Police Training Institute Supports Academic Integrity and Eliminates Paper-based Processes with Acadis

The Challenge

Established in 1955, the University of Illinois Police Training Institute has a long and storied history. Focusing on adult learning principles instead of the more traditional military-style academy experience, it provides basic training for law enforcement and correctional officers in the state, as well as specialty classes, such as firearms instructor classes, for current law enforcement officers to enhance their skills.

Altogether, between academy classes and their specialty offerings, the Police Training Institute (PTI) provides law enforcement training to approximately 500 personnel each year.

Prior to implementing the Acadis^® Readiness Suite, the institute utilized a different training management system, which was outdated and was no longer compatible with modern operating systems. They also utilized manual, paper-based processes for a variety of tasks. These processes were often time consuming and were prone to human-error.

The Choice

Eventually, as their current system was no longer meeting their needs, the decision was made to transition to a new integrated software solution that centralized multiple aspects of their training operations into a single system.

The institute’s goals included:

• Improved records management
• Simplifying testing processes
• Increasing data security
• Reducing or eliminating paper-based processes

According to a Basic Course Secretary with the institute, they had heard of other agencies and academies utilizing the Acadis Readiness Suite for training and were interested in what it could do. In 2022, they chose Acadis as their technology partner and began implementation shortly after.

“It was a pretty easy decision to switch,” the Basic Course Secretary said. “I’m really glad we did…I didn't realize how much I disliked [the previous system] until we switched to Acadis.”

The Change 

Through Acadis, the University of Illinois Police Training Institute has:

• Centralized training-related records into one system, drastically reducing the need for manual, paper-based processes.
• Simplified collecting recruit data and creating class rosters by importing data directly into Acadis.
• Eliminated certain outdated technology and processes, like manual data entry and scantron sheets, minimizing opportunities for human error.
• Streamlined the flow of data in and out of the institute, including to the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board, reducing the amount of time these tasks take.
• Utilized Acadis’ secure testing features, including anti-cheat functionality like browser lockdowns, to ensure academic integrity.

In the time since implementing Acadis, the institute has continued to improve processes and the training experience for recruits, instructors, and administrators.

For example, before Acadis, the institute utilized paper scantron sheets, other software, and manual data entry to create rosters. Now, they utilize an online form to collect recruit information and then import it into Acadis, eliminating multiple manual processes.

“It’s made it much easier to get all of our recruit information and much less time consuming,” the Basic Course Secretary said.

While there is still the possibility of recruits entering things like their own email or phone numbers into the online form incorrectly, more of the critical data, such as agency numbers, is already housed in Acadis, helping to centralize data and reduce opportunities for human error.

This is especially important when sharing data with entities like the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. For every course, certain information must be sent to the Board. Previously, sending that data could take hours and required significant data entry. Now, the information can be easily exported from Acadis, formatted to match the Board’s requirements, and submitted.

“It’s been wonderful,” the Basic Course Secretary said. “If I'm manually inputting 100 recruit exam scores, there's a lot of room for error there. Being able to just hit that export button and have literally everything right there has been great.

Another feature that has been beneficial for the institute is Acadis’ lockdown browser functionality and testing management tools. Prior to Acadis, the institute was managing testing on paper. According to the Basic Course Secretary, Acadis has been an important asset for not only ensuring academic integrity, but also reducing the amount of time it takes for students to see their test results.

Before, a student might take a test on a Friday and not know how well they performed until the next week. Now, with Acadis, the institute can immediately provide students with their test results.

“It’s really helped with exam review, especially if one or two students does very poorly, they can go back and really home in on what they got wrong,” she said.

Instead of paper scantrons, hand-entered grades, and anxious days spent waiting for exam results, testing is done securely online.

The testing functionality is also enabling the institute to more proactively evaluate curriculum and testing trends to identify opportunities for improvement.

“We can go back and see...have [students] been missing the same questions? Is this just a poorly written question? Do we need to go over it again?” she said.

Customer Profile

• Acadis® 2022
• ~500 trainees annually