I am concerned that the January JADA Point/Counterpoint article, "Do Portfolio Assessments Have a Place in Dental Licensure?" by Drs. Richard Ranney and Ronald Hambleton, does not accurately represent the state of current dental licensing testing (
JADA 2006;137:31, 33, 35
). I commend the authors for recognizing that there are obstacles that detract from school portfolio-based licensing assessments.
I realize that it is difficult for those not intimately involved with all testing agencies to stay current with progress made by the various agencies. The Western Regional Examining Board (WREB) has significantly updated testing programs, so that many of the concerns expressed in the counterpoint article are no longer valid for the tests we administer.
WREB prepares annual reports for board members with test results, validity support and reliability study results. These reports guide the continual improvement of the examination.
WREB has commissioned several validity studies for the dental and dental hygiene examinations. The most current studies are posted on the "www.wreb.org" Web site.
WREB convened a committee composed of examiners and dental school deans to attempt to incorporate some of the recommendations of the Innovative Testing and Educational Methodologies, or ITEM, committee. One of the greatest obstacles is the difficulty in developing methodologies that schools can participate in as a standardized evaluation, rather than as a learning situation with instructor input.
In summary, steps have been, and are continually being, taken to address the criticisms of the present methodology of testing. Efforts are being made to incorporate ITEM committee recommendations. It appears that it may be more possible to upgrade the present system than to obtain the degree of school participation required for portfolio assessments.
