EARLY DEVELOPMENT INSRUMENT (EDI)
OVERVIEW
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a questionnaire that measures five core areas of early child development that are known to be good predictors of adult health, education and social outcomes:
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Physical Health & Well-Being
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Language & Cognitive Development
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Social Competence
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Emotional Maturity
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Communication Skills & General Knowledge
The purpose of collecting information using the EDI is to improve our understanding of children’s development as they start school. Information from the EDI has proven essential to educators, school districts, health professionals, early years service providers and community members in planning programs and supports for children and families. Public institutions, including school districts, use EDI information (data) in their school district planning. Schools and communities use EDI information to understand how children are doing in key areas of development, and to plan interventions. The information from the EDI also supports provincial investment, policy development, and program planning and evaluation.
Research using EDI data reveals that there is variability across neighbourhoods – with some neighbourhoods showing a high percentage of children who are vulnerable in key areas of their development, while other neighbourhoods have low percentages. EDI data can provide insight into how Kindergarten children are doing and encourage discussions about the factors affecting children's early development in neighbourhoods across the province. The information from the EDI is used to increase awareness of the ways in which we can create environments in which children can thrive.
IMPLEMENTATION
Click HERE to learn more and to access information about the Early Development Instrument.
EDI questionnaires are completed by kindergarten teachers from across British Columbia for all children in their classes. They are filled out in February, after teachers have had the chance to get to know their students. This ensures that teachers are able to answer the questions knowledgeably.
In Central Okanagan Public Schools we typically participate in the EDI every other year. Kindergarten teachers are notified via email whenever we as a district are running EDI with our students. EDI is optional for Kindergarten teachers and those who elect to participate are compensated for their time. Teachers who are new to EDI receive training and teachers who have participated previously in EDI are provided with a shorter refresher overview.