Date of Award

January 2015

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Document Type

Master Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

First Advisor

Ronald Dotson

Department Affiliation

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

Second Advisor

Sarah Morris

Department Affiliation

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

Third Advisor

Thomas D. Schneid

Department Affiliation

Safety, Security, and Emergency Management

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of formal education and the effect it has on academic performance of the police recruits that attended the Department of Criminal Justice Training (DOCJT) for their basic training academy in Richmond, Ky. This study focused on the academic portion of recruit training only. This study assessed whether education level is a valid predictor of a recruit officers academic performance and will answer if higher education levels give a recruit officer an advantage academically while they are in basic training.

The sample chosen was from recruit classes that attended basic training at DOCJT between the years of 2008- 2014. The sample consisted of 63 basic training classes that graduated the eighteen week basic training academy between the years of 2008- 2014. Only recruits (n=1593) that completed basic training was included in the total sample.

Data analyses revealed that there were significant relationships between education and academic performance of the recruits that attended DOCJT from 2008- 2014. There was a significant difference in the mean final grades between recruits with a college degree and those with no college degree. It was also determined that there was a significant positive correlation between educational levels and final grade. As the level of education of the recruits increased, the final grade (GPA) increased.

The findings of the study revealed that recruits that had higher levels of education outperformed those recruits without degrees academically in final grade. Thus, those recruits had an academic advantage while they were in recruit basic training.

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