1. Measuring early child development: Early Development Instrument pilot in Scotland Presenter: Dr Rosemary Geddes MRC Career Development Fellow, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy Contributor: Professor John Frank Director, Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy Professor and Chair, Public Health Research and Policy, University of Edinburgh Acknowledgements: McMaster University, Canada, who own copyright of EDI tool

2. Content Context What is the Early Development Instrument (EDI)? Purpose of EDI Using EDI results for community empowerment and action EDI pilot in East Lothian

3. Context International and national focus on importance of early years intervention – Marmot review Equally Well national framework for action on health inequalities Support from the start - Equally Well early years test site in East Lothian – established March 2009 Work to improve existing service pathways and/or develop new ones to address health inequalities in the early years

4. Developed at the Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Canada

5. What is the EDI? The EDI is teacher-completed checklist (taking 20 min) that assesses childrens readiness to learn when they enter school. In other words, it measures the outcomes of childrens pre-school (0-5 years) experiences as they influence their readiness to learn at school. As a result, the EDI is able to predict how children will do in primary school.

6. A Population-Based Measure The EDI is designed to be interpreted at the group level. The EDI does not provide diagnostic information on individual children.

7. How the EDI works The EDI assesses childrens readiness to learn when they enter school by looking at five key areas of child development:

8. What Does the EDI Measure?

9. 1) Physical Health and Well-Being

10. Physical Health & Well-Being Childs physical readiness for the school day, physical independence, and gross and fine motor skills Example EDI Items: Section A – Physical Well-being yesnodont know Sometimes too tired to do school workΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is independent in toilet habits most of the timeΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is proficient at holding a pen, crayons or a brush goodaverage poor dont know ΟΟΟΟ

11. turity 2) Social Competence

12. Social Knowledge & Competence Childs overall social competence, responsibility and respect, approaches to learning, and their readiness to explore new things Example EDI Items: Section C – Social and Emotional Development oftensometimes never dont know Is able to play with various childrenΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Shows tolerance to someone who made a mistakeΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Works independentlyΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is eager to play with a new toyΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ

13. 3) Emotional Maturity

14. Emotional Health & Maturity Childs prosocial and helping behaviour, anxious and fearful behaviour, aggressive behaviour and hyperactivity, and inattention Example EDI Items: Section C – Social and Emotional Development oftensometimes never dont know Comforts a child who is crying or upsetΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is upset when left by parent/guardianΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Kicks, bites, hits other children and adultsΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is distractible, has trouble sticking to any activityΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ

15. 4) Language & Cognitive Development

16. Language & Cognitive Development Childs basic and advanced literacy skills, interest in literacy/numeracy and memory, and basic numeracy skills Example EDI Items: Section B – Language and Cognitive Skills yesnodont know Knows how to handle a book (e.g., turn a page)ΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is able to write simple sentencesΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is interested in games involving numbersΟΟΟΟΟΟ Is able to say which number is bigger of the twoΟΟΟΟΟΟ

17. 5) Communication Skills and General Knowledge

18. Communication Skills & General Knowledge Childs ability to communicate needs and ideas effectively, and interest in the surrounding world Example EDI Items: Section B – Language and Cognitive Skills goodaverage poor dont know Ability to tell a storyΟΟΟΟΟΟΟΟ Ability to articulate clearly, without sound substitutionsΟΟΟ ΟΟΟΟ Ο Answers questions showing knowledge about the world (e.g. apple is a fruit, dogs bark) oftensometimesneverdont know ΟΟΟ Ο

19. Definition of vulnerable Score in each domain of development for each child Range of scores for each domain Lowest tenth for whole population = low Children who score low in one or more of the five domains of the EDI = vulnerable

20. How is it reported? Percentage of children that are vulnerable are reported for each school, neighbourhood, cluster, local authority Linked to postal codes (Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation or SIMD) – answers the question: are children performing as expected? User-friendly colour-coded maps provide a visual snapshot of child development

22. How can EDI data and community mapping be used? Helps communities measure their capacity to support families with young children Identifies strengths and where the needs are greatest Strengthens community capacity to make informed decisions about best policies and practices for children and their families Assists in monitoring progress over time

23. On-going and Cyclical Process 1 Provision of EDI Results 2 Integration of EDI Data with Other Community Data 4 Community Action 5 Effects on Subsequent EDI Results 3 Dissemination of Results to Community

24. Knowledge Mobilization: Using the Early Development Instrument to Empower Communities Adapted from model by Nikita Desai and Jean Varghese, Toronto We would like to thank the Toronto EDI Advisory Committee, all our workshop participants and the Scarborough Rouge River Early Years Centre: Malvern Family Resource Centre. For more information on Toronto EDI, Riding Profiles, the workshops we conduct, as well as a copy of this poster please visit our website http://www.mothercraft.ca/TorontoEDI Acknowledgments EDI Implementa tion Integration with community data Knowledge Mobilization Community Action The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a teacher-administered questionnaire that measures school readiness after school entry in P1. The EDI measures childrens competence in five areas: physical, emotional, social, literacy and communication. It is a population-based measure that provides a snapshot of how children are faring in a neighbourhood, city or across a local authority. Usually completed every 3 years 70 teachers trained and1200 children assessed in East Lothian 2011/2012 For effective planning EDI results must be interpreted in the context of community data. EDI data is grouped by postal code Data Coordinators compile EDI data to create reports for each cluster. Cluster reports include neighbourhood-specific scores with economic, social and demographic information as well as maps of the areas. EDI cluster profiles and community workshops encourage research -based early years programming. Community partners are able to focus their outreach and programming based on EDI results. An extensive document is created that addresses the needs of the community based on EDI profiles and the planning process outlined at workshops. Data Coordinators conduct workshops across the local authority in each of the clusters. Community partners, school and government representatives participate in these workshops. Participants learn to read cluster profiles and interpret EDI results. Participants are guided through a five step planning process that informs community action.

25. How can EDI data be used in planning? Step 1: Study local authority and neighbourhood results Step 2: Think about factors that may be contributing to EDI scores Step 3: List activities to help strengthen skills in domain of concern Step 4: Identify services, programmes and resources already available Step 5: Identify relevant stakeholders and partnerships in the community

26. Asset Mapping Perth East Metropolitan region, Australia Proportion of children vulnerable on one or more domains Prepared by: AEDI National Support Centre Source: AEDI Communities Data 2004/05East Metropolitan Perth, WA

28. 3. Community asset mapping The AEDI community planning process 1. Identifying areas of particular need e.g. Mission Australia funds 3 year play group, language program & mums group at school 4. Mobilising community action 2. Assessing the local distribution of childrens developmental vulnerability

29. EDI pilot in Scotland - main objectives Adapt Canadian EDI to Scottish context/school system (phase 1) Implement fully in at least one local authority: East Lothian 2011/12 (phase 2) Link mean scores in each developmental domain to socioeconomic status (using SIMD*) Determine % vulnerable children in each developmental domain, and overall Generate reports, present results to stakeholders in LA & to Scottish Government, using user-friendly charts & maps *Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation - takes into account 38 different indicators relating to income, employment, health, education, skills and training, housing, access and crime

30. EDI pilot phase 2 Approximately 1200 children and 70 teachers Private schools included Training day 24 th October (in-service half day) Completion day – teachers choose a time between 10-31 January 2012) Supply teachers provided for ½ to 2 days Data entry and analysis 4 months i.e. First reports May/June 2012

31. Summary - EDI can: Increase awareness of the importance of early years in the community Be used alongside other local contextual information, community asset mapping and consultations to inform planning Provide a common language for the community to discuss the needs of young children within schools and communities Provide a basis for identifying possible actions and resource allocation in a community Provide a baseline for measuring change over time

32. Thank you

33. Useful websites & references Scottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy: www.scphrp.ac.uk Offord Centre for Child Studies http://www.offordcentre.com/index.html Australian Early Development Index - click on AEDI http://www.rch.org.au/ccch/index.cfm?doc_id=10556 British Columbia ECD mapping portal http://www.ecdportal.help.ubc.ca/archive/faq.htm Hertzman C, Williams R. Making early childhood count. CMAJ. 2009 Jan 6;180(1):68-71. Lloyd JEV, Hertzman C. From Kindergarten readiness to fourth-grade assessment: Longitudinal analysis with linked population data. Social Science & Medicine. 2009;68(1):111-23. Hertzman C. Tackling inequality: get them while theyre young. BMJ 2010; 340:346-8 Marmot M. Fair Society, Healthy Lives. London: University College London; 2010.