ERIC ED415249: Examining the Test: An Evaluation of the Police Standard Entrance Test.

104 Pages·1996·1.6 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
TM 027 914
ED 415 249
Wilson, Valerie; Glissov, Peter; Somekh, Bridget
AUTHOR
Examining the Test: An Evaluation of the Police Standard
TITLE
Entrance Test.
Scottish Council for Research in Education.
INSTITUTION
Scottish Office Education and Industry Dept., Edinburgh.
SPONS AGENCY
ISBN-0-7480-5554-1
ISBN
ISSN-0950-2254
ISSN
1996-00-00
PUB DATE
NOTE
104p.
HMSO Bookshop, 71 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9AZ;
AVAILABLE FROM
Scotland, United Kingdom (5 British pounds).
Evaluative (142)
Reports
PUB TYPE
EDRS PRICE MF01/PC05 Plus Postage.
*Employment Qualifications; Foreign Countries; Job Skills;
DESCRIPTORS
Minority Groups; *Occupational Tests; *Police; Test Bias;
*Test Interpretation; Test Use; *Testing Problems
*Scotland
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
In June 1995, the Scottish Council for Research in Education
began a 5-month study of the Standard Entrance Examination (SET) to the
police in Scotland. The first phase was an analysis of existing recruitment
and selection statistics from the eight Scottish police forces. Phase Two was
a study of two police forces using a case study methodology: Identified
issues were then circulated using the Delphi approach to all eight forces.
There was a consensus that both society and the police are changing, and that
disparate functional maps of a police officer's job have been developed. It
was generally recognized that recruitment and selection are important, but
time-consuming, aspects of police activity. Wide variations were found in
practices across the eight forces, including the use of differential pass
marks for the SET. Independent assessors have identified anomalies in the
test indicating that it is both ambiguous and outdated in part, with
differences in the readability of different versions that compromises
comparability. Proportionately more women and ethnic minority candidates
experience difficulty with the SET, and proportionately more white male
candidates are eliminated following background inquiry or for "other reasons"
than other groups. Both the insufficient number of applicants from ethnic
minority backgrounds and their disproportionately higher failure rate on the
SET need to be addressed. Recommendations for improving the construction and
use of the SET are offered. Seventeen appendixes present supplemental
information about the SET and the study. (Contains five figures and nine
tables.)
(SLD)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
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from the original document.
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Examining the Test
An Evaluation of the Police
Standard Entrance Test
Valerie Wilson
Peter Glissov
Bridget Somekh
The Scottish Council for
Ii
Ressuch
Education
The Scottish Office Central Research Unit
1996
Further copies of this report are available priced £5.00. Cheques
should be made payable to HMSO Books and addressed to:
HMSO Bookshop
71 Lothian Road
Edinburgh
EH3 9AZ
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
The views expressed in this report are those of the researcher and
do not necessarily represent those of the Department or the
Secretary of State for Scotland.
© Crown Copyright 1996
Limited extracts from the text may be produced provided the source
is acknowledged. For more extensive reproduction, please write to
the Chief Research Officer at the Central Research Unit,
St Andrew's House, Edinburgh EH1 3DG.
Acknowledgements
We wish to acknowledge the help and co-operation of a number of people: members of the
Advisory Group, who provided insights into the working of the police service in Scotland;
police forces, which provided us with information, and police officers, who agreed either to be
interviewed individually or participated in the focus group meetings.
We hope that we have fairly represented the views of all who participated in the evaluation
process.
v
o
Contents
List of Tables and Figures
i
List of Appendices
ii
Summary
in
Introduction and research outline
1.
1
2.
Aims of the research
2
3.
The research in context
2
4.
The Police Standard Entrance Test (SET)
6
5.
Emerging issues
8
6.
SET as a test instrument
9
7.
Survey
13
A functional map of the police constable
20
8.
9.
Equal Opportunities: Women and ethnic minorities
31
Recruitment Pathway
10.
38
Conclusions and implications
43
11.
50
Appendices
References
84
0
List of Tables and Figures
An overview of a selection of previous studies of police
Table 1:
3
officers
Textual differences between the three versions of the SET
12
Table 2:
Readability of SET Forms 1-3
13
Table 3:
14
Sample of SET Candidates 1992-1994
Table 4:
Number of candidates by ethnic background
15
Table 5:
Pass/fail rates and appointments by educational achievement
Table 6:
16
level
21
The SCRE functional map of police work
Table 7:
Headings and main categories used in five studies
Table 8:
23
(in chronological order)
Candidates failing the SET as a proportion of all candidates
Table 9:
34
who failed in one force
16
The educational level of female and male candidates (Percent)
Figure 1:
17
Fail/Pass rates for female and male candidates (Percent)
Figure 2:
17
Number of candidates by test scores achieved
Figure 3:
Proportion of candidates in one force over the period, 1992-
Figure 4:
34
94
45
Proposed revised recruitment pathway
Figure 5:
7
List of Appendices
Preliminary interview schedule
Appendix 1:
50
Instructions for SET assessors
Appendix 2:
52
Flesch reading ease index
Appendix 3:
53
Appendix 4:
Analysis of topics in SET
54
Survey data collection sheet
Appendix 5:
55
Test scores on the four sections of the SET
56
Appendix 6:
Sample of recruitment paths
Appendix 7:
60
Basic entry requirements
Appendix 8:
65
Sample interview aid form
66
Appendix 9:
Behavioural event interview schedule
Appendix 10:
67
70
Functional map for police constables
Appendix 11:
76
Appendix 12:
Qualitative data collected
Focus group topic guide
Appendix 13: 77
Appendix 14:
79
Recruitment hurdles in one force
SET scores for female and male candidates
Appendix 15:
80
Delphi questionnaire form
Appendix 16:
81
Structure of probationary period
Appendix 17:
83
ii
Examining the Test:
An Evaluation of the Police Standard Entrance Test
Summary
Introduction
In June 1995 the Scottish Council for Research in Education began a five month study of the
Standard Entrance Examination to the police in Scotland. The project was funded by The
Scottish Office.
The research comprised two phases:
an analysis of extant recruitment and selection statistics from the eight police forces.
Phase 1:
a study of two police forces utilising a case study methodology. Additionally,
Phase 2:
emerging issues were circulated, Delphi-style, to all eight forces in order to validate
the findings.
The research had two principal outcomes:
an interim report, summarising statistical fmdings, presented in September;
a final report, detailing our findings in respect of both phases.
Conclusions
The main fmdings and conclusions to emerge from the evaluation are as follows:
Context:
agreement that both society and policing are changing
disparate functional maps of a police officer's job have been
developed
general agreement that policing is demanding
recognition of the relationship between job competences and
context, viz. situational understanding
Recruitment and selection:
recruitment and selection is an important but time consuming
activity for the police
there is a wide variation in practices across the eight police forces
including, for example, the use of differential pass marks in the
SET
i i i
each force has developed a slightly different recruitment pathway
which affects the role and function of the SET
there appears to be a desire to improve the SET as part of the
selection process
The SET:
independent assessors have identified anomalies in the
test
both ambiguous and outdated in part
indicating that it is
a readability test has highlighted significant differences in the
three versions of the SET which compromise comparability
the level of readability difficulty in version 2 of the SET equates
to university degree level compared with the secondary education
level required in versions 1 and 3
the higher the educational level of candidates, the more likely they
are to pass the test
a revision of the SET is overdue as it does not conform to the
expectations of modern society and a more professional service
the SET should be perceived within the context of a recruitment
pathway (discussed in full in Section 11)
Candidates:
candidates experience difficulties particularly with Sections 2 and
3 of the SET
female and male candidates have different prior educational
attainment levels and achieve slightly different scores on the SET
male candidates perform better than females candidates on
Sections 2 and 3 of the SET
candidates with a higher level of educational qualifications have a
slightly increased chance of being appointed
Minority groups and equal opportunities:
forces have identified the need to
recruit currently under-
represented groups
and ethnic minority candidates
proportionately more women
experience difficulties with the
SET
male candidates are eliminated
proportionately more white
and for 'other reasons' than other
following 'background enquiry'
groups
the police may not be viewed as an attractive career option by
members of ethnic minority groups
0
iv