Critical Policy Issues
NASP works on many different policy issues in the areas of healthcare, education, criminal justice and more. A full list of our policy priorities can be found in our Policy Platform, which is a product of our positions statements and resolutions, but they are broadly categorized into the following issue areas:
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Comprehensive School Safety
NASP believes that efforts to improve school safety must address the continuum of school safety issues, and is working to effectively use the momentum behind this issue to increase access to school-based mental and behavioral health services and work toward implementing coordinated and comprehensive school safety efforts. … more
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Shortage of School Psychologists
There is a critical shortage in school psychology, both in terms of practitioners and in the availability of graduate education programs and faculty needed to train the workforce necessary to keep up with the growing student population. NASP recommends a ratio of one school psychologist per 500 students in order to provide comprehensive school psychological services. Current data estimates a national ratio of 1:1127; however, great variability exists among states, with some states approaching a ratio of 1:5000. … more
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Supporting Diverse Populations
For school psychologists, social justice is both a process and a goal that requires action. School psychologists work to ensure the protection of the educational rights, opportunities, and well-being of all children, especially those whose voices have been muted, identities obscured, or needs ignored. … more
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Education Funding
Robust education investments are necessary to ensure a successful public education system. Quite simply, students cannot learn without strong principals, high quality teachers, access to school psychologists and other specialized instructional support personnel, comprehensive learning supports, comprehensive learning supports, sound infrastructure, and current and evidence based materials in their classrooms. … more
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Mental and Behavioral Health
Across the country there is growing recognition of the importance of meeting the mental and behavioral health needs of children and youth, and the critical role of schools in doing this work. With this improved understanding, NASP advocates at the local, state, and national levels for increased access to mental and behavioral health services in the school setting, as well as to school-based mental health professionals, like school psychologists. … more
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Comprehensive Role of School Psychologists
Advancing the comprehensive role of school psychologists, as defined by the NASP Practice Model, is essential to ensuring that all students have access to the full range of school psychological services they need to be successful. The NASP Practice Model delineates what services can reasonably be expected from school psychologists across 10 domains of practice and the general framework within which services should be provided. … more
Advocacy Action Center
Make your voice heard. NASP's Advocacy Action Center is a one-stop shop for you to advocate on the policy issues that matter to school psychologists by writing or calling your congressional representatives.
Policy Playbook
NASP's Policy Playbook, completed and released in 2019, was created to provide tips, advice, and best practices on how to fulfill one of the most important aspects of being a school psychologist: advocacy.