An Overview of the Models in Reporting School Data on Dental Credentialing Examinations

The development and dissemination of meaningful and useful performance reports associated with examinations involved in the licensure process are important to the communities of interest, including state boards, candidates, and professional schools. Discussions of performance reporting have been largely neglected however. The authors recognize and reinforce the need for such discussions by providing prototypes of performance reporting in dentistry with examples and recommendations to guide practice. For illustrative purposes, this article reviews and discusses the different reporting models used over the past ten years with Part I and Part II of the National Board Dental Examination (NBDE). These reporting models are distinguished by such features as the following: 1) scores in each discipline covered on the exam (four for Part I and nine for Part II) and an overall average are reported in a standard-score metric; 2) a single overall score in a standard-score metric is reported; and 3) performance on the exam is reported as pass/fail. Standard scores on the NBDE range from 49 to 99, with 75 being a passing score. Sample data, without identifying information, are used to illustrate the reporting models.