Continuing Professional Development Requirements

Missouri School Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements

Missouri school psychologists are certified by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) as Student Services personnel. Professional development requirements depend on whether the psychologist holds an Initial Student Services Certificate or a Career Student Services Certificate.

40 Initial Certificate PD Hours

20 Annual Career PD Until Exempt

15 PD Hours per College Credit

Important: Missouri does not use one single fixed continuing education requirement for every school psychologist. Requirements depend on the certificate stage. New school psychologists generally complete 40 contact hours of professional development while holding the Initial Student Services Certificate before upgrading to the Career Student Services Certificate.

Missouri School Psychologist Requirements at a Glance

Credential Area

School Psychologist – Student Services

Licensing Authority

Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)

Initial Certificate

Initial Student Services Certificate (ISS)

Initial PD Requirement

40 contact hours of professional development

Career Certificate

Career Student Services Certificate (CSS)

Career PD Requirement

20 professional development hours annually until exempt

College Credit Conversion

1 semester hour = 15 professional development contact hours

Missouri School Psychologist Certificate Stages

Initial Student Services Certificate

School psychologists holding an Initial Student Services Certificate must successfully complete 40 contact hours of professional development as part of the requirements for upgrading to the Career Student Services Certificate.

Career Student Services Certificate

School psychologists holding career certification generally complete 20 hours of professional development each year until they qualify for Missouri's professional development exemption.

Upgrading From Initial to Career Certification

Missouri school psychologists must complete several requirements before upgrading from an Initial Student Services Certificate to a Career Student Services Certificate.

Complete four years of DESE-approved Student Services experience.
Participate in a district-provided mentoring program for two years.
Complete 40 contact hours of professional development.
Participate successfully in the employing school's annual Performance-Based Student Services Evaluation process.

College coursework can also contribute toward the professional development requirement. Missouri counts one semester hour as 15 contact hours of professional development.

Career Certificate Professional Development

Missouri's Career Student Services professional development requirement is generally 20 professional development hours annually until the school psychologist qualifies for exempt status.

This structure differs from states that require a fixed number of continuing education hours every two, three, or five years.

When Can a Missouri School Psychologist Become PD Exempt?

Student Services personnel may qualify for professional development exempt status by meeting two of the following three criteria:

10 years of professional experience
The next higher degree
National certification

Important for school psychologists: National certification can be especially relevant because the Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) is the national certification credential for school psychologists.

How Does the NCSP Affect Missouri Requirements?

Missouri includes national certification as one of the three criteria that can be used toward professional development exempt status for Student Services personnel.

A school psychologist who holds the NCSP may therefore be able to use that national certification as one of the criteria needed for the Missouri PD exemption.

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.

Professional Development for Missouri School Psychologists

Professional development for school psychologists should support professional growth and the knowledge and skills needed to provide school psychological services. Relevant topics may include:

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

Mental and behavioral health
Consultation and collaboration
Trauma-informed practice
School-wide prevention systems
Family-school collaboration
Equitable and culturally responsive practice
Evidence-based school psychology practice

Can Online Continuing Education Count in Missouri?

Missouri allows professional development to include qualifying educational activities and college coursework. School psychologists should maintain documentation of completed activities and confirm that a specific course meets their employing district's and DESE's professional development requirements before relying on it for certification purposes.

Missouri also permits college credit to be converted to professional development contact hours at a rate of 15 PD contact hours for each semester hour.

Do NASP-Approved Courses Count in Missouri?

NASP-approved courses are highly relevant to school psychology professional development and may also support an individual's NCSP renewal requirements.

Missouri DESE does not state that NASP Approved Provider status alone automatically guarantees acceptance of an individual course for a Missouri professional development requirement. School psychologists should follow their district's professional development procedures and maintain appropriate documentation of completed training.

Online Continuing Education for Missouri School Psychologists

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

Courses address topics including ethics, legal issues, assessment, behavior, intervention, student mental health, data-based decision making, and evidence-based school psychology practice.

We are a NASP Approved Provider, Provider #1152. Review each course description for the number of hours, CPD type, approval information, and learning objectives.

View Online CE Courses

Maintaining Your NCSP?

National certification is one of Missouri's criteria for professional development exempt status for Career Student Services personnel. School psychologists maintaining the NCSP should also review the separate NCSP professional development requirements.

View NCSP CPD Requirements

Official Missouri Resources

Certification and professional development requirements can change. School psychologists should verify their current requirements with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and their employing district.

Requirements reviewed September 2026. This page is provided for informational purposes and is not a substitute for current guidance from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or an employing school district.