NCJ Number
168470
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1997) Pages: 37-50
Date Published
1997
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study examined the determinants of scores on a standardized criminal justice achievement test.
Abstract
Researchers contacted all graduating seniors in criminal justice at a college and told them they would be required to take an achievement test. The test was given at two different times in the spring. Of the 60 graduating seniors, 40 took the exam; the criminal justice program can require such an examination, but the university cannot require it for graduation. Before the examination was administered, the students were administered a short questionnaire to obtain data on the independent variables included in this study. The central dependent variable was the student's score on the DANTES standardized test in criminal justice, which contains 88 multiple-choice questions on various aspects of criminal justice. Some of the independent variables measured were past achievement measured by grade point average, socioeconomic status, education aspirations, peers' educational values, academic ability, gender, and transfer student status. Findings show that the strongest predictor of achievement test scores was grade point average. Transfer students scored significantly lower than students who received all of their college education at the university. Males had higher scores than females. Socioeconomic background, education aspirations, and peers' educational values were not significant predictors of achievement test scores. The model used explains 45 percent of the variance in test scores. The results suggest that the manipulation of some, but not most, student input variables might improve results. 1 table and 27 references