Item #2 Austin Police Academy - 154th Cadet Class Final Report — original pdf

Backup

APD Training Academy 154th Cadet Class Final Report Prepared by Madison K. Doyle, Ph.D. Research Analyst Sr 1 Overview Executive Summary The 154th Cadet Class of the Austin Police Department (APD) Training Academy commenced on January 6, 2025, and concluded on August 29, 2025. This class began with 73 cadets, of which 35 successfully graduated, resulting in a graduation rate of 48%. This class faced retention-related challenges, primarily due to personal reasons and physical preparedness. Notably, though, most cadets (separated and graduated) reported having a positive overall experience and expressed a willingness to recommend the APD Academy to others. 154th Cadet Class Highlights • Attrition was concentrated at the beginning of the academy, with nearly half of the separations occurring in the first four weeks. • Most cadets were in their 20s, (77%) and male (81%). • Graduation rates varied some between demographic groups, with the most notable difference being the higher success among those with military experience (64% graduated) compared to those without (42% graduated). • While most cadets passed their exams, there were three exams that had over a 20% failure rate. • All graduating cadets passed their defensive tactics final, and averaged 98/100 of their firearms final. • Graduating cadets provided feedback indicating a desire for shorter, more focused training, more time spent on critical skills (defensive tactics, firearms, legal content, and patrol skills), greater instructional consistency and cohesion across staff, and additional support mechanisms (mentoring, tutoring, and check-ins). • Community engagement remained a visible strength, with cadets participating in Academy Foundations training, a community resource fair, and other community organization presentations. • Despite challenges, both graduates and those who separated early reported positive experiences, with many stating they would recommend the APD Academy to others. Conclusions & Recommendations The findings regarding 154th cadet class highlight the APD Training Academy’s commitment to community engagement, professional and personal development, as well as the delivery of high-quality instruction. Based on the current findings, recommendations are listed below. • Given that nearly half of all separations occurred in the first two weeks, implement enhanced onboarding and support during recruiting and the first few weeks to address early challenges related to physical preparedness and personal adjustment. • Provide prospective cadets with clear physical preparedness guidelines and optional pre-academy • fitness opportunities. Introduce early academic interventions for cadets at risk of failing exams. A tutoring program, peer mentoring, or additional review sessions could reduce academic-related attrition. • Standardize delivery and ensure alignment of lesson plans, materials, and assessments across instructors. • Prioritize improvements to the firearms range (i.e., install gutters to address safety concerns during rainy conditions). 2 154th Cadet Class Final Report Card The 154th Cadet Class at the Austin Police Department Training Academy began on Monday, January, 202, and concluded on Friday, August 29, 2025. Of the 73 cadets who began with the 154th Cadet Class, 35 successfully completed the training program, resulting in a 48% graduation rate. Official records indicated that cadets separated for the following reasons: • Personal reasons (30 cadets) • Academic performance (4 cadets) • Driving failure (2 cadets) • Defensive tactics failure (1 cadet) • Off-duty injury (1 cadet) Of the 38 cadets who resigned from the Academy early, nearly half (15 cadets) did so in Week 1 (2 cadets), Week 3 (7 cadets), and Week 4 (6 cadets). Note that Academy Foundations (formerly “Pre-Academy”) takes place during Weeks 1 and 2. During those two weeks cadets prepare to begin the Academy and participate in several community engagement activities. Cadet Demographics The following table and figures contain the demographic information for the 154th Cadet Class. Count % of Total % Graduated Age Range 20s 30s 40s Biological Sex Male Female Race or Ethnicity White Hispanic Asian or Pacific Islander Black & White Black American Indian or Aleutian Level of Education H.S. Diploma or GED Some College Associate’s Degree Bachelor’s Degree Master’s Degree Military Experience No Yes L.E. Experience No Yes 56 6 4 59 14 34 32 3 2 1 1 17 28 5 21 2 50 22 66 7 3 77% 18% 5% 81% 19% 47% 44% 4% 3% 1% 1% 23% 37% 7% 29% 3% 70% 30% 90% 10% 48% 54% 25% 53% 29% 59% 34% 33% 100% 0% 0% 41% 50% 60% 48% 50% 42% 64% 50% 29% 4 5 Demographic Factors Predicting Successful Program Completion A logistic regression was conducted to determine age, race, sex, education level, and military experience predicted whether cadets successfully completed the training program. The overall model was not statistically significant, 2 (5, 73) = 8.97 (p = 0.11). This means, when taken together, those factors did not reliably predict training success in this Cadet Class. In other words, none of the demographic characteristics provided strong evidence for who would or would not graduate with the 154th Cadet Class. Academic Performance All potential cadets are required to complete a written exam as part of their recruitment process. For all those who began the 154th Cadet Class, scores on the recruitment written exam ranged from 70% to 96%. The average score on the recruitment written exam was 81% (SD = 6%) with a median of 82%. Fourteen cadets exited the Training Program prior to taking any exams. Of the 59 cadets who took at least one exam, over half (n = 36 or 61%) never failed an exam, 9 cadets (15%) failed one exam, 10 cadets (17%) failed two exams, 2 cadets (3%) failed three exams, and 3 cadets (3%) failed four exams. Recall, only 4 cadets left due to academic reasons. Specifically, three cadets failed too many exams per policy, and one had a substandard overall exam average over the course of two trimesters. In total, 7 of the 18 major exams resulted in at least one cadet failing. See the table below for exam-specific information. Exam # Topics Covered # Fails Failure Rate 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cadet Manual Professionalism & Ethics TCOLE Rules US, TX Constitution & Rights Fitness, Wellness, Stress Management Multiculturalism & Human Relations Professional Policing Code of Criminal Procedure Penal Code Health & Safety Code Alcoholic Beverage Code Patrol Skills: City Sector Radio Communications Civil Process Arrest, Search, & Seizure Traffic Code 11 Force Options Theory 2 12 16 2 1 11 2 3% 21% 29% 4% 2% 21% 4% Academic Factors Predicting Successful Program Completion A second logistic regression was conducted to determine whether cadets’ average exam scores and the number of exams they failed predicted successful completion of the program. The overall model was statistically significant (2 (2, 59) = 40.57, p < 0.001), indicating that these two academic measures helped explain differences in training success. 6 Average exam score was a statistically significant predictor of training success. That is, higher average exam scores increased the likelihood of completing the program. Specifically, each one-point increase in average exam score was associated with more than double the odds of success (OR = 2.23, 95% CI [1.44, 4.39], p < 0.01). In contrast, the number of exams failed was not a statistically significant predictor of success (OR = 1.01, 95% CI [0.35, 3.13], p = 0.99), suggesting that simply failing an exam did not reliably affect overall program completion. Overall, these results suggest that cadets’ consistent performance across exams, rather than occasional failures, is most strongly associated with successfully completing the training program. Predicting Average Exam Scores An ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to assess whether cadets’ recruitment written exam score and their level of education predicted average exam scores during training. The overall model was statistically significant (F (2, 57) = 16.53, RSE = 4.25, p < 0.001). The model with these two predictors explained about 37% of the variation in average exam scores for the 154th Cadet Class. Recruitment written exam scores were a statistically significant predictor of cadets’ average exam scores (B = 0.49, SE = 0.10, p < 0.001), suggesting that higher scores on the exam were associated with higher average exam performance during training. In contrast, level of education was not a statistically significant predictor (B = 0.71, SE = 0.73, p = 0.33) indicating that differences in educational attainment did not reliably relate to cadets’ average exam scores. Level of education also did not predict the odds of graduating, suggesting that raising education requirements may not meaningfully affect academic performance or attrition. Defensive Tactics Performance Over the course of the academy, cadets receive comprehensive instruction in defensive tactics (DT). During their DT training, cadets are provided with both the physical skills necessary to protect themselves and others as well as an understanding of de-escalation tactics and appropriate use-of-force decision-making. Training covers a range of core skills, including ground avoidance and ground fighting techniques, hand and grip fighting, striking techniques, proper baton use, handcuffing, and instantaneous knife or edged weapons defense. The DT Final assesses cadets across seven stations that measure their ability to demonstrate those skills taught throughout the academy. At each station, cadets are expected to show both technical proficiency and the ability to apply their training in a manner consistent with public and officer safety and sound decision- making. The DT Final is a pass/fail assessment. To successfully complete the exam, cadets must: 1. Receive a “Pass” on each individual station 2. Demonstrate all required skills for each station 3. Complete the exam within a minimum of three attempts If a cadet fails any station during an attempt, the exam is terminated and must be retaken in full. Cadets who fail all three attempts will be provided the option to resign in lieu of termination. For example, during their first attempt, one cadet failed Station 3 because they “pushed face and did not use ANY technique. [They] kept using strength as technique. When given the opportunity [they] did not get up. [They] just laid on [their] back and gave up.” At that point, the cadet’s first attempt concluded, and they were given time to regroup before retaking the exam. This cadet passed all stations on their second exam attempt. Thirty-six cadets in the 154th Cadet Class took the DT exam. All of them passed either on the first attempt (33 cadets) or the second attempt (3 cadets). Recall, one cadet separated from the Academy and the official reason recorded was a DT Failure. While this separation was DT-related, it was not the result of failing the DT Final Exam. Rather, this separation occurred during the first week of DT training, when the cadet failed to continue engaging in fighting and/or training during the initial assessments. Failing to engage or continue fighting during that training results in an automatic termination. 7 Firearms Performance Throughout the academy, cadets engage in approximately 100 hours of firearms training, during which they learn the ins and outs of safe weapon handling and marksmanship. ALERRT Level 1, Hasty React, Low-Light, and Build Search trainings are also provided during their firearms training hours. Toward the conclusion of the academy, cadets take a firearms final, assessing their marksmanship. Cadets are provided 50 rounds to fire at the target (pictured below). Rounds that hit the outlined area (t-zone of the face and center-mass of the torso) receive 2 points, and any rounds that hit the body anywhere outside of that outlined area receive 1 point. The 35 cadets that completed the exam had scores ranging from 90 to 100, with an average score of 98 (SD = 2.25). 8 Separation & End of The Academy Surveys Cadet Separation Surveys The Cadet Separation Surveys are an opportunity for Academy staff to gather feedback from those cadets who exit the Training Program prior to completion. Participation in the Cadet Exit Survey is voluntary, and responses remain confidential. Of those 38 cadets who separated from the 154th Cadet Class early, 23 (61%) completed a separation survey. Notably, 100% of respondents stated that they would still recommend the APD Academy to others. Overall, personal reasons and physical preparedness were the leading factors in separations. The majority of those who separated indicated that there was nothing APD could have done to retain them. 9 Most indicated that their experience at the APD Academy aligned with their initial expectations. End of the Academy Surveys The End of the Academy Surveys are an opportunity for Academy staff to collect feedback from the cadets who successfully completed and graduated from the Training Program. Graduating cadets are required to complete the surveys, but their responses are anonymous and no identifying information is collected. This survey was administered to the 154th Cadet Class via Microsoft Forms. Below are cadets’ responses to questions about their overall experience in the academy, their self-reported competence in the major areas of instruction, and their opinions regarding time-allocation across topics. Graduating cadets indicated that their overall experience at the APD Academy was overwhelmingly positive. 10 Most graduating cadets indicated that they would recommend the APD Academy to others. Most graduating cadets indicated that they felt competent across all topics. 11 Most noted that additional time should be spent on patrol procedures, defensive tactics, and firearms instruction. There was also notable support for the expansion of legal instruction and fitness and wellness. Graduating cadets were given the opportunity to share any recommendations they had for improving the Academy. Twenty of the 35 respondents (57%) shared their thoughts. Overall, cadets’ responses could be categorized into five main themes, outlined below. Program Length & Content • The Academy is perceived as too long; could be reduced to 6-7 months by eliminating redundancies. • Some training blocks (trauma training, CIT/IDD, race/equity, sex crimes) felt repetitive and stretched out. • Some cadets indicated that the Pre-Academy (now known as Academy Foundations) could be geared more toward what they will be doing in the Academy with similar expectations or that it be eliminated. • One cadet suggested revising the schedule to be 10 hours per day, 4 days per week, mirroring the length of the shifts they will work on patrol. Critical Skills Training • Cadets requested more time on critical skills: DT, firearms, legal content, patrol, and radio communications. • Spend less time on community engagement, which some viewed ad low-value. 12 Instructional Consistency & Cohesion • Instructors were knowledgeable, especially senior officers, but inconsistencies in content delivery caused some confusion. • Some instructors downplayed material outside their area. • Scheduling lacked clarity and cohesion. • Preference for continuity of instructors (not replacing them mid-academy). Cadet Support & Feedback • Calls for 1:1 support, regular progress check-ins, and class president authority to resolve internal issues. Facilities Issues • Firearms range needs gutters to address safety hazards during rainy conditions. Overall, cadets valued the training and quality of instructors but want a program that is shorter, more focused, and consistent, with emphasis on practical, survival-oriented skills. 13 Academy Foundations Community Involvement The 154th Cadet Class included several opportunities for community involvement, including the Academy Foundations training, Community Connect & Engagement activities, and the use of external instructors. The Academy Foundations training occurred during the cadets’ first 2 weeks at the Academy. During the Pre- Academy cadets participated in training seminars and information sessions on the following topics. • Wellness & Nutrition • Mindfulness & Resilience • Groundwater Analysis • Study Skills • Language Access Community Connect & Engagement • Basic Budgeting • AISD Restorative Practices • The Austin Public Library Law Enforcement & Society • • History of Race & Police in Austin Community Connect and Engagement activities included information sessions and/or site visits with the following community groups. Group Description Asian Family Support Services of Austin (AFSSA) Supports survivors of domestic violence & sexual assault with free, confidential services. Although they welcome all survivors, their specialty is providing services to Asian clients & communities. Jails to Jobs Aims to break the cycle of recidivism, by giving youthful offenders employment-based mentoring and training along with spiritual and character development. Magdalene House A survivor-led community for adult women who have survived sex trafficking. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) Working to end drunk driving, help fight drugged driving, support the victims of these violent crimes, and prevent underage drinking The Sobering Center Enhances public health and safety by providing a safe place for publicly intoxicated individuals to sober up as an alternative to the emergency room or jail and, where appropriate, to provide a bridge to recovery. The FTCCP team also coordinated a cadet resource fair which allowed cadets in the 154th to obtain information and interact with organizational representatives from the following community, governmental, and non-profit organizations. • Aces • AGE of Central Texas • Alzheimer’s Association • Any Baby Can • APH East Austin Neighborhood Center • APH South Austin Neighborhood Center • Area Agency on Aging of the Capital Area • Ascension TX Medical Response Unit • Austin Emergency Center • Center For Child Protection • Central Health • COA Vision Zero Program • Cross Creek Hospital • Dell Children's Health Plan • East Riverside/Oltorf CCT • Ellie Mental Health • Foster Grandparent Program • Foundation Communities • GUD LIFE Black Men’s Health Clinic • Healthier Texas 14 iFosteriCare Life Anew Restorative Justice Lirios Pediatrics Lone Star Circle of Care • • • • • Meals on Wheels Central Texas • Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) External Instruction • NAMI Central Texas • People's Community Clinic • Travis Central Appraisal District • TWC - Vocational Rehabilitation • UT Social Resource Center Several courses were taught by or with the assistance of an external instructor. The following courses involved external instruction. Course Instructor Information Crime Prevention History of Race & Police in Austin Mindfulness & Resilience Lucia Summers, PhD • • Associate Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology and Associate Director of the Center for Geospatial Intelligence & Investigation at Texas State University. Visiting Professor for Crime Analysis & Prevention at Universidad Miguel Hernández in Elche, Spain. Kevin Foster, PhD • • • Associate Professor of African and African Diaspora Studies at UT- Austin. Vice President of AISD. Founding Executive Producer of PBS Blackademics Television. Noelle Davis Love & Relationship Coach. • • HeartMath certified Resilience Mentor & Trainer. Sean Roche, PhD Professional Policing • Associate Professor and MSCJ Program Coordinator in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Texas State University. Racial Profiling US & TX Constitution & Rights Felecia Williams-Dennis, MS • • Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College. Former Police Officer and Sergeant at the City of Austin Police Department Andrea Marsh, JD • Director of the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program at UT School of Law-Austin. Founding Executive Director of the Texas Fair Defense Project. • 15 Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) Between January 6 to August 29, 2025, members of the PAC independently reviewed and met to discuss the course materials for 5 different BPOCs, including Civil Process, Health and Safety Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, Professionalism and Ethics, and Verbal Communication. Following the PAC’s reviews and meetings, the Program Manager at the Academy submits recommendations for each course. The recommendations made for each of the courses reviewed during this period are listed in the following table. Course Recommendations Civil Process 1. Confirm definitions are consistent throughout material. 2. Consult with the Legal Bureau to determine whether a liability map already exists. If none exists, work to draft a detailed liability map outlining the differences between civil and criminal liability as well as distinctions between personal liability, vicarious liability, and departmental liability. Incorporate an additional training scenario if possible. 3. Supplement TCOLE Instructor Resource Guides with Lesson Goals. 4. 5. Clarify meanings for types of "contempt". 6. Limit the number of words per slide. 7. Remove the image from the Peace Officer Liability slide. 1. Reviews relevant Penal Code sections at the beginning of class. 2. Develop and incorporated additional active learning opportunities, including but not limited to scenarios and smaller group-based activities. 3. Ensure the “Symptoms Commonly Associated with Drug Abuse” slide aligns with the DWI course. 4. Add information for marijuana and hemp to the slide deck and the lesson plan. 5. Ensure additional information added by instructors is approved and added to the Health & Safety Code TCOLE lesson plan. 6. Balance the types of photos used to depict drug users- include those with functional to severe addiction. 7. Limit the number of words per slide. 8. Limit use of emphasis styling (e.g., italics, bolding, underlining, color). Consider only using bolding and avoiding italics and underlining completely. Color can be used for emphasis but be sure it is easily readable for your audience. 9. Ensure the colors used are consistent between slides. 16 Code of Criminal Procedure Professionalism & Ethics 1. Revise inaccurate statements within lesson plans. 2. Clarify procedural (CCP) and substantive (Penal Code) law distinctions regarding family violence. 3. Develop a reference guide for how to read codes. 4. Align lessons with internal policy and external legal requirements. 5. Replace outdated statutory references (e.g., Chapter 2 → 2A). 6. Remove or replace outdated/inappropriate sources (e.g., attorney blogs, old domestic violence materials, outdated TDCAA CCP reference). 7. Update citations for General Orders (e.g., Duty to Intervene, Duty to Give Aid). 8. Align all learning objectives with Bloom’s Taxonomy and TCOLE standards. 9. Include clear learning objectives at the beginning of each lesson plan topic. 10. If possible, combine related objectives and goals (e.g., LO 1.1 and Goal 2) 11. Expand use of active learning sessions, including but not limited to scenarios, case studies, and small group exercises. If used, be sure to include descriptions of these in the lesson plan. 12. Ensure TCOLE scenario content is present within the course. 13. Review tools that were created by CID and eLearning covering legal content. 14. Reconcile discrepancies between lesson plan content and what is taught. 15. Either remove or replace the 2020 Austin protest imagery. 16. Provide legal and community-framed context when addressing controversial content like protests, riots, or unlawful assemblies. 17. The instructor may reference the sexual assault lawsuit under LO 2.8 to provide contextual relevance but should explain that a detailed explanation of this material will be covered later in the curriculum. 18. Articulate where and how de-escalation is taught in the CCP course. 19. When appropriate, integrate ICAT principles, and update the lesson plan to reflect those inclusions. 1. Reduce the current 28-page handout to 10 pages or fewer. 2. Remove outdated, insensitive, or irrelevant content (e.g., “primitive people,” analogies like “veal cutlet to a case of scotch,” and overuse of obscure or defunct sources). 3. Add a glossary of key terms and acronyms. 4. Create an introductory page that clearly outlines the course's purpose and how the material supports cadet development. Introduce I.C.A.R.E. values within the first few pages of the handout. 5. 6. Where permitted, remove or reframe outdated references (e.g., South-Western 7. Law Institute). Introduce scenarios involving current ethical challenges (e.g., peer misconduct, social media, procedural justice). 8. Utilize APD’s General Orders (especially GO 900) to reinforce department- 9. specific expectations. If possible, restructure Scenario Sequencing and Content Scaffolding to introduce core concepts (e.g., procedural justice, legitimacy, and bias) before cadets are asked to analyze ethical dilemmas. 10. Consider extending the course and distributing the Professionalism & Ethics curriculum in smaller, thematically linked modules across the academy timeline to support deeper learning and application. 11. Consider removing replacing the current linear ethical development model with an empirically supported framework (e.g., Paoline & Gau’s model of occupational stress and ethical decision-making). 12. If possible, replace the final “create-your-own scenario” exercise with pre- designed ethical dilemmas tailored to cadet experience level. Emphasize small- group discussions, instructor-facilitated ethical debates, and peer-related scenarios (e.g., witnessing misconduct). 13. Integrate ABLE principles early in the course (e.g., duty to intervene, partner accountability). 14. Have cadets compare their personal values with APD’s values, highlighting alignment and differences. 17 1. This course is foundational and must be moved from its current position to the first few weeks of the academy. This shift will require approval by the TCOLE Advisory Board. 2. Shift the course from a lecture-dominant format to one centered on active learning. 3. Add Verbal Judo back into the curriculum. This will require the officers to be re- certified in Verbal Judo to be able to teach that material. 4. Conduct a comprehensive review to ensure the lesson plan, PowerPoint, and TCOLE objectives are aligned. 5. Update the PowerPoint with a professional template. 6. Develop a concise student handout that focuses on practical application of the concepts covered in the class. 7. Replace outdated source material. 8. Work with TCOLE to revise the problematic pretext stop scenario. 9. Consistently use inclusive, people-first language throughout all materials and instruction, including “community member” instead of “citizen”. 10. Per recommendations made by the program manager, every BPOC should Verbal Communication integrate the 9 following principles into the curriculum: The “golden thread” of de-escalation • • Guardian-mindset leadership Ethical decision-making • • Community engagement & partnership • • Critical thinking & problem solving Adult learning andragogy • • Officer wellness & resilience • Active bystandership & peer intervention Procedural justice Please note, these recommendations were made prior to the re-organization of the Academy staff. On August 24, 2025, 36 of the 42 instructors at the Academy, including those in the Cadet Training, Advanced Education, and Learned Skills (Firearms & DT) Units were reassigned to patrol full time. Those instructors were replaced with 27 sergeants who are still in the process of transitioning into their new roles. Therefore, any expectations regarding the timelines and feasibility of requested course content changes ought to take those staffing changes into account. 18