HOW TO COMPLETE THE CTC ONLINE
PROFESSIONAL FITNESS QUESTIONS
CONTENTS
How to Complete the Online Professional Fitness Questions
Navigating the Online Application
Detailed Instructions for each Professional Fitness Question, information you do not need to
disclose, and documents you must provide.
HOW TO COMPLETE THE ONLINE PROFESSIONAL FITNESS QUESTIONS
1. Carefully read each Professional Fitness Question listed below.
2. Decide if you must answer “yes” to any of the questions.
3. Decide if you need to gather documents related to your misconduct.
a. Answer “no” to all questions.
If you can answer “no” to all six questions, select “no,” and “next” for all six questions as you
navigate through the Online Professional Fitness Questions.
b. Reporting Misconduct to the Commission using an On-line application.
The CTC Online system, which was implemented on May 29, 2012, will save your responses
to the Professional Fitness Questions. Read the instructions for every Professional Fitness
Question for which you must answer “yes.” You must obtain the required documentation
before completing your application because the system will not save your confidential
information after 15 minutes without activity. Then go back to CTC Online and complete the
questions.
c. Previously disclosed Misconduct on a CTC Online application.
The CTC Online system, which was implemented on May 29, 2012, will save your responses
to the Professional Fitness Questions. When CTC Online displays your prior responses to you
and there is no new misconduct then you may answer “no, aside from information that may be
shown below…” You do not need to provide any documents related to your previously
disclosed misconduct. You must report any new misconduct.
d. Previously disclosed Misconduct on a CTC paper or web application.
If you have previously disclosed misconduct on a paper application or web application prior to
May 29, 2012, you must answer yes on your current Application and provide the required
documentation. You will only be required to disclose current or prior misconduct on an On-line
application on one occasion.
NAVIGATING THE ONLINE APPLICATION
Navigating the system. When you select “yes” and “next,” another screen will appear asking you
several detailed questions. You should complete these questions by selecting “new.” For each
incident, select “new” and complete a separate form.
Authentication Process – if you previously disclosed misconduct on a Web application, you will
be asked to complete an authentication process. Once you have successfully completed the
authentication process, your previously reported misconduct should appear in the history box
beneath each Professional Fitness Question. If you were unable to complete the authentication
process the misconduct will not appear and you will be required to disclose your misconduct on
your current application.
The authentication process does not apply to previously disclosed misconduct that was submitted
via a paper application or web applications prior to May 29, 2012. Therefore, you will be required
to disclose any misconduct on your current application.
50 day deadline does not apply. Education Code section 44350 requires the Commission to
process an application within 50 business days of receipt. The timeline pertains to all applications
whether submitted online or by paper through the U.S. mail. The only exceptions to the 50-day
processing timeline are applications submitted by individuals who must undergo a professional
fitness review.
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS FOR EACH PROFESSIONAL FITNESS QUESTIONS
Question a) School Employment Action (School Misconduct):
Have you ever been:
dismissed;
non-reelected;
suspended without pay for more than ten days;
retired;
resigned from; or
otherwise left school;
because of allegations of misconduct or while allegations of misconduct were pending?
Do not disclose: Resignation or retirement from school that were NOT the result of misconduct.
Documents you must provide, if available: You must send the Commission a copy of any
documents related either to the charges or allegations against you, or to any action taken by your
employer, including the:
Accusation
Notice or statement of charges against you
School district investigation reports
Memoranda concerning the allegations
Statement of charges
Decisions
Final actions
Request for hearing or final decision
Letter of resignation or retirement
Settlement agreement
Police reports
You will be asked online:
Indicate the action taken:
Select either dismissed, non-reelected; suspended without pay for more than ten days; retired;
resigned from; or otherwise left school, or other. If the action is not on this list, select “other” and
record it below. This is a required field
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above.
Enter the type of action, if it was not one of the actions listed above.
Effective Date or From Date (if Action Taken was Suspension w/o Pay):
Enter the date the action was effective. If you were suspended without pay, enter the beginning
date of the suspension.
To Date (if Action Taken was Suspension w/o Pay):
If you were suspended without pay, enter the ending date of the suspension.
Name of Employing School District at the time of the misconduct:
Include the full name, without initials or abbreviations, of the school district where you were
working. If you were not employed by a school district (such as a county office of education,
charter school or private school), enter the name of the employing entity. This is a required field
Address:
Enter the full address (including zip code) of the school district or employing agency above.
This is a required field
Contact Person (if known):
Enter the name of any contact person, if known.
Contact Phone Number:
Enter the entire phone number including the area code for the contact person above.
Employment Start Date:
Enter the date you started employment with the school district or employing agency.
Employment End Date:
If you are no longer employed by the school district or employing agency, enter the date you ended
employment.
The following are required fields:
Were children involved? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above action.
If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or school hours,
explain in detail:
You must submit a concise description, in your own words, of what happened. You
are limited to 500 characters in this field. If you answered, "yes" to the questions
above regarding children, school grounds or school hours, please explain why you
answered “yes.”
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Question b) Criminal Conviction (Conviction):
Have you ever been convicted of any felony or misdemeanor in California or any other place?
(You may omit misdemeanor marijuana-related convictions that occurred more than two years
prior to this application, except convictions involving concentrated cannabis, which must be
disclosed.)
Disclose:
All misdemeanor or felony criminal convictions including those based on a plea of no
contest.
All convictions no matter how much time has passed. Use a separate form for each
incident. For more than one incident, charge or conviction select “new” and
complete a separate form.
All convictions, even if the case was dismissed pursuant to Penal Code section 1203.4.
Do not disclose:
If you were under 18 years old and convicted in Juvenile Court.
Misdemeanor marijuana-related convictions that occurred more than two years prior to this
application, except convictions involving concentrated cannabis, which must be disclosed
regardless of the date of such a conviction, in accordance with Health & Safety Code
sections 11361.5 and 11361.7.
Infractions. Infractions include many traffic, moving violations and a handful of other
criminal offenses. Driving under the influence is NOT an infraction.
If you are in doubt, always err on the side of disclosing a conviction. Failure to disclose any
information requested is falsification of your application and the Commission may reject or deny your
application or take disciplinary action against your credential.
Documents you must provide, if available:
A certified copy of the criminal complaint and any documents concerning your conviction
(such as a plea agreement or sentencing document) showing the offense, the plea you
entered, and the sentence or other resolution of the charges. These documents can be
obtained from the court where you were prosecuted and must be certified by the court. If
any of the documents have been purged or are otherwise not available, you must submit a
letter from the court, on its official letterhead, stating which document is no longer
available.
A certified copy of the police report written by the police department or sheriff’s office
where you were investigated and/or arrested or cited. If the law enforcement agency that
investigated the crime will not give you a copy of its report, or the report is no longer
available, you must submit a letter from that agency, on its official letterhead, stating why it
will not give you a copy, e.g., the report is no longer available.
A certified copy of any court documents showing that the conviction has been expunged
from your record or dismissed (usually under Penal Code section 1203.4) or that a felony
conviction has been reduced to a misdemeanor (usually under Penal Code section 17(b)).
(If you would like to know if your conviction can be expunged or reduced, you can contact
an attorney, a public defender, or legal aid.)
If you are unsure of your criminal history record, you can request the records, if any, from both the
U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the California Department of Justice. See below for
additional information.
FBI - http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/background-checks/background_checks
California Department of Justice - http://oag.ca.gov/fingerprints/security
You will be asked online:
I was charged with, cited, ticketed, arrested, or accused of a: Select either a felony, misdemeanor
or other.
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Enter information here if you were charged with something other than a felony or
misdemeanor.
Code:
This is a pull-down menu of common violations. Select your violation by clicking on
the blue >. The Code (example, Vehicle Code or Penal Code), Code section (example,
23152(a) or 484) and Other Offense Code or common name (example, driving under the
influence or petty theft) will auto populate. If your violation is not on the pull-down
menu, select “other” and enter it below in “Other Offense Codes.” If you were charged
with more than one felony or misdemeanor, add the others on another online form by
selecting “new” again.
Code Section:
The system will auto fill your selection above.
Other Offense Codes:
If the offense is not on the pull down above, enter the offense charged against you without
abbreviations or initials and include the common name of the offense. For example: Penal
Code section 503, embezzlement.
Date of offense:
Select date. This is a required field
I was convicted of a:
This is a pull-down menu of common violations. If your conviction is not on the pull down
menu, select “other” and enter it below in “Other Offense Codes.” This is a required field
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Enter the offense you were convicted of without abbreviations or initials and include the
common name of the offense. For example, Penal Code section 503, embezzlement.
Code:
This is a pull-down menu of common violations. If yours is not on the menu, select
“other” and enter it below in “Other Offense Codes”.
Code Section:
Other Offense Codes:
Enter the conviction without abbreviations or initials and include the common name of the
offense. For example, Penal Code section 503, embezzlement.
Location of offense:
Enter the city and state where the offense occurred.
Law Enforcement agency:
This is a pull-down menu of many law enforcement agencies. If the law enforcement agency
that cited, ticketed or arrested you is not on the pull down menu, select “other” and enter it
below in “Enter details if “Other” was selected above”. This is a required field
Enter details if “Other” was selected above:
Enter the name of the law enforcement agency, if it is not on the pull down menu above. Enter
the full name without initials or abbreviations.
Court of jurisdiction:
This is a pull-down menu of many courts. If yours is not on the menu, select “other” and enter
it below in “Enter details if “Other” was selected above”:
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Enter the name of the court, if it is not on the pull down menu above.
Date of conviction.
This is the date you were convicted. This date is on your court records. This is a required field
Plea and conditions of probation, if any, such as days in jail, restitution, fines, stay away
from minors and parks, surrender credential:
This information should be on the documents concerning your conviction (such as a plea
agreement or sentencing document) showing the offense, the plea you entered, and the
sentence or other resolution of the charges. This is a required field
The following are required fields:
Were children involved? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Were the convictions dismissed or expunged pursuant to Penal Code Section 1203.4?
If so, please provide a certified copy of the dismissal form. Select yes or no.
Was the felony(s) reduced to a misdemeanor under Penal Code Section 17(b)?
If so, please provide a certified copy of the form showing the reduction: Select yes or
no. If you obtained relief under Penal Code section 17(b), record your conviction as a
misdemeanor, because Penal Code section 17(b) reduces a felony conviction to a
misdemeanor conviction.
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above
action. If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds
or school hours, explain in detail: You must submit a concise description, in your own
words, of what happened. You are limited to 500 characters in this field. If you
answered, "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or school
hours, please explain why you answered “yes.” This is a required field
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Question c. Under Investigation:
Are you currently the subject of any criminal inquiry or investigation by a law enforcement
agency or any licensing agency in California or any other state?
Do not disclose: Criminal convictions or final licensing actions. Criminal convictions should
be disclosed in question b. Final licensing actions should be disclosed in question e or f.
Documents you must provide, if available:
School district investigation reports
Police reports
Statement of charges, accusations
Statement of accusations
Request for hearing, final decision
Letter of resignation or retirement
Settlement agreements
You will be asked online:
Date of incident:
Select the date the incident allegedly occurred. This is a required field
Location of incident:
Enter the city and state where the incident allegedly occurred. This is a required field
Current Status of the Investigation:
Status could be arrested but not charged, charged with or without a court date,
investigation begun, received statement of charges or accusation, requested a hearing,
currently in a trial or hearing.
Name of Investigating Agency:
Use full name and no initials or abbreviations This is a required field
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Enter the name of the investigating agency, if it is not on the pull down menu above. Enter the
full name without initials or abbreviations.
Address:
Include full address and zip code.
Contact Person (if known):
Enter the name of any investigating agency contact, if known.
Contact Phone Number:
Include the entire phone number including the area code.
The following are required fields:
Were children involved?
Select “yes” or “no.” This is a required field
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above
action. If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or
school hours, explain in detail:
You must submit a concise description, in your own words, of what happened. You are
limited to 500 characters in this field. If you answered, "yes" to the questions above
regarding children, school grounds or school hours, please explain why you answered
“yes.”
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Question d. Pending Criminal Charges (Charged):
Are any criminal charges currently pending against you?
Do not disclose: Convictions. Criminal convictions should be disclosed in question b.
Documents you must provide, if available:
Police reports
School district investigation reports
You will be asked online
I was charged with, cited, ticketed, arrested for, or accused of a:
Select felony, misdemeanor or other. If “other” you must describe it below. This is a
required field
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
If not a felony or misdemeanor, describe it here.
Did the incident occur in California? Select yes or no.
I was charged with, cited, ticketed, arrested, or accused of a:
Select felony, misdemeanor or other.
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Enter information here if you were charged with something other than a felony or
misdemeanor.
Code:
This is a pull-down menu of common violations. Select your violation by clicking on
the blue. The Code (for example Vehicle Code or Penal Code), Code Section (23152(a)
or 484) and Other Offense Code or common name (driving under the influence or petty
theft) will auto populate. If your violation is not on the pull-down menu, select “other”
and enter it below in “Other Offense Codes.” If you were charged with more than one
felony or misdemeanor add the others on another online form by selecting “new” again.
Code Section:
The system will auto fill your selection above.
Other Offense Codes:
If the offense is not on the pull down above, enter the offense charged against you without
abbreviations or initials and include the common name of the offense. For example: Penal
Code section 503, embezzlement.
Date of alleged incident:
Select the date. This is a required field
Location of offense:
Only city and state is necessary. This is a required field
Law enforcement agency:
Select one of the agencies, if the agency is not on the list, select “other” and record it
below. This is a required field
Enter details here if “Other” was selected above:
Court of jurisdiction:
Select one of the courts, if the court is not on the list, select “other” and record it below.
Enter details here if “other” was selected above:
The following are required fields:
Were children involved? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above
action. If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or
school hours, explain in detail:
You must submit a concise description, in your own words, of what happened. You are
limited to 500 characters in this field. If you answered, "yes" to the questions above
regarding children, school grounds or school hours, please explain why you answered
“yes.”
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS:
Question e: Teaching Credential Disciplinary Action (Credential Discipline):
Have you ever had any credential, including but not limited to, any Certificate of Clearance,
permit, credential, license or other document authorizing public school service:
Revoked;
Denied;
Suspended;
Publicly Reproved;
and/or otherwise subjected to any other disciplinary action (including an action that
was stayed);
in California or any other state or place?
Documents you must provide, if available:
If your credential was subjected to any disciplinary action by the Commission, you do not have to
provide the records.
If your credential was subjected to disciplinary action by another agency, you must provide, if
available:
Investigation reports
Letters from licensing agency
School district investigation reports
Police reports
Statement of charges, accusations
Accusation
Request for hearing, final decision
Letter of resignation or retirement
Settlement agreements
You will be asked online
Have you ever had any credential, including but not limited to, any Certificate of Clearance,
permit, credential, license or other document authorizing public school service or teaching,
revoked, denied, suspended and/or otherwise subjected to any other disciplinary action
(including an action that was stayed) for cause in California or any other state or place?
Select yes or no
If you answered "no," you can proceed to the question f by selecting "next."
If you answered “yes,” you should continue to the next question below.
Was the action taken by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing? Select “yes”
or “no.”
If the action was taken by the Commission, you do not need to provide records.
If the action was taken by another state, please provide details by clicking “next.”
Agency name:
Enter the full name without initials or abbreviations. This is a required field
Agency address:
Enter full address and zip code. This is a required field
Contact name:
Enter any known contact person.
Contact phone number:
Include area code
Disciplinary action taken:
Select the action taken or select “other.” This is a required field
Enter details here if “other” was selected above:
Credential name:
Enter the name without initials or abbreviations
The following are required fields:
When was the action taken? Select the date.
Were children involved? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above
action. If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or
school hours, explain in detail:
You must submit a concise description, in your own words, of what happened. You are
limited to 500 characters in this field. If you answered, "yes" to the questions above
regarding children, school grounds or school hours, please explain why you answered
“yes.”
DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS
Question f: Professional License Disciplinary Action (License Action):
Have you ever had any professional or vocational (not teaching or educational) license:
Revoked;
Denied;
Suspended;
and/or otherwise subjected to any other disciplinary action (including an action that
was stayed);
in California or any other state or place?
Do not disclose: Final teaching licensing actions should be disclosed in question e.
Documents you must provide, if available:
Investigation reports
Letters from licensing agency
Police reports
Statement of charges
Accusation
Request for hearing
Final decision
Settlement agreements
You will be asked online
Agency name:
Enter the full name without initials or abbreviations. This is a required field
Agency address:
Enter full address and zip code. This is a required field
Contact name:
Enter any known contact person.
Contact phone number:
Include area code.
Disciplinary action taken:
Select the action taken or select “other.”
Enter details here if “other” was selected above:
License name:
Enter the full name without initials or abbreviations
License number:
The following are required fields:
When was the action taken? Select the date.
Were children involved? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur on school grounds? Select “yes” or “no.”
Did the incident occur during school hours? Select “yes” or “no.”
Please provide a detailed explanation regarding the incident(s) that resulted in the above
action. If you answered "yes" to the questions above regarding children, school grounds or
school hours, explain in detail:
You must submit a concise description, in your own words, of what happened. You are
limited to 500 characters in this field. If you answered, "yes" to the questions above
regarding children, school grounds or school hours, please explain why you answered “yes.”
Mail all documents to:
Commission on Teacher Credentialing,
Division of Professional Practices
651 Bannon Street, Suite 600 B
Sacramento, California 95811
Please use the following “DPP Document Submission Form,” which will assist DPP staff in
processing your application in a timely manner.
Application Processing Timeline:
California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Section 80443, sets a maximum processing time of 50
working days for completed applications. However, applications delayed by a Commission appeal,
Division of Professional Practices review, or fingerprint card processing are not subject to the 50-day
restriction.
If you have any questions about the Professional Fitness Questions, you can contact the Commission
Version 12-02
http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-discipline/default.html/files/personal-fitness.pdf
