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Credentialing Notes
April 2007
As you will see from the In the News and Events sections, this is a busy year for certification and credentialing. States and regulatory bodies are considering how occupational regulation and certification will impact professionals in fields as varied as teachers and midwives. Is the profession you credential working with regulatory bodies? If so, we invite you to share your experiences with us.
Our blog this month features input from Jennifer Artz of Hypercalm, a Web site design company, on how you can improve your Web site and make it a portal to your organization. Take a look and let us know what other tips you have learned to keep you members or certificants engaged in your Web sites.
The NCCA accreditation application deadline is April 30th. If you would like a last-minute review of your application, contact Janice Moore at jmoore@seacrestcompany.com. The next deadline is September 30th, 2007. Contact us and find out how we can help you prepare your application.
If you have a suggestion or would like to see something included in Credentialing Notes, please email your feedback to info@seacrestcompany.com.
Best regards,
Janice Moore
SeaCrest Company
In the News
Midwives Hope State Delivers on a New Law
(The Birmingham News) Midwives and their supporters are pushing for the Legislature to change the law that makes it illegal for them to practice in the state. They expect at least 100 people to rally Thursday at the state Capitol for House Bill 199. The state's medical association is lobbying against the bill.
Pressure Keeps Building on Advisors Selling to Seniors
(Insurance News Net) Insurance agents in Massachusetts better think twice before selling to seniors. Not after State Secretary William Galvin and other state watchdogs declared open season on advisors persuading older investors to purchase unsuitable annuity products.
Board Certification for Cosmetic Dentistry? Dentists Say No.
(PR.com) The clear majority of dentists don't think cosmetic dentistry should be a separate specialty. In a recent dental survey by The Wealthy Dentist, 89% of dentists felt that the current system works, and cosmetic dentistry should not be board-certified.
Personal Trainers File Class Action for Negligent Instruction
(AssociatedContent) A group of personal trainers in California has filed a class action lawsuit against the organization that trained them. So far, 18 trainers who received certification from the NFFP online personal trainer certification program have joined the suit with more expected to be added.
Studies Mixed on National Certification for Teachers
(Education Week) Does having a teacher who is nationally certified make a difference when it comes to boosting student test scores? Yes and no, according to a set of working papers published online by the National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research, or CALDER, a new federal research center based at the Urban Institute in Washington.
Health Interpreters Call for Certification
(United Press International) The Massachusetts Medical Interpreters Association and other stakeholders called for a national certification program Friday.
SANS to Offer Certification for Security Software Programmers
(TechNewsWorld) New standardized examinations introduced Monday by the SANS Institute provide programming professionals with a focused approach to identify the gaps in their secure coding skills and knowledge.
Government Regulation Goes Step Too Far in Nevada
(AberdeenNews.com) In the West, where the deer and the antelope used to play, the spirit of ''leave us alone'' government used to prevail. But governments of Western states are becoming more like those elsewhere, alas.
State to Offer Job Skill Training, Credentials
(Orlando Sentinel) A Tennessee company has received a $13.25 million contract to operate a new job skills training and credentialing program for Florida, state education officials said Friday.
Bachelor's Degree vs. IT Certification
(DataStronghold.com) This is a very interesting topic, because both have huge benefits and can ultimately pay off for those who hold them. However, which is better and which one will bring the highest degree of success?
ASCP-BOR Awarded Accreditation by ANSI
(Lab Manager Magazine) The American Society for Clinical Pathology has announced that the ASCP Board of Registry was awarded accreditation by the American National Standards Institute for a period of five years.
CompTIA Developing Printing and Document Imaging Certification
(Certification Magazine) The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is developing a new, vendor-neutral certification program. The certification will be geared toward entry- to midlevel technicians with six months to a year of experience in the installation, connectivity, maintenance, repair and support of devices in the printing and document imaging industry.
CFP Board Releases Second Draft of Proposed Revisions to Ethical Standards for CFP® Certification
(Yahoo!Finance) Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. (CFP Board) has released a Second Exposure Draft of proposed changes to its Standards of Professional Conduct, which set forth the ethical standards for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER(TM) professionals. CFP Board is soliciting comments on the Second Exposure Draft through April 25, 2007.
Eco-Friendly “Test Center of the Future” Unveiled
(Certification Magazine) In late March, testing and assessment services provider Thomson Prometric launched its flagship environmentally friendly “test center of the future” in Baltimore.
Auto Technician Certification Benefits Motorists
(CarJunky.com) It makes good financial sense to protect your automotive investment through maintenance and service performed by qualified professionals. And an increasingly popular way to distinguish between auto technicians is to look for national certification.
Legislative Activity
Visit http://thomas.loc.gov for the full text of the bills listed below.
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2007 (H.R.583) To amend the Public Health Service Act to make the provision of technical services for medical imaging examinations and radiation therapy treatments safer, more accurate, and less costly. (2/2/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.)
National Board-Certified Teachers in Low-Performing Schools Act of 2007 (H.R.280) To establish a pilot program to encourage certification of teachers in low-income, low-performing public elementary and secondary schools by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and for other purposes. (1/5/2007 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.)
Diploma Integrity Protection Act of 2007 (H.R.773) The purpose of this Act is to protect institutions of higher education, businesses and other employers, professional licensing boards, patients and clients of degree holders, taxpayers, and other individuals from any person claiming to possess a legitimate academic degree that in fact was issued by a fraudulent or nonexistent school, by a non-educational entity posing as a school, or by any entity in violation of Federal or State law. (3/1/2007 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security, and International Law.)
Blog Watch
If you have a blog you would like us to list here, please e-mail us.
How Does Your Web Site Measure Up?
(Credentialing Talk) When was the last time your organization took a critical look at your Web site and how it serves your members or certificants? Have you created content around what users of the site want? How often is your content reviewed or updated?
(Certification Network Group Blog) One of the signature projects for 2007 will be the first ever, total census of Certification Needs and Knowledge. Nobody has ever done this in a systematic, strategic, year long, 100% participation way. That's why it's called a census, not a survey.
Competency Model Building Tool
(Association Knowledge and Credentialing Blog) CareerOneStop.com, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers a Competency Model Clearinghouse that is very cool and quite useful for associations and certifying agencies.
Is Certification a Waste of Time for Developers?
(The Joel on Software Discussion Group) I've been struggling with this one for a while. While I enjoy development, I tend to learn as I go (via books and Internet) rather than spend 15-20 hours a week outside of work studying for some vendor certification.
Selecting a Personal Trainer - Part 3
(MyWeightTrainer.com) The biggest, most confusing thing to understand is what different certifications mean. Because of the lack of a widely accepted standard or minimum requirements, and partly due to the internet, there are a vast number of very low quality certifications.
Newsletter for The Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation
Events
April 27-29 SIOP Annual Conference
May 16 Ethics and Mobility of Professionals
May 30 Internal Certification Issues in Corporate Settings
June 20 Certification Network Group Meeting
July 10-11 Understanding the Requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024
July 25 Government Relations
August 7-10 National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) Annual Meeting
August 11-14 ASAE Annual Meeting
August 15 Remediation as Alternative to Discipline
September 6-8 CLEAR 2007 Annual Conference
September 19 Certification Network Group Meeting
September 26 Using E-learning as a Tool for Recertification and Continued Professional Development
September 27-28 Understanding the Requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC 17024
October 29-31 Citizen Advocacy Center Annual Meeting
November 1-3 National Continuing Competence Conference
November 14-17 NOCA 2007: Exploring New Frontiers in Credentialing
December 12 Certification Network Group Meeting
Careers
NOCA Certification Career Opportunities (NOCA members only)
Links
The Fine Print
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