National CPS Certification Re-certification
CPS Express
October 1, 2006
In this Edition


Less than 200 responses so far...please share your opinion!
Which do you prefer: Online Test or CEUs? Take a very short survey.

 

Announcements and Notices  Back to the top

Reading for CEUs

To recertify in 2007, technicians will need to submit six hours of ongoing CPS technical education.  Each hour of education is called a continuing education unit (CEU).  It may help to think of each hour of education as a point and you need six points during your 2-year certification cycle.

You can earn CEUs by participating  in workshops, teleconferences or online sessions, and you can earn up to 3 CEUs by reading newsletters, manuals or scientific articles.

An application for CEU pre-approval is available on our Web site.

This information is also available on our Web site under Recertification 07.

Category 5:  Newsletters/Manuals/Journals

  1. Maximum allowable hours: 3
  2. Description: Eligible newsletters must have national circulation with primarily CPS technical content geared towards CPSTs.  They must be peer-reviewed (e.g. review committee) and approved by the certifying body. Application available by request from Safe Kids.
    Examples include the Tech Update, Journal of the American Medical Association, Pediatrics, STAPP.
  3. Approved publications and audit requirements  
    • Free Newsletters
      • Tech Update
      • Publisher: NHTSA
      • Published online semiannually on the CPS Board Web site
      • For more information: http://www.cpsboard.org/
      • Quizzes
        • Provided if selected for audit (see below)
        • Based on editions submitted for CEUs 
      • Audit requirements
        • Quizzes provided when selected for audit
        • Two passing (80 percent) scores are required for 1 CEU; 1 CEU maximum
    • Purchased Newsletters: Proof of purchase provided by publisher
      • Safe Ride News 
      • SafetyBeltSafe News
      • One CEU per year of subscription
      • Audit requirements
        • Publication name
        • Proof of purchase provided by publisher (not Safe Kids) must include:
          • Name of technician or technician instructor
          • Date of proof of purchase
          • Dates of subscription/total CEU eligible (one CEU per one year) during certification cycle
    • Manuals
      • LATCH manual 
        • Publisher:  Safe Ride News
        • Latest edition: 2005
        • For more information: http://www.saferidenews.com/
        • Child Restraint Manufacturers’ Instructions (CRMI) or individual instruction manuals 
        • Publisher of CRMI CD-ROM:  SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.
        • Latest edition: 2005
        • For more information: http://carseat.org/
      • Audit requirements
        • Technicians must provide completed quiz (provided by publisher--soon to be on their respective Web sites) with a passing grade of 80 percent.  One CEU per completed quiz.  One CEU maximum per manual.
    • Scientific journals/Conference Proceedings
      • Read three published CPS-related articles may be submitted for 1 CEU maximum.  Must be a peer-reviewed, national scientific publication (e.g. Journal of the American Medical Association, Pediatrics, STAPP)
      • Audit requirements
        • Issue and volume of issue containing article
        • Complete copies of articles/proceedings must be provided.

The Policies and Procedures are updated and available under Resources.

A personal 2007 re-certification log is available. 

 

Program Reminders  Back to the top

CPS Customer Service Survey Available

Safe Kids is interested in your experiences with our CPS Customer Service by toll-free phone (877-366-8154) and cps.certification@safekids.org.  Please take a few minutes to complete the survey available on the certification Web site under Contact Us. 

This 20-question survey should take no more than five minutes to complete.  There is no limit to the number of times you can share your opinions with us. Thank you for helping us improve our customer service. 

2006 Recertification Reminder  

Don’t Risk Your Certification—You may recertify up to four months before your certification expiration date. 

  • Seat checks may be logged at any time during your certification cycle and must be approved before you can register for re-certification. 
  • You may complete registration up to four months in advance of your certification expiration date.  Registration must be completed by your certification expiration date.

Once your recertification registration is processed, you will have 30 days to complete the online exam. The test does not have to be completed by your certification expiration date.

If your test is never started, is inadvertently submitted or is incomplete when the 30 day limit expires, it will be graded and you won’t get your money refunded.

2007 Recertification Reminder  

You may recertify up to four months before your certification expiration date. 

  • Seat checks may be logged at any time during your certification cycle and must be approved before you can register for recertification. 
  • You may complete registration up to four months in advance of your certification expiration date.  Registration must be completed by your certification expiration date.

Basic re-certification requirements and deadlines

  • Five seat checks approved by a certified instructor (may use technician proxy option).  These may be done at any time during your certification cycle as long as they are entered online and approved before your re-certification date.
  • Community Education (pick one):
    1. Participate in at least one two-hour check up event with at least one other CPS Technician at which you serve families using any standardized checklist to provide documentation, if needed.
    2. Provide at least four hours of community education.  Examples include presenting to parents, educators, kids, organizations (PTAs, law enforcement) or other stakeholders who are not technicians.
  • A minimum of six hours of CPS technical continuing education units must be earned and reported during a current certification cycle (two years).  There is no carry-over from one period to the next, even when more than the required CEUs have been accumulated.  CEUs may be entered at any time during your certification cycle and must fit into one of the five approved categories and meet content requirements.
  • Register and pay fee by the end of the certification expiration date.

Once your registration is complete, your recertification will be processed in 2-4 days.

 Upcoming Program Developments  Back to the top

REMINDER:  Need a new wallet card?

You may have noticed a new action item in your CPS online profile that allows you to print your own wallet card whenever you'd like!  We are delighted to be able to offer this as an added service since we are not able to provide replacement cards.

This, along with the other program enhancements, comes at the request of technicians like you.  Please continue to let us know what you like or want with a quick, detailed e-mail message.

 Just for Instructors  Back to the top

Marking Students Absent

Lead Instructors will notice a new action item for their courses.  On the first day of the course, lead instructors will be able to mark a student absent. This will allow spaces to open up for "walk-in" students.  with this new ability, you can have an accurate roster at the end of the day. 

This is another example of a request from the field.  If you have suggestions on how to improve the online system, please let us know.

 
 CEU Corner   Back to the top

This section of the newsletter will share available national CEU opportunities.  We are not able to include information on state or local conferences, trainings or other technical updates. 

This information is provided as  resource only.  Events and activities listed here are not endorsed by Safe Kids Worldwide unless otherwise noted.

SUBMISSIONS: Please email the required information (below) to Kerry Chausmer.  We are especially interested in any online offerings.

Facilitator/provider: NHTSA
Topic: To be announced
Format: Conference calls
Date/Time: To be determined
Fees/Requirements: None
For more information:  To be announced

Facilitator/provider: Safe Kids Worldwide
Topic: Child Restraint Manufacturer
Format: Roundtable
Date/Time: October 20, 2006 (two CEUs available)
Fees/Requirements: Must be registered for conference
For more information: Lorrie Walker: lwalker@safekids.org

 Just for Fun  Back to the top

Are You A CPS Nerd? Test Your Knowledge!

This section of the newsletter highlights trivia and facts about child passenger safety. Please submit your ideas to Kerry Chausmer. Be sure to include how you would like your name to appear.

No submissions this month.

Answer at the end of this newsletter.  

 CPS Resources  Back to the top

Go to the Source

Do you have a question about a child restraint?  Go directly to the course to get the best information. 

A list of child restraint manufacturers is available on our Web site under RESOURCES> Technical Resources.

Share Your Knowledge!  Back to the top

Innovative Cheaters

It is probably a pretty safe bet that the kind of person who is taking a CPS course is not the kind of person who would cheat on a test, but it is a good idea to stay aware of this possibility.  Cheating on exams has become much more pervasive in recent years, partly because of new technology, but also because an “everybody does it” attitude has become more prevalent. 

Some individuals cheat using technology.  Cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, and hidden microphones are some of the new miniature gadgets test-takers sneak into exams to copy materials, bring notes, or, seek assistance from others during the test. 

Low-tech cheating is much more common, however.  Here are some examples:

  • Removing the label from a water bottle, writing notes on the inside and pasting the label back on, and reading the notes during the exam through the clear empty bottle.
  • Writing notes on clothing -- inside the brim of a hat, on patches on jeans,on the soles of shoes, or inside a bandage.  With fine print from an inkjet printer, it has gotten much easier to hide notes.  (Expert cheaters recommend Times New Roman font size 6 double sided!)
  • Writing notes on Kleenex, gum/candy wrappers, or even on a stick of gum -- once used, the gum is consumed and the evidence gone!
  • Printing notes on clear computer labels, then wrapping the labels around dark-colored pens or pencils.
  • Writing notes on an arm or leg, covered by clothing.  The test-taker pulls up the sleeve or scratches the leg to read the notes.
  • Writing notes with correction fluid (such as Wite-Out) on a white binder or piece of paper only readable from a certain angle.
  • Leaving notes in the restroom or hallway and checking them during a break.

Another concern is that test-takers sometimes walk out with the printed test, either by accident or intentionally.  It is very important to keep track of how many tests are handed out and how many are returned.  Having an active test circulating is a sure way to damage the validity of the certification!

Dishonesty in test-taking devalues the certification.  The result is that unqualified individuals may stand beside conscientious qualified CPS technicians, advising parents on critical safety matters. Defenses against cheating on tests go beyond vigilance in administration.  It is just as important to maintain a climate that reinforces the importance of ethics as a part of the certification.

Submitted by Mary Browne, Professional Examination Services (New York, NY)

 FAQs  Back to the top

What if I go to a retailer with another tech and look at the new seats? Can I get CEUs?

To qualify for credit under category #1, educational sessions must be researched, prepared and organized.  Although it is practical and prudent for a technician to periodically review the selection of seats at a local retailer, this activity would not count towards CEUs.

If, however, the activity was structured as a class that met category #1 requirements, such as including an agenda, sign in roster, etc., then it could qualify for CEUs.
 

CPS Nerd Answer

No submissions this month.

 Contact Us  Back to the top

Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Safe Kids Worldwide
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

This newsletter was e-mailed as a benefit of your national CPS certification