Application of the One-Sample Z-test to Assess the Impact of Changes in a Veterinary Curriculum on Results From the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE)

A summary report of student performance on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE) is shared each year with colleges and schools of veterinary medicine accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. The NAVLE summary report provides valuable outcomes assessment information that allows an institution to benchmark student clinical problem-solving ability and to monitor changes in academic performance over time. A new curriculum was fully implemented at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine for the Class of 2013. We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on annual NAVLE summary reports for 2006 to 2020 as part of a comprehensive curricular review. A One-Sample Z-test was applied to mean category-specific NAVLE scale scores or percentage correct values for each year at the University of Illinois relative to mean values for all students taking the NAVLE, with subsequent conversion of Z-score values to percentiles. <i>P</i> < 0.05 was considered significant. The new curriculum improved student performance on the NAVLE relative to the old curriculum, based on an increased mean yearly pass percentage (<i>p</i> = .011), and increased Z-score values for 3 of 7 species categories, 7 of 12 organ system categories, and two quartiles of students categorized by class rank. Findings also identified areas of weakness in student learning, which stimulated further curricular review and revision. We suggest that colleges/schools consider using the One-Sample Z-test to increase the value of NAVLE summary data as a component of quantitative curricular review and assess the effectiveness of curricular change.