he or she has “changed” or has current circumstances

that would make passing the applicant plausible.

In other words, the appeals process needs to be

balanced between consistant application and the

flexibility to allow for common sense decisions that

are specific to each circumstance.

Screening annually for MaxiMuM ProtectionSchools should require that all approved volunteers

notify the school system if they are charged during

the course of the school year with an offense that

would violate the background screening policy and

volunteer screening should be an annual occurrence.

Volunteers pose some of the greatest risks to school

systems because administrators often have little

control over them, and in many cases, long-term

relationships are not established.

Waiting for two years between background checks

equals 720 days when someone could commit a

crime. Dr. Ridder says, “Bad people have a way of

finding ways near children; schools can be magnets.”

Frequent Monitoring When Possible

State criminal databases vary, and some may require

a visit to a courthouse to find a record. Other states

have more robust databases that can be accessed

regularly, while still other database searches offer

the opportunity to monitor volunteers on a frequent

basis. Administrators need to know immediately if

someone who has been charged with a crime is in

their school. Therefore, administrators should speak

with the school’s background screening firm to find

out if it is possible to monitor the school’s screened

volunteer population regularly.

uSing ViSible credentialS tHat exPire eacH yearScreening volunteers has often been anything but

an exact process. So, hundreds, maybe thousands,

of volunteers come in and out of schools every day,

and the complexities of keeping up with them are

overwhelming. Often, school office staff are required

to know who is approved for after-school programs,

field trips, and other events. It’s simply inefficient for

staff to look someone up to see if they have passed

the background screen.

We believe that the most effective tool is a visual

credential that volunteers are required to carry

with them while working within the school system.

This credential should be offered to all volunteers

containing their name and expiration date. The

credentials should expire at the end of the school

year and should be visually changed each year.

Background screening firms may be able to manage

the issuing of credentials.

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iMPleMenting a Self-funded Volunteer Screening PrograMAdministrators are faced with the tremendous

struggle of managing complex demands and

budget constraints. Implementing a robust and

effective volunteer screening program can be costly,

especially for school systems with thousands of

volunteers in their schools. Administrators often

find themselves questioning the costs associated

with a robust background screen on an expanded

volunteer population. Instead of trying to figure out

ways to cut the scope of such programs, which could

put children at risk, we recommend implementing a

self-funded program.

In a self-funded program, the cost of the volunteer

screening program is outsourced to the volunteers

themselves by asking them to pay for their own

screen when they submit their application. This is

a reasonable request, and when positioned against

the alternative of reducing the effectiveness of

the screening program, it is often seen as a safer

alternative.

Of course, some may resist a self-funded program,

suggesting that the program’s expense will deter

some individuals from volunteering. Dr. Ridder

warns that, “I have done it both ways and self funded

may sound appealing, but it has its challenges as

well. It has to be well thought out.”

Therefore, we suggest using the school’s budget to

offer financial assistance to potential volunteers

who cannot afford the background screen. In this

way, administrators can improve the safety of

their schools while also effectively managing their

budget.

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Best Practices Checklist□ Create a detailed list of “Visitor” versus “Volunteer” guidelines, and ensure it is communicated to staff,

educators, and parents. This list determines who must be screened.

□ Develop a clear and concise policy guideline as to what past offenses will prevent a potential volunteer from

passing the background screen. Communicate this to the potential volunteer prior to the background screen

application.

□ Set up a notification system that allows the background screening firm to handle printing and mailing of the

notification letters and the initial disputes.

□ Establish a clear appeals process and build in some flexibility to make common sense decisions.

□ Screen annually for maximum protection.

□ Issue visible credentials that expire every year. Make access to the school the responsibility of the volunteer

to have their credentials properly displayed at all times.

□ Consider a self-funded volunteer screening program before cutting the scope or frequency of screening.

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dr. norMan ridder Dr. Norman Ridder became Springfield Public Schools’ 13th superintendent on

July 1, 2005. Dr. Ridder has 38 years of professional education experience. He’s

been a teacher, coach, principal and superintendent. In Springfield, Dr. Ridder

has quickly established himself as a person very much into values and a strong

advocate of life-long learning.

Thank you to Dr. Norman Ridder for contributing his insights and expertise to the Best

Practices for Screening School Volunteers, he was instrumental in helping Background

Investigation Bureau form its volunteer screening position.Dr. Norman Ridder, Contributor

about background inVeStigation bureau Background Investigation Bureau, Inc. (BIB) supplies employment screening services to qualified businesses

and schools systems seeking workplace improvements through back ground verifications and customized hiring

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Founded in 1995, BIB combines fast, accurate reporting with exceptional cus tomer service and industry leading

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used the experience of servicing these school systems to grow its educational business nationwide. BIB can work

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BIB to run background screens on teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, staff and volunteers.

To learn more about BIB’s educational industry expertise and services please contact our office at 877-439-3900.