The use of the portfolio model for the purpose of determining minimal clinical competency performance in initial clinical licensure examinations, as discussed by Dr. David Chambers in his February JADA article, "Portfolios for Determining Initial Licensure Competency," was a strategy thoroughly investigated by the joint American Association of Dental Examiners’, or AADE, and the American Dental Education Association’s, or ADEA, Committee on Innovative Testing and Educational Methodologies, or ITEM.
After hearing testimony from two measurement specialists, Dr. David Chambers of the University of the Pacific and Dr. Steven Klein of the Rand Corp., the committee abandoned the potential use of portfolios in initial clinical licensure examination constructs. At the Oct. 22–23, 2003, Annual Meeting of the AADE, the General Assembly (Resolution 10GA) resolved that the AADE oppose the portfolio model for use in initial licensure examinations.
The portfolio model was rejected for good reason. The concept violates the basic principles of testing developed and published through various documents over the past 10 years. The Guidelines for Valid and Reliable Dental Licensure Clinical Examinations (adopted by the AADE, November 1993), and the Guidelines for Examiner Standardization, developed as a result of the "Agenda for Change" 1997 Invitational Conference (endorsed by the American Dental Association House of Delegates and the AADE General Assembly in 1998) have been updated in a new document.
The committee utilized the most recent 1999 version of the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing, published by the American Psychological Association and the National Council on Measurement in Education, as a guideline for updating the previous documents into this new document, the Guidance for Clinical Licensure Examinations in Dentistry, adopted by AADE resolution on Oct. 22–23, 2003.
The notable violations of principles of testing embodied by the portfolio model include the violation of candidate anonymity, potential problems with examination security, dramatically increased cost to the candidate and the abandonment of the use of independent third-party examiners, as recommended by Dr. Chambers in his portfolio model. From pilots to plumbers, every profession requires an independent third-party assessment of minimal competency as a prerequisite to licensure.
The basic purpose of licensure testing is to assure the public that only competent professionals are granted licenses to practice their profession. In doing so, we protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of our states.
The "state of the art" of today’s clinical licensure examinations has dramatically improved over the last decade, resulting in a high degree of validity regarding the decisions made for the purposes of licensure. Virtually every testing agency, including independent states, utilizes professional, independent measurement specialists to ensure that our constructs for testing are psychometrically defensible; that examiners are effectively standardized and scrutinized to ensure that professional judgment decisions are uniform; that our exam content is appropriate and tests necessary entry-level clinical skills required for the safe, independent practice of dentistry and dental hygiene, all of which result in valid licensure decisions.
There is no evidence that a portfolio model would positively impact the validity of these licensure decisions and, in fact, there is evidence to the contrary. Therefore, the AADE strongly rejects Dr. Chambers’ recommendation that portfolios can be utilized in the initial clinical examination process.
