The NASP School Psychologist of the Year Award (SPY) recognizes excellence in the provision of school psychological services by a field-based practitioner. This award serves to identify and recognize an outstanding practicing school psychologist and increase public awareness of the profession.

All nomination materials must be submitted in one email to awards@naspweb.org. The nominator will receive an email reply confirming receipt. If the packet is missing any of the required documents (see below) it will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.

Who can nominate?

Each state association is invited to nominate one outstanding candidate for this prestigious national award. As mentioned above, the state association president or their designee (e.g., awards chair, NASP delegate, etc.) may make the nomination. NASP delegates are to complete materials in any nonaffiliated state. The nominator is responsible for submitting all the materials. Previously submitted nominations may be resubmitted with updated information.

Eligibility Criteria

The candidate must be a current NASP member and a practicing school psychologist who spends at least 80% of their time providing direct services to students, teachers, and parents. Trainers, researchers, and administrators are not eligible for this award. Examples could include 4 out of 5 days spent as a practitioner versus 1 out of 5 days in another role (administrator, trainer, grant writer, etc.) or if the candidate’s practice has been for 20 years so far, 16 years should be as a practicing school psychologist. School psychologists who retired during the 2020–2021 school year may be nominated. Having the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) credential is desired.

Candidate must meet the following criteria:

• Is a NASP member for the 2022–2023 membership year (July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023).
• Provides school psychological services in line with 2020 NASP Practice Model.
• Performs job in exemplary manner.
• Earns respect of others.
• Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior, as defined by 2020 NASP Principles for Professional Ethics.
• Has membership and/or leadership in local, state, and national professional associations.

Procedures and Required Documents

Nomination materials should be in a 10- or 12-point font for easy reading by the reviewers and include the following:

1. Nominator and Candidate Contact Sheet
2. Nomination Statement
   • In no more than two pages, the nominator should describe why the candidate should be considered for this award, including specific examples in any of the Practice Model domains or examples of exemplary job performance, respect of others, professional memberships, and leadership activities.
3. Candidate’s Resume or Vita
4. Four Letters of Support
   • These should be no more than two pages in length and should be written by individuals knowledgeable about the candidate's capabilities, professionalism and ethical behavior, interpersonal skills, and leadership qualities (e.g., teachers, parents, students, colleagues, administrators) . At least one letter must be from an individual in the candidate's school system. No more than four (4) letters of support should be submitted. Please refer to the tips for nominators and candidates for more details. Letters of support should avoid repeating information in the candidate's resume/vita.
5. Candidate’s Responses to Essay Questions
   Responses to each question should be limited to 1,000 words. Include the question and number at the top of each response and the candidate’s name and page number in the header. The question does not count as part of the 1,000 word limit. Please double-space and use a 10- or 12-point font. The essay questions for the 2021 award are:
   1. Describe one professional accomplishment specifically related to your role as a school psychologist. How has it given you your greatest satisfaction professionally and/or personally?
   2. In what ways have you collaborated with and engaged students’ families and community (e.g., school, neighborhoods, agencies, faith-based institutions, etc.) to support student learning and health?

Selection and Notification

A panel of reviewers (state delegates and a former SPY recipient) will read and rate the materials and determine the top candidate. All candidates and nominators will be informed of the outcome by email. Reviewer ratings will be completed by late October. The award recipient will be notified by late November and other candidates and nominators will be notified in mid-December. An official NASP announcement will be made to NASP members in early January.

Award Presentation

The School Psychologist of the Year Award recipient will be asked to attend the Awards Ceremony and the opening General Session at the NASP annual convention.