The Speech-to-Text Services Network does not provide certification of speech-to-text service providers. The mission of STSN is to support high-quality services by being an information resource for practitioners, consumers, schools, agencies and work sites. STSN also encourages and supports continuing education for all those in the speech-to-text community.

In late 2005, after extensive study of current licensing and certification practices of similar professional organizations, the STSN Licensure/Certification Study Committee, chaired by Mary Morrison, submitted a report and recommendations to the STSN President and Advisory Council.  This is a summary of the major points of that report:

1. The committee strongly endorsed the desirability of quantitative measurement of communication access services provided by speech-to-text service providers, regardless of system used.  In support of this, the committee recommended that STSN should advocate for the use of quantitative measurement of output, provide guidelines for doing such quantitative measure, and/or for using the qualitative measurement available from the different systems.  This advocacy would be done by educating individuals, schools, agencies and governing bodies (e.g., states) about the need to objectively measure the quality of the output of speech-to-text service providers, both those providing verbatim output and those providing meaning-for-meaning output.  The issue of quality of output of a system that does not use a service provider (e.g., IBM ViaScribe) needs further study and discussion within STSN, in concert with those advocating such systems.  It was also recommended that STSN should help inform target individuals and organizations of the availability of the CART certification system. 
2. The committee also recommended that STSN should develop and provide guidelines for schools and other organizations to develop their own tests for the purpose of quantitatively measuring meaning-for-meaning output, CAN output,  and voice-recognition program generated output.   
3. Because of the high cost of development and maintenance, the committee recommended that STSN should not be involved at this time in the design and implementation of an STSN certification system for speech-to-text service providers. 
4. The Certification/Licensure Study Committee recommended that its name and focus should be changed to the Professional Standards Committee.
5. The committee recommended that STSN should work toward being able to provide guidance to state governments on the development of their licensure standards for speech-to-text service providers.  These steps would begin with the development of a Job Analysis and a set of Professional Standards, developed by the committee during the next term.
6. To address the goal of being a resource for states considering licensure for service providers, the committee recommended that the Professional Standards Committee should develop a “Speech-to-Text Service Providers Professional Standards Resource Kit” for use at the agency and states level.  This Kit would include the Job Analysis, the Professional Standards of the Industry; detailed info about the IDEA, ADA, etc.; general info about support services of all types; specific info about speech to text support services.  The Kit would also include information relevant to professional licensure, including testing guidelines and suggestions (see above for specific points to be considered in developing such guidelines).  In addition, the Kit would provide model legal language for state licensure legislation (for states with legislative processes), and concise Information Bulletins (for administrative review states).

Would you like to join the Professional Standards Committee? One of the benefits of membership in STSN is being able to work on a standing committee. Join STSN! Become a committee member! Add your voice and ideas to shaping our professional organization!