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NCSP renewal: counting hours from providers NASP hasn't approved

At least 10 of the 75 CPD hours for NCSP renewal must come from a NASP-approved provider or APA-approved sponsor; for the rest, NASP lets you select activities yourself if they pass its four questions, within its category limits. Here is what NASP's own pages say about which hours need an approved provider, how to judge the rest, and what documentation to submit and keep.

The 75 hours and the 10 approved-provider hours

NCSP holders must complete "A minimum of 75 hours of continuing professional development (CPD) activities within 36 months of renewal, and maintain documentation of activities". Of those, "At least 10 of the 75 CPD hours must come from a NASP-approved provider or APA-approved sponsor of continuing education." The 3 hours on ethical practice and/or the legal regulation of school psychology "may be met with any appropriate CPD activity category", and the 3 hours in equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) / social justice "count toward the required 75 CPD total."

To find a NASP-approved provider for the required approved-provider hours, use the NASP-approved provider directory. The other qualifying route is an APA-approved sponsor: search the APA-approved sponsor list. Check the provider’s status and the activity’s eligibility before relying on it.

How to judge the hours you choose yourself

NASP says you "may evaluate and select Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities based on your own professional development needs, and may claim the activities for CPD credit, without contacting NASP for preapproval." You should be able to answer yes to all four of its questions:

  • "Did the activity enhance or upgrade my professional skills or add to my knowledge base?"
  • "Was the activity relevant to the professional practice of school psychology?"
  • "Did the activity fit into my personal plan for continuing professional development?"
  • "Did the activity go beyond the ordinary aspects of my employment?"

Online courses and self-study

NASP's Category H covers self-study. NASP says formal self-study "could include a course taken on the Internet", and "one may accrue all 40 hours from formal self-study opportunities, though can claim no more than 20 hours from informal self-study." The documentation is a "Certificate of completion or Activity Documentation Form (listing at least four resources used for each informal self-study topic)". "One CPD credit is defined as 1 contact hour or an actual clock hour (60 minutes) spent in direct participation, as a learner, in a structured educational format."

Timing and records

"The 3-year period is counted backward from the month in which your renewal application is submitted to the NASP office." NASP's example: "if the renewal application is submitted in June 2025, credits earned from June 2022 through June 2025 would be accepted for that renewal cycle." "Credits from a previous renewal cycle may not be resubmitted." NASP says "When renewing, NCSPs must upload required CPD documentation", up to 10% of renewals are audited, and "Keep all documentation." NASP lists what documentation should include: your name, the CPD hours claimed, the category or type of activity, its title or topic, the sponsor if any, and the date.

Plan the rest

Our free NCSP renewal hours planner shows what's left in each requirement it tracks and how many hours a month will finish them. It runs in your browser and saves nothing. Special Learning is not a NASP-approved provider or an APA-approved sponsor, and our courses do not meet the 10-hour requirement. For how this applies to the courses we offer, see our NCSP page.

A course to consider for self-study

Compassionate Mandated Reporting Across Disciplines is a 110-minute recorded panel about reporting concerns with care. It costs $39, paid once, and its completion certificate shows a duration of 1.83 hours after successful completion. It is historical educational material, not a current state-by-state legal guide, and does not replace training required by a state or employer. Special Learning is not a NASP-approved provider or APA-approved sponsor; the course does not meet the 10-hour approved-provider requirement. We do not claim that it meets the ethics/legal or equity requirement.

Before buying, check whether the topic meets NASP's four questions for your practice and whether you have room under the Category H limit. The free NCSP planner can help you track the hours you enter. Your state credential may have separate requirements.

Common questions

Do all 75 NCSP hours need to come from NASP-approved providers?

No. NASP requires at least 10 of the 75 from a NASP-approved provider or APA-approved sponsor. For the rest, NASP says you may select activities and claim them without preapproval if you can answer yes to its four questions.

Can an online course count toward NCSP renewal?

NASP's Category H formal self-study (up to 40 hours across Category H) could include a course taken on the Internet, documented with a certificate of completion or an Activity Documentation Form (which lists at least four resources for each informal self-study topic). You decide whether a course meets NASP's four questions.

Which hours count for my renewal?

NASP counts back 36 months from the month you submit your renewal application. Hours from a previous renewal cycle may not be resubmitted, and hours above 75 don't carry over.

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