RAMBLINGS - Colorado Court Reporters Association

RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
RAMBLINGS
Fall 2014
Advertising Rates 2
CCRA Officers and
Directors
2
2014 Fall Seminar
Wrap Up
3
NCSA Annual
Meeting
5
A-Maze-ing
7
Making of the
CRCR
9
Student Spotlight
10
DBJ OutstandingBusiness WomenNominees
11
NCRA Online Test
2015
14
CCRA —
You can
make a
difference
Volunteer!
By Kathy Myers
Is it time to change our moniker?
Featured in
This Issue:
Support
President’s Message
Many firms and individuals advertising across the
country as court reporting firms today are
transcription businesses. Is it time for us to
distance ourselves from transcription only? Yes,
it seems everyone has to transcribe from audio
sources for our courts and individual attorneys
needing that service. However, stenographic
court reporters could be coming under more and
more scrutiny and criticism for poor transcripts,
slow turnaround, higher costs for expedited
transcripts and more when it is truly a recordedmedia-only transcription and not a stenographic
court reporter’s transcript being requested. I am
not knocking transcriptionists. In the public eye,
however, the distinction is not being made
between a stenographic court reporter, voice
writer, or operator of analog tape recorders or
digital audio/video equipment operators as
everyone is being called a court reporter
nowadays. I see the argument for it. I don’t agree
with it.
court reporter title may help us to win some over
to the bright side, the technically advanced side,
the realtime feed and daily copy side of the
equation.
I know I am not alone in thinking we make a huge
difference as reporters to our country. I do not
say that lightly. Every time you walk into a
deposition, hearing or trial, someone needs your
best. We have to continue to convince the people
who can help us that stenographic reporters
provide the best record for the legal system. So
many in this organization have done just that and
fought tooth and nail for our jobs in front of
administrators, state leaders, and law firms and I
am extremely grateful to every single one of those
people. It is an effort each one of us must
consciously make every time we are in front of an
attorney, judge or witness.
We cannot whine about other forms of recording
as they are here to stay and they have their place,
but we do have to educate everyone who stands in
front of us regarding our value which is far
beyond a mere audio or video recording. We can
A firm in Florida was under fire for not producing control how we are perceived and it is not up to
someone else. It is up to each of us. We must be
numerous transcripts in a timely manner. I am
our own best advocate. We are not just court
not defending or vilifying the firm. What I am
concerned about is that the article was indicating reporters. We are highly interactive people in
charge of the record and every part of that record
a transcript production failure by the court
impacts future events. Let’s make sure others
reporter. “Miami-Dade court reporter ordered
arrested over missing transcripts” was the title of don’t think of us as automaton recorders but
the article in the Palm Beach Post from February rather as thinking, reactive and valuable
2, 2012. The article referenced the firm had been professionals.
employed to digitally record depositions from
2088 to 2011.
Realtime, dialect interpreter, researcher, multivoice writer, out-of-control-situation master,
We all know the problems that can arise from
daily copy producing, exhibit managing, IT and
such systems so I don’t need to elaborate if indeed phone technology managing, port and firewall
these were recorded with the use of audio/visual
managing stenographic reporter might be too
means only. However, our stature is being
diminished as we are being grouped together with long of a title . . . or is it too short?
all so-called court reporter systems. As a service
provider, it takes very little for a poor reputation
to spread rapidly throughout an industry,
especially when the cost is so high, both
monetarily and socially.
Our reputation is at stake. Actions we take to
distinguish ourselves from the all-encompassing
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Letter from the Editor:
OFFICERS & DIRECTORS
President
Kathy Myers
[email protected]
A Personal Thanks to Julie Matt and Kathy
Scheer for bringing the Colorado Reporters
their very own certification — CRCR! We
appreciate it!
Wishing a Safe Halloween and Happy
Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Cindy
Vice President
Editor
Lisa Wagner
Law [email protected]
Cynthia Hudak
(303) 337-0658
[email protected]
Advertising Rates
Secretary-Treasurer
Next Issue Copy / Ads Due: December 5, 2014
Sheri Tacket
Sheri [email protected]
Directors
Judy Stevens
[email protected]
Sherry Richardson
[email protected]
Carol Dunne
Alternate Director
Amy Bland
[email protected]
Past President
Kathy Scheer
Per Quarterly
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Jose Chavez Hall
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Management Professionals
3000 South Jamaica Court
Suite 390
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 835-9088
Fax (303) 979-6094
[email protected]
Please submit ad and check payable to
CCRA at:
CCRA RAMBLINGS
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390
Aurora, CO 80014
For information regarding advertising, contact Josie Chavez Hall at (303) 835-9088 or
[email protected].
Reprints granted to all NCRA-affiliated publications; all others by written permission of
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3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
CCRA FALL SEMINAR
WRAP-UP
Written by Sherry Richardson
S
ixty reporters from around the
state gathered at the Joy Burns
Center at DU for the fall
seminar. The day started early for several of
our CCRA volunteers, who arrived between
6:00 and 6:30 (a.m., that is!) to set up for the
first-ever Colorado Realtime Certified
Reporter examination. From 6:30 on, there
was a steady stream of test-takers, vendors,
and seminar attendees through the front
door of the lovely venue.
As with all well-planned events, there was a
snafu – thank heavens the only one – when
prepaid parking passes wouldn’t open the
parking gate! That resulted in 15 folks misparking and receiving $30 parking
tickets. That, of course, brought scowls to
some otherwise friendly faces. But fear not,
the problem was rectified, and no one had to
pay the fine.
While seminar attendees enjoyed a hot buffet
breakfast, the test-takers took and completed
the test. Many joined us for breakfast, some
with frowns, and some with smiles!
Our first speaker, Chief Justice
Nancy Rice, fielded questions
from the audience on any topic
folks wanted addressed. We
were honored to have her with
us to share her knowledge of the
Colorado court system. She also
extended an invitation to us all
to visit the new Ralph L. Carr
Colorado Judicial Center, featuring a State of
the Art Interactive Learning Center.
The speakers from the Colorado Innocence
Project, Ann England, Law
Professor, and Nicholas
Bernhard, Filmmaker, were
excellent. Carol Dunne had this
to say: “I was captivated by the
Innocence Project speakers. Of
course, I’ve always been
interested in that
subject matter. So when I
heard they were speaking, I
was absolutely going to take
advantage of that
opportunity. I think every
“working reporter” should be
interested in and aware of the fact that not
everybody found guilty by our justice system
is, indeed, guilty. I think learning why this
happens is interesting to every American and
especially to those of us who are a part of the
justice system.” She was certainly not alone
in her captivation as many attendees said the
same thing on their feedback forms.
They highlighted one of
Colorado’s most famous cases
of innocence exonerated as we
all watched the young Timothy
Masters story unfold on the
giant screen.
Timothy Masters
After a delicious lunch –
what some attendees
described as the best
lunch ever at a seminar –
the afternoon continued
with the ever engaging
and entertaining Joe
Aurelio. He first talked
about and enlightened us
on…what else... the importance of correct
punctuation every time, all the
time. Certainly, that is a topic near and dear
to most every reporter’s heart.
In these days of shortcuts and looser rules, it
was refreshing to hear that what we are doing
is right, regardless what we see in
newspapers, magazines, and on social media.
Continued on Next Page
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Continued from Previous Page
F. Lee Bailey — Simpson Trial
The second part of his presentation focused on the
Boston Strangler. Now, granted, many in the
The Boston Strangler
audience weren’t around when the Boston Strangler,
as he was called, terrorized Boston in 1962 to 1964. But, nonetheless,
all of us have heard of the great F. Lee Bailey, who figured prominently
in the strange case. It was a perfect way to end a long day!
A huge thanks to all the volunteers who made this possible. From the
feedback forms we have gotten, 99% of those present gave the
seminar a 4 or 5, with the 5’s outweighing the 4’s two to one. Hard to
beat that!!!
Scary Train By Sarah Ward
Scary Train, Scary Train,
All Aboard the Scary Train!
Where ghouls and goblins lurk,
And where hungry mummies look for
dessert.
Scary Train, hear the wolves howl!
Along with the Kraken.
With ghosts and witches
And weird little snitches!
But we don't have a dragon.
Scary train, hop aboard!
To see gruesome things.
Like Frankenstein's head
And maybe his bed!
As we bump along.
Scary train, are you coming?
No, I think I'll take the next one.
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF STATE
ASSOCIATIONS ANNUAL MEETING
By Lisa Wagner
So what is the National Committee of State
Associations (or NCSA) you may ask and why
does NCRA need such a committee? Well,
basically NCSA is a resolution committee that
provides a forum for state associations
through their affiliate delegates (of which I
am one) to exchange information about
matters of importance to our profession and
then also for affiliates to submit resolutions
through NCSA who then provides that
information to the NCRA Board of Directors
for possible action. For example, being able
to pass the RPR in legs and testing three
times a year was a product of resolutions that
were forwarded to the Board of Directors.
So with that lead-in, I attended the annual
NCSA meeting in San Francisco on July 31,
and I have to say that I am truly in awe at the
knowledge and dedication of all the people
that I met there. The NCSA chair and vicechair and committee members put in a lot of
work and are very committed to helping our
profession. The meeting was very informative
and packed in a lot of information in four
hours.
First on the agenda was a welcome from Jim
Cudahy, NCRA ED/CEO, as to the vision for
the new NCSA. The process for submitting
resolutions and the time frame for those has
been changed this year. Newly elected NCRA
President Sarah Nageotte welcomed the
delegates and introduced members of the
Board of Directors who were present at the
meeting.
Next was a presentation by Lisa Knight and
Sue Terry regarding TRAIN (Taking Realtime
Awareness and Innovation Nationwide). It is
the goal of the TRAIN Task Force to work
with state associations to implement TRAIN
in every state.
Kristen Anderson and Linda McSwain, chair
and vice-chair respectively, next talked about
what is NCSA and went through topics such
as the listserv, surveys, website, and SONAR
(State of the Nations Activities Report). Sarah
Nageotte and Nancy Varallo then went
through the 2013 resolutions and talked
about which ones were approved or not
approved and also listed the resolutions that
have been submitted so far in 2014 and the
status of those. Sarah then talked about the
new NCSA guidelines and introduction of the
2014-2015 NCSA Governing Committee and
regional representatives.
Continued on following page
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
The next presentation I thought was truly
eye opening. Christina Lewellen, who is the
senior director of marketing and
communication for NCRA, talked about a
very comprehensive report that NCRA
commissioned an independent company,
Ducker Worldwide, to undertake. The
objective of this Industry Outlook Report
was to research the current state of the
profession as well as a near-term outlook of
supply and demand for stenographic court
reporting services. I encourage everyone to
read this report, but the most notable
finding to come out of it is that by 2018,
there will be a critical shortage of reporters
to the tune of nearly 5,500 positions due to
decreased enrollment and graduation rates
for students and significant retirement
rates. It was noted humorously that our
profession is aging a bit. As a result of the
report, NCRA is launching a national
publicity and advertising campaign
focusing on target groups such as high
school students, school counselors, change
of career folks, and parents. NCRA has
come up with a campaign platform they
have dubbed Court Reporting Take Note,
and they have developed a website,
http://crtakenote.com. You can download
the Industry Outlook Report from this
website. The report is full of a lot of
valuable information.
On the agenda next was Diane Peratt who
talked about the new on-line testing
procedures that NCRA will be
implementing next year. I believe NCRA
had made this announcement shortly prior
to the meeting on July 31, but we had very
little information. Diane went into quite a
bit of detail on the new testing, and
obviously since then, NCRA has released
even more information.
Adam Finkel and Brandon Schall, who are
both in the Government Relations area
with NCRA, next talked about the status of
the Interstate Oath Act which would offer
court reporters the flexibility to work in
various states without requiring a notary
from that state.
The meeting wrapped up with Kristen and
Adam going over leadership skill highlights
which focuses on providing information
and guidance for the state association
“leaders.” I did learn about another report
that was prepared by the NCRA Cost
Comparison Task Force entitled A Cost
Comparison of Stenographic Reporting
and Electronic Recording in the
Courtroom. This report is available at
www.ncra.org. It was also announced at
some point during the meeting that the
2015 TechCon and State Leadership
Conference will be held in Denver.
TechCon will be April 10 through 12 and
Leadership Conference will be April 12 and
13, 2015.
As I said, there was a lot of information
packed into one meeting, but it gave me a
better perspective and understanding of
the many areas and committees of our
national association and the very
committed and dedicated people that are
involved. So I will close by saying I would
encourage all of you to get involved with
CCRA in whatever way you can.
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Written by Cindy Hudak
Don’t miss
the next
CRCR Exam
at the CCRA
Spring
Symposium
Details
coming
soon!
Keyboards smoking, fingers flying, concentration at
an incredibly high level as the competition
intensified in NCRA’s annual speed and realtime
contests. As if reporting the state’s top DNA expert
for the past four hours realtime to the court room
isn’t enough pressure, who would volunteer to put
themselves through this situation?
grateful for. I finished
school in 21 months.
I compete because I believe that I have a God-given
gift that I can use to promote our field to those who
are interested. I feel that I have a responsibility to
myself and to the process of justice to keep
challenging myself and continue to get better at my
At the end of the day, Colorado was proudly
job. I feel that we as a profession need to
represented by one of the fastest, most accurate
constantly practice and get better at our skill set so
reporters in the nation. Amanda Maze, official
that litigants get the best product that we can
reporter in Adams County, walked away with high
provide, which in court is often the realtime screen
honors in several categories.
as it happens so that the parties can “perform”
better in front of the jury or the judges can make
Competing since 2009, Amanda Maze achieved her
instant decisions with review of realtime. I think
highest awards to date, bringing home two medals.
providing an exceptional service is the only way to
The speed contest consists of three components:
protect our jobs. I also want to utilize this gift to be
280 words per minute (wpm) testimony, 230 wpm
an encouragement to others.”
legal opinion, 220 wpm literary. Amanda tied for
Amanda was on the board of CCRA when she was
2nd place in literary (99.818% accuracy), placed
a brand-new reporter, fulfilling the alternate director
10th in legal opinion (97.652% accuracy); and 21st
role for one year back in 2001-2002. She was
in testimony (96% accuracy) Overall in the speed
again on the board as a director from 2010-2012
contest, she placed 17th.
and has served on a couple of committees for
But she didn’t stop there. Maze also was a
CCRA. Currently, Amanda serves as NCRA’s chief
participant in the realtime contest. This contest has examiner since and has done so since May of 2013,
two components: a 225 wpm testimony and a 200
though that duty will end this November as the test
wpm literary. She placed 2nd in testimony
experience changes. She’s also served on NCRA’s
(99.644% accuracy) and 7th place for literary (98.8% Freelance Community of Interest and the
accuracy). Overall, bringing home the medal for 5th Constitution and Bylaws committee, but both in the
place.
early 2000s, as she describes it, “Pre-children and
the crazy that comes with being a mom as well as a
When Amanda was asked about herself, she had
reporter.”
this to say: “Gosh, about me. I went to DACR
when Mary Smith still owned it, so under her very
strict graduation requirements, which I am eternally
Ready, Begin!
NCRA Contest Underway
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
NCRA TESTING
Submitted By Amanda Maze
The August NCRA skills tests were conducted on August 16, 2014, at our new
location, the Adams County Fairgrounds.
The following is a breakdown of testing candidates: CRR, 18; RPR, 10.
Overall, the process was smooth as usual.
Thank you to the volunteers who assisted! I couldn’t do this without
you!
See Page 14
The next exam date is Saturday, November 1, 2014. The registration
deadline for the November NCRA test is October 6, 2014.
Please note that you may sign up for more than one realtime test,
such as the CRR and CBC, Please email the Chief Examiner to let
her know so that you are assigned back-to-back testing times. You
may not take a realtime test and a transcription test without prior
approval of your Chief Examiner.
A Court Reporting Documentary
HOME - For 18 months we dive into the world of court reporting, and follow 6
stenographers as they each vie for the title of World's Fastest Court Reporter.
Court reporting is a unique skill that few outside the community fully grasp. This
documentary's goal is to open up the steno community to a wider audience, to reveal
the opportunities available, introduce the interesting personalities involved, and share
the battles they face.
We'd like to thank NCRA for their cooperation during the making of this film, giving us
access to their conventions and beyond. And to Mark Kislingbury, Dee Boenau, Stan
Sakai, Kathryn Thomas, Diane Kraynak and Kathy Cortopossi for letting us track their
progress as they strive to write 400 words per minute.
Visit courtreportingmovie.com to see the trailer.
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
The Making of the CRCR
By Julie Matt
On September 6th, CCRA presented its first ever
Colorado Realtime Certified Reporter exam. The
CRCR exam was the brainchild of me, Julie Matt.
While returning from the 2013 Fall Seminar in
Breckenridge, Kathy Scheer and I came up with a
skeleton plan we thought was worth pursuing.
After getting preliminary approval from the CCRA
leadership, we met with Jerry Marroney, State Court
Administrator. Jerry gave his initial blessing on our
pursuit of this opportunity for Colorado’s reporters to
become realtime certified.
We decided that we wanted our test to be similar to
the test given by the United States Court Reporters
Association, testimony ranging from 180-200 words
per minute, with a third voice and possibly a fourth
voice.
We contacted other state associations where
realtime tests are given and picked brains about how
they put things in place. We contacted a test writer
to get our initial idea of cost and time involved. We
negotiated with the CCRA Executive Director as far
as the administrative costs and eventually presented
a more fleshed-out plan to the CCRA leadership and
got approval to continue with the project.
Before we did much more work we wanted to confirm
that SCAO would accept our CRCR exam on the
same basis as they accept the National exams and
FCRR. After some rather worrisome months, the
State Court Administrators Office accepted our
proposal and agreed to accept CCRA’s realtime
certification exam on the same basis as they accept
the other tests for realtime certification.
A core committee was formed to create policies and
procedures for our CRCR exam and to prepare a
FAQ sheet.
our first exam. We received
lots and lots of positive
feedback.
We had 31 people sit for the test and of those 31, we
had five candidates become the first ever CRCRs,
Colorado Realtime Certified Reporters. We had
eight candidates attain between 94 percent and 95.9
percent, which will mean that they will be recognized
as realtime reporters for the State Court
Administrators Office purposes.
The new CRCRs for Colorado are:
Rebecca Collings
Rianna Elmshaeuser
Debra Garcia
Amy Schmidt
Richael Silvia
Those attaining the qualifying score between 94
percent and 95.9 percent are:
Rita Derouen
Carol Dunne
Linda Frizzell
Catherine Hermosillo
Danielle Kunze
Debbie Luse
Katherine Saunders
Christine Smith
We visited the proposed venue for the Fall Seminar
at the DU Hospitality School and felt that it would
meet our needs.
We notified the CCRA membership and official
reporters in Colorado and also advertised in
surrounding states, then on September 6th, we gave
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Student Spotlight
Submitted by Ashton Farris
Court reporting school can be a real bully sometimes. It’ll push you
down, steal your lunch money, and leave you feeling pretty bruised and
battered. Now, I’m not suggesting that you throw a right hook at your writer or
anything like that, but the way I see it, we’ve all got two choices on this journey:
pack up and go home or stand your ground and show that bully what you’re
made of.
As I near the end of my schooling, I can’t help but to think back on how
much has changed since the beginning of this crazy rollercoaster of a ride. Court
reporting school has taught me so much more than just how to create words on a
funny-looking little machine. It showed me how much value lies within the
tough lessons and to embrace the fire that burns inside every time something
pushes you down and the determination it takes to get back up.
It can get a little overwhelming to think about all of the changes that come
along with transitioning out of student life and into the working world. I think it
would be a little silly of me to say that it doesn’t scare me a little, or a lot. But I
find comfort in the fact that I’ve made it as far as I have, I never gave up, and
that even though that bully may have chewed me up and spit me
back out, I’m still standing.
Oct 11, 2014
FCRR Examination - St. Petersburg, Florida
Nov 1, 2014
NCRA Skills Examinations
Dec 5, 2014
Ramblings Deadline
April 25, 2015
CCRA Spring Symposium and CRCR Exam - Location to be Announced
CCRA Web site Calendar of Events Link: http://ccra.info/index.cfm/
ID/3/Events/
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
2014 Outstanding Women in Business
Friday, June 20, 2014, 4:00am MDT
D e n v e r ’s 2 0 1 4
Business Nominees
Judy Stevens
O u t s t a n d i n g Wo m e n i n
Announced
Each year, the Denver Business Journal recognizes metro Denver’s most influential
women with the Outstanding Women In Business awards. This year, nearly 140 women
again will vie for the honors.
Twelve women will be honored for their accomplishments in the categories of
architecture, engineering and construction; banking, finance and accounting;
communications, media and public relations; education, government and nonprofits;
health care; large business owner; law; Mile High Leaders; real estate; small business
owner; technology and telecommunications; and lifetime achievement.
Small businesses are considered those with 15 or fewer employees; large companies are
ones with more than 15.
Nominations were taken online at the DBJ website — DenverBusinessJournal.com —
since the first of the year. Winners from previous years aren’t eligible to win again in the
same category. However, finalists can be named in more than one year and in more than
one category.
For the lifetime achievement award, past winners in individual categories are eligible.
But obviously, a winner of this prestigious award cannot compete again.
Nominees in each category were judged on innovation, entrepreneurship, professional
accomplishments and community leadership from the information provided on the
nomination form.
Judy Stevens was amongst the 140 nominees at DBJ’s awards luncheon.
Congratulations, Judy, for being recognized for such a high honor.
CCRA FALL SEMINAR QUOTES:
“It’s good to see Court Reporters. My gosh, who’s more important!” — Chief Justice Rice
“You Can’t always trust those who are in power to always have your best interest at heart.”
— Ann England
When speaking of the Timothy Masters case, “The best minds of guessology.” Nicholas
Bernhard
“The only people I believe in is Court Reporters.” “Court Reporting did everything for me.”
“You know, you’re averaging 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 words per second!” — Joe Auerlio
“That was a great test!” — Nearly every test taker in the room
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
CCRA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 2014-2015
PleaseReturn Form to:
Colorado Court Reporters Association
3000 South Jamaica Ct., Suite 390
Aurora, CO 80014
OR Fax your form with your credit card information to:
303.979.6094
Membership Renewal for March 1, 2014, through February 28, 2015
CCRA continues to support its members through organizing seminars, providing opportunities for networking, utilizing a fantastic
lobbyist, and keeping informed of current issues facing our field. The CCRA organization is here to serve you, but we need your
support. Please renew your CCRA membership today and invite a colleague to join with you!
Associate
$82.50
Freelance
$110
Official
$110
CART Provider
$110
ANNUAL DUES:
Captioner
Student
$110
$27.50
Retired
$27.50
Honorary
$0
PLEASE MARK YOUR METHOD OF PAYMENT:
_____ Check Enclosed (Made Payable to CCRA)
_____ Visa or MasterCard# _________________________________Amount:_____________ Expiration
Date: __________ Signature of Card Holder:_______________________________
IN AN EFFORT TO MAINTAIN ACCURATE INFORMATION, WE ASK THAT YOU COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW. PLEASE PRINT:
A 2014 CCRA Membership Directory will be provided to all Members and the directory will be available to members on the CCRA
website through restricted/members only access. Your name, address, email and telephone will be published in the directory.
_____CHECK HERE if you do NOT want your information to appear in the CCRA Membership Directory.
NAME as you want it to appear in the directory _____________________________________________
DESIGNATION (i.e., Freelance, Official, etc.) ______________________________________________
CREDENTIALS ______________________________________________________________________
COMPANY NAME ____________________________________________________________________
STREET ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________
CITY, STATE, ZIP ____________________________________________________________________
WORK PHONE NUMBER ________________________ FAX NUMBER ________________________
HOME PHONE NUMBER ______________________________________________________________
E-MAIL ADDRESS ___________________________________________________________________
_____ I would like to Volunteer for Pro-Bono projects.
_____ I would like to Join the Mentor Program
_____ I would like to Serve on a Committee.
Your Continued Support is Invaluable to All Court Reporters in Colorado ~ Thank You!
Dues payments to CCRA are NOT deductible as charity deductions for federal tax purposes.
Amounts may be deductible as a necessary business expense
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Submitted by Amanda Maze
NCRA TO LAUNCH ONLINE SKILLS
TESTING IN 2015
Beginning in 2015, NCRA will move away from the traditional brick
and mortar testing sites and shift the RPR, RMR, CRR, CBC and
CCP skills tests to an online proctoring model using the advanced
technologies of myRealtimeCoach™ and ProctorU.
WHY THE CHANGE?
NCRA heard the call of the membership. Among the requests were 1) more testing opportunities each year,
2) instantaneous results, 3) the chance to pay for each test leg individually, and 4) more convenient testing.
The shift to online testing allows for the fulfillment of these requests and more. In addition, the online
proctoring model spaces out when candidates will test, so there will not be a strain on the testing engine as
there was when candidates all tested on the same day.
FEATURES/BENEFITS
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Increased convenience – test when you’re ready
Test from the comfort of your home or office
No distractions
Flexible scheduling - you will be able to take a test when you are ready, not just in May, August,
and November as the current model dictates
Cost savings – no more travel, gas, hotel expenses to the closest testing site
Registration fees will now be priced per test leg, which will result in cost savings for most
candidates
Get your license sooner for those CSR boards which use the RPR
Get your increase sooner for those employers who offer an increase/bonus with new credentials
Decreased anxiety – take the test in your own environment
TIMELINE
The skills tests will be administered at all current brick and mortar sites on November 1, 2014, and at select
sites on May 2, 2015. From then on, all skills tests will be administered online via a live, professional
proctor. Please visit the Certification Test Center at www.ncra.org/testing for updates on the timeline.
VENDORS
NCRA is pleased to partner with Realtime Learning Systems (“myRealtimeCoach™”) and ProctorU to offer
online testing.
Continued on next page
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
New NCRA Online Skills Testing Continued from previous page
TECHNOLOGY REQUIREMENTS
With the shift to online testing, candidates will need to meet the following equipment requirements:
Minimum
Recommended
Web Camera
640x480 resolution
1280x720 resolution
PC Users
Windows XP
Windows 8
Mac Users
Mac OS X or higher
Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks
Internet Download Speed
.768 Mbps
1.5Mbps
Internet Upload Speed
.384 Mbps
1.5Mbps
RAM
1024MB
2GB
Other Requirements
0.
1.
Headphones
2. A functioning microphone (sometimes web cameras have built-in microphones).
3. One of the following compatible web browsers:
o
Google Chrome (preferred)
o
Mozilla Firefox
o
Safari
o
Internet Explorer 7, 8, 9, 10
4. The following plugins for your web camera:
o
Adobe Flash Player v11
o
Adobe Shockwave player
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.NCRA.ORG/TESTING
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
Need more stamina?
Try pumping some iron!
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info
RAMBLINGS-Fall 2014
3000 South Jamaica Court, Suite 390, Aurora, CO 80014 - (303) 835-9088 - fax (303) 979-6094 - www.ccra.info