School Psychology Licensure & Professional Development Requirements

Kansas School Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements

Kansas school psychologists are licensed as School Specialists through the Kansas State Department of Education. A professional School Specialist license is generally valid for five years. Because school psychologists typically hold an advanced graduate degree, the standard professional-development renewal pathway generally requires 120 professional development points during the license period.

120 PD Points With an Advanced Degree

5 Years Professional License Cycle

1 = 1 1 Contact Hour = 1 Knowledge-Level PD Point

Important for school psychologists: Kansas uses different professional-development totals depending on the educator's highest degree. A professional license holder with an advanced degree needs 120 professional development points. Because professional school psychologists normally hold graduate-level specialist preparation, this is the renewal requirement that will apply to most Kansas school psychologists.

Kansas School Psychologist Requirements at a Glance

Credential

Professional School Specialist License – School Psychologist

Licensing Authority

Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE)

Professional License Term

5 years

Advanced Degree Renewal

120 professional development points under an approved Individual Development Plan

Bachelor's Degree Renewal

160 PD points, including at least 80 points from college credit

College Credit Conversion

1 semester hour = 20 professional development points

Knowledge-Level PD

1 contact hour = 1 professional development point

Plan Requirement

Professional development must generally be earned under an approved Individual Development Plan and awarded by a Kansas local Professional Development Council

120 Professional Development Points for Advanced-Degree Holders

Kansas requires a professional license holder with an advanced degree to complete 120 professional development points under an approved Individual Development Plan.

Unlike Kansas educators whose highest degree is a bachelor's degree, an advanced-degree holder does not have to earn a minimum portion of the 120 points through college coursework.

The 120 points may therefore be earned through an appropriate combination of college credit and locally approved professional development activities.

How Kansas Professional Development Points Work

Kansas professional development points can be awarded at different levels depending on the type and impact of the professional learning.

Knowledge Level

Generally 1 point for each contact hour of qualifying professional development

Application Level

Additional points may be awarded when an educator demonstrates application of new professional knowledge or skills

Impact Level

Additional professional development points may be awarded when evidence demonstrates an impact on students or professional practice

College Coursework

1 semester credit hour = 20 PD points

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

Kansas professional development for licensure renewal is generally organized through an Individual Development Plan.

The educator develops the plan in cooperation with a designated supervisor, and it is reviewed through the local Professional Development Council.

Professional development activities used toward renewal should support the goals identified in the approved plan.

Local approval matters: Kansas is not simply a system in which an educator accumulates 120 unrelated certificates. Professional development points are normally awarded within the local Professional Development Council and IDP system.

Professional Development Must Cover At Least Two Areas

Kansas professional-development plans used for license renewal must include activities in at least two of three areas.

Content Endorsement Standards – learning related to the educator's licensed professional area;
Professional Education Standards – learning related to professional educational knowledge and practice; and
Service to the Profession – activities that contribute to professional education, colleagues, licensure, accreditation, or professional organizations.

Relevant Professional Development for Kansas School Psychologists

School psychology professional development can fit naturally within Kansas content endorsement and professional education standards.

Psychoeducational assessment
Academic intervention
Behavior assessment and intervention
Special education law
Section 504
School psychology ethics
Data-based decision making

School mental and behavioral health
Consultation and collaboration
Trauma-informed practice
Family-school collaboration
Dyslexia and structured literacy
Evidence-based interventions
Professional school psychology practice

Annual Dyslexia and Structured Literacy Training

Kansas has an additional professional-learning requirement that is particularly important for school psychologists.

KSDE requires Kansas school systems to provide annual professional development on structured literacy and/or dyslexia for several educator groups, including school psychologists.

Kansas allows each school system to determine the length and format of the training and to differentiate it by license area.

Annual requirement: School psychologists are included among the educators who must receive the annual Kansas dyslexia/structured-literacy professional development. The training must be completed by the state-established annual deadline.

Other Kansas Professional License Renewal Options

Professional development points are not the only potential renewal route available to every Kansas professional license holder.

PD Points

120 points for an advanced-degree holder under an approved IDP

Approved Program Coursework

Complete at least 8 credit hours in an approved program or complete the approved program

Accredited Experience

An advanced-degree holder may use 3 years of qualifying recent accredited experience during the license term for up to two renewals

National Board Certification

Completion of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards assessment process or earning National Board Certification is another general professional-license pathway

Does a Current NCSP Replace the Kansas 120-Point Requirement?

Not under the general Kansas renewal rule I found.

Kansas expressly lists National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as a renewal option. That is a different credential from the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP).

I did not find a current KSDE rule stating that a current NCSP by itself automatically waives the Kansas School Specialist renewal requirement.

Do not confuse the two: National Board Certification for teachers and the NASP/NSPCB Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential are separate certifications. I would not advertise the NCSP as automatically replacing Kansas licensure-renewal PD points.

Do NASP-Approved Courses Count in Kansas?

NASP-approved professional development is directly useful for NCSP continuing professional development.

For direct Kansas license renewal, however, professional development points are generally awarded through a local Kansas Professional Development Council under the educator's approved Individual Development Plan.

A relevant NASP-approved course may therefore be appropriate for inclusion in a school psychologist's IDP, but NASP Approved Provider status alone does not automatically award Kansas PD points.

NASP-APPROVED PROVIDER

Child & School Psychology CE

Child & School Psychology CE is a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152.

Qualifying courses may be used toward applicable NCSP continuing professional development requirements.

Kansas school psychologists may also be able to use relevant courses as part of their Kansas professional development plan when the activity aligns with the approved IDP and is awarded points by the applicable local Professional Development Council.

Can Online Continuing Education Count in Kansas?

Kansas offers both in-person and virtual professional learning, and online professional development may be incorporated into an educator's professional development plan.

The important issue is not simply whether a course is online. Instead, the activity must fit the educator's approved IDP and be accepted through the Kansas local Professional Development Council process when it is used for state renewal points.

NCSP CPD

Qualifying NASP-approved online courses may count toward NCSP renewal under current NASP rules

Kansas PD Points

Online courses may potentially earn Kansas points when aligned with the educator's approved IDP and accepted by the local Professional Development Council

Kansas School Psychologist Initial Licensure

Kansas places school psychologists within the School Specialist licensure category.

Initial School Specialist licensure requires completion of a graduate-level school specialist preparation program and verification by the preparing institution.

Kansas has also maintained specialized requirements for school psychologists reflecting the advanced nature of the role, including graduate-level specialist or doctoral preparation, supervised internship requirements, and applicable national examination requirements.

Professional Development Documentation

Kansas educators should maintain documentation of professional development earned during the license period.

Professional development activity title
Date completed
Provider or sponsoring organization
Number of contact hours
Evidence of completion
College transcript when semester credit is used
Documentation showing points awarded through the local Professional Development Council

Kansas School Psychologist Renewal Summary

Professional License

5 years

Advanced Degree PD Route

120 professional development points

Knowledge-Level Conversion

1 contact hour = 1 PD point

College Credit

1 semester hour = 20 PD points

Annual Dyslexia Training

Required for school psychologists working in Kansas school systems

NCSP

Separate national credential; not identified in current KSDE general renewal guidance as an automatic substitute for the 120-point requirement

Online Continuing Education for Kansas School Psychologists

Child & School Psychology CE provides self-paced online professional development developed specifically for school psychologists and related professionals.

Courses address assessment, intervention, behavior, ethics, special education law, Section 504, student mental health, data-based decision making, and evidence-based school psychology practice.

We are a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Qualifying courses may be used toward applicable NCSP continuing professional development requirements.

Kansas school psychologists may also be able to use relevant professional development toward their Kansas IDP when the course is approved and awarded points through their local Professional Development Council.

View Online CE Courses

Also Maintaining Your NCSP?

Kansas license renewal and NCSP renewal are separate systems. School psychologists maintaining both credentials may be able to use the same relevant professional development activity when it independently satisfies both Kansas IDP requirements and NASP CPD requirements.

View NCSP CPD Requirements

Official Kansas Resources

Licensure and professional development requirements may change. School psychologists should verify current requirements with the Kansas State Department of Education and their local Professional Development Council.

Requirements reviewed September 2026. This page is provided for informational purposes and is not a substitute for current guidance from the Kansas State Department of Education or the educator's local Professional Development Council.