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CPD Questions and Answers

Should you have any additional questions, the NASP certification staff is available to answer them for you. We can be reached at (301) 657-0270 or by e-mail at cert@naspweb.org.

Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Revised CPD Requirements for NCSP Renewal
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Procedures to Renew Your NCSP

Part I: Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Revised CPD Requirements for NCSP Renewal

1. What are the current CPD requirements for NCSP renewal?

The detailed requirements are included in the NCSP Renewal Guidelines. Briefly, 75 hours of CPD activities are required every three years. Activities may be of the following types:

  • Group A Workshops, conferences, and in-service training
  • Group B College and university courses
  • Group C Teaching and training activities
  • Group D Research and publications
  • Group E Supervision of interns
  • Group F Postgraduate supervised experiences
  • Group G Program planning and evaluation
  • Group H Self-study:
    • sequenced programs
    • informal programs
  • Group I Leadership in professional organizations

Some activities have limits on the maximum number of possible hours; others have no limits.

2. Currently, do CPD activities have to include content within the NASP domains of training and practice?

No, unlike most professionals, school psychologists are not  required to engage in professional development in any specific content areas. If school psychologists can answer “yes” to all four of the following questions, they may claim credit for an activity regardless of its content.

  • Did the activity enhance or upgrade my professional skills or add to my knowledge base?
  • Was the activity relevant to the professional practice of school psychology?
  • Did the activity fit into my personal plan for continuing professional development?
  • Did the activity go beyond the ordinary aspects of my employment?

As discussed below, the upcoming changes will result in a portion of NCSP renewal credit being required to be in the practice domains.

3. What are the upcoming changes in the NCSP renewal requirements?

There are two different changes:

Requirement #1: If your NCSP credential is due for renewal in January 2009 and beyond, you must attest to the completion of 3 hours of professional development in ethics or professional practices. Three hours will be required for every renewal cycle beginning in January 2009.

Requirement #2: NCSPs whose renewal will occur in January 2010 and beyond must obtain one-third (25) of their continuing professional development credits through a NASP- or APA-Approved Provider. You can find a growing list of NASP-Approved Providers here.

4. How do I meet the requirement for professional development in ethical and professional practices?

You will have considerable latitude in selecting professional development activities in the professional practices area. For example, any training regarding the legal regulation of school psychology practice (e.g., IDEA, Section 504) could apply. Opportunities for such training will be available during the NASP convention and summer conferences. NASP also provides a two hour self-study module on ethics free to NASP members. Continuing professional development on these topics is also available from your state school psychological association, and other providers of continuing professional development in your area including nearby school psychology training programs. The NASP Ethical and Professional Practices Committee has also developed a 3-hour PowerPoint presentation for use by state associations in providing training programs.

5. Do I have to find, and perhaps pay for, a 3-hour ethics workshop? Does it have to be NASP approved training?

No, you just need to be able to document participation in a total of 3 hours of professional development in ethical and professional practices. It doesn’t have to be a single 3-hour event; it could be 3 1-hour activities. Any appropriate activity, including self study, will be recognized and it does not have to be NASP- or APA-approved training.

6. Why did NASP decide to add additional renewal requirements?

Well, actually the decision was not made by “NASP” per se, rather it was made by our colleagues who serve on the National School Psychology Certification Board in conjunction with the Professional Growth Chair, Leigh Armistead. At this time, Board members are:

Sue Hildebrandt, NCSP, Glens Falls, NY
Kelly Humphreys, NCSP, Reno, NV
Sawyer Hunley, NCSP, Cincinnati, OH (Chair)
Jon Jacomet, NCSP, Fletcher, OH
Diane Morrison, NCSP, Chicago, IL
Kathy Pluymert, NCSP, West Dundee, IL
Caroline Wandle, NCSP, Walpole, MA
Barbara Bole Williams, NCSP, Pitman, NY

7. So, why did the Board decide to add additional renewal requirements?

You may recall that in the past, NCSP renewal required CPD in specific content areas and involved submission of extensive documentation to the Board. Those requirements were relaxed for a variety of reasons unrelated to their benefit and importance. The current Board believes that instilling additional rigor into the NCSP renewal process is important at this time. The credential is now recognized by 29 states as part of their certification process and numerous states provide a financial stipend to NCSPs. And, some states now recognize the NCSP as a standard for recredentialing. State education agencies must be assured that the NCSP’s continuing professional development requirements are meaningful. Requiring that a portion of an NCSP’s professional development be NASP- or APA-approved is one way of doing so.

The idea to have specific requirements in ethical and professional practices originated with the NASP Ethics and Professional Practices Committee as part of their efforts to prevent ethical violations. The NCSP Board agreed that NCSPs should maintain and enhance their knowledge base in this area.

8. I understand that the NCSP must be regarded as a national standard of professionalism in school psychology. But, why require “NASP-Approved CPD?” It seems self-serving—as if you just want to make people come to the convention and pay for workshops.

To clarify…the requirement will be for 25 hours of either NASP- or APA-approved CPD credit. While the NASP Approved Provider System is developing, the Board believed this flexibility to be important to ensure the availability of approved credit. The purpose of the NASP and APA approval systems for CPD providers is to promote quality standards. A brochure about the APS is available here.

Regarding the question about compelling members to attend the convention and pay for workshops: Although our colleagues on the Convention Committee always encourage us to attend, recent attendance statistics suggest that there’s no need to twist our arms. We attend the convention by the thousands because we believe that CPD is a professional and ethical responsibility. Of course, NCSPs are also free to choose from any approved provider. They are not required to attend the annual convention to earn credit.

9. What is the Approved Provider System (APS) and its NASP-Approved CPD?

Several years ago, APS was established by our colleagues serving on the Executive Council and serving as State Delegates in the Delegate Assembly. The APS is intended to set quality standards for CPD for school psychologists and recognize providers who had demonstrated that they met those standards. Providers can include commercial entities, state associations, universities, and others. NASP itself is also an “approved provider” and can provide NASP-Approved credit for some of its activities. A list of NASP-approved CPD providers can be reviewed here. We are encouraging all affiliated state associations to apply for APS status.

10. How do universities provide NASP-Approved CPD?

Every NASP-approved graduate training program is already an approved provider of professional development. NASP training standards require those programs to provide CPD for school psychologists in their area. If they follow the APS guidelines about speaker qualifications, instructional level, objectives, attendance, etc., they can provide NASP-Approved CPD credit for their activities.

11. What are the APS quality standards?

  • Briefly, an activity must:
    • address one or more of the 11 domains of professional practice.
    • be intended for credentialed professionals in the field of school psychology.
    • enhance professional competencies, skills, or knowledge.
    • have stated instructional objectives related to one or more of the approved content areas.
    • be one hour or more in duration.
  • Instructors for the activity must have training and experience that qualifies them to be considered experts in the subject matter being taught. 
  • The provider must record attendance and provide documentation of completion.
  • The provider requires participants to complete an evaluation of the activity.
  • The activity can’t be a business meeting, professional committee meeting, administrative meeting, or a presentation intended primarily for a lay audience.
  • The activity must be in compliance with NASP Principles for Professional Ethics.

12. What other standards do APS providers have to meet?

  • They must maintain a roster of participants for four years. This could be helpful to participants in case their original documentation is misplaced.
  • Their performance as an approved provider is reviewed annually and they must reapply every four years.
  • They must agree to oversight by the NASP Professional Growth Committee with regard to participant complaints.
  • We review publicity materials for previous programs for accuracy and completeness.

13. How does NASP itself provide Approved Credit?

The Convention Committee began following the APS guidelines and providing Approved Credit at the 2006 New York convention. Initially, it was only provided for “paid” workshops because that was the only venue in which we could monitor attendance, distribute documentation, conduct evaluations, and ensure that speakers followed guidelines about content, learning objectives, disclosure of financial conflict of interest, attending to participant grievances, etc. In addition to the 2006 and 07 convention workshops, we’ve also provided NASP-Approved CPD for PREPaRE workshops, Assistance to States sessions, and for certain leadership training activities at NASP regional meetings.  

14. Can I earn NASP-Approved credit for online modules?

Certain NASP online modules which simulate a traditional workshop are offered for Approved CPD credit. In addition, some approved providers, i.e., Lorman Educational Services, offer teleconferences which provide Approved CPD.

15. Can I earn NASP-Approved credit for seminars and paper presentations at the convention?

No, not for most sessions. The APS standards require that we verify attendance and conduct an evaluation of each professional development session. We also have to comply with the standards regarding speakers. We don’t have the capability to do this in hundreds of convention sessions. We are investigating providing credit for selected non-paid convention sessions with speakers who meet APS criteria. This could be accomplished using “smart card” technology to take attendance. Participants would then go to a central computer system to complete an evaluation and receive documentation.

The Boston Convention will provide Approved CPD for a free strand of invited sessions intended for more advanced practitioners. Several will be sponsored by the Society for the Study of School Psychology and will target improvement of participants’ skills in research, statistics, and methodology. Others will be sponsored by the NCSP Board and will focus on Tier 1 and Tier 3 interventions.

16. Can I earn NASP-Approved credit for NASP summer conferences?

Actually we’ve not been providing it because the organization that previously cosponsored the summer conferences with NASP was an APA-approved provider and provided APA-approved credit. So, credit earned at the 2007 and 2008 summer conferences will be suitable for NCSP renewal. Starting in 2009, NASP will be responsible for the summer conferences and will provide Approved CPD credit.

17. What assurances do I have that NASP won’t increase the percentage of approved credit or introduce other requirements in the future?

The Board has no plans at this time to make additional changes in NCSP renewal requirements. However, you can expect your colleagues on the Board to fulfill their responsibility to meet these goals of the NCPCS:

  • To promote uniform credentialing standards across states, agencies and training institutions
  • To monitor the implementation of NASP credentialing standards at the national level
  • To promote continuing professional development (CPD) for school psychologists
  • To facilitate credentialing of school psychologists across states through the use of reciprocity
  • To ensure a consistent level of training and experience in service providers who are nationally certified
  • To promote the utilization of NASP Standards for Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology (2000) by training institutions
  • To encourage school psychologists to seek national certification

Part II Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Procedures to Renew Your NCSP

1. When is my renewal date and what happens if I send my renewal in early?

Your NCSP certification renewal date is located on your NCSP certification card.  You may also access this information by viewing your profile. You have the option of renewing at the end of your three-year period or you can renew any time upon completion of 75 hours of Continuing Professional Development credits. Renewing early or before the renewal period is expired will reset your renewal date to three years from the month and year your renewal forms are processed.

2. How do I renew if my NCSP is expired?

An NCSP has up to three years to renew the credential after it has expired by submitting the renewal documentation and paying the appropriate renewal and late fees. However, during this time, you are unable to claim in any manner (e.g., in reports, via business cards) that you are an NCSP. When you renew late and pay a late fee, it is a penalty for being late. The late fee does not make your NCSP retroactive to the previous expiration date. CPD hours are considered expired after three years.  The date of CPD hours are counted from the time the renewal is received in the NASP office.  A person who lets their credential remain expired for more than three years must completely reapply for the NCSP under the current standards.

3. What forms do I need to submit for recertification?

The renewal process involves filling out three forms: the Renewal Payment, the Affidavit of Continuing Professional Development Credits, and the Directory Information/Renewal Questionnaire form. Submit along with the appropriate payment. These forms are the pink pages enclosed with your NCSP Renewal Booklet which is mailed at least one month prior to your expiration date. Please be sure you notify us of any change of address. You may do this by editing your profile online.

4. What are the current fees for recertification?

Renewal fees are $80 every three years for NASP members and $180 for non-members. Late fees apply. Fee information is located on the NCSP Renewal Payment form.

5. What specific documentation is required for each CPD activity?

Several forms of documentation are acceptable for CPD activities. Certificates of attendance, official transcripts, state or local summary reports or activity documentation forms are acceptable depending upon the kind of CPD activity you are documenting. Refer to the NCSP Renewal Booklet to determine the appropriate documentation for each activity. Any form of documentation should include the following information:

  • Name of participant
  • Type of activity
  • Date of activity
  • Title of activity
  • Sponsor
  • Hours of participation

This is documentation that you must keep on file for yourself.  If you are ever audited, we would require a copy of your documentation. Therefore, please be sure to accurately state the number of hours in each category, as what you claim and the evidence you provide during an audit must match.

6. Can I use state or local school system reports as documentation?

NASP accepts state or local continuing education summary reports as documentation, provided the information stated above is included on the report.