Licensing and Certification in School Psychology

Historically, there has been a distinction between licensure and certification. Licensure limits the practice of a profession to those individuals who hold a license in a specific field. Certification permits use of a particular title or “certifies” that the person has completed a specific training program. Some states may use either term, but conform most closely to the concept of licensing by giving legal authority to individuals to provide services. In all cases, it is implicit or explicit in the applicable laws that the professional subscribes to codes of conduct and ethical principles adopted by the profession. For this entry, licensure is equivalent to certification, unless otherwise noted.

In most states, departments of education are given the responsibility and authority to establish requirements for licensing of ...