The development of an exit examination in criminal justice for graduating seniors: A case study

Abstract

Faculty members in higher education have become increasingly concerned with evaluating faculty members' and students' performance and with improving accountability. One focus of investigation has been the assessment of graduating seniors through the use of an exit examination. In many disciplines, standardized tests are available for such purposes, and graduating seniors at a particular institution can be compared with a nationally normed sample. No such tests presently are available in criminal justice. The purpose of this study was to develop such an instrument, tailored to meet the needs of a specific curriculum. The process and the preliminary results are described, including the limitations on interpretation. The advantages and the potential difficulties of this process are discussed.