Galarno, Barbara, L. Title: Increasing Public Awareness

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Author: Galarno, Barbara, L. Title: Increasing Public Awareness of a Recession-Proof Career, Community Action Grant Proposal, American Association of University Women Graduate Degree/ Major: Master’s of Education Research Adviser: James Lehmann, Ed. D. Month/Year: November, 2012 Number of Pages: 53 Style Manual Used: American Psychological Association, 6th Edition X I understand that this research report must be officially approved by the Graduate School and that an electronic copy of the approved version will be made available through the University Library website X I attest that the research report is my original work (that any copyrightable materials have been used with the permission of the original authors), and as such, it is automatically protected by the laws, rules, and regulations of the U.S. Copyright Office. STUDENT’S NAME: Barbara Galarno STUDENT’S SIGNATURE: ______DATE: ADVISER’S NAME (Committee Chair if MS Plan A or EdS Thesis or Field Project/Problem): James Lehmann

ADVISER’S SIGNATURE: ______DATE: This section for MS Plan A Thesis or EdS Thesis/Field Project papers only Committee members (other than your adviser who is listed in the section above) 1. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ______DATE: 2. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ______DATE: 3. CMTE MEMBER’S NAME: SIGNATURE: ______DATE: ------This section to be completed by the Graduate School This final research report has been approved by the Graduate School. ______(Director, Office of Graduate Studies) (Date)

Galarno, Barbara, L. Increasing Public Awareness of a Recession-Proof Career, Community

Action Grant Proposal, American Association of University Women

Abstract

The fields of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime have long been misunderstood by the general public, so that an intensive marketing plan must be developed to recruit individuals to enter the profession and end the shortage that has developed. Learning the skill of realtime writing is very rigorous, which also contributes to the shortage of qualified professionals who can perform closed captioning or communication-access realtime services for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

Along with creating marketing materials and incorporating a marketing implementation plan to provide awareness of these careers, new methods of instruction helping students to learn how to be self-directed learners in a skills-based program will also ensure successful completion of the program by students, providing them with a well-paying professional career, as well as providing equal access to all communication for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Once these two needs have been met, the current shortage of skilled professionals will cease to exist, and the deaf and hard-of-hearing community will be able to rely on quality services in communication-access that current technology can provide.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………… 2

Chapter I: Introduction……………………………………………………….. 6

Statement of the Problem……………………………………………… 6

Purpose of the Project/Grant Proposal……………………………….. 7

Definition of Terms…………………………………………………….. 7

Methodology…………………………………………………………… 8

Chapter II: Literature Review…………………………………………………. 9

Background…………………………………………………………….. 9

Problem: Shortage of Skilled Professionals…………………………… 10

Proposed Solution………………………………………………………. 11

Educational Theory…………………………………………………….. 12

Teaching Myth: Repetition and Drill Dull Creativity…………………. 12

Repetition and Learning………………………………………………… 13

Teaching Plan…………………………………………………………… 16

The Challenge of Individual Students…………………………………… 20

Summary………………………………………………………………… 22

Chapter III: Project Goals and Objectives……………………………………… 23

Goal 1/Objectives………………………………………………………….. 23

Goal 2/Objectives…………………………………………………………. 24

Chapter IV: Project Methodology……………………………………………… 26

Action Plan……………………………………………………………… 26

Project Management Team……………………………………………… 26

Justification for Chosen Methodology………………………………….. 27

Methodology…………………………………………………………….. 28

Evaluation Plan and Tools…………………………………………….. 32

Dissemination Plan……………………………………………………. 35

Budget…………………………………………………………………. 38

References……………………………………………………………………... 40

Appendix A: Cover Letter…………………………………………………….. 43

Appendix B: Grand Foundation Proposal Request……………………………. 44

Appendix C: Student Survey for Marketing Material Information……………. 50

Appendix D: Student Survey for Satisfaction of Facilities and Equipment……. 51

Appendix E: Survey of Graduates……………………………………………… 52

Appendix F: Instructor Survey…………………………………………………. 53

List of Tables

Table 4-1: Attendance of Information Sessions for the Past Five Years…… 27

Table 4-2: Time and Task Chart for January 15, 2013 through August 15, 2016………………………………………. 31

Table 4-3: Project Dissemination Strategies……………………………….. 37

Table 4-4: Budget Outline………………………………………………….. 39

Chapter I: Introduction

This grant proposal’s purpose is to enlighten the public regarding the careers of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime. With the advancement of technology, realtime translation has become state-of-the-art in this profession. Professionals use computer-aided translation software to instantaneously provide voice-to-text conversion of television programming. There are also many other applications for this service, including things like public meetings, classroom lectures, movies, any environment in which voice-to-text conversion would be useful for its audience. These careers are a good fit for the Community

Action Grants provided by the American Association for University Women because the services provided by these careers give the deaf and hearing-impaired communities equal access to communications of the hearing world.

Statement of the Problem

A problem exists because closed captioning and communication-access realtime (CART) have become essential tools for the deaf and hearing-impaired communities to be able to have equal access to the hearing world, and there is a severe shortage of individuals trained to perform this service. Although the technology is available to provide these services to the deaf and hard- of-hearing communities, there is a severe shortage of skilled professionals to perform these services. The skilled professionals that perform the services for those communities are trained, first, as court reporters. This profession has long been misunderstood, while, at the same time, expanding into more complex areas because of the technology of realtime writing, instantaneous translation of the spoken word to text.

Training for the various careers encompassed by this skill is very rigorous, yet very rewarding both financially and emotionally. This nationwide shortage is occurring because of

7 the low exposure to this career, and there is an increasing demand for professionals to perform the essential roles this career encompasses. There needs to be a comprehensive marketing program developed to recruit individuals to enter this career, and a support system set up to encourage those individuals to successfully complete the rigorous training.

Purpose of the Grant Proposal

The goal of this grant proposal is to increase the awareness of the general public about the career of court reporting, broadcast captioning and communication-access realtime (CART), the shortage that has been created and the opportunities that are available. There will be two important outcomes that will result by developing a comprehensive marketing plan that will recruit students to enroll in the programs for these careers. Those outcomes include, one, by providing the skill and education to those students, they will embark on a high-paying professional career; and, two, the current shortage of skilled individuals to provide these much- needed services to the deaf and hearing-impaired communities will close the gap that shortage has created.

Definition of Terms

Captioning. A display of words as the textual equivalent of spoken dialogue or narration, but they also include speaker identification, sound effects, and music description. Captions must have sufficient size and contrast to ensure readability, and be timely, accurate, complete, and efficient.

Communication-access realtime (CART). A professional service which provides the instant translation of the spoken word into English text using a stenotype machine, notebook computer and realtime software. The text produced by the CART service can be displayed on an

8 individual’s computer monitor, projected onto a screen, combined with a video presentation to appear as captions, or otherwise made available using other transmission and display systems.

Realtime writing. This is a method which provides the instantaneous translation of the spoken word into the written word.

National Court Reporters Association (NCRA). The professional association that provides certification and guidelines required of professional court reporters. The NCRA also monitors issues affecting members of the organization through lobbying efforts and publications keeping members abreast of those issues.

Methodology

Following will be a comprehensive grant proposal to the American Association of

University Women (AAUW), outlining all required elements for obtaining their Community

Action Grant. The AAUW works to promote educational opportunities for women in a number of categories; for example, women re-entering the workforce, women entering the workforce in nontraditional careers, and women breaking educational and economic barriers. Because court reporting has become a more female-dominated career, this particular grant opportunity should be a good fit for the AAUW’s work.

Chapter II: Literature Review Background

The profession of court reporting has long been misunderstood by most people. Court reporting has evolved from a profession of keeping a verbatim record in a court proceeding to providing captioning to the deaf and hearing-impaired community. Captioning is accomplished by providing voice-to-text displays in realtime through various methods.

Closed captioning began in a very primitive fashion in the 1970s. At that time technology was such that the captioning was provided for live programming several hours later and rebroadcast on PBS. Voice-to-text translation was possible, but not in real time. The first realtime closed captioning began in 1982 through the National Captioning Institute. Because technology had evolved to the realtime capability, in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act provided that “all public facilities provide access to all verbal information on television, films or slide shows” (ncicap.org). Thus, realtime broadcast captioning now became a mandate by the government and all live television would now be captioned.

In 1996, the Telecommunications Act took this one step further, requiring that by 2006, all new programming must be captioned. Not only does closed captioning benefit deaf and hearing-impaired individuals, the Federal Communications Commission also determined that

“captions also help improve literacy skills” (1996). The method by which realtime closed captioning is done is by court reporters that have the skill of realtime writing. In September of

2010, the United States House of Representatives passed the 21st Century Communications and

Video Accessibility Act of 2010, which “… requires every video that, first, is broadcast on television and, then, distributed via the Internet, to include closed captioning” (Finkel, 2011, p.

46).

There is also another area in which realtime writing, voice-to-text, has become an essential need as well, and that is called Communication-Access Realtime (CART).

Communication-Access Realtime is provided to deaf and hearing-impaired students so that they can participate in regular classrooms and not have to go to special schools. Communication-

Access Realtime reporters accompany the students to their classes and write, in realtime, lectures and class activities, which are displayed on a laptop computer to the deaf or hearing-impaired student so that they can “hear” the lecture, ask questions, and participate in class just like a hearing individual.

The importance of CART and captioning can be better understood when you think about an event such as the 9/11/2001 tragedy. Patty White, vice-president of Caption Colorado, said,

“Probably the best thing about it was at least we [captioners] had something to do, and I thought, how much more frightening would it have been for those who are hard-of-hearing not to know”

(JCR, 2002, p.53).

Problem: Shortage of Skilled Professionals

The career of court reporting, without the captioning or CART aspect, has fallen into a nationwide shortage of skilled people to fill the jobs that are available. Captioning and CART demands more accuracy, so what is happening is that veteran court reporters are leaving their judicial positions to work as captioners or CART providers, thereby leaving a severe shortage of judicial reporters, as well. According to the Wisconsin State Court Director, John Voelker, one- third of Wisconsin’s court reporters will retire by 2018 (Pioneer Press, 2007).

Court reporting has also been referred to as a “recession-proof career” because, as our country is in a recession, the use of the courts will rise due to lawsuits arising from company failures, foreclosures, and greater criminal activity (squidoo.com, 2011). The US News and

World Report considers court reporting as one of their “50 Best Careers of 2011,” saying, “this should have strong growth over the next decade” (2010). The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that employment within the court reporting profession will increase 18% through

2018, “faster than the average for all occupations,” rating employment opportunities in the field as “excellent” (2010-2011).

The National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) reports that over the last 15 years, the average graduation rate nationally has been less than 10%. As noted by Patricia L. Ziegler (2005) in her Doctoral Dissertation, From 0 to 225 wpm – A Game of Chutes and Ladders, “in this course of study, speed, skill and accuracy are the name of the game” (p. 5). This fact is the main reason for the 90% attrition rate of students in these programs. Learning this skill is difficult, and the failure rate of students is very discouraging. According to Bill Graham, founder of the

Association of Late-Deafened Adults, “The quality of the captioning is likely to get worse as the demand for captioning grows simply because there are not enough high-quality captioners out there” (Robson, 2012, p.39).

Proposed Solution

Because of the shortage of court reporters, captioners and CART providers, and the lack of knowledge of the career, it is imperative that an extensive marketing program be developed for recruitment of students to be trained in these fields. Not only will it provide those individuals with an excellent career, but it will also provide deaf and hearing-impaired individuals access to information the hearing world takes for granted.

In Wisconsin alone there are over 500,000 deaf and hard-of-hearing people, according to the Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (2010). Once this marketing tool is in place to expose potential students to this very important career, the training of the students and eventual

12 placement of them into the various job categories will begin to close the gap resulting from the immediate shortage now. Continued recruitment and training will sustain the career into the future.

Besides the lack of awareness of the career, learning the skill of court reporting and captioning is very rigorous. Most court reporting programs are set up as a traditional two-year

Associate degree program; however, the national average for completion is 33.3 months, and the dropout rate is very high (National Court Reporters Association [NCRA], 2002). As a result, once students are recruited, it is up to instructors who are highly trained in the field to motivate and successfully graduate these students. There is a need for instructors to understand the dynamics of teaching students through repetition and practice. Also, they need to teach students how to be independent, self-directed learners; thereby, giving them the confidence, motivation and support to complete the program successfully.

Educational Theory

Captioners and CART providers are certified in realtime writing at 200 words per minute with 96% accuracy, while court reporters are certified at 225 words per minute with 95% accuracy (ncra.org). Achieving this skill is very difficult and takes commitment on the part of the individuals learning the skill. To develop this skill, learners must engage in repetitive practice methods. Once individuals enroll in the program, the instructors need to develop curriculum that will motivate students to successfully complete a skills-based program.

Teaching Myth: Repetition and Drill Dull Creativity

Over time, theories on teaching through repetition and drilling have become taboo in the educational environment. More modern teaching theories have espoused that practice does not

“contribute to the achievement of literacy or higher-order thinking skill” (Audiblox, 2000, para.

2). Teachers are being encouraged to provide students with more stimulating class activity, believing students will learn better through asking questions. Because many of the learners beginning a skilled program have been taught through these methods, they have no experience in learning in a repetitive style, which learning any skill requires.

Research, however, still shows that learning through repetition and practice is more brain-based learning, as a person’s brain forms connections between brain cells when learning through repetition. When someone does something over and over again, learning occurs. When someone learns something and then doesn’t use that knowledge or skill repetitively over time, that learning is lost.

Repetition and Learning

Dr. George Johnson’s (2000) research outlines a study done for the Journal of

Experimental Psychology regarding something as simple as remembering names. The study involved nine college students. They were seated in a circle. The first student said their name.

The second student was to repeat the prior student’s name along with their own. The next student would repeat the prior students’ names and then state their own name, and the process was repeated with all nine students. The study revealed that after thirty minutes, 75% of the students remembered all the names. After eleven months, 29% of the participants still remembered all the names.

Johnson’s article goes on to reinforce the research of the connections made between the nerve cells in the brain when learning through repetition. The article relates scientific studies of a neurobiological scientist named Joe Tsien, where he demonstrated this communication channel in mice. Also, Johnson provides his own simple example of having to memorize his times tables

14 as a child. As an adult, he has no problem recalling multiplication facts without the use of “new math.”

According to Zirkle and Ellis (2010), “the goal of teaching effectively toward long-term memory is to strengthen recall of knowledge while decreasing the cues associated with the information so students have mastery of the data set” (p. 202). In their study, they were working with sixth graders to determine if repetition with geographic terms would result in long-term map knowledge recall. They, too, were disputing the criticisms against rote memorization. They determined that “repetition within a 90-120 minute window of time appears to be crucial to long- term potentiation (LTP)” (p. 202). What is important in learning through repetition, also, is that students understand the material presented. By presenting the material in small chunks, then repeating it within the recommended time frame, creates long-term recall of that information.

According to Medina, “if the information is not repeated within [a] crucial time frame, it is greatly diminished and the postsynaptic neuron will, in essence, reset” (2008).

An article written for the Sierra College of Biological Sciences (2002) again reinforces the importance of the nerve cells in the brain making connections that promote learning through repetition. The more those connections are made, the deeper the learning that takes places.

When students are learning complicated subject matters, where even most of the terminology is new, developing a method of study habits involving different forms of repetition practice works.

Fourteen techniques are described wherein the different techniques give students the tools to learn through repetition. A few of the initial techniques involve more personal methods to help a student understand their physiological needs and give them suggestions to develop the most beneficial ways for them to learn, i.e., getting enough sleep, studying when they are not

15 fatigued. The remaining techniques build on each other and focus on the importance of repetition, but varied methods of repetition, to enhance their learning.

One method of repetition suggested may seem old-fashioned, that of using flashcards.

The use of flashcards is an effective tool when used properly. The process of creating the flashcards by rewriting and reviewing the material incorporate two additional techniques described. Flashcards should not contain too much material, so that the use of them becomes ineffective.

Setting incremental study goals which are realistic to achieve also help in retaining information and provide deeper learning. Review of a small amount of material at consistent intervals is an aid to learning by repetition, as well. “Hit and miss study habits result in hit and miss learning;” therefore, the key to learning by repetition is by developing techniques for constant, consistent review of material (p. 1).

Kageyama discusses in an article entitled, How Many Hours a Day Should You Practice?

(n.d.), the importance of deliberate practice versus mindless practice. Mindless practice happens as a result of a student practicing more with their fingers versus their head. As a result, mindless practice ends up being more of a waste of time and tends to make the student less confident. Dr.

Kageyama defines deliberate practice as “a systematic and highly structured activity, which is, for lack of a better word, scientific. Instead of mindless trial and error, it is an active and thoughtful process of experimentation with clear goals and hypotheses” (p. 3).

According to Brabeck and Jeffrey (n.d.) in a module prepared for the American

Psychological Association, research has shown that “learning occurs when we move information from working memory to long-term memory, and practice helps with this process” (p. 3).

“Working, or short-term, memory [is where information] is stored for a short period of time” (p.

3). Short-term memory can fail if too much information is expected to be absorbed at one time.

Therefore, deliberate practice is successful by introducing small pieces of information for students to practice at one time. Once that information is stored, it is then moved to long-term memory, where the information is then learned and can be applied without having to relearn the material. By using this method of deliberate practice, “long-term memory is enhanced by a distributed process in which information is repeated with time in between practice sessions, rather than by crammed practice” (p. 4). This research supports the fact that when students

“cram” for an exam, no real learning occurs, and information will not be recalled at a later time.

Teaching Plan

As outlined previously, the average graduation rate for court reporting students is less than 10% nationally. Learning a skill is very individual and all students progress at different rates. Learning in this fashion is very individual, as well, so instructors need to begin by teaching students how to learn in a self-directed fashion. Practice needs to be deliberate and focused. First, it is up to instructors to develop methods for students to know how to be self- directed in their learning. According to Brookfield (1986), “it is just as important that learners be prepared for the shock of being asked to take control over aspects of their learning” (p.82).

Traditionally, students are used to being provided syllabi and lesson plans at the beginning of a course, which outlines in black and white what is to be expected of them for that course. As long as a student follows the syllabus, performs each task outlined, and does well on an assessment, it is assumed that learning has occurred. When learning a skill, lesson plans and timelines just are not realistic. Assessments do truly show that learning has occurred, yet a timeline for each student as to when that learning will occur varies.

As part of taking control over their learning, a successful tool that has been utilized in colleges like the Teacher’s College in New York and Loretto Heights College in Colorado is the use of a learning contract. At the beginning of the program, the instructors would meet individually with each student and develop a learning contract that is unique to that student. The learning contract would incorporate an individualized practice plan and would delineate the student’s goals and timelines for those goals, as well as responsibilities of the student on how to achieve them. A review of that contract and practice plan would be done every eight weeks. The learning contract would also include provisions for what the instructor would do as their part of the contract. Although it is important to teach students to be self-directed in their learning, instructors need to provide a facilitative role. They would serve as a resource person. According to Brookfield (1986), they would “assist learners by identifying resources, linking learners to these resources, clarifying options and encouraging the formation of peer learning networks when appropriate” (p. 71).

By serving in the role of facilitator, that would give the students the support they traditionally are used to getting, while at the same time, helping them to become more self- reliant in their role in the learning process. Self-directed learning can make the student feel as though the instructor is being lazy by placing the majority of their learning responsibility on them, but when learning a skill, an instructor cannot learn for the student. There is no short-term memorization of material to take an assessment and then be able to move on to the next chapter, never to call on that information again. Court reporting students learn a theory -- not unlike having to learn notes on a scale and fingering patterns when learning a musical instrument – which they build on throughout their whole career.

In a pilot project by Fengning (2012) using self-directed learning (SDL) for students in an intensive foreign language learning program, which learning a court reporting theory has been likened to learning a foreign language, he found that “it is incumbent upon the teacher to scaffold instruction in alignment with the developmental phases of student SDL competencies” (p. 3).

Therefore, in practicing SDL, instructors still need to provide “direction, reassurance, and support for students” (p. 3).

In Fengning’s study, each student was required to prepare a self-study plan which was to

“afford students an opportunity to reflect upon language learning, find appropriate learning resources, and design learning strategies and activities” (p. 4). Once the self-study plans were developed, though, instructor feedback and monitoring are still an essential element of successful self-directed learning techniques. Depending on the level of a student’s competency for SDL learning, “teachers may provide more direction and structure in feedback” (p. 7).

The conclusions of the pilot project determined that, although “self-directed learning has been lauded as a powerful learner-centered approach to involve students in every aspect of their learning” (p. 2), the deterrents to using it are “time, student variables, and traditional curriculum and teaching methodology” (p. 7). Time is an element both teachers and students struggle with.

For students, it is taking the time to develop their study plan and sticking to it. For teachers, it involves both having the time to understand student variables and developing and implementing methods for feedback and support for each student.

Instructors also need to facilitate student learning by providing tools of self-assessment.

According to Bercher (2012), “accurate self-monitoring of one’s mastery of material is necessary for student success” (p. 26). This falls under the category of metacognition.

Metacognition means “awareness of what one knows or doesn’t know…the active process of

19 knowing” (p. 26). Instructors will need to provide students with an understanding of the process of metacognition and provide tools to aid them in using the process successfully.

In a study performed by Bercher (2004), she used Student Self-Assessment Sheets to evaluate what a student felt they understood of the content of objectives learned that day in class in terms of percentages. The students were also given study material at the end of the lesson that contained the material they had self-assessed their understanding of. This gave students a starting point to set a “desired state of learning, a level of mastery of the material, and then establish where they are initially and how far they need to go to achieve this desired level of mastery” (p. 27).

The feedback students receive by doing this self-assessment is considered cognitive feedback. Cognitive feedback is beneficial for students because, through their own self- assessment, they can determine what material they feel they completely understand and what material needs to be studied further. Traditionally the feedback students receive is considered as outcome feedback. This is feedback they receive after taking an assessment and getting a grade.

At that time feedback is really too late in general coursework, and even more so when trying to learn a skill.

“Accurate self-assessment of one’s knowledge and performance leads to more effective use of feedback, improved time management and appropriate goal setting” (p. 162, Hacker, Bol,

Horgan & Rakow, 2000). With the statistics provided by the NCRA that the attrition rate of students attending a court reporting program is 90%, time management and goal setting are important factors in their education. Another tool instructors can provide hand-in-hand with the self-assessment tool would be to incorporate time management sheets and aid in goal setting.

The Challenge of Individual Students

Though teaching in any capacity brings the challenge of individual students, this program is somewhat unique and can present issues that many teachers typically may not face. Students get very frustrated when they cannot pass a speed for several months. As a result, when their frustration level gets too high, it becomes easy for them to become slack in their practice habits and attendance. Their commitment to the program is difficult for them when they see their personal time being sacrificed or, perhaps, have friends in different programs that don’t have to commit so much time to their schooling. Of course, then it is “easy” to just quit. This is why it is important for instructors to set up processes for students from the beginning so they know they have the support they need when things get difficult.

Managing student behavior on a post-secondary level can be very difficult because of the diversity of the student population. This program is very frustrating and students face frequent failures. The book, Successful College Teaching, categorizes problematic behaviors as:

“attitude, eccentric behavior, inept social skills, warped genius, eating disorders, issues of self- confidence or lack thereof, cultural baggage, students in crisis, and limited ability” (1998 p. 173).

As an instructor, experience helps in dealing with different behavioral issues. A frequent issue in this program is the amount of commitment a student has to make to be successful. Students want to have a magic solution for finishing the program, where the only solution is to work hard and put in the amount of time it takes to be successful. Instructors need to be proactive in dealing with issues students bring up by including guidelines in the syllabi and learning plans and learning contracts.

Another issue in this particular program is the amount of displaced workers that have decided to enter the program. These workers generally come from factories where they have

21 been well paid and choose this particular career because of the starting income level. According to Baiocco and DeWaters (1998), “returning to the classroom after many years of experience in the “real world,” they often find the initial adjustment to academe difficult” (p. 175). They also can be bitter about the fact they lost their jobs and have to return to school. Many times, they just do not possess the skills necessary for the program.

Students in this program also encounter a lack of support in their personal lives. This is due to the amount of time it can take a student to complete the program. Whether a student takes two years or five years to graduate, it does not reflect at all on the quality of the professional they will become. Learning a skill is very individual to everyone. What happens, though, is that even though a student may have had the support for the first year or two, the pressure starts to build up as they are questioned as to when they are going to finish.

With the unique challenges students in this program face, instructors also need to develop methods to deal with these challenges effectively. Students need to be given knowledge regarding support that is available through appropriate departments at the college that have the skills to deal with specific problems. Because the program may take a student longer to finish than the established two years for an Associate degree program, they will need support as far as financial planning. A relationship with the college counselor needs to be developed so that the student can have accessibility to their counselor for any challenges they may be facing. The student also needs to be made aware of learning services the college may be able to provide, such as tutoring or study groups. Using this strategy to provide students with access to these services will enhance their opportunity for success.

Summary

Teaching students to understand the differences between mindless versus deliberate practice will be the goal of the instructors by developing individualized practice plans and learning contracts for each student, and then monitoring their progress. Feedback will be an integral part of this monitoring process. General comments regarding feedback are not beneficial to students attempting to learn a skill through repetition. Focused feedback regarding particular problems or methods the student may be using for their practice will be essential for student success.

When each student begins the program, instructors will help the students to understand that learning a skill is very individual, and as a result, lessons in self-directed learning will help them to embrace their own learning style. Providing self-assessment tools to determine each student’s level of mastery of each concept will result in the cognitive feedback that will help them to efficiently time manage their practice material and practice effectively.

All of this research references the relationship of the nerve cells in the brain making connections to reinforce learning through repetition. Teaching through deliberate practice to engage the student’s short-term memory skills by presenting material in small chunks and by multiple methods then transfers that learning into their long-term memory. Developing innovative methods for repetitive learning will enable students to be successful in learning the skills necessary to complete a court reporting program and enter a professional career. Utilizing these self-directed learning tools will also give students the confidence they need to complete the program, as well, and reverse the current attrition rate.

Chapter III

Closed captioning and communication-access realtime are two fields people generally do not know a lot about unless they are hearing impaired. The skilled professionals who perform these services for the hearing impaired are trained realtime reporters. Because of the lack of awareness of these careers, there is currently a shortage of skilled professionals to fill the positions available; therefore, the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities are not able to have access to everything the hearing world does even though the technology is available.

Training for these careers is very rigorous, and the dropout rate is very high. Besides providing awareness in order to recruit individuals to pursue these fields, providing motivational, stimulating training is essential. Instructors need to develop curriculum and methods that will provide students the tools they need to complete a skills-based program.

The following goals and objectives will provide information to outline what the final outcomes of this project will accomplish. There really are two essential needs that must be addressed through this grant proposal, and they include public awareness of these careers and instructional methods that ensure the success of individuals to complete the program, thereby ending the shortage that is currently in place.

Goal 1: Increase the Awareness of the General Public about the Careers of Court Reporting,

Broadcast Captioning and CART (communication access realtime), the Shortage that has been

Created and the Opportunities that are Available.

By meeting this goal, the general public will gain awareness, as well as an understanding, as to the importance and relevance these careers have to the hearing-impaired community.

Pursing these career paths not only provide individuals with a meaningful career, but also a career that is very well-paying. The AAUW looks to provide opportunities for women going

24 into nontraditional fields, so this is a good fit with their objectives, as well. By providing this education and awareness, the following objectives will be met:

Objective 1: Improve enrollment at each technical college site across the state by August,

2013, and beyond. There are seven technical colleges that currently receive the Judicial

Reporting/Broadcast Captioning program via interactive television from the home site. This comprehensive marketing program will be used to improve enrollment at each site.

Objective 2: Target marketing efforts to various populations with a focus on women’s groups. The demographics cited by the National Court Reporters Association are that the field is currently female-dominated. Marketing efforts will focus on that demographic.

Goal 2: Instructors will Develop Appropriate Instructional Methods to Ensure Student Success.

By meeting this goal, students will gain an understanding of the tools necessary to succeed in a skills-based program. Instructors will not only teach individuals the methods for self-directed learning, but will also provide cognitive feedback that will help them to efficiently manage their practice time to ensure deliberate practice and long-term learning. That goal will be accomplished by these objectives:

Objective 1: Increase graduation rates by 5% by May, 2015; 10% by May, 2016; and incrementally by 5% each year thereafter, thereby providing skilled individuals to fill the positions created by the current shortage. Once these teaching methods are in place and students gain an understanding of the self-directed learning required for a skills-based program, the current attrition rate will be discontinued and graduation rates will increase.

Objective 2: Provide the deaf and hard-of-hearing community with quality captioning and CART services. As a result of increased graduation rates, the current shortage of qualified individuals to provide these services for the hearing-impaired community will lessen

25 incrementally over time. What is happening currently is that individuals who are not qualified are performing these services because the shortage is so critical. Through increased graduation rates from an NCRA-certified program, quality captioning and CART services will be guaranteed.

The goals and objectives outlined include funding which will help to increase the recruitment of students entering the judicial reporting program. Providing skilled individuals to fill the shortage currently occurring in this field is still dependent on those students successfully completing the program. Just because the number of students increases does not change the difficulty of the program. The incremental increase in the graduation rates may not be as significant as 5% in that first projected graduation date, but the overall target should be able to be accomplished.

Chapter IV

The methodology for this project will include an action plan and timeline that outline activities that will accomplish the objectives set out in Chapter III. Those activities will provide the necessary tools and information needed to meet the goals of this project.

An evaluation plan will be discussed in great detail outlining the goals and the methods that will be used to evaluate the various activities outlined in the action plan. An important part of any grant project is the evaluation component, which needs to demonstrate for the granting agency that a comprehensive plan has been developed. This evaluation will gather and analyze various data throughout the granting period, as well as provide a detailed report at the end of the granting period.

A dissemination plan will be contained in this chapter, as well. When proposing a project of this type, it is important for all interested parties to be kept abreast of the progress of the project each step of the way. The dissemination plan will include varied methods for keeping all project participants up-to-date on the project, while, at the same time, providing a method whereby a more general audience will have access to project updates and progress, as this is an organization which is constituted of a membership.

Finally, a budget is included. The budget will be presented as a table which will outline each line item for which funds will be utilized. The table will also include each category where

Lakeshore Technical College intends to tender in-kind monies as their good-faith conviction to this very important project.

Action Plan

Project Management Team The project management team consists of Barbara Galarno, CRI, RPR; Cheryl Darrow,

CRI, RMR; Kathy Jagow, RMR. Between those three team members, they have over 70 years of

27 court reporting experience and 25 years of teaching experience in the court reporting field. Also part of the team is Jennifer Bartz, Marketing Communications Specialist, who has over twelve years of marketing experience, and Ron Haese, Video/Multimedia Producer, who has over 22 years of experience in that field. All members of the team are currently employees of Lakeshore

Technical College and have worked together on various projects that have advertised the college as a whole. Working collaboratively on this more focused project will ensure success in reaching our goals.

Justification for Chosen Methodology

Current marketing efforts were to hold informational sessions advertised through a classified ad in local newspapers in the market area of each shared-program technical college site. Declining attendance at the informational sessions proved classified ads were not working.

Following is a chart reflecting the decline in attendance for the past five years.

Table 4-1

Attendance of Information Sessions for Past 5 Years

30 Series 1 25 Series 2 20 Series 3 15

0 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Methodology

Below is a listing of the objectives outlined in Chapter III, followed by activities which will enable both the objectives and goals to be able to be met successfully.

Objective 1: Improve enrollment at each technical college site across the state by August, 2013, and beyond.

Activity 1.1: Develop marketing materials.

Purpose of Activity 1.1: The development of marketing materials is essential to begin a campaign for public awareness and student recruitment to improve enrollment numbers and, eventually, graduates to fill the shortages that are continuing to occur.

Process Tasks for Activity 1.1: Review literature and statistics to prepare relevant and up-to-date material for marketing project, interview potential participants to appear in marketing ads -

Barbara Galarno, Project Director/Instructor, and Cheryl Darrow, Instructor; Survey targeted markets to identify successful marketing strategies in those areas – Jennifer Bartz, Marketing

Communications Specialist; Coordinate material, produce film and audio ads – Ron Haese,

Video/Multimedia Producer; Prepare a marketing implementation plan – Jennifer Bartz,

Marketing Communications Specialist.

Outcome Tasks for Activity 1.1: By January, 2013, marketing strategies will be in place, video and audio ads will be completed, and a marketing implementation plan will begin. Attendance records at informational sessions held in conjunction with the new marketing campaign will be

29 kept, as well as other statistical data obtained from other marketing tools, i.e., websites, radio ads, et cetera.

Objective 2: Target marketing efforts to various populations with a focus on women’s groups.

Activity 2.1: Research women’s organizations in each target marketing area and prepare a marketing implementation plan to present to those groups.

Purpose of Activity 2.1: According to the National Court Reporters Association, 89% of court reporters currently are women. The career is best suited to those who are good in language skills, detail-oriented and have prior higher education. By targeting marketing efforts to those groups, the potential for more successful students is higher.

Process Tasks for Activity 2.1: Identify women’s groups in the State of Wisconsin, their conference schedules and website advertising processes and develop a marketing implementation plan – Barbara Galarno, Project Director/Instructor and Jennifer Bartz, Marketing

Communications Specialist.

Outcome Tasks for Activity 2.1: After marketing efforts begin, statistics can be gathered as to inquiries made about the program and which targeted marketing motivated those inquiries.

Our second goal is that instructors will develop appropriate instructional methods to ensure student success.

Objective 3: Increase graduation rates by 5% by May, 2015; 10% by May, 2016; and incrementally by 5% each year thereafter, thereby providing skilled individuals to fill the positions created by the current shortage.

Activity 3.1: Coordinate with all shared-program sites to prepare for increased enrollment.

Purpose of Activity 3.1: Due to marketing efforts, increased enrollments will be anticipated at each site, leading to increased graduates.

Process Tasks for Activity 3.1: Coordinate with each technical college site to prepare classrooms with sufficient space, electrical connections and facilities for increased enrollment –

Barbara Galarno, Project Director, Facilities Personnel at each Technical College. Coordinate with Lakeshore Technical College’s (LTC) IT department to have access to sufficient numbers of equipment for all students – Barbara Galarno, Project Director, Mike Kregel, IT Director.

Outcome Tasks for Activity 3.1: By August, 2013, each technical college site will be prepared for increased enrollment; LTC will have sufficient equipment (steno machine and laptop) for all students. Surveys will be conducted by all students to rate their satisfaction of facilities.

Objective 4: Provide the deaf and hard-of-hearing community with quality captioning and

CART services.

Activity 4.1: Provide students with success strategies and personal practice plans to complete their education.

Purpose of Activity 4.1: By providing students more individualized instruction and additional tools, the students will be more successful.

Process Tasks for Activity 4.1: Instructors will collaborate to develop personal practice plans and self-directed learning activities to ensure student success – Barbara Galarno, Project

Director/Instructor; Cheryl Darrow, Instructor; Kathy Jagow, Student Success Coordinator.

Outcome Tasks for Activity 4.1: By May 15, 2016, statistics can be gathered regarding graduation rates to measure the success of the personal practice plans.

Our first goal is to increase the awareness of the general public about the career of court reporting, broadcast captioning and CART (communication access realtime), the shortage that has been created and the opportunities available, and our second goal is that instructors will develop appropriate instructional methods to ensure student success.

Table 4-2

Time and Task Chart for January 15, 2013 through August 15, 2016

Activity Begin End Responsibility Date Date Objective 1: Improve enrollment at each January Ongoing Project Director technical college site across the state by 15, 2013 August, 2013, and beyond. Activity 1.1: Develop marketing materials January August, Project Director, Marketing 15, 2013 2013 Communications Specialist, Video/Multimedia Producer Objective 2: Target marketing efforts to January, ongoing Project Director, Marketing various populations with a focus on 2013 Communications Specialist women’s groups. January August, Project Director, Marketing Activity 2.1: Research women’s 15, 2013 2014 Communications Specialist organizations in each target marketing area and prepare a marketing implementation plan to present to those groups. Objective 3: Increase graduation rates by August, ongoing Project Director, 5% by May, 2015; 10% by May, 2016; and 2013 Instructional Staff, Student incrementally by 5% each year thereafter, Success Coordinator thereby providing skilled individuals to fill the positions created by the current shortage. Activity 3.1: Coordinate with all shared- January, August, Project Director, Facilities program sites to prepare for increased 2013 2013 Personnel, IT Director enrollment. Objective 4: Provide the deaf and hard-of- August, Ongoing Project Director, hearing community with quality captioning 2013 Instructional Staff, Student and CART services. Success Coordinator Activity 4.1: Provide students with success August, Ongoing Project Director, strategies, personal practice plans to 2013 Instructional Staff, Student complete their education, and self-directed Success Coordinator learning tools.

Evaluation Plan

The evaluation plan for this project will contain several data-tracking methods used during the project and at the end of the granting period. The data-tracking methods will include surveys and statistical website data to analyze the success of our goal to increase the awareness of the general public about the career of court reporting, broadcast captioning and CART

(communication access realtime), the shortage that has been created and the opportunities that are available.

The data that will be tracked via website will include two forms, Lakeshore Technical

College (LTC) website hits and Facebook advertising website hits. Each time a user clicks on the LTC website link for Judicial Reporting, before they are able to leave the site, a pop-up dialogue box will appear asking for very basic information, name, gender and age. It will also enable the user to fill in more specific information if they would like to be contacted with more information. The Facebook advertising will be more of a hard number because each time a user clicks on the Facebook ad, they will be taken to the LTC website where the data explained above will apply. The Facebook ad will generate a hard number which will correlate to the amount of times a user clicked on that ad.

Surveys conducted of graduates as to their career path upon graduation, as well as data collected as to retention and graduation rates will be of assistance in evaluating the new curriculum that will be developed as part of our second goal.

Objective 1: Improve enrollment at each technical college site across the state by August, 2013, and beyond. Process/Formative Evaluation Questions Outcome/Summative Evaluation Questions

To what extent did the new marketing plan Has any increased enrollment been a result of increase website inquiries which were targeted to the new marketing plan? increase enrollment?

Formative Evaluation Activities Summative Evaluation Activities

Tracking website hits after new marketing Tracking enrollment numbers after new materials have been used; determine what marketing efforts have been implemented. marketing tools initiated those website inquiries Survey enrolled students to determine where to determine what is working/what is not, they got their information about the career. through a survey on the website.

Objective 2: Target marketing efforts to various populations with a focus on women’s groups. Process/Formative Evaluation Questions Outcome/Summative Evaluation Questions

To what extent did the new marketing plan increase What is the breakdown of students as far website inquiries from women? as gender?

Formative Evaluation Activities Summative Evaluation Activities

Tracking website hits after new marketing Break out website inquiries to categories, materials have been used; determine what i.e., by men, by women, by age group, et marketing tools initiated those website inquiries to cetera, to determine if our target determine what is working/what is not, through a populations are responding. survey on the website.

Process/Formative Evaluation Questions Outcome/Summative Evaluation Questions

What is the student retention rate after each semester? Is there an increased graduation rate as of May, 2015; May, 2016; and, if so,

what is the percentage?

Formative Evaluation Activities Summative Evaluation Activities

Survey each instructor to determine student retention Determine graduation rates from 2010 rates each semester; check registrar’s records to to 2014 to compare with graduation supplement instructors’ numbers. Survey students to rates from 2015 and beyond. determine satisfaction with facilities.

Objective 4: Provide the deaf and hard-of-hearing community with quality captioning and CART services. Process/Formative Evaluation Questions Outcome/Summative Evaluation Questions

Are students progressing successfully through What is the percentage of graduates going into the program to provide quality captioning and the captioning and CART field versus the CART services? Judicial field?

Formative Evaluation Activities Summative Evaluation Activities

Instructors will prepare progress reports on Surveys will be taken as to employment paths each student on a monthly basis each graduate has taken

In summary, the data gathering instruments will include three surveys given to the students; one, when they begin the program; two, when they have been in the program for one semester; and, three, when they graduate. The first two surveys will be given in class to each of the students by the instructors at the indicated intervals. They will be given as hard-copy surveys, and the data will be inputted into a computer file, which will compile and analyze the data. The reason for hard-copy surveys for the first two is to ensure that the surveys are completed, versus asking students to take a survey online that may not ever get done. The third survey with respect to employment paths graduates have taken will be sent via email to students six months after graduation, and then again after twelve months for follow-up. Because of the nature of this type of email survey, responses could be variable, but with follow-up planned,

35 there may be more success. The surveys have been created by the Project Management Team and are contained in the Appendices of the Grant Proposal.

The initial survey will be to determine where they got the information about the careers and program, their gender and age. This survey will provide information which will analyze the success of the targeted marketing plan, as well as which particular marketing strategies were the most successful (See Appendix C). The second survey will ask for student satisfaction as far as equipment and facilities, which will help with student retention by making sure students are satisfied with the equipment and facilities (See Appendix D). The third survey will inquire as to the students’ career path upon graduation to track whether students are entering the judicial, broadcast captioning or CART fields (See Appendix E).

Another survey which will be utilized will be conducted of the instructors in the program to present information about student retention rates. Inquiries will be made as to reasons students have dropped the program (See Appendix F).

Data regarding website hits will be tracked by the survey department at Lakeshore

Technical College. They will provide statistical reports on a monthly basis to the Program

Director, which will be shared via the dissemination plan. The information obtained per the various statistical data, once compiled, will enable the Project Director and Marketing

Communications Specialist to determine which methods of the marketing implantation plan have been the most effective.

Dissemination Plan

Dissemination of this project will unite our goal of creating public awareness of the careers of court reporting, broadcast captioning and CART and the opportunities available therein with the progress of our project. By disseminating our information, we will enhance the

36 knowledge of our partners to the level that we are targeting to specific populations through our marketing implementation plan. We will use both passive and active dissemination strategies to aid in the success of our project.

The development of our marketing materials will be done through our in-house Video

Multimedia Producer, Ron Haese, who has developed short videos for the Judicial Reporting program in conjunction with marketing the college as a whole. Because Mr. Haese does have experience working with the judicial reporting program over the last 14 years, that knowledge will enable us to produce a meaningful marketing video. Once that video is produced, we will be able to share that with the Wisconsin Court Reporters Association (WCRA.)

The WCRA has a program that partners court reporters all over the state with their local schools, Bar Associations, community groups and career development professionals to do demonstrations and seminars at their different functions. By having a professionally-developed marketing video, these demonstrations can rise to a new level of learning and awareness for the targeted audiences.

We will develop displays outlining our progress with the marketing implementation project. The displays will be entitled “Promoting a Recession-Proof Career.” The displays will outline the chronological steps of the development of the project. It will first present the components of the marketing materials to be developed, then explain the marketing implementation program.

The displays will be set up at all WCRA seminars, as well as the National Court

Reporters Association (NCRA) summer convention. WCRA members number over 300, and

NCRA members number over 20,000. By sharing this information at court reporter seminars, we can promote our project results and look to partner with others in furtherance of our goal. The

37 displays will also be set up at various American Association for University Women (AAUW) events for those same purposes.

Executive summaries of the progress of the project on a monthly basis will be prepared and shared with all college officials, including key personnel at each shared-program site. The executive board of both the NCRA and WCRA will be included in the reports, as well as appropriate individuals with the AAUW.

The reports will be disseminated through a website blog that can be maintained as a

“live” document, giving all involved an opportunity to comment, ask questions or give suggestions to help keep the project moving forward and be successful. Each month a “master” blog will be prepared, so that the information doesn’t become jumbled from month to month.

From the executive summary blogs and any additional information added by the participants, journal articles will be written to be published in the Journal of Court Reporting and the WCRA Newsletter. The articles will be an ongoing dissemination of the progress of the project so that the professional memberships can continue to learn about the project.

The articles will also appear under the news and events section of the AAUW website and in their publication, AAUW Outlook. By informing the AAUW membership of the project and its progress, it will increase the effects of the project by further hitting our targeted audience.

Table 4-3

Project Dissemination Strategies Target Audience Dissemination Specific Information Strategy Marketing Materials Professional Organizations, Community Demonstration Members Project Progress and Professional Organizations, Program Displays Timelines Officer Project Progress and results Program Officer, College Officials, Executive Executive Boards of Professional Summary Blogs Associations

Summary of Project progress Professional Organizations Journal Articles and results

Budget

The items in the budget outlined below will be the beginning of a long-term project for public awareness of the court reporting/captioning profession. The video and audio ads will be professionally created so that they will be relevant for years to come. The advertising portion of the budget represents the first-year costs by the various media outlets. As the marketing implementation plan utilizes these different media opportunities, there will be evaluation taking place to determine the best outlets for our marketing and measurements of their effectiveness.

After the grant period is over, our ads will be created so that there will be minimal cost to reproduce them, and through our evaluation plan the most effective marketing outlets will be determined. At that time, the shared-program colleges, along with the Wisconsin Court

Reporters Association and National Court Reporters Association, will be able to pick up the costs of the advertising component of this budget for future years. The ads will also be used for online advertising on Facebook and all shared-program college websites at no additional cost to the project.

The development of curriculum geared at student retention via self-directed learning methods and focused practice will begin during the grant period, but will be continually updated.

That cost will be borne as a shared cost by the college on an ongoing basis.

Table 4-4 Budget Outline Item Cost Shared Purpose Total Cost Amount Requested Filming, Editing & $110/hr @ 10 Develop Marketing $1,100 Production Hours Ads Video/Audio Supplies $7/tape @ 10 Distribute $ 70 Tapes Marketing Ads Radio Advertising $5,500/26 week Marketing $5,500 customized Implementation package Plan Filming, Editing & $110/hr @ 10 $1,100 Develop Marketing $ 0 Production hours Ads Video/Audio Supplies $7/tape @ 10 $ 70 Distribute $ 0 Tapes Marketing Ads Coordination of $35/hr @ 25 $ 875 Implementation of $ 0 Marketing hours Marketing Plan Implementation Plan Curriculum $60/hr @ 40 $2,400 Curriculum $ 0 Development hours Development Total Shared $4,445 Total Amount $6,670 Cost Requested

By accomplishing our goal of educating the general public about these careers, and,

thereby, increasing enrollment in the judicial reporting program across the state, it becomes the

focus of the instructors to increase graduation rates. Developing curriculum to ensure that

increase comes to fruition will continue on an ongoing basis. Continued research into teaching

methods and learning styles will be supported by LTC funding, while marketing materials and

strategies that have been funded through this grant will provide guidance for continued

marketing into the future.

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Appendix A: Cover Letter

August 7, 2012 American Association of University Women Fellowships and Grants 101 ACT Drive P.O. Box 4030 Iowa City, IA 52243-4030 Re: Community Action Grant Proposal Marketing Nontraditional Field Lakeshore Technical College

To Whom It May Concern:

Lakeshore Technical College (LTC) is one of two colleges in the State of Wisconsin that offers training for judicial reporters and broadcast captioners. This career path is one that the general public is unaware of, yet a very critical service that provides a verbatim record of court proceedings, as well as voice-to-text captions for the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities. LTC is unique in that our program is offered throughout the state via instructional television to eight different technical colleges, thereby giving more students an opportunity to enroll in the program.

Because of the lack of awareness of this career, a comprehensive marketing plan would give the general public knowledge of the career and the shortage of professionals in this field. As a result, enrollment in the program should rise and, through development of new curriculum, individuals should successfully graduate and fill the shortage that currently exists.

This profession is currently 89% female. This is a good fit with the goals of the AAUW of encouraging educated women to enter nontraditional and technical careers. Through the use of Community Action Grant funds in developing this marketing plan, we will address the needs of the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, as well as expose women to the opportunity of pursing a well-paying, satisfying career.

Please review our Community Action Grant Proposal, and feel free to direct any questions directly to me at the address below.

Sincerely,

Barbara L. Galarno, CRI, RPR 1290 North Boulevard Cleveland, WI 53015 (920)693-1353 [email protected] Appendix B: Grant Foundation Proposal Request

Deadline: January 15, 2013

INTRODUCTION AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, and research. AAUW breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance. AAUW is one of the nation’s largest sources of private funding exclusively for educational programs that directly benefit women and girls. Every year AAUW awards fellowships and grants to over 250 women. In principle and practice, AAUW values and seeks diversity. There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, race, creed, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or class.

PROGRAM PURPOSE Community Action Grants provide funds that address issues related to the needs of women and girls or that provide information to educate and benefit the public on those issues. AAUW encourages proposals for projects that: . Use innovative approaches to address local community needs or build linkages among community partners. . Build partnerships between schools and community organizations. Special consideration is given to (1) Projects focused on K-14 (including 2-year colleges) girls’ achievement in math, science and/or technology. (2) Projects that seek community partners. Community partners might include local schools or school districts, businesses and other community-based organizations. ONE-YEAR GRANT $2,000─$7,000 over one year One-year grants provide funding for community-based projects. Topic areas are unrestricted but should include a clearly defined activity that advances equity for women and girls. ELIGIBILITY . Applicants must be individuals, AAUW branches, AAUW state organizations or local community-based nonprofit organizations (including universities). . Project Directors must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. . Nonprofit organizations and universities must be based in the U.S. . Organizations (including universities) must have 501(c)(3) tax exempt status. AAUW branch/state applicants must have 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) tax exempt status. . AAUW boards, committees, panels, task forces, staff and current interns are not eligible to apply for AAUW awards. . The proposed activity must have direct community or public impact. . Proposals from AAUW branches or AAUW state organizations must be approved and signed by the branch or state president. . Proposals from local community-based nonprofit organizations must be approved and signed by the organization’s executive director. . The proposed activity must take place within the U.S. or its territories.

. Community Action Grants are not available for the development of written work for academic credit or for research that will be used for a degree thesis or dissertation. AWARD INFORMATION One-year grants range from $2,000─$7,000 over one year. Funds are available for, but not limited to, project-related expense categories, including: . Postage, mailing, shipping . Photocopying, duplicating . Office supplies . Audiovisual materials . Project-related telephone costs . Professional fees or honoraria for speakers/special consultants . Equipment purchases . Meals, food, beverages or lodging for camps or related activities . Temporary, hourly clerical help . Lease of facilities (does not include permanent office space) . Advertising/publicity/graphic design . Transportation (should be no more than one-third of grant request; $.555 per mile for auto expenses) Funds are not available for the following: . Salaries or stipends for project directors or permanent positions . Tuition . Higher education scholarships for students and participants . Building funds, construction or renovations . Travel expenses for activities not within the scope of the project . Overhead or general operating expenses for any organization or nonprofit organization . Personal expenses, shelter, life, medical and health insurance . Previous expenditures, deficits or loans . Creating or providing grants to other organizations . Copyright or attorney fees . Fundraising activities

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION & APPLICATION REVIEW The Research & Projects Community Action Grants Panel meets once a year in March to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the selection criteria outlined in this packet. Recommendations by the panel are subject to final approval by the AAUW Board of Directors. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year. To ensure a fair and objective review process, it is the policy of AAUW not to comment on the deliberations of its award panels. No provisions exist for reconsideration of grant proposals after the Board has acted. AAUW does not provide evaluations of successful or unsuccessful applications. Applications and supporting documents become the sole property of AAUW and will neither be returned nor held for another year. Applicants may resubmit unsuccessful proposals once for reconsideration the following year. The following criteria apply to the selection of Community Action Grants:

. Relevance of the proposed project to the mission of AAUW. . Strength of the project rationale ─ the project meets a demonstrable, documented local need. . Clarity and creativity of the project design ─ (1) the project has clear and specific outcomes and (2) is original and/or innovative in its approach to achieving those outcomes. . Feasibility of the project ─ (1) proposed activities will logically lead to desired outcomes/achievement of goals, (2) the project time frame is realistic, (3) the budget is adequate and expenses are justified in the budget narrative, (4) there is adequate support from collaborative organizations and community partners, (5) the project director is qualified to direct the project, and if an AAUW branch, AAUW state or nonprofit applicant, the organization has the capacity to carry out the project. . Strength of the evaluation plan ─ (1) specific evaluation methods are proposed to measure short-term, medium-term and long-term results, (2) proposed evaluation methods are logical measures of projected outcomes and (3) resources are adequate to support the proposed methods. . Strength of the dissemination plan ─ (1) specific dissemination methods are identified, (2) a realistic plan is provided to implement the dissemination and (3) resources are adequate to support proposed dissemination. . Impact of the project ─ (1) the project reaches underserved audiences, (2) builds connections with diverse individuals and organizations, (3) there is potential for AAUW branch or state involvement/ visibility, (4) there is potential for long-term impact, and (5) there is potential for long-term sustainability beyond the grant period. . Overall quality of the proposal ─ the proposal is clear and convincing. . Potential for and/or commitment of additional funds and involvement from community organizations and/or businesses ─ application includes an Organizational Summary/Commitment Form(s) for every partner organization. REGULATIONS Please read carefully before completing the application form. 1. All grant recipients are required to sign a contract accepting the award. Retain these instructions, as they will become part of the grant contract if the applicant is awarded a grant. 2. Grant awards are distributed in two equal payments. The first at the beginning of the grant period and the second at the mid-point. 3. The Community Action Grant project director must be in a leadership position, controlling program-matic, fiscal and editorial responsibility for the project. 4. The project director cannot be paid with Community Action Grant funds for work on the project and the employer cannot be reimbursed. 5. Projects may be awarded only once. Former Community Action Grantees may propose new activities for future grants, but cannot reapply for the same project for which they received funding in the past. 6. If eligible, an applicant may apply to more than one AAUW grant/fellowship program simultaneously. If awarded in more than one program, the applicant may accept only one award. 7. AAUW is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity founded for educational purposes. Thus all proposed Research & Project Community Action Grant activities must correspond to that mission. Specific questions regarding income tax matters should be addressed to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or to the applicant’s personal tax advisor.

8. Grant projects may not seek to influence new or pending legislation or favor a particular political candidate or party. 9. Grant projects must be non-sectarian and may not seek to promote a particular religion or denomination. APPLICATION PREPARATION The deadline for Community Action Grants is January 15, 2013. All supporting documents (organizational summary/commitment forms, statements of commitment, and proof of nonprofit status) must be received by the January 15 deadline. Any item received after January 15, 2013 will not be accepted. The following items constitute a complete application. If any item is missing, the application will be considered incomplete and will be disqualified. 1. Application (submitted electronically) a. Proposal Narrative ─ responses must be in narrative form, and address the following: (1) Abstract – briefly describe the proposed project. Identify the target audience, goal of the project, anticipated outcomes, and relevance of the project to the mission of AAUW. (2) Project Rationale (Need Statement) – provide evidence of need for the project. Describe the community served by the project, the problem being addressed, and the reason for initiating the project. Emphasis should be on community needs, not a general research base for need. (3) Project Description (Anticipated Outcomes) – identify the goal and anticipated outcomes of the project. The outcomes should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely. Describe the methods you plan to use to achieve those outcomes. Explain how the proposed project will meet the needs of the target audience in an original and/or innovative way. (4) Implementation Plan – outline the project timeline and list planned activities and/or events according to the timeline. Explain how the implementation plan will lead to desired outcomes. Also explain how collaborating partners will contribute to the implementation of the project; clearly identify collaborators’ roles in the project (Organizational Summary and Commitment Forms from collaborating partners should be sent as supporting documents). Explain how you plan to recruit participants (if applicable) and share information about the project with your community (e.g., through newsletters, press releases). (5) Evaluation Plan – Explain how you plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the project. Outline the specific strategies you plan to use (e.g., surveys, interviews, journals) to determine if you have achieved the anticipated outcomes outlined in your proposal. Explain why the method of evaluation you plan to use is appropriate for the project. (6) Dissemination Plan – describe how you plan to disseminate information about the results and impact of the project (e.g., through press releases, conference presentations, publications, websites, and videos). Provide a detailed plan for how and when the dissemination will occur. (7) Impact/Outreach – describe the anticipated long-term impact of the project. Explain how the project will reach underserved audiences and build connections with diverse individuals and organizations. Describe how AAUW branches and/or states will be

involved in the project. Finally, explain why the project has potential for long-term sustainability after the grant period ends. (8) Qualifications of the Project Director and Staff – identify the person responsible for the project and other relevant staff; briefly outline the experience, education, and skills that qualify them to direct the project. In addition, list other staff and individuals who will work on this project. Describe their role in the project and their qualifications. You may also send as a supporting document a resume(s) or curriculum vita, maximum two pages per person. (9) Organizational Capacity (to be completed by AAUW branch, AAUW state, and non-profit applicants) – briefly describe the organization’s capacity to carry out the project. What other projects has the organization planned and implemented that have prepared it to implement this project? If an AAUW branch or state project, how will the project promote branch/state growth? b. Project Budget – An itemized budget for the project must be included. Project budgets should reflect the costs that will be incurred during the grant period. The grant period is July 1, 2013 – June 30, 2014 for one-year grants. c. Budget Narrative – Applicants must justify, explain each listed expense item, and explain in-kind support and other sources of funding. Be sure to describe the relationship of the expense to the desired outcome of the project. Strong budget proposals will include in-kind contributions and funds from other sources.

The following supporting documents must be received by the January 15, 2013 deadline in hard copy format. 1. Certification and Release of Information Signature Form – The project director must complete and submit this form with all required signatures. AAUW branch or AAUW state applications must be approved and signed by the branch or state president. Nonprofit applications must be signed by the organization’s executive director. Missing required signatures will make your application incomplete. 2. Organizational Summary and Commitment Form(s) – All applicants are required to submit this form for every organization that will act as a collaborative partner on this project. In addition, this form is a required supporting document for applicants applying as Nonprofit Organizations (including universities). Statements of Commitment must include a two-paragraph statement that outlines the organization’s commitment to the project in terms of time, personnel, facilities, monetary support, etc. Statements must be attached to form on organizational letterhead. Missing Organizational Summary/Commitments Form(s) and/or Statements of Commitment will make your application incomplete. 3. Proof of Nonprofit Status – Nonprofit applicants (including universities) must submit proof of 501(c)(3) tax exempt status (i.e. IRS determination letter). AAUW branch/state organizations applying for funds must be 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) and must submit proof of status. 4. Filing Fee - $35 (nonrefundable) The filing fee is required to cover the cost of administering the application process. You will be required to pay the filing fee with a MasterCard or Visa credit card/debit card before you will be allowed to submit your application. No other form of payment will be accepted.

CALENDAR JANUARY 15, 2013 Deadline for electronic submission of application and mail receipt date for all supporting documents. APRIL 15, 2013 Notification of awards mailed to all applicants. Fellows and Grantees posted on the AAUW’s website at www.aauw.org. (AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.) JULY 1, 2013 – JUNE 30, 2014 Award period for one-year grant. The grant will be disbursed in two equal payments. All grant- funded activities must take place during this award period.

The online application must be submitted electronically by the January 15, 2013, deadline. All supporting documents must be received no later than January 15, 2013, and sent to the appropriate Iowa City address noted below. Applicants are encouraged to use a postal or courier service that will guarantee delivery of their supporting documents on or before January 15, 2013. Please note that materials sent to the Washington, DC office will be disqualified and will not be reviewed. Paper applications will not be accepted. The Application/Supporting Documents Checklist should be used to verify that you are submitting all of the required supporting documents to the Iowa City address by the January 15, 2013, receipt deadline.

Mailing Address AAUW Community Action Grants PO Box 4030 Iowa City, IA 52243-4030 ******************* Shipping Address (preferred) (overnight courier such as FedEx or UPS) AAUW Community Action Grants 101 ACT Drive Iowa City, IA 52243 Phone: 319-337-1716

Appendix C: Student Survey for Marketing Material Information

How did you learn about judicial reporting?

If you learned about it via a website, what was the name of that site?

How did you learn about the shared program at Lakeshore Technical College?

If you learned about it via a website, what was the name of that site?

What is your age?

o 18 – 24

o 25 – 35

o 36 – 45

o Over 46

o Prefer not to answer

What is your gender?

o Female

o Male

o Prefer not to answer

Appendix D: Student Survey for Satisfaction of Facilities and Equipment

What shared-program site do you attend?

Rate your satisfaction of facilities and equipment 1 through 5; 1 being not satisfied and 5 being extremely satisfied:

Parking 1 2 3 4 5

Steno Machine 1 2 3 4 5

Laptop 1 2 3 4 5

Desk space 1 2 3 4 5

Electrical Outlets 1 2 3 4 5

Please explain any dissatisfaction you may have with any facilities or equipment:

Appendix E: Survey of Graduates

What year did you graduate from the Judicial Reporting/Broadcast Captioning Program?

What is your current place or field of employment?

If you are not currently in the field of Broadcast Captioning or Communication-Access Realtime

Reporting, do you intend to transition to the field in the future?

What National Court Reporter Association certifications do you presently hold?

o RPR

o RMR

o CBC

o CCP

o RDR

o Other ______

Appendix F: Instructor Survey

What was the enrollment for each of your classes at the beginning of the current semester?

(Each instructors’ courses will be contained here)

What was the enrollment for each of your classes at the end of the current semester?

(Each instructors’ courses will be contained here)

Give examples of the reasons for students dropping, i.e., teaching methods, personal reasons, et cetera.