In 2014, the RID Board began working with an organizational consultant in an effort to identify core systemic issues plaguing RID and to gain guidance and council on how to move the association through mounting challenges. The Board contracted with a consultant, Heather Harker, from TSNE, who conducted the first of two Association Assessments to identify the baseline issues. The first survey addressed challenges related to governance versus operations issues.
In March 2015, RID implemented an Organizational Assessment conducted under the continuing guidance of TSNE, to determine membership and stakeholder assessment of issues facing RID and the qualities needed in a new Executive Director.
At the end of March 2015, the RID Board brought in an Interim Executive Director and directed her to begin a series of three risk assessments—one related to the 2015 NOLA convention [which was anticipated to experience a significant loss], one related to testing and certification, and one related to conferencing in general.
In June 2015, TSNE and RID HQ submitted the results of the Organizational Assessment. A survey went to 14,600 members and TSNE received 2,149 responses—a 14.7% response rate. Respondents indicated that the number one issue facing RID was the testing system, citing a long list of concerns ranging from operational inefficiencies, to pass rates, to general validity and reliability. As well, the survey revealed a number of other critical issues related to organizational governance and operational inefficiencies.
In July 2015, the 2013-2015 Certification Committee recommended to the Board to cease offering of the CDI and SC:L exams and to sunset the OTC entirely. The reason was the life-span of these exams was seriously expired and the tests were no longer defensible. The Board informed the Certification Committee it would wait until after the Testing and Certification Risk Assessment due November 1, 2015, before deciding.
August 1, 2015, the Certification Committee sent a follow up letter to the entire RID and NAD Boards insisting that RID follow its recommendations, again emphasizing that the life-span of the three exams were seriously expired and the exams were no longer defensible, causing the Certification Committee members to experience great ethical and legal concerns.
August 4, 2015, the RID Board voted to place all performance exams into moratorium [including the NIC, which was not part of the CC’s recommendation].
August 4, 2015, the RID made the formal announcement of the impending moratorium and set a 60-day period for final application and test taking prior to the January 1, 2016, effective date for the moratorium. More than 1, 100 individuals applied for an exam during the August 4-October 1 pre-moratorium window.
November 1, 2015, the Testing and Certification Risk Assessment was delivered to the Board.
December 20, 2015, the RID Board adopted a business plan for separating testing from RID by establishing a testing LLC and for HQ to begin the implementation process for creating the testing LLC.
January 1, 2016, the performance testing moratorium went into effect.
February 4, 2016, access to a series of organizational documents, including the Testing and Certification Risk Assessment, 15-year fiscal analysis of testing and certification, and the Organizational Assessment by TSNE, was provided to the membership.
March 17, 2016, the Board approved the establishment of a CDI bridge plan work group, adopted a Scope of Work for the workgroup, and approved a two-year funding plan for developing a new CDI exam. (Link to Board announcement here.)
March 18, 2016, the Board passed a motion that conditional to resolution of test ownership issues with NAD, RID begin accepting applications for the NIC performance examination and the temporary CDI credential on July 1, 2016. As well, the Board passed a motion to approve a two-year funding plan for developing a new iteration of the NIC. (Link to Board announcement here.)
May 19, 2016, the Board passed a motion to include the SC:L and OTC Knowledge Exams under moratorium. The Board approved the appointment of an 8-member Testing Committee to begin implementing the approved NIC and CDI test development scope of work. As well, the first 3 members of a 5-member managing board are identified and approved. The name and logo of the testing LLC is also approved. The Board also approves refunds for the SC:L test candidates who have paid for the exam but not taken it, or for those who have taken and passed the knowledge exam but can now not take the performance exam due to the moratorium. (Link to Board announcement here.)
June 22, 2016, the Articles of Incorporation for the Center for the Assessment of Sign Language Interpretation [CASLI] are filed and CASLI is officially established as a single-member LLC in Virginia. The Operating Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between RID and CASLI are also finalized, as well as a range of related exhibits. CASLI website and official operations to launch July 1, 2016.
NOTE: Monthly updates sent directly to the membership on all of these and other decisions/actions have been provided in the RID eNEWS, generated in both English and ASL. Links to the monthly eNEWS are available on the RID Facebook page and the RID website.