DEVELOPMENT OF A WRITTEN TEST FOR POLICE APPLICANT SELECTION (FROM POLICE SELECTION AND EVALUATION, 1979, BY CHARLES D SPIELBERGER - SEE NCJ-59208)

• NCJ Number: 59216
• Author(s): A CROSBY; M ROSENFELD; R F THORNTON
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 11 pages
• Corporate Author: Hemisphere Publishing Corp
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE DEVELOPMENT OF A TEST BY THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE FOR IMMEDIATE, PRACTICAL USE BY POLICE DEPARTMENTS IN SELECTING INDIVIDUALS FOR POLICE OFFICER TRAINING IS DESCRIBED.

Abstract

FUNDED BY THE POLICE FOUNDATION, A CONTRACT WAS NEGOTIATED WITH THE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE TO DEVELOP AN ORIGINAL TEST FOR USE IN SELECTING APPLICANTS FOR THE POLICE OFFICER POSITION. THE TEST WAS TO BE FAIR, VALID, JOB RELATED, AND OF MAXIMAL USE TO A WIDE SPECTRUM OF POLICE AGENCIES IN THE UNITED STATES. TEST DEVELOPMENT BEGAN WITH THE FORMATION OF TWO ADVISORY COMMITTEES, ONE TO REPRESENT LAW ENFORCEMENT EXPERIENCE AND THE OTHER TO CONSULT ON TEST TECHNOLOGY. CARE WAS TAKEN TO SELECT LAW ENFORCEMENT COMMITTEE MEMBERS FROM GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED JURISDICTIONS; BLACKS, WHITES, HISPANICS, AND FEMALES WERE REPRESENTED. THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE OF FIVE EDUCATIONAL TESTING SERVICE TEST SPECIALISTS REVIEWED THE PROJECT METHODS AND DATA ON A REGULAR BASIS. POLICE JOB ANALYSES INFORMATION WAS OBTAINED FROM THE LITERATURE AND FROM DEPARTMENTAL FILES; A PRELIMINARY LIST OF OVER 100 TASKS TYPICALLY PERFORMED BY POLICE OFFICERS WAS COMPILED FROM THE INFORMATION AND USED IN PRELIMINARY TEST QUESTION DEVELOPMENT. THE NEXT STEP INVOLVED IDENTIFICATION OF THE COGNITIVE-INTELLECTUAL ABILITIES JUDGED TO BE RELEVANT TO PERFORMING SPECIFIED JOB TASKS. THE PRODUCT THAT RESULTED WAS A MULTIPLE-CHOICE TEST OF 180 ITEMS THAT CAN BE ADMINISTERED WITHIN THREE HOURS. A 38-PAGE STUDY GUIDE WAS MADE AVAILABLE TO APPLICANTS THREE WEEKS BEFORE THE TEST. UPON TEST DEVELOPMENT COMPLETION, THE TEST WAS VALIDATED AT FOUR POLICE DEPARTMENTS LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. TWO OF THE FOUR SHOWED CLEAR EVIDENCE OF CONCURRENT VALIDITY; THE REMAINING TWO DID NOT, ALTHOUGH RESEARCH FINDINGS SUGGESTED THAT THE PERFORMANCE RATINGS MIGHT HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED. ON THE BASIS OF DEVELOPMENT FINDINGS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE FINAL VERSION OF THE TEST SHOULD BE USED IN POLICE SELECTION PROGRAMS, THAT EVALUATION SHOULD BE MADE ON BASIS OF TOTAL SCORE, THAT THE DESCRIPTIVE STUDY GUIDE BE GIVEN TO APPLICANTS THREE WEEKS PRIOR TO THE TEST, AND THAT STRINGENT TEST SECURITY BE ENFORCED. REFERENCES INCLUDED. (LWM)