Consent to Disclose Form

Reference Statement Form

CREDENTIALS FILE

Your credentials file is an optional file set up and maintained by the Career Center. This file contains the following items:

• User Agreement/Consent to Release form
• Up to five (5) active confidential or non-confidential letters of reference (recommendation)
• Student teacher evaluations/Work Performance Evaluations
• Request History Sheet

When applying for teaching/administrative positions within school districts, many times you will be asked to provide a credentials file (also called placement file). Most school districts are, at a minimum, asking for current Letters of Reference, and in the case of new teachers, student teaching evaluations. You can provide this information to them, or, if you have a credentials file in the Career Center, we can send that information to them on your behalf. Your file, by law, must remain accessible for 10 years after the last time the file was accessed. This includes inquiries, updates, and requests to have it sent.

FEES ASSOCIATED WITH YOUR FILE

• Registration and set-up fee: $20. Includes the mailing of your file five times at your request

• Additional requests: $5 per mailed request, $3 per faxed request

With your registration, you will also have access to our on-line recruiting software. On this software, you will have the ability to post your resume(s), cover letter(s), and writing sample(s); search through listings for jobs and internships; and place your resume in an employer-searchable resume book.

LETTERS OF REFERENCE

Select Confidential OR Non-confidential.

Confidential: Candidate (file holder) waives his/her right to access Letters of Reference.

Non-Confidential: Candidate may view the content of his/her Letters of Reference.

According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), eligible persons are given the option to establish a credentials file as either CONFIDENTIAL or NON-CONFIDENTIAL, but not both.

When your file is set up, you will receive five (5) blank Reference Statement Forms. This form must be completely filled out and given to your reference writers. A filled-out form must accompany each letter placed in your file. Even if the letter is written on organizational letterhead, the form must still be filled out and returned with the letter. Any letter received without a Reference Statement Form will be considered inactive and will not be sent with any file requests until a form signed by you and the reference writer as been turned in.

Remember to give your references plenty of time to write and get your letter sent it. It’s best to ask your initial reference writers to write their letters by the time you start student teaching, leaving one or more for your cooperating teachers, if you would like.

You are free to inactivate a reference at anytime. That reference will remain in your file, but will not count toward your five letter maximum and will not be included in your file when a request to be mailed is made.

SENDING YOUR FILE TO A SCHOOL OR DISTRICT

There are many ways that you can request your file be sent:

• Credentials Line 417-836-4599 - We have a phone line set up strictly for credential requests. This line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and is checked periodically throughout the day Monday- Friday.
• Phone - Call our offices at 417-836-5636 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
• In-Person - Come into our office, Carrington 315, anytime we are open, to make your request.
• Via E-mail - Send an e-mail to CareerCenter@missouristate.edu with your request.
• Fax your request 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 417-836-3122
• U.S. Mail to

CareerCenter

Missouri State University
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield MO 65897

INFORMATION TO INCLUDE IN YOUR REQUEST

• Your Name
• Your Address
• Your Phone number
• Your social security number
• School or District you wish to send your file to
• Contact Person at that School or District
• Complete mailing address for the School or District

If you have any questions, please contact our office.