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Bethesda, MD-The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) is pleased to be officially recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) as an accrediting organization for specialist level and doctoral level degree programs in school psychology.

CHEA represents the highest standard for professional organizations that review and accredit programs. Participation in this process encourages both continued improvement and accountability to the public and validates NASP's program review process.

Over the coming years, NASP will transition away from serving as a Specialty Professional Association (SPA) under the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). We are committed to working closely with CAEP to ensure as smooth a transition as possible, and we will continue to honor existing expiration dates for programs that had previously undergone review through a CAEP unit.

For programs already in the SPA review process under CAEP, we commit to following the review cycle to completion. However, for programs in a CAEP Partnership State that requires submission through CAEP, renewal or initial reviews starting with the Fall 2024 review cycle will go through NASP's accreditation process. Details about NASP accreditation can be found on our website.

The transition plan will be as follows:

• Starting with the Fall 2024 review cycle, NASP will discontinue receiving shell requests for CAEP SPA Initial Review Program Reports. Shell requests from programs that are scheduled to submit Revised and Response to Conditions Reports to address any pending conditions for National Recognition will be processed individually.
• Programs in CAEP institutions that are approved by NASP by Spring 2024 will be listed on the CAEP website as Nationally Recognized until the expiration of that status.
• Programs that have already been accredited by NASP are recognized by CAEP. If an educator preparation provider chooses to include such programs as part of CAEP review, they can use evidence from the NASP report to make a case for CAEP standards or use a crosswalk.
• Programs in states that have a CAEP Partnership should inquire with their institutional CAEP liaison or state contact to ensure that they are following correct review processes. NASP will remain in close contact and collaboration with CAEP regarding reviews as part of the CAEP process.  

The Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) will recognize NASP accreditation decisions as a CHEA-recognized accrediting organization; however, each program should identify the specific recognition requirements of the state in which it is registered. NASP plans to continue discussion with AAQEP leadership in the coming months.

For additional information, contact Eric Rossen, NASP Director, Professional Development and Standards, at erossen@naspweb.org. For questions on NASP's decision regarding SPA program review, providers may contact Natalie Politikos at nasppab@naspweb.org

The National Association of School Psychologists represents 25,000 school psychologists throughout the United States and abroad. NASP empowers school psychologists to improve students' learning, behavior, and mental health. Our vision is that all children and youth access the learning, behavior, and mental health support needed to thrive in school, at home, and throughout life. Further information about school psychology, NASP, and our program accreditation is available at www.nasponline.org.                        

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