Strengthening the Court Reporters

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Strengthening the Court Reporters Educational
System

• Dr. Watson Scott Swail
• Philadelphia, PA
• April 2, 2005

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Why Retention is an Important Issue

• Retention stable at 50 percent
• Issues of cost and quality
• Federal and state intervention

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Some Background about Retention in US
Postsecondary Education

• One quarter of all students who enter
  postsecondary education for the first time end up
  at another institution before attaining a
  postsecondary degree.
• Almost half (46 percent) of first-time students
  who left their initial institution by the end of
  the first year never came back to postsecondary
  education.
• Students who attend full-time or whose attendance
  was continuous were much more likely to achieve
  their degree goals than other students. However,
  only about two-thirds of students were
  continuously enrolled.

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Some Background about Retention in US
Postsecondary Education

• 50 percent of four-year students who did not
  delay entry into PSE earned their degree at their
  first institution, compared to only 27 percent of
  students who were delayed entrants.
• 42 percent of students whose first-year grade
  point average was 2.25 or less left postsecondary
  education permanently.

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Why Students Leave

• Academic Preparedness
• Campus Climate
• Commitment to Educational Goals and the
  Institution
• Social and Academic Integration
• Financial Aid

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Age Distribution of Court Reporters (NCRA Members
Only)
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Age Distribution of Students (NCRA Members Only)
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Age Distribution of the Court Reports (NCRA
Members Only)
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Cost of Student Attrition

• Institutional
• Individual
• Societal

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Cognitive Factors
Social Factors
The Student Experience
Institutional Factors
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Academic Rigor Quality of Learning Aptitude Conten
t Knowledge Critical-Thinking Ability Technology
Ability Study Skills Learning Skills Time
Management Academic-Related Extracurricular
Activities
Social Factors
The Student Experience
Institutional Factors
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Financial Issues Educational Legacy Attitude
Toward Learning Religious Background Maturity Soci
al Coping Skills Communication Skills Attitude
Toward Others Cultural Values Expectations Goal
Commitment Family Influence Peer Influence Social
Lifestyle
Academic Rigor Quality of Learning Aptitude Conten
t Knowledge Critical-Thinking Ability Technology
Ability Study Skills Learning Skills Time
Management Academic-Related Extracurricular
Activities
The Student Experience
Institutional Factors
13
Financial Issues Educational Legacy Attitude
Toward Learning Religious Background Maturity Soci
al Coping Skills Communication Skills Attitude
Toward Others Cultural Values Expectations Goal
Commitment Family Influence Peer Influence Social
Lifestyle
Academic Rigor Quality of Learning Aptitude Conten
t Knowledge Critical-Thinking Ability Technology
Ability Study Skills Learning Skills Time
Management Academic-Related Extracurricular
Activities
The Student Experience
Financial Aid
Recruitment Admissions
Academic Services
Student Services
Curriculum Instruction
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Cognitive Factors
Social Factors
The Student Experience
Institutional Factors
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Five Components of the Student Retention
Framework
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The current status of the reporter education
system

1. Not enough schools online learning only option
   for rural students CC programs only look at
   numbers private schools focus more on student
   needs.
2. Firms may settle for reporter with lesser skills
   because of lack of qualified reporters.
3. Schools been unable to recruit students with
   aptitude and ability to achieve and succeed. How
   do we know what type of person will succeed.
4. Feel that proprietary schools dont care as much
   about students
5. Recruiting without qualification is a deadly
   issue.
6. Our theory approval system is antiquated, and
   outsourced to institutions.

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The current status of the reporter education
system

1. Branding is a major problem/challenge. In the
   world, people think we are a dying business.
   Technology taking over (perception).
2. This is a competency-based profession and
   education system pass or fail, which crashes
   the graduation rate.
3. At one point had role models teaching in one
   school, teachers were those who failed the test
   We need to know who our educators are in the
   field.
4. Our most promising students are those who are
   intellectually engaged. Students who are
   enthusiastic, but have to wade through a long
   road of training that is not intellectually
   demanding.
5. Students come in with an unrealistic picture of
   what the field has to offer.

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Specific challenges in the court reporting /
captioning profession

1. We havent looked at how the industry has changed
   and adapted the program we have added pieces but
   not taken out (KISS)
2. Not enough motivation within educational system.
3. Tuition is a challenge for students, forcing them
   to extend their education (time to degree)
4. WE burden students with way too much
   information/technical when they dont need it or
   are ready for it.
5. Recruitment policies court reporting takes an
   intellectual type of student/professional. We
   have to get the word out
6. Adult students dont have the same mental
   talents.
7. Being able to motivate those who are
   self-motivated.
8. This was a full-time, bread-winning profession
   then it was marketed as a part-time profession.

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NCRAs current and future role in the education
system

• Create minimum standards for recruitment to guide
  or assist schools
• Create pilot projects to test education models.
  (test theories learning).
• Create training (intensive) for new
  professionals work with firm owners to develop
  curriculum
• Figure out way to help schools motivate students
  use our own experience to develop models. We need
  to identify these effective practices model.
• Teach schools the business of teaching
  learning.
• What is the special aptitude of court reports
  that leads to success. Perhaps create inventory
  for admissions process (developed from survey
  about attributes). This info can also be used to
  market court reporting broadly.

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NCRAs current and future role in the education
system

• Economic analysis of the cost of student
  departure.
• Mentoring boot camp to teach people how to mentor
  the entire student body, and those who do so on
  small group or individual level. Mentors for new
  professionals.
• Weve never targeted career counselors at
  colleges and universities.
• Emphasize teacher trainings professional
  development so they can see what the profession
  is like, not just isolated in the school.
• Weve allowed vendors to determine who we are.
  We need to recreate our image.
• We have an obligation to provide skills
  trainings, not only to new professionals, but
  extended to teaching the teachers.

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NCRAs current and future role in the education
system

1. Develop online qualifying test. Aptitude,
   personality, as well as punctuation, etc.
2. Is there something we can do to help with
   accreditation process for NCRA schools?
3. NCRA should expand the teacher training program
   (provide more incentive to become certified
   instructors).
4. NCRA put the word out where firm members could
   come to glut areas (e.g., Texas) for recruitment.
   

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Top Ten Considerations

1. Rely on proven research.
2. Suit the particular needs of the campus.
3. Institutionalize and become a regular part of
   campus service.
4. Involve all campus departments and all campus
   personnel.
5. Take into consideration the dynamics of the
   change process and provide extensive and
   appropriate retraining of staff.
6. Focus on students.
7. Ensure that the program is fiscally responsible.
8. Support institutional research in the monitoring
   of programs and students.
9. Be patient.
10. Be sensitive to students needs and target the
    most needy student populations.

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