Education committee advances penalty‑rubric work and flags program compliance issues at several schools

The Education Committee on Nov. 8 heard progress reports on the Dental Hygiene Educational Program Penalty Rubric Task Force and an update on program site visits across California.

Chair Joanne Pacheco described the task force’s work: since its first meeting on June 4 the group of board members and appointed stakeholders has met seven times to categorize violations using the factors in 16 CCR §1104.3 (nature/severity, time elapsed, consequences/patient‑harm potential, prior history, willfulness, gravity, and program remediation). The task force is developing a rubric that will recommend timeframes and penalties and is scheduled to meet next on Nov. 21.

Dr. Adena Petty reported on site visits: Pasadena City College is on probation but in temporary compliance while submitting quarterly reports; Taft College is in compliance; several Concord Career College campuses submitted corrective materials pending CODA approval; Cerritos College is in temporary compliance with permanent compliance due in mid‑2026; West Coast University was found in full compliance after a Sept. 29 visit; Diablo Valley College is not currently in compliance and staff are reviewing DVC’s follow‑up documents.

Committee members expressed concern about direct patient‑care hours at Diablo Valley College and the decline in National Board pass rates for some cohorts. Dr. Petty said CODA’s standards sometimes use the word “should” (recommended) rather than “must,” which complicates enforcement; she recommended a future agenda item to consider establishing minimum direct‑patient hours. Diablo Valley’s program director, Tonette Steeb, told the committee the program realigned clinical scheduling after moving to 16‑week terms and said recent pass rates had recovered, reporting a 95% pass rate for the most recent cohort; Petty said she will address perceived inconsistencies about PPE fees and hour accounting in a written response.

The Education Committee voted to approve the task‑force report and to accept the site‑visit updates. Members recommended a town hall for program directors and creation of a task force to develop potential minimum standards and education/outreach to ensure programs meet minimum clinical expectations.

What this means: the penalty rubric is a multi‑meeting project designed to improve consistency and transparency in how the board evaluates violations at educational programs. The site‑visit findings will guide follow‑up compliance work and, where necessary, probationary requirements or remediation plans.

Next steps: the task force will continue meetings, the board will consider a future agenda item on establishing minimum direct patient‑care hour standards, and staff will continue reviewing program responses and CODA actions.