09-19-2008, 12:56 PM
Why doesn't FDLE monitor the colleges and the way they coduct their FDLE classes. There a huge problem.
A test taken yesterday, 17 September was failed by 50% of the class, as told to us by the class coordinator. That high of a failure rate shows that there is a disconnect between what is being taught and what is being tested. This class has been told a number of times that the test questions are developed from the chapter objectives. It is obvious this is not entirely true and a significant number of questions seem to focus on exact phraseology vice understand the concepts and functional application. For example; one of the questions from this test asked; what resource could someone considering suicide take advantage of that is available 24 hours a day? The answer choices were (as chose as I can remember) A. National Suicide Prevention Hotline, B. Florida Suicide Helpline, C. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or D. Florida Suicide Hotline. All of these could be right because the intent is for you as police officers to know that there are suicide prevention resources, help lines, or hotlines available but the answer was C. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Yes it is in the book but in the section where it is found, there is no objective for knowing available resources for suicide. There are many others and I encourage you to review this test. We were told these questions were from a test bank in Tallahassee. I have since found out that they are from a test bank in St. Pete. I would hope since the state exam questions are derived from the objectives that the test we are taking would do the same. The last few tests indicate otherwise and if the verbatim answers can be found somewhere in the book it is testable.
Instruction for this chapter began on 20 Aug and concluded last night, 17 Sep, with the test. Of the 40 hour allotted for this chapter only 24 were actually used presenting material from the text book. The last two Saturday classes for the most part were spent watching movies, Full Metal Jacket, Witness, History X, and at least one other. These had nothing to do with the curriculum or add anything to better prepare us for the test. The last eight hours we received instruction in Substance Identification. Very useful information and accounted for a large part of the test. This was a little surprising considering the amount time allotted for it and the lengthy gap, taken up by the movies, and the other material presented prior to 29 Aug. I can attribute this to the lack of coordination between the Coordinators and the instructors. From the start of the academy every instructor has mentioned that they are all still getting familiar with the new curriculum and are somewhat ill prepared for class. Regardless, the Substance Identification block was scheduled for seven hours, four hours on 15 Sep and three hours on 16 Sept with the last hour on the 16th scheduled for “administration time”. The Substance Identification block used all the time on the 16th and there was no “Administration Time” allowed for what has normally been used for test review. The test was scheduled for the next day, 17 September.
The students in the nighttime class are all motivated and want to do well. We are all making a significant time and monetary investment by attending this academy at night after working full time. It is discouraging to hear the coordinator say that he was disappointed in our test performance when there is clearly a problem on the administration side. If there is too much time allotted to a section I am sure everyone would rather use more productively than spending their Saturdays watch movies. I hope you or someone will review these issues before some of the students are forced to make important decisions about their further participation in this academy.
A test taken yesterday, 17 September was failed by 50% of the class, as told to us by the class coordinator. That high of a failure rate shows that there is a disconnect between what is being taught and what is being tested. This class has been told a number of times that the test questions are developed from the chapter objectives. It is obvious this is not entirely true and a significant number of questions seem to focus on exact phraseology vice understand the concepts and functional application. For example; one of the questions from this test asked; what resource could someone considering suicide take advantage of that is available 24 hours a day? The answer choices were (as chose as I can remember) A. National Suicide Prevention Hotline, B. Florida Suicide Helpline, C. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or D. Florida Suicide Hotline. All of these could be right because the intent is for you as police officers to know that there are suicide prevention resources, help lines, or hotlines available but the answer was C. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Yes it is in the book but in the section where it is found, there is no objective for knowing available resources for suicide. There are many others and I encourage you to review this test. We were told these questions were from a test bank in Tallahassee. I have since found out that they are from a test bank in St. Pete. I would hope since the state exam questions are derived from the objectives that the test we are taking would do the same. The last few tests indicate otherwise and if the verbatim answers can be found somewhere in the book it is testable.
Instruction for this chapter began on 20 Aug and concluded last night, 17 Sep, with the test. Of the 40 hour allotted for this chapter only 24 were actually used presenting material from the text book. The last two Saturday classes for the most part were spent watching movies, Full Metal Jacket, Witness, History X, and at least one other. These had nothing to do with the curriculum or add anything to better prepare us for the test. The last eight hours we received instruction in Substance Identification. Very useful information and accounted for a large part of the test. This was a little surprising considering the amount time allotted for it and the lengthy gap, taken up by the movies, and the other material presented prior to 29 Aug. I can attribute this to the lack of coordination between the Coordinators and the instructors. From the start of the academy every instructor has mentioned that they are all still getting familiar with the new curriculum and are somewhat ill prepared for class. Regardless, the Substance Identification block was scheduled for seven hours, four hours on 15 Sep and three hours on 16 Sept with the last hour on the 16th scheduled for “administration time”. The Substance Identification block used all the time on the 16th and there was no “Administration Time” allowed for what has normally been used for test review. The test was scheduled for the next day, 17 September.
The students in the nighttime class are all motivated and want to do well. We are all making a significant time and monetary investment by attending this academy at night after working full time. It is discouraging to hear the coordinator say that he was disappointed in our test performance when there is clearly a problem on the administration side. If there is too much time allotted to a section I am sure everyone would rather use more productively than spending their Saturdays watch movies. I hope you or someone will review these issues before some of the students are forced to make important decisions about their further participation in this academy.