|
December 7, 2004
|
| Announcements & Notices |
| AAA paperwork |
SAFE KIDS has made every attempt possible to reach out to the CPS community to resolve outstanding AAA issues. As we look to the future, we must concentrate our efforts on improving the new system rather than researching the old one.
After December 27, 2004, SAFE KIDS will no longer process AAA paperwork for any reason. All open AAA-related inquiries will be closed. If you previously contacted us regarding a AAA issue, it must be resolved by this date. If you are unsure of your request’s status, please contact us immediately at (202) 662-0600.
|
| Online registration |
Online registration extended to first day of course!
If there are spots available, students are now able to register online through the first day of the course with no late fees.
Check out the student registration section of the policies and procedures manual on the SAFE KIDS Web site for more information.
|
| Re-certification |
Don't wait to start on your re-certification!
Re-certification includes:
- Successfully meeting all pre-registration requirements, including verified seat check activity
- Registering and paying for re-certification
- Completing the written re-certification exam online
The re-certification process cannot be completed in a single day, and there is NO GRACE PERIOD.
Please help us out. Ask your CPST friends and colleagues if they've checked their online profiles. We are not able to contact many CPSTs because their contact information is out of date.
For help with usernames and passwords, contact Customer Service at (877) 366-8154 or cps.certification@safekids.org.
Check out the re-certification section of the policies and procedures manual on the SAFE KIDS Web site for more information.
|
| Certification Web site |
Based on the feedback many of you have provided, SAFE KIDS has begun to re-organize our Web site. We hope that these changes help to make things easier to find. Check back often for new developments. Feel free to contact us with any comments or suggestions.
|
| Upcoming Program Developments |
| One-day renewal course |
Beginning in the first quarter of 2005, individuals with expired certifications may take the Certification Renewal Course. This one-day course is being developed to help formerly certified individuals regain certification.
Prior to the development of the Certification Renewal Course, the only option available to CPS Technicians with expired certifications wishing to renew their certification was to retake the entire 32-hour training course.
Check out the Certification Renewal Course fact sheet on the SAFE KIDS Web site for more information.
|
| End-user operational group |
SAFE KIDS is putting together an operational group comprised of end-users of the certification system. The group’s purpose is to advise on ways to make the day-to-day use of the system more user-friendly and improve the day-to-day use of the program. As we make improvements, this group will help us with implemention, so that the system works well for instructors and technicians.
This group will include three technicians and three instructors. It will meet by monthly conference call starting in January 2005. Terms will be for six months. Membership will rotate every two months to keep the group fresh and allow as many people as are interested to participate.
Interested? E-mail Kerry Chausmer to express your interest, providing a BRIEF statement about your history with CPS certification programs and why you would like to be involved with this group. Please limit your e-mail to three paragraphs.
|
| Just for Instructors |
| Teaching hours |
Curious about your teaching hours? Want to make sure you have enough logged for re-certification?
Plans are under way to display your hours taught in your profile. You can expect to see this change in early 2005.
Until this is implemented, instructors curious about their hours should contact Customer Service at (877) 366-8154 or cps.certification@safekids.org.
|
| Re-certification |
In addition to the general requirements mentioned above, instructors wishing to re-certify are required to have a minimum of 20 teaching and hands-on hours logged to be eligible for re-certification.
Hours taught before March 1, 2004, the launch of the online system, may be manually entered by SAFE KIDS and counted towards re-certification.
However, since it is a time-consuming task, we ask that it only be requested if you do not currently meet the 20-hour requirement. To have these hours included, please fax a list with course information, hours and your instructor number to SAFE KIDS at (202) 393-2072.
|
| Course Administration Tips |
First Day: Promoting partnerships
At the pre-course instructor meeting, discuss possible ways to encourage participation by the students once they complete the class. For example, provide a simple 20 - 45 minute awareness presentation that they can use where they work.
Last Day: Exam administration
Student exam answer sheets should never be modified by any student, member of the instructor team or other person. Once the exam answer sheet is turned in, it is not to be returned to the student. Any instructor who knowingly allows test altering to occur and does not take immediate action (collusion) is at risk of being sanctioned.
Check out the course administration section of the policies and procedures manual on the SAFE KIDS Web site for more information.
|
| CPS Resources |
| Questions about LATCH? |
The Safe Ride News LATCH manual can answer many questions that technicians confront. The manual focuses on new methods of anchoring child restraints in vehicles. LATCH implementation has raised usage issues that must be understood.
The 2003 edition continues to cover retrofitting of tether anchors in older vehicles, including instructions and part numbers. It also contains information on how to install a tether when no vehicle specific parts or instructions are available, listings of tether-compatible and LATCH-ready child restraints and common LATCH problems.
You can visit Safe Ride News on the Web at http://www.saferidenews.com/.
More CPS resources are available on the SAFE KIDS Web site.
|
| Featured Frequently Asked Question |
| Why aren't missed test questions released to the student? |
SAFE KIDS follows widely accepted exam security procedures by not releasing answers to specific questions. Releasing answers to questions dilutes the value of the exam, as SAFE KIDS has no control over use of these released answers. The purpose of certification and re-certification exams is for an individual to demonstrate that he or she has an acceptable level of knowledge of the subject matter covered. It would be a public disservice to certify or re-certify someone who simply picked correct answers based on knowledge of the answer key.
SAFE KIDS has worked to make the online re-certification exam a valuable learning experience as well as an exam. Individuals may refer to their manuals as they test, and may even consult with other experts. They have 10 days to complete the exam, allowing plenty of time to research answers. This allows time to work as we expect they would in the field seeking expertise from other subject matter experts if they do not have the specific knowledge required themselves. SAFE KIDS believes this best serves the public interest.
More FAQs are available on the SAFE KIDS Web site.
|
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Contact us at:
SAFE KIDS
CPS Certification
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004
Phone: 877-366-8154 (toll free)
Fax: 202-393-2072
cps.certification@safekids.org |
