School psychologist screening questions: NCSP, state credential, IDEA evaluations and caseload

School psychologist screening questions should confirm the job state's school psychology credential (and whether it is a full credential, an intern credential or pending), whether the candidate holds the NCSP, and how much of the job is evaluations versus counseling, crisis work and consultation. Then test the evaluation work itself: IDEA timelines, choosing and interpreting assessments, writing an eligibility report parents can read, and the caseload the candidate can carry. As of November 2026, credentials and evaluation timelines are set state by state, so check the job state's rules before you submit anyone.

The special education teacher screening questions cover IEP writing from the classroom side, and the speech-language pathologist screening questions cover another evaluator on the same IEP team. This page is for the psychologist who runs psychoeducational evaluations, decides with the team whether a student is eligible, and supports behavior and mental health in schools.

Which school psychologist job is it?

Which credentials should you check?

• The NCSP. The Nationally Certified School Psychologist credential is administered by the National School Psychology Certification Board, established by NASP. NASP's eligibility page requires a program titled "School Psychology" of at least 60 graduate semester hours, a 1,200-hour internship with at least 600 hours in a school setting, and the Praxis School Psychologist exam (5403) with a score of 155. NCSPs renew every three years with 75 hours of continuing professional development. Employers can check status with NASP's Verify NCSP Status search on the same page.
• The state credential. The state credential is what lets the candidate work in that state's schools. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook says school psychologists typically need a license or certification, often from the state's board of education. In Texas it comes from a different body: the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council licenses the Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) under 22 TAC 463.9, requiring an APA- or NASP-approved program or a psychology degree with set coursework, a 1,200-hour internship with 600 hours in a public school, the Praxis school psychology exam, the Texas jurisprudence exam, a National Practitioner Data Bank self-query and a fingerprint background check. NASP's national certification page links each state's credentialing requirements.
• Moving states. A candidate credentialed elsewhere may need a new state credential, an exam or a jurisprudence test before the start date. Ask how far along the application is, not whether they "can transfer".

Knockout questions

How do you test evaluation and eligibility skills?

1. "A teacher refers a third grader for reading. Walk me through it from referral to the eligibility meeting."
   • Strong answer: reviews intervention data first, gets written parental consent, then completes the evaluation within 60 days of consent or the state's own timeline, as 34 CFR 300.301(c) requires. Uses a variety of tools, does not rely on any single measure, and tests in the child's native language or mode of communication, as 34 CFR 300.304 requires. The team, including the parent, decides eligibility.
   • Red flags: starts with an IQ test and decides eligibility alone; does not know the timeline.
2. "How does your state identify a specific learning disability, and how did that change your testing?"
   • Strong answer: names the state's model (response to intervention data, a pattern of strengths and weaknesses, or another approach the state allows) and how it shaped the battery.
   • Red flags: one approach for every state; never heard of the term.
3. "Read me the summary paragraph you would give a parent for a student who qualifies."
   • Strong answer: plain language, the student's strengths first, what the scores mean for the classroom, and recommendations a teacher can act on.
   • Red flags: standard scores and percentiles with no meaning attached.
4. "A parent disagrees with your evaluation and asks for an outside one. What do you do?"
   • Strong answer: knows parents may request an independent educational evaluation at public expense under 34 CFR 300.502, tells the special education administrator, and gives the parent the district's information on where to get one.
   • Red flags: argues with the parent or tells them the district will not pay.
5. "How do you keep track of reevaluations?"
   • Strong answer: a calendar of three-year reevaluation dates, since 34 CFR 300.303 requires one at least every three years unless the parent and district agree it is unnecessary, and not more than once a year without agreement.
   • Red flags: relies on the case manager to remind them.

Counseling, crisis and behavior questions

The IDEA definition of psychological services in 34 CFR 300.34(c)(10) goes beyond testing: interpreting results, consulting with staff, psychological counseling for children and parents, and helping develop positive behavioral intervention strategies. How much of that the client's seat includes decides who fits.

How large is the caseload, really?

NASP's shortage page recommends one school psychologist per 500 students and estimates the national ratio at about 1 to 1,127, with some states near 1 to 5,000, as of November 2026. Ask the client for the student count, the number of open evaluations and how many are already near their deadline, then ask the candidate what they carried. A psychologist leaving a 1-to-800 job will want to know before they accept a 1-to-2,000 one.

How does school psychology experience get overstated?

• Internship evaluations counted as independent work. Ask how many reports they signed alone.
• "Did counseling" that was a single social skills group. Ask how many students and for how long.
• Preschool experience from one rotation. Ask for months with three- to five-year-olds.
• Bilingual evaluations claimed with conversational fluency only. Ask which tests they gave in the other language.
• A credential "in process" that has not been applied for. Ask for the application date.

A 15-minute phone-screen flow

1. Minutes 0 to 2: buildings, grade span, contract dates and how the week splits.
2. Minutes 2 to 5: knockouts; write down the state credential, its status, and NCSP details.
3. Minutes 5 to 10: the referral-to-eligibility walk-through and the parent summary paragraph.
4. Minutes 10 to 13: the suicide-risk question and one behavior question.
5. Minutes 13 to 15: caseload carried, pay expectations and next steps.

Scoring

What to put in the submittal

School psychologist: [name]
State credential: [title], [state], [full / intern / provisional], verified [date]
NCSP: [yes, renews (date) / no]
Evaluations last school year: [number], age range [preschool / elementary / secondary]
SLD model used: [state's model]
Counseling and IEP minutes: [students, groups]
Crisis and threat assessment: [roles held]
Bilingual testing: [language, tests given] or none
Caseload carried: [students and buildings]
Candidate's own gap: [e.g. "no preschool evaluations; never led an FBA alone"]

Keep student details out of the submittal and your notes. A candidate's example should be described without names or anything that identifies a child.

Lawful phrasing

Ask about the job's demands, not the candidate's health: "The role covers four buildings with crisis response on call during the school day. Can you meet that, with or without accommodation?" is lawful; questions about their own mental health history are not, under the EEOC's guidance on disability-related questions. Ask for years of experience, not graduation year. See illegal interview questions for other common slips, how to verify candidate certifications for the credential checks, and the interview guide for school administrators if the same district is hiring leadership. This page is not legal advice.