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Presented by:Tracie Glaeser, CMCC, CCMTMCEC Program Coordinator
What is It?A professional development program for municipal court clerks
Comprised of 3 levels of competencyCCC I; CCC II; CMCC
Designed to improve your knowledge, skills and abilities within municipal court
Increase proficiency and job performance as you grow within your chosen profession
Who are the Sponsors?
TMCEC – Texas Municipal Courts Education Center
TCCA – Texas Court Clerks Association
TMCA – Texas Municipal Courts Association
Texas State University-San Marcos
Where should I start?
Level I Download a study guide from
http://www.tmcec.com (it’s free!), or order a copy off the website. Study, study, study!!
Take the Level I Exam Attend 40 hours of education (32 right here!)
APPLY - submit your application for CCCI
Submitting Your Level I Application
Step 1 - Proof you Passed the exam!
Step 2 - 40 hours of education *Continuing Education hours (CEUs) expire after 3 years
Step 3 – Maintain with 12 hours annually*Approved CEU providers on the website
What’s next you ask?
Level II Download a study guide from
http://www.tmcec.com (it’s free!), or order a copy off the website. Study, study, study!!
Take the Level II Exam Attend 40 hours of education
APPLY - submit your application for CCCII
Submitting Your Level II Application
Step 1 - Proof you Passed the exam!
Step 2 - 40 hours of education *Continuing Education hours (CEUs) expire after 3 years
Step 3 – Maintain with 12 hours annually*Approved CEU providers on the website
What’s Level III?
The highest level of certification. Once you become a Certified Level III Clerk, you earn the title of Certified Municipal Court Clerk (CMCC).
Requirements for Level III: Complete Level III Certification Exam; Complete Court Observation Journal Attend 24-Hour Assessment Clinic 12-Hour Court Administrator seminar Complete 28 hours training
2017 L3 CLASS
L3 GRADUATES
Maintaining Certification
You must attend continuing education (CEUs) to maintain the level of certification you have achieved.
CEU Requirements: Level I - 12 hours each academic year Level II - 12 hours each academic year Level III -20 hours each academic year*TMCEC Academic Year September - August
FAQsWhen & where can I take the test?
Tests are offered at all TMCEC 12-Hour regional conferences
We offer periodic tests in TMCEC office At TMCA & TCCA Annual Meeting. TCCA Chapters offer periodic testing
FAQsHow and when will I know if I passed the test?
TMCEC is the official recorder of tests and CEUs. TMCEC has provided you with a unique student
profile. Results may take as long as 45 days. Log-in to your profile and review your academic
records and certification status.
FAQs
What happens if I fail the test?
No limits on when you retest No limits on how many times you retest Registration fees MUST be paid prior to
testing
More FAQs
How do I get CEUs for additional hours?
• Prep Sessions- 4 hours• TMCEC Optional Sessions- 1.5- 3 hours• Online Learning Center (OLC) – TMCEC Web
Live or Archived webinars – Max of 8 hrs.• TCCA & TMCA Conferences & many more
More FAQs
Are there deadlines and expiration dates that I need to know about?
• Exam expires in 3 years for Level I & II• Level III Exam expires in 5 years• CEU Hours expire in 3 years• Level III Assessment Clinic does NOT expire• 12/20 hrs. each year are ALWAYS required
How Much Does It Cost?
TCCA/TMCA Members
Level I: $75 Must pass all parts in
one sitting to advanceLevel II: $75 all parts or $25 per partLevel III: $25 per part
Non Members
Level I: $150 Must pass all parts in
one sitting to advanceLevel II: $150 all partsor $50 per partLevel III: $50 per part
Everyone’s Doing It…
474 Municipalities participating in the program
Over 1300 Municipal Court Clerks Certified at various levels
Average time between L - I & L - II is 2 years!
Average time between L-II & L-III is 4 years
Everyone’s Doing It…
693 Level I Certified Municipal Court Clerks
540 Level II Certified Municipal Court Clerks
63 CMCC, Level III Certified Municipal Court Clerks (Active)
81 All Time at Level III
Need More Incentive?
Many cities offer incentives to clerks who achieve levels of certification, such as pay raises.
Some cities are even making certification a condition of hiring or continued employment!
Resources
www.tmcec.com/clerk-certification
online.tmcec.com
2 DIFFERENT LOGIN LOCATIONS
Revised 12-1-17
Texas Municipal Court Clerk
Certification Program Costs
Registration Fees
Certification Test
TMCA/TCCA Members Non-members Level I $75
Level I $150
Level II $75 Test all parts $25 Test per part
Level II $150 Test all parts $ 50 Test per part
Level III $75 Test $25 Test per part
Level III $150 Test $ 50 Test per part
New Clerks 32 Hour
$250 (rooming costs included)
Regional Clerk 12 Hour
$100 (plus rooming costs)
Assessment Clinic (Must be Level II)
$150 (plus rooming costs)
Court Administrator 12 Hour
$150 (plus rooming costs)
Prep Sessions 4 Hour
Free group study session with an experienced facilitator
Course Materials
Study Guides – Revised copies available on 1/5/18 ($3 shipping may apply)
Level I $25 Tabbed Hardcopy No Fee Online PDF
Level II $25 Tabbed Hardcopy No Fee Online PDF
Level III Booklist (16)
Purchase: Varies
Borrow: $100 Deposit
The Municipal Court Clerk Certification Program is sponsored by the Texas
Court Clerks Association in cooperation with the Texas Municipal Courts
Association, Texas Municipal Courts Education Center, and Texas State
University. The Texas Municipal Courts Education Center is funded by a
grant from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
Municipal Court Clerk Certification
15th Edition
FY 2016-2017
End of Year Report Prepared by:
Tracie Glaeser,
Program Coordinator
Robby Chapman,
Program Director
Hope Lochridge,
Executive Director
Lily Pebworth,
Administrative Assistant
Inside this report: page
Active Certified
Municipal Court Clerks 2
Assessment Clinic 25
Exams 5
Exam Evaluation-
Level I & II 12-19
Exam Evaluation-
Level II 20-24
Goals 26-27
Growth Statistics 2
Intern Report 28
Level III Clerks 3
Participation
Numbers 2
Prep Sessions 4
Prep Session
Evaluations-Level I 6-8
Prep Session
Evaluation-Level II 9-11
Renewals 3
FY2017 Participation (As of August 31, 2017)
Page 2 End of Year Report
Growth In Total Participation
One impressive growth statistic during FY17
took place in Level III. The assessment clinic
registrations were at an all time high of 24.
Several participants in that group completed
the journal process. TMCEC received 21 jour-
nals during the fiscal year, more than double
of any previous year. Of the 21 new journals,
5 were returned, 2 have passed the journal
phase, but not yet completed the testing
phase, & 14 have completed the Level III ap-
plication process. 63 Level III clerks remain
active. FY17 saw Level III certifications jump
by an astounding 54%.
There was a slight dip in Level I & II certifications
compared to previous years but the total numbers
of certified clerks continued to climb with an over-
all increase of 4.5%. The average growth in all lev-
els of certification over a 9 year period was 7%.
TMCEC trains about 250 new clerks each year and
added a testing site to the last day of the new
clerks programs to encourage early participation
while the education is fresh. There was a 70%
pass rate from these exam sites on the Level I
test.
Newly
Certified
in
FY 15
Newly
Certified
in
FY 16
Newly
Certified
in
FY 17
%
Change
from
FY 16
All Certified
Clerks
Ending 8/31/17
Level I
Certified 135 172 138
-19.7%
693
Level II
Certified 81 79 53
-32.9%
540
Level III
Certified 5 2 13
+54.4%
63
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Total Participation Numbers
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Participation Totals Per Level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Active Certified Municipal Court Clerks (Level III) *This section is in chronological order through 8/31/17
Renewals
Page 3 FY 2016-2017
Certifications
Lost FY 16
Fail to Renew
FY 16
Certifications
Lost FY 17
Fail to Renew
FY 17
Certifications
Lost FY 15
Fail to Renew
FY 16
Active 4 22 6 21 unknown 7
Inactive 61 96 101 80 103 0
Automatic renewals are working well, although more clarification is needed on the website and at other speaking
opportunities. Instructions on how to access personal profiles online has been a primary focus throughout the fis-
cal year. Certifications are lost when a clerk leaves the profession or discontinues education. An average of 56
certifications are lost each year.
1 Jennifer Sullivan 22 Amanda Degan 43 Kimberly Kierce 64 Valerie Bryant
2 Connie Crenshaw 23 Cathy Haney 44 Lesa Keith 65 Claudia Lemon
3 Alicia St. Cyr 24 Pat Riffel 45 Delena Franklin 66 Sarah Friberg
4 Susie Garcia 25 Helen Wo 46 April Christiansen 67 Christina Dahse
5 Janell Kucera 26 Lei Holder 47 Jennifer Bozorgnia 68 Lisa Davis
6 Luevada Posey 27 Bonnie Townsend 48 Mary Jane Grubb 69 Lee Ann Oliver
7 Carol Gauntt 28 Lisa Howard 49 Bobbie Spence 70 Jessica Utton
8 Christy Punches 29 Dianna Faulkenberry 50 Landra Hudson-Solansky 71 Sally Forbus
9 Kathryn Wells-Vogel 30 Terri Neal 51 Christine Valdovino 72 Janis Fletcher
10 Jeanie Roumell 31 Amy Bockes 52 Janelle Williams 73 Carla Bonham
11 Tracie Glaeser 32 Pam Folsom 53 Jaime Brew 74 Patti Jo Towne
12 Julie Kubeczka-Day 33 Jo Sacharko 54 Karen Armstrong 75 Jeremy Leonard
13 Karen Renfrow 34 Paralee Norton 55 Linda Rose 76 Tiffany Totah
14 Phyllis Mathison 35 Luanne Anders 56 Brittany Rychlick 77 Erin Westmoreland
15 Cynthia Wells 36 Catherine Leloux 57 Courtney Powers-Acklin 78 Amy Baldwin
16 Deborah Jessup 37 Teresa Borcik 58 Sherry Brandt * FY18
17 Krystal Strong 38 Rachel Frasier 59 Patty Stav 79 Jennifer Hale
18 Rhonda Kuehn 39 Leona Clay 60 Rosemary Bell 80 Paul Rex
19 Maria Busche 40 Renee Moses 61 Melissa Strickland
20 Elaine Brown 41 Fawn Mackey 62 Shannon Wagner
21 Elaine Bourgoin 42 Clifton Deryl Corley 63 Kaylee Brune
To maximize success on the Level I and Level II exams, TCCA and TMCEC work together to offer multiple
four hour preparation courses. These sessions offer a review of the subject matter presented on the ex-
am as well as a practice test. Sessions are offered at a variety of locations across the state during the
academic year. Attendance has increased in Level II prep session to an all time high of 125. Dates and
locations of the “Prep-Sessions” offered during fiscal year 2017 are listed below.
Preparation Sessions
Page 4 End of Year Report
Date Location Level I Level II
10/24/2016 Tyler 14 9
11/15/2016 Austin 8 5
1/9/2017 San Antonio 15 6
1/29/2017 Galveston 11 14
2/26/2017 Houston 14 10
3/6/2017 Addison 22 23
3/27/2017 Austin 12 17
4/3/2017 Amarillo 3 1
5/1/2017 South Padre Island 14 0
6/5/2017 Odessa 8 3
6/26/2017 Addison 19 17
7/1/17 TCCA NTC-Hudson Oaks 8 20
Totals for FY 2017 148 125
Totals for FY 16 121 86
Totals for FY 15 191 54
Totals for FY 14 113 93
Totals for FY 13 114 73
*Local TCCA Chapter Prep-Sessions are not reflected on this chart
The capacity to learn is a
gift; the ability to learn is a skill; the
willingness to learn is a
choice.
Brian Herbert
10-7-17 TCCA Conference—Corpus Christi Omni 03/26/18 San Antonio Traffic Safety
10/23/17 Longview Hilton Garden Inn 04/02/18 Lubbock Overton Hotel
11/14/17 Austin Omni Southpark 04/30/18 SPI Isla Grand
01/08/18 San Antonio Omni at the Colonnade May-June 2018 TCCA NTC Hosted Prep *
01/22/18 Galveston San Luis Resort 06/04/18 El Paso Wyndham
02/11/18 Omni Houston Westside 06/25/18 San Antonio Marriott
03/05/18 Addison Crowne Plaza TBD TMCA Annual Conference
In FY 2017-2018, 14 preparation courses are planned for the following sites: 1..2..3..TEST!
TMCEC and TCCA
work together in fa-
cilitating exams at
TMCEC events. Each
site offers all 3 levels
of the exams. This
list provides exam
locations and testing
statistics for TMCEC
events in FY17.
Scheduled testing dates and locations for fiscal year 2018 are listed below.
Exams
Page 5 FY 2016-2017
Date Location Level I Level II Level III Total
10/26/2016 Tyler 5 6 1 12
11/10/2016 Austin 10 6 3 19
12/16/2016 Austin 23 3 1 27
1/11/2017 San Antonio 11 4 0 15
1/26/2017 Austin 3 2 10 15
1/31/2017 Galveston 5 14 4 23
2/3/2017 McAllen 3 6 0 9
2/28/2017 Houston 12 11 6 29
3/08/2017 Addison 24 19 2 45
3/29/2017 Austin 7 8 1 16
4/5/2017 Amarillo 1 6 0 7
4/21/2017 Beaumont 8 2 6 16
5/3/2017 S. Padre Island 8 4 5 17
6/7/2017 Odessa 8 3 0 11
6/13/2017 Austin 2 7 4 13
6/28/17 Addison 16 17 10 43
7/21/17 Austin 11 2 2 15
8/17/17 Austin 8 5 2 15
In Office
Testing TMCEC 22 10 3 35
TCCA 5 locations 50 45 25 120
TMCA 1 location 1 0 0 1
Totals for FY 2017 161 150 72 383
Totals for FY2016 264 176 77 517
Totals for FY2015 276 161 49 486
Totals for FY 2014 184 160 53 397
Totals for FY 2013 213 162 53 428
09/15/17 TMCEC In Office 02/09/18 McAllen Clinic 05/16/18 TMCEC In Office
10/20/17 TMCEC In Office 02/13/18 Houston Omni Westside 06/06/18 El Paso Wyndham
10/25/17 Longview Hilton Garden Inn 03/07/18 Addison Crowne Plaza 06/13/18 Austin Omni Southpark
11/16/17 Austin Omni Southpark 03/23/18 TMCEC In Office 06/27/18 Marriott San Antonio
12/15/17 Austin Omni Southpark 03/28/18 Traffic Safety 07/20/18 Austin Omni Southpark
01/10/18 San Antonio Omni Colonnade 04/04/18 Lubbock Overton Hotel 08/10/18 TMCEC In Office
01/24/18 Galveston San Luis Resort 04/20/18 TMCEC In Office *TCCA
02/01/18 Austin Crowne Plaza 05/02/18 SPI Isla Grand *TMCA to be announced
Test Taking Tips:
Prepare, take good
notes, ask questions,
take a break the day be-
fore the exam, and most
importantly, practice pos-
itive self-talk. You can do
this!
Page 6 End of Year Report
Evaluations for Prep Sessions were added to the seminar scantrons. Electronic surveys were sent out to
attendees at the end of the academic year to increase responses.
Level I Prep Session Evaluations
1 = Low to 5= High
Instructor’s Presentation Skills
1 0%
2 0%
3 3.1%
4 34.4%
5 62.5%
Material Usefulness
1 0%
2 6.3%
3 6.3%
4 31.3%
5 56.3%
Effectiveness of Strategies
1 0%
2 3.1%
3 12.5%
4 31.3%
5 53.1%
Overall Prep-Course
1 0%
2 0%
3 0%
4 31.3%
5 59.4%
*Based on 32 responses
Reasons for attending the session:
Those who planned on taking the
exam after the session:
Number of TMCEC, TCCA or
TMCA study sessions attended
before:
Two
One
Three
More than four
Four
Zero
Yes.
No.
My supervisor/city requires
attendance.
I wanted to learn more.
I wanted assistance passing the
exam.
I need the four hour credit.
Page 7 FY 2016-2017
Percentage of study guide read prior to study session:
How participants use the questions in the study guide:
Was the four-hour session the right amount of time?
Level I Prep Session Evaluations, cont’d.
I answered all the questions myself and compared
them to the answers in the back of the book.
I answered some but not all questions.
I did not bother to answer the questions myself—I just study
the answers in the back of the book.
Neither.
Both. I gave my answer and studied the answers. Used
the answers as a comparison to gauge my understanding.
Combination—answered myself and in back of book.
All
25%
50%
75%
None
No, it should be 5 hours—we should go to 6 PM.
Yes.
No, it should be less than 4 hours.
No, it should be 6 hours—we should start at noon and should go to 6 PM.
Page 8 End of Year Report
Evaluations for Prep Sessions were added to the seminar scantrons. Electronic surveys were sent out to
attendees at the end of the academic year to increase responses.
Level II Prep Session Evaluations
1 = Low to 5= High
Instructor’s Presentation
Skills
1 0%
2 6.5%
3 3.2%
4 38.7%
5 51.6%
Material Usefulness
1 0%
2 6.5%
3 3.2%
4 38.7%
5 51.6%
Effectiveness of Strategies
1 0%
2 6.7%
3 13.3%
4 26.7%
5 53.3%
Overall Prep-Course
1 0%
2 6.5%
3 12.9%
4 29%
5 51.6%
*Based on 32 responses
Reasons for attending the session:
Those who planned on taking the exam after the session:
Number of TMCEC, TCCA or TMCA study sessions attended:
My supervisor/city requires at-
tendance.
I wanted to learn more.
I wanted assistance passing the
exam.
I need the four hour credit.
Yes.
No.
Two
One
Three
More than four
Four
Zero
Level II Prep Session Evaluations, cont’d.
Page 9 FY 2016-2017
Percentage of study guide read prior to study session:
How participants write answers in the study guide:
Was the four-hour session the right amount of time?
All
25%
50%
75%
None
No, it should be 5 hours—we should go to 6 PM.
Yes.
No, it should be less than 4 hours.
No, it should be 6 hours—we should start at noon and should go to 6 PM.
I answered all the questions myself and compared them to the answers in the back of the book.
I answered some but not all questions.
I did not bother to answer the questions myself—I just study the answers in the back of the book.
Neither.
Level I & II Exam Evaluation
Page 10 FY 2016-2017
A. The appropriate level of difficult
Strongly Agree/Agree 25
Neutral/No Comment 32
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 2
B. Adequately tested my knowledge of the court
Strongly Agree/Agree 28
Neutral/No Comment 29
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 3
C. Clearly written
Strongly Agree/Agree 22
Neutral/No Comment 22
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 13
D. The appropriate length of time
Strongly Agree/Agree 29
Neutral/No Comment 25
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 6
E. The appropriate format
Strongly Agree/Agree 30
Neutral/No Comment 24
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 6
F. The appropriate number of questions
Strongly Agree/Agree 27
Neutral/No Comment 23
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 8
G. Fairly and competently administered
Strongly Agree/Agree 33
Neutral/No Comment 23
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 5
H. What I expected
Strongly Agree/Agree 23
Neutral/No Comment 27
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 8
A. Completed the TMCEC study guide
Extremely Helpful 34
Helpful 17
Neutral 7
Not Helpful 1
Hurt my study process 1
B. Attended a TMCEC study session
Extremely Helpful 24
Helpful 12
Neutral 9
Not Helpful 2
C. Attended a TCCA study session
Extremely Helpful 8
Helpful 8
Neutral 6
Not Helpful/Hurt process 0
D. Attended a study session offered by my court
Extremely Helpful 5
Helpful 3
Neutral 2
Not Helpful/Hurt process 0
E. Worked with a study partner
Extremely Helpful 9
Helpful 3
Not Helpful/Hurt process 0
N/A 45
F. Worked with your judge
Extremely Helpful 2
Helpful 6
Neutral 0
Not Helpful/Hurt process 0
N/A 47
Overall, the Level I & II Examination was
rated as follows:
The survey results for participant study
strategies were as follows:
Every clerk who tested during the year was sent an online evaluation. The following is a summary of the
returned evaluations:
Page 11 End of Year Report
How many attempts did it take for you to be successful in the
Level I Exam?
How many years have you been employed by your court?
Approximately how many judicial seminars have you attended?
*Based on 62 responses
12 hours annually.
Only every other year.
I only attend online courses through the TMCEC OLC.
Never, I use other training.
More than 12 hours annually.
New court clerk, I have been to two TMCEC trainings and attended one TCCA training course.
4-12 hours annually.
The one week boot camp was my first attendance with TMCEC then a 12 hour course prior to testing.
Texas Court Clerks Association Annual Conference
Texas Court Clerks Association Chapter Trainings
Texas Municipal Courts Association Annual Conference
TMCEC Conferences
Juvenile Case Manager Conference
N/A
All
None
Level I & II Exam Evaluation, cont’d.
Only 1 time (on each part)
More than 1 time but less than 3 times (on any
part)
More than 3 times (on any part)
Level I & II Exam Evaluation , cont’d.
Page 12 FY 2016-2017
Are you required to participate in the certification program?
Are you compensated for becoming certified?
Yes.
No.
No.
Yes.
Level I & II Exam Evaluation , cont’d.
Page 13 End of Year Report
Percentage increase to regular salary
Certificate pay - A monthly fixed amount (i.e. $50 each month for Level 1)
Advancement to a new title which includes a step/grade pay plan increase—
(Level II = Sr. Deputy Clerk)
The survey allowed the respondent to type a freestyle response which includ-
ed other options such as Level I required only; $25 per month, $40 per month,
Level II receives certification pay, etc. These are displayed in the chart as the
other various colors.
Level I Exam Improvements Question
Page 14 FY 2016-2017
Areas of the LEVEL I exam I felt need improvement were (Check all that apply if you took
the Level I exam):
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1 Overview of the Courts
2 Role of the Court Clerk
3 Court Ethics
4 Charging & Pre-Trial Procedures
5 Trial Process & Procedure
6 Post-Trial Procedures
7 State and City Reports
8 Traffic Law
9 Communication and Stress Management
Level II Exam Improvements Question, cont’d.
Page 15 End of Year Report
Areas of the LEVEL II exam I felt need improvement were (Check all that apply if you took
the Level I exam):
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
1 Equal Justice under the Law
2 Overview of Processing Cases
3 Code of Criminal Procedure & Penal Code
4 Bond Forfeitures
5 Children & Minors
6 Financial Management
7 Records Management & Caseflow
8 Legal Research
9 Court Technology
Level III Exam Evaluation
Page 16 FY 2016-2017
Overall, the Level III Examination was:
A. The appropriate level of difficult
Strongly Agree/Agree 11
Neutral/No Comment 1
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 3
B. Adequately tested my knowledge of the court
Strongly Agree/Agree 12
Neutral/No Comment 0
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 3
C. Clearly written
Strongly Agree/Agree 9
Neutral/No Comment 3
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 3
D. The Appropriate length of time
Strongly Agree/Agree 11
Neutral/No Comment 1
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 3
E. The appropriate format
Strongly Agree/Agree 10
Neutral/No Comment 3
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 2
F. The appropriate number of questions
Strongly Agree/Agree 10
Neutral/No Comment 3
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 2
G. Fairly and competently administered
Strongly Agree/Agree 13
Neutral/No Comment 1
Strongly Disagree/Disagree 1
H. What I expected
Strongly Agree/Agree 10
Neutral/No Comment 2
Strongly Disagree/Disagree
Based on 15 responses
Approximately how many court education seminars have
you attended offered by TMCEC?
Please indicate which additional organizations you have
used for education in the past
How many attempts did it take for you to successfully com-
plete all parts of the Level III Exam?
Every clerk who tested during the year was sent an online evaluation. The following is a summary of the
returned evaluations:
12 hours annually.
More than 12 hours annually.
Only every other year.
I only use the TMCEC Online Learning Center.
Never, I use other training.
Texas Municipal Court Clerks Association Annual Conference.
Texas Municipal Court Clerks Association Chapter Trainings.
Texas Municipal Courts Assoc.
National Center for State Courts—Institute for Court Management.
None—but looking to attend other organization trainings in the future.
It only let me select 1, first 3.
Only 1 time (on each part)
More than 1 time but less
than 3 times (on any part)
More than 3 times (on any
part)
Level III Exam Evaluation, cont’d.
Page 17 End of Year Report
How many years have you been employed in
a municipal court?
How many years have you been a supervi-
sor or manager
What is your previous education in the subject of
"Management & Supervision"?
Less than 1 year (<1)
More than 1 year but less than 5
(>1 but <5)
More than 5 years but less than 10
(>5 but <10)
More than 10 years (>10)
None
Less than 1 year (<1)
More than 10 years (>10)
More than 1 year but less than 5
(>1 but <5)
Only the Level III materials and
court training programs.
My city requires me to attend inter-
nal training courses periodically.
I studied management courses in
college, university or other extensive
management program.
I read management books and
am self taught.
Level III Exam Evaluation Summary
Page 18 FY 2016-2017
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Areas of the Level III exam I felt need improvement were (Check all that apply):
A zero rating on the chart above indicates none of the respondents selected the book or test as
needing improvement. Six (6) books received a zero rating which includes Organizing Your
Workspace, Dynamics of Diversity, Leadership When the Heat’s On, Hiring and Firing, Team
Players and Teamwork, and How Full is Your Bucket. The two (2) books and tests that were rat-
ed with a high need for improvement are Applied Strategic Planning at 71.4% and Texas Munici-
pal Courts Financial Management Handbook at 71.4%. Trial Court Budgeting (51.1%) and Ca-
seflow Management (28.6%) books and test are both rated as needing improvement. A book
review sub-committee has recently been formed for the purpose of reviewing the current book
list and potentially omitting older books and adding new books to the Level III required reading
and testing. Comments from the survey regarding the exam can be found on pages 24 which
may further explain the results shown in the chart above.
Level III Exam Evaluation Summary, cont’d.
Page 19 End of Year Report
1 Organizing Your Workspace by Odette Pollar
2 Dynamics of Diversity by Odette Pollar, et. al
3 Leadership When the Heat's On by Danny Cox
4 The Complete Guide to Performance Appraisal by Dick Grote
5 Protecting Court: A Practitioner's Guide to Court Security by Jimmy Barrett
6 Applied Strategic Planning by Leonard Goodstein, et. al
7 Hiring and Firing by Marlene Carolselli
8 Caseflow Management by David Steelman, et. al
9 Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change by William Bridges
10 Manager's Toolkit by Harvard Business Essentials
11 Team Players and Teamwork by Glenn Parker
12 Texas Municipal Courts Financial Management Handbook by Rene Henry
13 Skills for New Managers by Morey Stettner
14 Trial Court Budgeting by Robert W. Tobin
15 The Five Levels of Leadership by John C. Maxwell
16 How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath, et. al
Below are the 16 Level III books that were rated on the chart to the left:
FY17 Level III Assessment Clinic
Page 20 End of Year Report
The agenda for the Level III assessment clinic in fiscal
year 2017 was geared toward addressing the concepts
from the Level III required reading (16 books). A session
was added to educate participants in professional journal
writing. Furthermore, a special focus was placed on the
art of making presentations, public speaking and com-
municating with the media. Feedback from the partici-
pants was very positive. In fiscal year 2018, we will con-
tinue to build on these ideas. During the final day of the
clinic, participants were asked to set personal goals for
completion of Level III. Of the attendees listed below,
several have become Level III Certified (CMCC) and nu-
merous others are currently working on testing, observa-
tions and preparing journal submittals.
Amy L. Baldwin, League City Janis Fletcher, Sherman Stacey Martin, San Antonio Maricruz Stagg, Katy
Megan Balko, Pearland Grisel Garcia, Houston Claudia Quintero, Euless Christina Vasquez, Houston
Kendra Beverly, Sugar Land Laurence Glick, Austin Lawrence Paul Rex, Jersey Village Terry Teri, Corpus Christi
Carlin Caliman, Arlington Andrea Goff, Helotes Roberta Reyes, Murphy Jessica Utton, League City
Melinda Davis, Kennedale Connie Hansen, Providence Vlg Gerri Robeson, Highland Park Melinda Weller, Richardson
Angela Fleming, Houston Abril Lamb, Katy Inez Sanchez, Port Lavaca Krissie Williams, Richardson
2017 Assessment Clinic Graduates
The City of San Antonio has the highest number of Level I Certified Clerks
with 57.
The City of Houston has the highest number of Level 2 Certified Clerks
with 26.
The City of San Antonio has the highest number of employees participat-
ing in the Certification program with a total of 62.
The City of Houston has the second highest number of employees partici-
pating with a total of 52.
The City of Arlington has the third highest number of employees participat-
ing with a total of 39.
The Cities of Friendswood, League City, Manor, and Webster are the only
cities with two (2) or more Level III Certified Municipal Court Clerks.
TCCA hired
as an inde-
p e n d e n t
contractor, a
criminal jus-
tice student
intern from Texas State Uni-
versity. Lily Pebworth served
as the Certification Assistant
in the summer of FY 2016-
2017. Lily worked May 25
through August 21, 2017 at
the TMCEC office in Austin.
She worked part time from
20-30 hours each week.
She was assigned a variety
of tasks by the Program Co-
ordinator and Executive Di-
rector. This chart is an over-
view of the projects assigned
to the intern and their final
status.
Intern Report
Project Status
Compiled Level I & II Study Guide masters in
preparation for revisions after Legislative Up-
date FY 17.
Completed
Developed and deployed Google Doc evalua-
tions for exams and prep sessions.
Completed
Worked with program coordinator on certifica-
tion test results, renewals, and certification
records management.
Completed
Revised and prepared Level II flashcards from
study guide questions; entered the questions
and answers on the OLC.
Completed
Input seminar survey data for end of the year
statistics.
Completed
Entered Level III number in database
(example: Tiffany Totah was the 76th clerk in
the state to become Level III)
Completed
Page 21
Fun Facts
Texas Municipal Courts Education Center 2210 Hancock Drive
Austin, TX 78756
512.320.8274 ● 800.252.3718
www.tmcec.com ● Fax: 512.435.6118
Years of Service
The Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC) was formed in 1984 by the Texas
Municipal Courts Association (TMCA) to provide extensive, continuing professional
education and training programs for municipal judges and court personnel. TMCEC is
financed by a grant from the Court of Criminal Appeals out of funds appropriated by the
Legislature to the Judicial and Court Personnel Training Fund.
Average days to achieve Level II in FY 16 847 days or 2.3 years
Average days to achieve Level II in FY 17 747 days or 2 years
Average Days to achieve Level III FY 17 1478 days or 4 years
Page 22
Status Clerk Level Year Certified at Level I Years of Tenure
A Jeanie Roumell Westlake III 12/5/1997 20 years
A Shona Bohon TMCA II 12/5/1997
A Nancy Sanford Crandall II 12/5/1997
Year Certified at Level II
A Jeanie Roumell Westlake III 8/4/1998 19 years
A Shona Bohon TMCA II 8/4/1998
A Rosie Caballero Denton II 8/13/1998
Year Certified at Level III
A Luevada Posey Killeen III 6/12/2002 15 years
A Alicia St. Cyr Richland Hills III 8/1/2002
A Susie Garcia San Marcos III 8/12/2002
Test Taking Tips
Successfully completing an exam is directly related to mastering the content of the exam.
But, when faced with a question that you do not know the answer to, there are some critical
reading and thinking skills that can be employed. These tips are not meant to replace your
application of knowledge. It is for application when you do not recognize the best answer.
These tips apply in most test-taking situations and should not be seen as always true in all
situations. In other words, apply these tips carefully.
Multiple-Choice Test Tips
Read the questions before you look at the answer.
Come up with the answer in your head before you look at the possible answers. This
will prevent you from being thrown off by the choices given.
Read all the choices before choosing your answer.
Eliminate the answers you know are not right.
Usually the correct answer is the choice with the most information.
The following types of choices should be looked at closely. Most often, they are not
going to be the correct answer. 1. options that don't grammatically fit with the stem
statement or question; 2. options that are totally unfamiliar to you; and 3. options
that contain negative or absolute words.
If there are two options that are opposite each other, look at those two closely as one
of them is probably the correct answer.
In all of the above or none of the above choices, if you are certain one of the
statements is true don't choose none of the above or if you are certain one of the
statements is false don't choose all of the above.
In an all of the above question, if you see that at least two correct statements, then
all of the above is probably the right answer.
If you think the item is a trick question, look more closely. If you suspect that a
question is a trick item, make sure you're not reading to much into the question and
try to avoid imagining detailed scenarios in which the answer could be true.
True-False Test Tips
Usually there are more true answers than false (on most tests).
Qualifiers are words that restrict or open up general statements.
Qualifiers like never, always, and every mean that the statement must be true all of
the time. Usually these types of qualifiers lead to a false answer.
Qualifiers like usually, sometimes, and generally mean that if the statement can be
considered true or false depending on the circumstances. Usually these types of
qualifiers lead to an answer of true.
If any part of the question is false, then the entire statement is false, but just
because part of a statement is true doesn't necessarily make the entire statement
true.
If the question contains negatives like no, cannot, or not the drop the negative and
read what remains. Then decide if the sentence is true or false. If it is true, its
opposite, or negative, is usually false.
Eligibility Requirements:
1. Passed the exam within the past 3 years (exam expires on 3rd anniversary);
2. Provide proof of 40 hours of education from an approved provider. (education expires on 3rd anniversary)
Application Instructions:
1. This application will must be perfected by completing all sections and including all requirements.
2. You may attach a PDF copy of your TMCEC transcript as proof of hours. For other providers, you must attach a certificate.
3. Applicant must indicate Level I or Level II in the section below.
4. A maximum of 8 of the 40 required hours may be online education (not in person).
5. Use your most recent hours of education, including hours achieved during the current fiscal year.
6. You may check your status by accessing your online profile through TMCEC under the “Clerk Certification” tab.
7. Approved providers are TCCA (state or local chapter), TMCA, TMCEC, or an alternate approved provider; or a combination thereof.
Additional Information:
It may take several weeks to process your application.
o First login and check your personal profile.
o If it has not been processed within 3 weeks, call 512.320.8274 or email [email protected].
Participants will receive a formal certificate through the mail after the application has been approved.
Upon the posting of your certification level, you are authorized to place the designation of CCCI or CCCII (respectively) following your name.
12 hours of education will be required each TMCEC fiscal year (9/1 to 8/31)
Your renewal will be displayed under the clerk certification tab on your profile. (i.e. 2016-2017 YES)
I am applying for: (Check one) Level I Level II
Name: Application Date:
City Served: Date Hired:
Court Mailing Address: City: Zip:
Court Telephone Number: ( ) Fax Number: ( )
I am: Full Time Part-time Email:_______________________________________________________________________
Title: Court Administrator Court Clerk Deputy Court Clerk
Other (Specify): _________________________________________
My signature on this application indicates that all of the information I have provided is true and correct as indicated in this application.
Applicant’s Signature _________________________________________________________________Date____________________________
This is a cooperative project of Texas Court Clerks Association (TCCA), Texas Municipal Courts Education Center (TMCEC),
Texas Municipal Courts Association(TMCA) and Texas State University-San Marcos.
APPLICATION Clerk Certification
Revised 11-22-17
Before submitting your application, be sure have you enclosed the following:
PDF copy of your TMCEC personal transcript or certificate(s) of education hours which combined
show proof of completing a total of 40 hours of approved education hours.
Proof of passing the Level I certification exam (may be printed from your personal profile/clerk
certification/exams).
To properly file, upload from your profile, email to [email protected] or fax to
512.435.6118.
For TMCEC Only:
Hours satisfied current fiscal year
Sent to TCCA President ___________________
Number of Webinars: ________ (not more than 8)
Total Number of hours ________