37th Annual National Dropout Prevention Conference

National Dropout Prevention Specialist Certification Program

If you plan on getting certification at our conference, please plan your travel accordingly. You MUST stay for the FULL CONFERENCE. There will also be an information session Sunday evening October 3rd, 2027.

Certification Benefits:

NDPS certificate holders will: 

• 10% discount for registration fee to NDPC’s Annual National Conference (once certified) 
• Quarterly Zoom networking sessions facilitated by NDPC specialists 
• Be recognized on NDPC’s website, www.dropoutprevention.org, the nation’s leading resource for dropout prevention information, as having completed the NDPS certification program. 
• Share dropout prevention expertise and achievements through NDPC’s posting of field project reports. 

Certified Dropout Prevention Specialists:

Certified Dropout Prevention Specialists: 

Certified Dropout Prevention Specialists complete a professional learning program founded in the Center’s 15 Effective Dropout Prevention Strategies, document their experience by completion of a job-embedded field project, and serve as a national resource for others who work with at-risk youth. 

Meet the Certified Dropout Prevention Specialists.

Additional Information:

• Questions about the program? Contact us at certification@dropoutprevention.org. 
• The NDPS professional learning requirement can be met by attending the annual NDPC conference held every October and may self-select from identified event sessions offered that are sufficient to address 10 or more different research-based effective strategies.  
• Professional learning costs such as event registration, and travel, are the responsibility of the participant. 
• The NDPS field project requirement is met by submission of a Field Project Report, which will be shared worldwide with other practitioners via the NDPC website. 
• Upon program admission, participants will receive detailed instructions for professional learning participation, field project completion, and program completion. 
• Certification is valid for three years and may be renewed by attending 4 additional NDPC conference sessions.

Program Eligibility:

NDPS participants must either:

• Be employed or actively engaged in the field of education and/or;
• Work in the area of at-risk youth services or in a similar setting.

Application And Program Requirement:

NDPS participants must: 

• Attend the national conference to receive professional learning requirements, we offer a discounted application fee of $375, and you can apply by Register here
• Complete the program’s professional learning requirements.
• Complete and submit a field project report, head shot and bio.

Completing Professional Learning Requirements:

Participants must meet the professional learning requirement of addressing the different research-based effective strategies.

• Attendance at NDPC’s Annual National Conference:
• The NDPS professional learning requirement can be met by attending the annual NDPC conference held every October and may self-select from identified event sessions offered that are sufficient to address 10 or more different research-based effective strategies. 
• A QR code is provided at the end of each session that participants must scan and submit after each session to receive transcript credits.

National Dropout Prevention Center