Faculty ratings as part of a competency-based evaluation clinic grading system

Area of Science:

• Dental Education
• Competency-Based Education
• Assessment and Evaluation

Background:

• Traditional dental school clinical grading relied on productivity metrics and daily technical assessments.
• Existing evaluation methods lacked comprehensive assessment of understanding, diagnosis, judgment, and patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To redesign the dental school clinic course evaluation system.
• To implement a competency-based model assessing understanding and performance.
• To replace volume-based grading with competency tests and a quarterly rating system.

Main Methods:

• Instituted competency tests across all dental disciplines.
• Developed a quarterly rating system to replace daily grading.
• Collected and analyzed initial rating data.

Main Results:

• The redesigned system demonstrated excellent face validity.
• Rater consistency was observed in several instances.
• Gradients of generalizability confirmed the ratings' defensibility.

Conclusions:

• The new competency-based evaluation system is a valid and defensible alternative to traditional grading.
• The shift enhances the assessment of dental student capabilities beyond mere productivity.
• This model provides a more robust framework for dental education assessment.