NASP Professional Standards (Adopted in 2010)

• Principles for Professional Ethics
• Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services
• Standards for the Graduate Preparation of School Psychologists
• Standards for the Credentialing of School Psychologists

PREFACE

At the NASP 2010 Delegate Assembly in Chicago, NASP leaders unanimously approved the 2010 Revision of the NASP Standards.  The NASP 2010 Standards consists of four separate documents: (a) Standards for Graduate Preparation of School Psychologists (formerly Training and Field Placement Programs in School Psychology), (b) Standards for the Credentialing of School Psychologists, (c) Principles for Professional Ethics, and the (d) Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services (formerly Guidelines for the Provision of School Psychological Services).

The 2010 Standards were developed within the context of current issues relevant to education and psychology, with a visionary look ahead to anticipated future developments and issues in our field. 

Over an almost three-year period, the Standards Revision Task Force members and other NASP leaders worked to assure the process of revising the NASP Standards was completed with integrity and with input from our NASP membership, elected and appointed NASP leaders, and other leaders in the field of school psychology.  The adoption of the NASP 2010 Standards was accomplished as a result of the commitment of NASP leaders and members, and in consultation with other school psychology organizations. 

The process to revise the four NASP standards (Training, Credentialing, Ethics, and Practice Guidelines) formally began in September 2007. The comprehensive revision process integrated an analysis of key issues for school psychology and needs of school psychologists with a multistage development and review of draft documents by numerous individuals, including NASP leaders, NASP members, and representatives of other school psychology and related organizations. Web-based surveys, focus groups held at NASP conventions, and other communications were used throughout the revision process to solicit input about needed revisions for the standards and to obtain feedback about drafts of the standards from NASP leaders, members, and other organizations. From an organizational prospective, the revision process was spearheaded by Writing Teams for each document, which developed drafts of the standards and reviewed all comments and suggestions resulting from multiple surveys and focus groups. Next, Development Groups (representatives from NASP and other school psychology organization) provided review and feedback in fall 2008, and then Reaction Groups (NASP leadership and membership and related organizations and stakeholders) provided further review and feedback in winter 2009. As a result of this process, many revisions were made. The final versions adopted by the Delegate Assembly in March 2010 represent an integration of the expertise and experience of numerous school psychologists.

These efforts produced strong policy documents for NASP and all school psychologists and will strengthen NASP’s many efforts to support school psychologists and promote comprehensive school psychological services. The NASP 2010 standards are a unified set of national principles that guide graduate education, credentialing, professional practices, and ethical behavior of effective school psychologists. These major NASP policy documents are intended to define contemporary school psychology; promote comprehensive and integrated services for children, families and schools; and provide a foundation for the future of school psychology. These policy documents will be used to communicate NASP’s positions and advocate for qualifications and practices of school psychologists with stakeholders, policy makers and other professional groups at the national, state and local levels.

Acknowledgement of NASP Standard Revision Task Force Members

The members of the Writing Teams who contributed to the revision process include the following:

Patti Harrison  
Joe Prus
Enedina Vasquez
Virginia Harvey-Smith
Michael Curtis
Rhonda Armistead
Sarah Valley-Gray
Joan Bohmann
Sawyer Hunley
Diane Smallwood
Barbara Fischetti
Joe Kovaleski
Leigh Armistead
Susan Jacob
Barbara Bole Williams, Task Force Chair

The members of the Development Group included:

Graduate Preparation

Hee Sook Choi
Carol Robinson-Zanartu
Eric Robinson
Tania Thomas Presswood
Janine Jones
Bonnie Nastasi
Brian Leung

Ethics

Kathy McNamara
Fred Provenzano
Nichole Dailor
Max McFarland
Phil Bowser
Mark Roth
David Shriberg
Juliette Madigan
Monica Murray
Shirley Pitts

Credentialing

Kelly Humphreys
Brian Bartels
Brent Duncan
Tony Wu
Julie Staresnick
Veronica Gorgueiro
Julie Rabatsky
Jean Ramage
Elvina Charley
Dede Bailer

Practice Model

Alnita Dunn
Amelia Van Name Larson
Chris Willis
Mat Lau
Liliana Isoe
Jeanne Pound
Mary DuHoux
Don Blagg
Sonja Shannon
Rocky Martinez

Additional members of the Development Group and the organizations they represented:

Elaine Clark – Division 16 of the American Psychological Association
Dan Olympia – Trainers of School Psychologists 
Kathy Bradley Klug – Council of Directors of School Psychology Programs
Judith Kaufman – American Academy of School Psychology
Clifford Hatt – American Board of School Psychology
LeAdelle Phelps – Society for the Study of School Psychology