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Professional Conduct Manual for School Psychology

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National Association of School Psychologists

Guidelines for the Provision ofSchool Psychological Services

INTRODUCTION

The Guidelines for the Provision of School Psychological Servicesrepresent the position of the National Association of SchoolPsychologists (NASP) regarding the delivery of appropriateand comprehensive school psychological services. Firstwritten in 1978, revised in 1984, 1992, 1997, and 2000, theGuidelines serve as a guide to the organization and delivery ofschool psychological services at the federal, state, and locallevels. The Guidelines provide direction to school psycholo-gists, students, and trainers in school psychology, administra-tors of school psychological services, and consumers ofschool psychological services regarding excellence in profes-sional school psychology. They also delineate what servicesmight reasonably be expected to be available from mostschool psychologists and, thus, should help to further definethe field. In addition, they are intended to educate theprofession and the public regarding appropriate professionalpractices and, hopefully, will stimulate the continued devel-opment of the profession.

A principal objective of the Guidelines is to inform policy anddecision-makers of the major characteristics of comprehen-sive school psychological services. The first section presents


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the responsibilities of the individual school psychologist. Thesecond section outlines responsibilities that should beassumed by the unit responsible for providing psychologicalservices within an organization (e.g., school district, commu-nity agency) that employs school psychologists. The “unit”is defined as the entity (e.g., the single school psychologist ina small district, a psychological services unit in a largedistrict, a district that contracts with an agency for psycho-logical services) that is responsible for ensuring that schools,students, and families receive comprehensive psychologicalservices.

Not all school psychologists or school psychological serviceunits will be able to meet every standard contained withinthis document. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that theseguidelines will serve as a model of “good practice” for pro-gram development and professional practice on a federal,state, and local level.

School psychologists will perceive that it is in their own bestinterest—and that of the agencies, parents, and children theyserve—to adhere to and support these Guidelines. NASPencourages state and federal legislators, local school boards,and the administrative leaders of federal, state, and localeducation agencies to support the concepts contained withinthese Guidelines.

NASP acknowledges that the Guidelines set requirements forservices not presently mandated by federal law or regulationand not always mandated in state laws and administrativerules. Future amendments of such statues and rules, and thestate and local plans resulting from them, should incorporatethe suggestions contained in this document. Furthermore,NASP understands that school psychological services areprovided within the context of ethical and legal mandates.


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Nothing in these Guidelines should be construed as supersed-ing such relevant rules and regulations.

The Guidelines provide flexibility, permitting agencies andprofessionals to develop procedures, polices, and administra-tive organizations that meet both the needs of the agencyand the professional’s desire to operate within recognizedprofessional standards of practice. At the same time, theGuidelines have sufficient specificity to insure that serviceswill be provided appropriately and adequately.

PRACTICE GUIDELINES

Practice Guideline 1

School psychologists use a decision-making process incollaboration with other team members to (a) identifyacademic and behavior problems, (b) collect and analyzeinformation to understand the problems, (c) make deci-sions about service delivery, and (d) evaluate the outcomesof the service delivery.

School psychologists must (a) utilize current professionalliterature on various aspects of education and child devel-opment, (b) translate research into practice through theproblem-solving process, and (c) use research design andstatistics skills to conduct investigations to develop andfacilitate effective services.

1.1 School psychologists define problems in ways that(a) identify desired goals (e.g., academic/behavioral),(b) are measurable, (c) are agreed upon by those in-volved, and (d) are linked appropriately to assessmentstrategies.


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1.2 School psychologists select assessment method(s) thatare validated for the problem area under considerationincluding formal and informal assessment procedures, asappropriate, and include data collected from all settingsand persons necessary and appropriate to complete theproblem-solving process.

1.3 School psychologists develop and implement effectiveinterventions that are based upon the data collected andrelated directly to the desired outcomes of those inter-ventions.

1.4 School psychologists use appropriate assessment infor-mation to evaluate interventions to determine theireffectiveness, their need for modification, or their needfor redevelopment. Effectiveness is determined by therelationship between the actual outcome of the interven-tion and the desired goal articulated in the problemsolving process.

1.5 School psychologists apply the problem-solving processto broader research and systems-level problems thatresult in the identification of factors that influencelearning and behavior, the evaluation of the outcomesof classroom, building, and system initiatives and theimplementation of decision-making practices designedto meet general public accountability responsibilities.


School psychologists must have the ability to listen well,participate in discussions, convey information, and worktogether with others at an individual, group, and systemslevel. School psychologists must understand the degree to


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which policy influences systems, systems influence pro-grams, programs and interventions impact consumers, andthe methods to facilitate organizational developmentthrough strategic change.

2.1 School psychologists use decision-making skills and areproficient in systems consultation to facilitate communi-cation and collaboration with students and schoolpersonnel, community professionals, agencies, andfamilies/schools.

2.2 School psychologists participate in public policy discus-sions and understand the process by which public policyinfluences systems. By applying decision-making methodsto public policy determination, school psychologistsfacilitate organization development and change.

2.3 School psychologists must be able to present and dis-seminate information to diverse communities, such asparents, teachers, school boards, policy makers, businessleaders, and fellow school psychologists in a variety ofcontexts, in an organized and meaningful manner.

2.4 School psychologists facilitate the development ofhealthy learning environments and reduce divisivenessthrough the use of conflict resolution and negotiationskills.

2.5 School psychologists function as change agents, usingtheir skills in communication, collaboration, and consul-tation to promote necessary change at the individualstudent, classroom, building, and district local, state,and federal levels.


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School psychologists (in collaboration with others) de-velop challenging but achievable cognitive and academicgoals for all students, provide information about ways inwhich students can achieve these goals, and monitorstudent progress towards these goals.

3.1 School psychologists apply current empirically basedtheory and knowledge of learning theory and cognitiveprocesses to the development of effective instructionalstrategies to promote student learning and social andemotional development.

3.2 School psychologists incorporate assessment informationto the development of instructional strategies to meetthe individual learning needs of children.

3.3 School psychologists use appropriate and applicableassessment techniques to assess progress toward academicgoals and assist in revising instructional methodology asnecessary.

3.4 School psychologists assist in facilitating and imple-menting a variety of research-based instructional methods(e.g., cooperative learning, class-wide peer tutoring,cognitive strategy training) to enhance learning ofstudents at the individual, group, and systems level.

3.5 School psychologists assist in the design and delivery ofcurriculum to help students develop behaviors to supporteffective learning such as study skills, self-regulation andself-monitoring, planning/organization, time manage-ment skills, and making choices that maintain physicaland mental health.


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3.6 School psychologists promote the principles of student-centered learning to help students develop (whenappropriate) their individual ability to be self-regulatedlearners, including the ability to set individual learninggoals, design a learning process to achieve those goals,and assess outcomes to determine whether the goalswere achieved.

3.7 School psychologists are informed about advances incurriculum and instruction and share this knowledgewith educators, parents, and the community at large topromote improvement in instruction, student achieve-ment, and healthy lifestyles.


School psychologists make decisions based on multipletheoretical perspectives and translate current scientificinformation to develop effective behavioral, affective, oradaptive goals for all students, facilitate the implementa-tion of programs/interventions to achieve these goals, andmonitor progress towards these goals.

4.1 School psychologists use decision-making models (e.g.,functional behavioral assessment) that consider theantecedents, consequences, functions, and potentialcauses of behavioral problems experienced by studentswith disabilities, which may impair learning or socializa-tion.

4.2 School psychologists identify factors that facilitate thedevelopment of optimal learning environments. Optimallearning environments are characterized as settingswhere all members of the school or agency communitytreat one another with respect and dignity. Optimal


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learning environments are characterized as settingswhere students’ basic needs are assured so that learningcan occur and health and mental health are systematicallyevaluated.

4.3 School psychologists facilitate the development andimplementation of strategies that result in instructionalenvironments which foster learning and high rates ofacademic engaged time and reduce the presence offactors that promote alienation and impact learningand behavioral progress.

4.4 School psychologists demonstrate appropriate knowledgeof treatment acceptability and treatment integrity byincluding these principles in the development, imple-mentation, and evaluation of interventions.

4.5 School psychologists apply the principles of generaliza-tion and transfer of training in the development ofinterventions in such a way that, when appropriate,interventions can be implemented across settings—school, home, and community.

4.6 School psychologists develop and implement behaviorchange programs (individual, group, classroom) thatdemonstrate the use of alternative, appropriate ap-proaches (e.g., positive reinforcement, social skillstraining, academic interventions) to student discipline,ecological and behavioral approaches to classroommanagement, and awareness of classroom climate.

4.7 School psychologists assist parents and other adultcaregivers in the development, implementation, andevaluation of behavior change programs in the home inorder to facilitate the learning and behavioral growth oftheir child.


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4.8 School psychologists incorporate appropriate strategieswhen developing and delivering intervention programsto facilitate successful transitions of students from oneenvironment to another environment. These programsinclude program to program, early childhood to school,school to school, and school to work transitions.

4.9 School psychologists evaluate interventions (learning/behavioral) for individuals and groups. These include theskills necessary both to evaluate the extent to which theintervention contributed to the outcome and to identifywhat constitutes a “successful” outcome.


School psychologists have the sensitivity, knowledge, andskills to work with individuals and groups with a diverserange of strengths and needs from a variety of racial,cultural, ethnic, experiential, and linguistic backgrounds.

5.1 School psychologists develop academic and behavioralinterventions. They recognize that interventions mostlikely to succeed are those which are adapted to theindividual needs and characteristics of the student(s)for whom they are being designed.

5.2 School psychologists recognize (in themselves and othersand in the techniques and instruments that they use forassessment and intervention) the subtle racial, class,gender, and cultural biases they may bring to their workand the way these biases influence decision-making,instruction, behavior, and long-term outcomes forstudents. School psychologists work to reduce andeliminate these biases where they occur.


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5.3 School psychologists promote practices that help childrenof all backgrounds feel welcome and appreciated in theschool and community.

5.4 School psychologists incorporate their understanding ofthe influence of culture, background, and individuallearning characteristics when designing and implementinginterventions to achieve learning and behavioral outcomes.


School psychologists demonstrate their knowledge ofschools (or other institutional settings) as systems whenthey work with individuals and groups to facilitate struc-ture and public policies that create and maintain schoolsand other systems as safe, caring, and inviting places for allpersons in that system.

6.1 School psychologists use their knowledge of development,learning, family, and school systems to assist schools andcommunities to develop policies and practices related todiscipline, decision-making, instructional support, stafftraining, school improvement plans, program evaluation,transition plans, grading, retention, and home-schoolpartnerships.

6.2 School psychologists use their knowledge of organiza-tional development and systems theory to assist increating climates that result in mutual respect and caringfor all individuals in the system, an atmosphere ofdecision-making and collaboration, and a commitmentto quality services.

6.3 School psychologists regularly participate in the develop-ment of policies and procedures that advocate foreffective programs and services.


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6.4 School psychologists are actively involved in the devel-opment of systems change plans (such as school im-provement plans) that directly impact the programs andservices available to children, youth, and their familiesand that directly impact the ways in which schoolpsychologists deliver their services.

6.5 School psychologists assist in the development ofpolicies and procedures to ensure that schools are safeand violence free. School psychologists participate in theimplementation and evaluation of programs that result insafe and violence free schools and communities.

6.6 School psychologists are actively involved in publicpolicy at the local, state, and federal levels as a means ofcreating systems of effective educational services.

6.7 School psychologists are aware of funding mechanismsthat are available to school and communities that supporthealth and mental health services. School psychologistsparticipate in the development of funding strategies toassure that needed services are available to students andtheir families.


School psychologists shall appropriately utilize preven-tion, health promotion, and crisis intervention methodsbased on knowledge of child development, psychopathol-ogy, diversity, social stressors, change, and systems.

7.1 School psychologists shall apply knowledge of childdevelopment, psychopathology, diversity, social stressors,change, and systems to the identification and recognitionof behaviors that are precursors to school dropouts or the


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development of mental health disorders such as conductdisorders or internalizing disorders.

7.2 School psychologists shall provide direct counseling andindirect interventions through consultation for studentswith disabilities and suspected disabilities who experiencemental health problems that impair learning and/orsocialization.

7.3 School psychologists shall develop, implement, andevaluate prevention and intervention programs based onrecognized factors that are precursors to development ofsevere learning and behavioral problems.

7.4 School psychologists shall collaborate with schoolpersonnel, parents, students, and the community toprovide competent mental health support during andafter crises (for example, suicide, death, natural disasters,murder, bombs or bomb threats, extraordinary violence,and sexual harassment).

7.5 School psychologists promote wellness by (a) collaborat-ing with other health care professionals to provide abasic knowledge of behaviors that lead to good health forchildren; (b) facilitating environmental changes conduciveto good health and adjustment of children; and (c)accessing resources to address a wide variety of behavioral,learning, mental, and physical needs.


School psychologists have knowledge of family influencesthat affect students’ wellness, learning, and achievementand are involved in public policy that promotes partner-ships between parents, educators, and the community.


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8.1 School psychologists design and implement and evaluateprograms to promote school-family partnerships for thepurpose of enhancing academic and behavioral goals forstudents. These might include (but are not limited to)developing parent education programs, establishingdrop-in centers for parents, establishing homeworkhotlines, or providing other supports for parents to helpthem parent successfully and to help them enhance theacademic and psychological development of their children.

8.2 School psychologists help parents feel comfortableparticipating in school functions or activities. Thesemight include providing support for them when partici-pating on special education and I.E.P. teams, encouragingparental involvement in school-wide committees such asschool improvement teams, and facilitating home-schoolcommunication when problems arise and includesassisting parents in accessing community-based servicesfor their family.

8.3 School psychologists educate the school communityregarding the influence of family involvement on schoolachievement and advocate for parent involvement inschool governance and policy development wheneverfeasible.

8.4 School psychologists help create linkages betweenschools, families, and community agencies and helpcoordinate services when programming for childreninvolves multiple agencies.

8.5 School psychologists are knowledgeable about the localsystem of care and related community services availableto support students and their families.


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8.6 School psychologists work with parent organizations topromote public policy that empowers parents to becompetent consumers of the local system of services.

8.7 School psychologists are active participants in publicpolicy by serving on committees, participating in workgroups and task forces, and in responding to proposedlegislation and rules.

GUIDELINES FOR THE ORGANIZATION ANDOPERATION OF THE UNIT

Unit Guideline 1: Organization of Service Delivery

School psychological services are provided in a coordi-nated, organized fashion and are delivered in a mannerthat ensures the provision of a comprehensive and seamlesscontinuum of services. Services are delivered following thecompletion of a strategic planning process based on theneeds of the consumers and an empirically supportedprogram evaluation model.

1.1 School psychological services are available and accessibleto all students and clients served by the agency and arein proportion to the needs of the client.

1.2 School psychological services are available to all studentson an equal basis and are not determined by a specificfunding source. Services are provided to students basedon their need, not based on their eligibility to generatespecific funding.

1.3 School psychological services are integrated with otherschool and community services. Students and theirfamilies should not be responsible for the integration of


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these services based on funding, setting, or programlocation. Therefore, school psychological and mentalhealth services are provided through a “seamless” systemof care.

1.4 School psychological services units ensure that theservices delivered by the unit and provided directly bythe school psychologist to consumers are based on astrategic plan. The plan is developed based on thecollective needs of the district and community with theprimary focus being the specific needs of the populationserved by individual practitioners.

1.5 School psychological services units conduct regularevaluations of the collective services provided by the unitas well as those services provided by individual practitio-ners. The evaluation process focuses on both the natureand extent of the services provided (process) and thestudent/family focused outcomes of those services(product).

1.6 The school psychological services unit provides a rangeof services to their clients. These consist of direct andindirect services that require involvement with the entireeducational system as well as other services systems inthe community. The consumers of and participants inthese services include: students, teachers, administrators,other school personnel, families, caretakers, othercommunity and regional agencies, and resources thatsupport the educational process.

Unit Guideline 2: Climate

It is the responsibility of the unit to create a climate inwhich school psychological services can be delivered with


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mutual respect for all parties. Employees of the unit havethe freedom to advocate for the services that are necessaryto meet the needs of consumers and are free from artificial,administrative, or political constraints that might hinderor alter the provision of appropriate services.

2.1 Providers of school psychological services maintain acooperative relationship with colleagues and co-workersin the best mutual interests of clients. Conflicts areresolved in a professional manner.

2.2 The potential negative impact of administrative con-straints on effective services is kept to a minimum. Theschool psychologist will advocate for administrativepolicies that support the school psychologist in seekingthe needed services and will provide mechanisms forreferral and consultation regarding unmet health andmental health needs.

2.3 Members of the unit advocate in a professional mannerfor the most appropriate services for their clients withoutfear of reprisal from supervisors or administrators.

2.4 School psychological service units are aware of theimpact of work environment on the job satisfaction ofunit employees and on the quality of services provided toconsumers. Measures of work climate are included whenthe unit conducts self-evaluations.

2.5 School psychological service units promote and advocatefor balance between professional and personal lives ofunit employees. Unit supervisors monitor work andstress levels of employees and take steps to reducepressure when the well-being of the employee is at risk.Supervisors are available to employees to problem solve


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when personal factors may adversely affect job perfor-mance and when job expectations may adversely affectthe personal life of the employee.

Unit Guideline 3: Physical, Personnel, and Fiscal SupportSystems

School psychological services units ensure that (a) anadequate recruitment and retention plan for employeesexists to ensure adequate personnel to meet the needs ofthe system; (b) all sources of funding, both public andprivate, are used and maximized to ensure the fiscalsupport necessary to provide adequate services; (c) allemployees have adequate technology, clerical services, anda physical work environment; and (d) employees haveadequate personnel benefits necessary to support the workof the unit including continuing educational professionaldevelopment.

3.1 School psychological services units assume the profes-sional responsibility and accountability for servicesprovided through the recruitment of qualified anddiverse staff and the assurance that staff membersfunction only in their areas of competency.

3.2 School psychological services units support recruitmentand retention of qualified staff by advocating for appro-priate ratios of school psychology services staff tostudents. The ratio of staff to students should not exceedone staff person for every 1000 students.

3.3 School psychological services units utilize advancedtechnologies (e.g., computer-assisted) in time manage-ment, communication systems, data managementsystems, and service delivery.


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3.4 School psychological services unit have access to adequateclerical assistance, appropriate professional work materials,sufficient office and work space, adequate technologysupport (e.g., e-mail, computer) and general workingconditions that enhance the delivery of effective services.Included are test materials, access to private telephoneand office, secretarial services, therapeutic aids, andprofessional literature.

Unit Guideline 4: Communication and Technology

The school psychological services unit ensures thatpolicies and practices exist which result in positive, proac-tive communication and technology systems both withinthe unit, its central organizational structure, and thoseorganizational structures with which the unit interacts.

4.1 School psychological service units provide opportunitiesfor members of the unit to communicate with each otherabout issues of mutual professional interest on a regularbasis.

4.2 School psychological services units maintain a formalsystem of communication channels with other unitswithin the parent organization and between the unitand other agencies with whom it interacts on behalf ofclients. The unit engages in decision-making andstrategic planning with other units and agencies in orderto ensure optimal services are provided to mutual clients.

4.3 School psychological services units ensure that staffmembers have access to the technology necessary toperform their jobs adequately and to maintain communi-cation with service providers and clients within andoutside the unit. The requirement for confidentiality


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is respected, with adequate resources available to serviceproviders to ensure confidential communication.

4.4 School psychological services units’ policy on studentrecords is consistent with state and federal rules and lawsand ensures the protection of the confidentiality of thestudent and his or her family. The policy specifies thetypes of data developed by the school psychologist thatare classified as school or pupil records. The policy givesclear guidance regarding which documents belong(consistent with FERPA or similar state/court regula-tions) to the school and the student/guardian and whichdocuments (such as clinical notes) are the personalproperty of the school psychologist.

4.5 Parents may inspect and review any personally identifiabledata relating to their children that were collected, main-tained, or used in his/her evaluation. Although testprotocols are part of the student’s record, school psy-chologists protect test security and observe copyrightrestrictions. Release of records and protocols is doneconsistent with state/federal regulations.

Unit Guideline 5: Supervision

The school psychological services unit ensures that allpersonnel have levels and types of supervision adequate toensure the provision of effective and accountable services.Supervision is provided through an ongoing, positive,systematic, collaborative process between the schoolpsychologist and the school psychology supervisor. Thisprocess focuses on promoting professional growth andexemplary professional practice leading to improvedperformance by all concerned including the school psy-chologist, supervisor, students, and the entire schoolcommunity.


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5.1 A supervisor of a school psychological services unit holdsor meets the criteria for the Nationally Certified SchoolPsychologist (NCSP) credential and has been identifiedby an employing agency and/or school psychologicalservice unit as a supervisor responsible for school psy-chology services in the agency or unit. Supervisors hold astate school psychologist credential and have a minimumof three years of experience as a practicing schoolpsychologist. Training and/or experience in the supervi-sion of school personnel are desirable.

5.2 When supervision is required for interns, beginningschool psychologists, or others for whom supervision isnecessary, such supervision will be provided at least 2hours per week for persons employed full-time.

5.3 Supervisors lead school psychological services units indeveloping, implementing, and evaluating a coordinatedplan for accountability and evaluation of all servicesprovided in order to maintain the highest level ofeffectiveness. Such plans include specific, measurableobjectives pertaining to the planned effects of services.Evaluation is both formative and summative. Supervisorsprovide leadership by promotion of innovative servicedelivery systems that reflect best practices in the field ofschool psychology.

5.4 Supervisors lead school psychological services units indeveloping, implementing, and evaluating a coordinatedplan for accountability and evaluation of all servicesprovided by individual staff members and by the unit asa whole in order to maintain the highest level of services.Such plans include specific, measurable objectivespertaining to the planned effects of services on all relevantelements of the system and the students it serves. Evalua-tion is both formative and summative.


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5.5 The school psychological services unit continues toprovide supervision or peer review for its school psy-chologists after their first year of employment to ensurecontinued professional growth and development andsupport for complex or difficult cases.

5.6 Supervisors coordinate the activities of the schoolpsychological services unit with other professionalservices units through review and discussion of 1)intervention planning and outcomes; 2) comprehensive,systemic procedures and special concerns; and 3) discrep-ancies among views of various professional serviceproviders or employing agencies.

5.7 Supervisors ensure that practica and internship experi-ences occur under conditions of appropriate supervisionincluding 1) access to professional school psychologistswho will serve as appropriate role models, 2) provisionof supervision by an appropriately credentialed schoolpsychologist, and 3) provision of supervision within theguidelines of the training institution and NASP Standardsfor Training and Field Placement Programs in SchoolPsychology.

5.8 Supervisors provide professional leadership throughparticipation in school psychology professional organiza-tions and active involvement in local, state and federalpublic policy development.

Unit Guideline 6: Professional Development and Recog-nition Systems

Individual school psychologists and the school psychologi-cal services unit develop professional development plansannually. The school psychological services unit ensures


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that continuing professional development of its personnelis both adequate for and relevant to the service deliverypriorities of the unit and that recognition systems exist toreflect the continuum of professional development activi-ties embraced by its personnel.

6.1 All school psychologists within the unit actively partici-pate in activities designed to continue, enhance, andupgrade their professional training and skills to helpensure quality service provision.

6.2 The school psychological services unit provides support(e.g., funding, time, supervision) to ensure that schoolpsychologists have sufficient access to continuing profes-sional development and supervision activities at aminimal level necessary to maintain the NCSP.

6.3 School psychologists develop a formal professionaldevelopment plan and update this plan annually. Thegoals, objectives, and activities of the plan are influencedby the following factors in order of priority: (1) the mostpressing needs of the population and community served;(2) the knowledge, skills, and abilities required toimplement initiatives sponsored by the unit; and (3) theindividual interest areas of the school psychologistsemployed by the unit.

6.4 School psychologists seek and use appropriate types andlevels of supervision as they acquire new knowledge,skills, and abilities through the professional developmentprocess.

6.5 School psychologists document the type, level, andintensity of their professional development activities.The school psychological services unit provides tech-nology and personnel resources to assist in these activities.


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6.6 School psychologists individually seek appropriate levelsof advanced recognition (e.g., advanced degrees, levelsestablished by district, state, or national recognitionbodies) to reflect on-going professional development.

6.7 School psychological services units provide levels ofrecognition (e.g., salary, opportunity to use new skills)within the unit that reflect the professional developmentof the school psychologists in the unit.

Unit Guideline 7: Contracted/Independent ProviderServices

The school psychological services unit is responsible forproviding psychological services. These services can comefrom district employed school psychologists, from psy-chologists employed in independent practice, or throughother agencies. Regardless of whether personnel areemployed or contracted, it is the responsibility of the unitto ensure the same level and quality of services as thoseprovided by personnel from within the unit.

7.1 Contractual school psychological services encompass thesame comprehensive continuum of services as is providedby regularly employed school psychologists. These servicesinclude opportunities for follow-up and continuingconsultation appropriate to the needs of the student.Individual contracts for services may be limited as longas the school psychological services unit ensures compre-hensive services overall.

7.2 Contractual school psychological services are not used asa means to decrease the amount and quality of schoolpsychological services provided by an employing agency.They may be used to augment and enhance programs, as


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in the case of retaining needed expertise, to coordinatewith other community health services, and to assure thatservices are available to students and their families.

7.4 Contracted services may be used as a mechanism tomaximize available resources. However, any such modelsof service must provide comprehensive psychologicalservices and must assure quality services of equal orgreater value when compared to services provided byschool-based personnel.

7.5 Contractual school psychological services are provided ina manner that protects the due process rights of studentsand their parents as defined by state and federal laws andregulations.

7.6 Psychologists providing contractual school psychologicalservices provide those services in a manner consistentwith these Guidelines, NASP Principles for ProfessionalEthics, and other relevant professional guidelines andstandards.

7.7 Persons providing contractual psychological services arefully credentialed school psychologists as defined bythese or other (e.g., state certification boards) recognizedstandards. In specific instances, however, services bycredentialed psychologists in other specialty areas (e.g.,clinical, industrial/organizational, neuropsychology)might be used to supplement school psychologicalservices and should be coordinated with school psycho-logical services.

7.8 Psychologists providing contractual school psychologicalservices will require regular evaluation of the quality ofservices provided as well as the continued need forcontracted services.


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7.9 A credentialed school psychologist who has completeda school psychology training program that meets thecriteria specified in the NASP Standards for Trainingand Field Placement Programs in School Psychologyand two full-time years (one of which may be intern-ship) of satisfactory, properly supervised experience isconsidered qualified for personally supervised, indepen-dent practice with peer review, regardless of worksetting. (NOTE: “Independent practice” as used in thisparagraph refers to autonomous functioning within theemploying school or agency. Contrast this with thelicensure rules of various states for “private practice.”)

7.10 A credentialed school psychologist or an organizedgroup of credentialed school psychologists may engagein independent practice outside of a school agency orunit pursuant to existing rules regarding the indepen-dent practice of psychology within a given state. Unitswill support public policy that will provide for theindependent practice of school psychology.

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