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Concurrent Validation of a Prototype Selection Test for Entry-Level Police Officer

NCJ Number
82992
Author(s)
N Wexler; S M Sullivan
Date Published
1982
Length
153 pages
Annotation
The study sought to perform a job analysis on the entry-level police officer title in New Jersey, to develop a prototype selection test, and to conduct a concurrent validity study of the selection test.
Abstract
For the job analysis, interviews were conducted with 50 entry-level police officers and a few supervisors from several New Jersey jurisdictions. A mail survey of all civil service jurisdictions was used to evaluate and to revise task statements. A 60-item multiple choice test of police knowledge covering task statement areas was developed. A second criterion measure, used only for incumbent officers at local jurisdictions, was a global rating score of job performance. Data from officers at New Jersey jurisdictions were collected by site visits. In most cases, three officers were tested at a time. Data sets, including job performance ratings, were collected from 89 officers representing 27 jurisdictions. In addition, data were collected from 205 candidates at 6 police training academies. Academy grades as well as civil service selection and physical performance test scores were transformed to stanine scores based on the subjects' rank in their group. Item analysis results showed the prototype selection test to be relatively easy and the police knowledge criterion test to be quite difficult. Both were judged to be psychometrically sound. The prototype selection test is clearly valid for predicting academy grades and police knowledge acquisition, based on cross-validated stepwise regression and canonical correlation. Twelve references, 18 tables, and 23 appendixes of related materials are provided. (Author summary modified)