Objectives of the Court Reporting Program

The Court Reporting Program at CRIKC is designed to produce stenographic reporters in as short and straightforward time as possible.  Students who complete the program may go on to entry level positions in the following areas:  Courthouse official, freelance reporting, scoping, medical transcription, conference and convention reporting, or CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation). Emphasis throughout the Program is to prepare students to pass state or national certification tests so they may work as a professional in the specialization of their choice, as soon as possible.

Philosophy of the Court Reporting Program

CRIKC is unique among court reporting programs across the county.  CRIKC promotes a fast-track to success by offering a curriculum focused almost exclusively on skill building on the steno machine.  Traditional academic and lecture classes required at other programs cease to be relevant if a student cannot pass the skills portion of a certification test. We operate under the philosophy that a student’s previous high school or other post-secondary educational experience serves as a functional prerequisite for a broad base of knowledge in subjects such as:  English Composition, Humanities, Cultural Geography, Current Events and Computer Literacy, all of which are vitally important to the field of court reporting. 

Demands of the Court Reporting Program

Court reporting education is not traditional schooling.  It is a unique and intense skills-based/ mental training that can be likened metaphorically to the years of preparation an Olympic athlete undergoes.  Your education will require not only demonstrating practical skills such as precision and command of the English language, computer proficiency, and mastery of machine writing, but also demonstrating such personal qualities as commitment, integrity, self-sacrifice, mental focus, a positive attitude and a sense of professional responsibility.

Summary of the Court Reporting Program

The Court Reporting Program is divided into two components:  Theory and Speedbuilding.  The student must achieve graduation requirements within a maximum timeframe for completion.  However, each student advances individually through the Program and may complete earlier if the student excels.

A.    Theory for Court Reporting

Full-time Days – 4 credits - 216 Lab Hours – 6 months

Full-time Nights – 4 credits -216 Lab Hours – 9 months

The theory component is based on a theory textbook employing a multi-modality approach to skill building designed to lay a firm foundation and take the beginner student from the fundamentals of machine shorthand to the writing speed necessary for a successful speedbuilding experience.  The lessons cover learning the keyboard of the steno machine, principles and rules of writing phonetic shorthand and an introduction to briefs and phrases to utilize in writing.  All lessons include digital dictation for student assignments.  Students use their textbook and CD’s and the instructor’s guideline to prepare their assignments.  For assignment review and evaluation, students meet one-on-one with the instructor.

B.   Speedbuilding

                  Full-time Days – 63 credits - 1,604 Lab Hours – 24 months

                  Full-time Nights – 63 credits -1,604 Lab Hours – 48 months

The speedbuilding component is designed to take a student from 60 words per minute up to 225 words per minute of writing skill on the steno machine.  Speedbuilding at CRIKC centers on the most sophisticated software and testing lab in the country.  Our approach is a unique and proven method using pre-recorded deposition and court cases which include medical doctors and experts in all aspects of life.  2-voice testimony and 1-voice straight material are the two elements comprising the speedbuilding foundation.  3- and 4-voice material is offered periodically to help build designation skills.  Students are expected to be prepared to be called on to participate and contribute to the live class session. The course also includes occasional guest speakers who work as professionals in fields representing the various applications of machine writing, such as court official, freelance, CART, and captioning. Class field trips are taken to observe professionals in the field in action.

Special Note About the Court Reporting Program:  Students should realize their responsibility to develop and maintain stenographic skills in furtherance of their theory and speedbuilding studies.  Practice, ability and application are critical in determining the amount of time necessary to become a Certified Court Reporter as defined by the Statutes of the state of Kansas.  Time spent outside of the classroom in practice and study is essential.  Each student should have an understanding of their own capabilities and capacity to concentrate, build dexterity, perform well under testing condition, absorb new material quickly, and realize progress through their own study habits.  What may require one student 30 minutes a day outside of class instruction to excel may require another student two hours a day for the same results.