The relationship of reading comphrehension and educational achievement levels to academy and field training performance of police cadets

Abstract

Law enforcement professionals have attempted to identify characteristics which will assist their agencies in hiring the most qualified individuals to become police officers. However, studies over the past twenty years have indicated there is still disagreement over what characteristics most effectively predict future performance. In law enforcement, as well as other professions, outcomes of court cases have revealed the difficulty in identifying or measuring specific skills and abilities. The objective of this study was to examine the predictability of two variables often used as entry standards in law enforcement. Historically, reading comprehension and educational level have been linked to performance both during training and on the job. At the same time additional studies have questioned the strength of these two variables' relationship toward such outcomes. This study attempted to answer questions about the relationships which reading comprehension and educational level had to police academy training. Additionally, it examined the relationship these same two variables had to field training performance. Finally, it looked at the relationship between police academic performance and field training performance. The performance of a total of 746 subjects from the Houston Police Department was followed through their police academy training and field training during a six year period. Bivariate correlation and multiple regression statistics were used to analyze the data. Results of this study found reading comprehension a better predictor than educational level for future field training performance. However, this study did not rule out the use of education as an entry level criteria. Additional studies should be made using various types of law enforcement agencies. In addition, several factors which appeared during this study, including the relationship of skill training to reading comprehension, warrant additional research.