Assessing Criminal Justice/Criminology Education

The purpose of this book is to provide the reader with information addressing a variety of issues dealing with assessment in higher education. To augment informational material the authors have included numerous developmental tools such as checklists intended to be used to organize structured discussions on a variety of topics such as assessment plans, course-embedded strategies, rubrics, testing, and reports. An example assessment plan is included in the appendix as well as sample curriculum maps. Many of the chapters include numerous examples pertaining to criminal justice courses and programs. The material is divided into three sections: (1) foundational information, (2) putting assessment into context, and (3) application specific to the field of criminal justice. Based on the titles used for the chapters as well as the brief overviews included in this preface, readers should be able to readily pick and choose chapters that provide information most relevant to their specific need. Section One, Laying the Foundation, consists of four chapters. Taken in total, these chapters are meant to provide the reader with a better understanding of assessment in general, the ACJS standards and indicators, university-wide assessment activities, and data management tools. Section Two consists of three chapters which provide the background for putting assessment of student learning outcomes into the context of higher education courses and programs. The information presented in the chapters is based on three separate studies. Section Three consists of five chapters that focus specifically on applying assessment to criminal justice higher education. Case studies are used throughout the chapters to illustrate main points. Supporting documents, such as plans, checklists, and curriculum maps, are included in the appendices.

Barbara Peat is a professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest. A professor of criminal justice at Virginia Commonwealth University, Laura J. Moriarty is also vice provost of academic and faculty affairs. She is a past president of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS).