NASP Resources

NASP Practice Model

In May 2020, the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) adopted the NASP 2020 Professional Standards, including the Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services, also known as the NASP Practice Model. The 2020 NASP Practice Model advances the consistent implementation of school psychological services to help ensure their maximum effectiveness, efficiency, and quality in schools nationwide.

The 2020 model continues to support efforts to:

• Improve ratios with the adjusted recommended ratio of 1:500
• Enhance recognition of and access to school psychologists’ comprehensive skills and expertise across the 10 Domains of Practice
• Implement the 6 Organizational Principles necessary to ensure the systemic capacity for school psychologists to provide their comprehensive role

Implementation of the NASP Practice Model creates the capacity to make the best, most cost-effective use of school psychologists' skills and expertise, which are an existing but sometimes underutilized resource in schools. The Practice Model allows flexibility for agencies and professionals to develop policies and procedures that meet local needs, while also providing sufficient specificity to ensure appropriate, comprehensive service provision.

Excellence in School Psychological Services

The Excellence in School Psychological Services (ESPS) Recognition Program recognizes school districts throughout the country that are working to implement the NASP Model for Comprehensive and Integrated School Psychological Services (the NASP Practice Model). The NASP Practice Model has two major parts: 10 Domains of Practice and 6 Organizational Principles. The ESPS recognition program focuses primarily on the 6 Organizational Principles defined in the model as critical to enabling school psychologists to practice their comprehensive role across all 10 domains. The program offers five levels of recognition: No Recognition, Emerging, Promising, Proficient, and Exemplary.

The goals of the recognition program are to:

• highlight the efforts of districts that clearly understand the value school psychologists bring to improving outcomes for students and schools, and that are committed to creating the contexts and infrastructure within which school psychologists can be most effective;
• provide a continuous improvement framework and incentives for working toward full implementation of the NASP Practice Model over time; and
• empower school psychologists to improve services to students, families, and schools.

Learn more here!