Predictors of Student Success on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examinations, Inc. (NBDHE) for a Dental Hygiene Program in Southern Illinois

Abstract

Grade Point Average (GPA) is often utilized when predicting success in any higher education program. The primary focus of this research was to determine if any link exists between pre-entry GPA, science-based didactic dental hygiene courses GPA, and graduation GPA to success on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examinations, Inc. (NBDHE). Results were gathered through a myriad of reports such as NBDHE score reports from Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s (SIUC) dental hygiene program, GPA, and course grades from the SIUC’s Registrar’s office for graduates from the Class of 2012-2022. Pre-entry GPA (2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale), graduation GPA, and individual science-based didactic dental hygiene courses were evaluated using the letter grades “A, B, C” as “pass” and “D, F” as “fail” based on the curriculum requirements of the SIUC dental hygiene program. Specific dental hygiene didactic course grades and how these affected pass rates on the NBDHE will be discussed. Recommendations for the SIUC dental hygiene program from this research will be shared and how instituting a Health Education Systems, Inc. (HESI) exam during the last two years has proven successful in predicting the overall success of dental hygiene students at SIUC.