Early Development Instrument (EDI)
Implementation in BC School Districts
Teacher Training
2008/09
Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP)
Provincial ECD Mapping Project
HELP’s Vision
To create, advance,
and apply knowledge
through interdisciplinary
research to help
children thrive
What’s Our Plan for the
Training Today?
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HELP’s model for training
The importance of early child development
The Early Development Instrument (EDI)
EDI: a catalyst for action
EDI implementation
Why you are important in the research
process
What is Our Model for EDI
Training?
Train the Trainer
Standardized Approach
What About Next Year?
Why is Early Child
Development Important?
Sensitive Periods in Early Brain
Development
Pre-school years
High
Numbers
Peer social skills
Sensitivity
Low
School years
Symbol
Language
Habitual ways of responding
Emotional control
Vision
Hearing
0
1
2
3
4
Years
5
6
7
Graph developed by Council for Early Child Development (ref: Nash, 1997; Early Years Study, 1999; Shonkoff, 2000.)
ECD
The Powerful Equalizer
If we can:
Improve health & well-being of
populations
Improve ability & competence of
populations
Together We Can
Reduce Inequity
Domains of Development
Language & Cognitive
Social & Emotional
Physical
The Early Development
Instrument
A teacher completed
instrument which
measures children’s
development
Offord Centre for Child Studies
The 3 “O’s”
Only
Observe
Objectively
About the EDI
• It is……..
– A population (or
large group)
measure
– A way to
understand
trends in the
development of
kindergarten
children
• It is not……..
– An individual
child or
diagnostic
measure
– A way to
evaluate
teachers or
individual
programs
Scales of the EDI
Scales of the EDI
1. Language and Cognitive Development
2. Communication Skills
Scales of the EDI
1. Language and Cognitive Development
2. Communication Skills
3. Social Competence
4. Emotional Maturity
Scales of the EDI
1. Language and Cognitive Development
2. Communication Skills
3. Social Competence
4. Emotional Maturity
5. Physical Health and
Well-being
What Does Each Scale Measure?
Physical Health & Well Being
Physical Preparedness for the School Day
Physical independence
Gross & Fine Motor Skills
Language & Cognitive Develpment
Basic Literacy Skills
Interest in Literacy/Numeracy and Memory
Advanced Literacy Skills
Basic Numeracy Skills
What Does Each Scale Measure?
Social Competence
Emotional Maturity
Overall social competence
Prosocial and helping behavior
Responsibility and respect
Anxious and fearful behavior
Approaches to learning
Aggressive behavior
Readiness to explore new things
Hyperactivity and inattention
Communication Skills &
General Knowledge
Communication skills
Awareness of the world
A Catalyst for Action
“No Data, No Problem,
No Action”
Alfredo Solari
Why Annually?
With an annual EDI administration we
could:
 Establish trends within 3 years and address
problems earlier
 Create a baseline of child development for new
programs and services
 Provide more meaningful results:


in rural and remote areas
for distinctly identified groups (e.g. ESL, Aboriginal,
special needs)
 Understand if broad ECD policy directions are
being effective
Policy Collaboration
The EDI is now funded by three
ministries – Healthy Living and Sport,
Education and Children and Family
Development
A new era of inter-ministerial
collaboration
500+
Initiatives
Local Stories
at, rink and ndulge…
www.
Communities for Kids.ca
CFK is an ECD initiative in the South
Okanagan - Similkameen. (Summerland
south to Osoyoos and west to Princeton.)
CFK promotes optimal health and
development of all children aged 0-6.
CFK’s coalition includes Success By 6®.
We work together to identify and meet
ECD needs in all SOS communities.
www.
Communities for Kids.ca
CFK is a.k.a. Children First. Both CF and
SB6 span the province.
CF and SB6 coordinators rely on the EDI
to do our work. Arguably, there isn’t a
single coordinator who doesn’t know it and
who hasn’t used it in one form or another.
CFK relies on the EDI to help make
evidence based decisions to improve the
lives of all children in the South Okanagan.
How has CFK used the EDI ?
CFK has allocated over $100,000 of SB6
funding since 2006, for 14 projects.
Every project CFK funds must be evidence
based.
To date, all CFK funded projects have
used the EDI (and other data) as evidence
to demonstrate the project’s need.
www.
Communities for Kids.ca
In conclusion, the EDI provides critical
information to CFK (and other provincial
ECD initiatives) that we use to help make
important evidence -based decisions
about ECD program development and
implementation.
Thank you
How Do We
Implement the EDI?
Timeline
How Do You
Complete the EDI?
Getting Started with the
EDI How
long will
Whenwill
is the
What
I
it take to
EDI need?
Completed?
complete?
Sample Class List
Questionnaire Labels
14-digit EDI ID #
School Name
Child’s Date of Birth
Child’s Postal Code
Teacher name
Child Gender
EDI ID Numbers
The EDI ID Number Contains 14-Digits
39393450901201
39393450901201
39 = School District Number
39345 = School Code
09 = Cycle Year (Year Administered)
01 = Teacher Code
2 = Class Time
01 = Child ID# from class list
The EDI
Questionnaire
Label
Demographic
Information
Section A
Physical Health & Well-Being
Section B
Language & Cognitive Skills
Section C
Social & Emotional Development
Section D
Special Problems
Section E
Additional Questions
Teacher
Participation
Form
When?
How?
Why?
Privacy and Confidentiality
Behavioural Research Ethics Board
(BREB) of UBC approved
All information collected is kept
completely confidential and used for
statistical purposes only
Parents are informed; participation is
voluntary; consent is passive
No child or teacher is ever identified
in our reporting
Important Things to
Remember
Use the guide as a reference if you are
not sure about a specific question
Trust your instincts
Be as objective as possible when
completing the EDI
Don’t compare one child to another
Answer as many questions as you can
Teacher
Training
Feedback Form
Please fill this
out before you
leave today and
give it to your
trainer
Why?
“Kindergarten teachers of B.C.
deserve a long, loud round of
applause. Through their
participation in the Early
Development Instrument
project, BC is now the first jurisdiction in
the world to have population level data on
the state of children's development at
school entry. Together we may just find a
way to provide all of our children with an
equal start on their educational journey.”
Dr. Clyde Hertzman
Who are the Contacts in
Your District?
School District Contact
Community ECD Representative
Who is Your Contact at HELP?
Gillian Corless
EDI Implementation Manager
gillian.corless@ubc.ca
Please visit HELP’s website:
www.earlylearning.ubc.ca
Sign up for HELP’s Listserv.
Questions?