The relationship between children’s readiness-to-learn at school and early risk factors

1. The relationship between children’s readiness-to-learn at school and early risk factors Ministry of Education 4th Annual Education Research Symposium February 4, 2009 Ministry of Children and Youth Services

2. Introduction • The Early Development Instrument (EDI) was developed by Drs. Dan Offord and Magdalena Janus at the Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University. • The Offord Centre for Child Studies supports the implementation, data analysis and research of the tool in Ontario. • The EDI is a population-based measure of children’s readiness to learn in school. Scores are reported for groups of children. • The EDI is designed to measure the cumulative outcomes of children’s early years as they influence readiness to learn at school. • The term “readiness to learn at school” refers to the child’s ability to meet the task demands of school, such as being cooperative and sitting quietly and listening to the teacher, and to benefit from the educational activities that are provided by the school. • EDI can be understood as reflecting the degree to which communities and families help children develop the skills and abilities they require to be successful at school. Ministry of Children and Youth Services

3. Introduction cont’d • In Ontario, EDI data is used to: • provide a provincial baseline and measure progress in early child development (ECD) (e.g. EDI is reported as an MCYS performance measure); • evaluate population level effects of ECD investments (e.g. the EDI is a central measure of the Best Start Outcome Evaluation); and • inform communities via community reports and presentations (fulfilled by data analysis coordinators in many communities). • At the local level, the EDI is used by communities across Ontario to understand the relative strengths and needs of children. Many communities use EDI data to support local program and planning decisions. • Analysis and reporting of EDI data at the community level is provided by data analysis coordinators. Some communities also conduct additional analysis in partnership with school boards (e.g. TDSB). Ministry of Children and Youth Services

4. Overview of EDI • The EDI is an observational tool; teachers complete the EDI for senior kindergarten children in their classroom. • The EDI has five domains: • Physical Health and Well-Being (PHWB) — Children are healthy, independent, rested and ready to participate at school each day. • Social Competence (SOC) — Children play and get along with others, share and show self-confidence. • Emotional Maturity (EMOT) — Children are able to concentrate on tasks, help others, show patience and are not often aggressive or angry. • Language and Cognitive Development (LGCG) — Children are interested in reading and writing, can count and recognize numbers and shapes. • Communication Skills and General Knowledge (CMGK) — Children can tell a story, and communicate with children and adults. • Each scale is scored from 0–10 where 10 represents higher scores. Ministry of Children and Youth Services

5. Reporting EDI scores The 10th percentile is used as the cut-off to identify children scoring low. Children scoring below the 10th percentile are considered vulnerable for poorer educational outcomes in the future. The 75th percentile is used as the cut-off to identify children scoring high. Children scoring above the 75th percentile are considered “very ready” for school. 10th 50th 75th Ministry of Children and Youth Services

6. Linking to Other Data: Income • The Canadian Census provides quality data that is available for different levels of geography. • Other research has shown that there is a relationship between income and children’s achievement. • The expected relationship between EDI scores and income is a ‘gradient’ whereby there are more vulnerable children (vertical axis) in communities with a higher proportion of low income residents (horizontal axis). Ministry of Children and Youth Services

7. Linking to other data: % Low Income • The expected relationship between EDI scores and low income is a gradient. Children low on 2 or more domains % low income Ministry of Children and Youth Services

8. Linking to Other Data: % Low Income • This figure shows that the relationship between low income (Census 2006) and EDI scores (percent vulnerable) is strong. • The orange circles highlight communities that fall significantly away from the expected line (outliers). These include communities with EDI scores better than would be predicted (below the line) or worse than would be predicted (above the line). Children low on 2 or more domains % low income Ministry of Children and Youth Services

9. Linking to other data: Family Income • In addition to the EDI, some communities also conduct a survey with parents. This survey collects information about families. It allows researchers to link family characteristics, like household income, to EDI data. • The expected relationship between EDI scores and family income is a gradient. The direction of this relationship is opposite to the previous. Children low on 2 or more domains Lower Income Higher Income Family Income Ministry of Children and Youth Services

10. Linking to Other Data: Family Income Ministry of Children and Youth Services

11. Other risk factors related to family income p<.05 p<.05 NS p<.05 NS NS Data Source: Kindergarten Parent Survey, 2006 Ministry of Children and Youth Services

12. Other risk factors related to family income p<.05 p<.05 p<.05 Data Source: Kindergarten Parent Survey, 2006 Ministry of Children and Youth Services

13. Supporting the Poverty Reduction Plan • The EDI itself is not a measure of poverty. • However, the data can be used in combination with other data to monitor the influence of investments over time. • For example, there is a strong relationship between EDI scores and income. As the proportion of low-income families increases, the percent of vulnerable children increases. • This is called a social gradient and is seen for many developmental and health outcomes. • One way to evaluate the influence of investments is to monitor the relationship between EDI scores and income over time. Ministry of Children and Youth Services

14. Supporting the Poverty Reduction Plan • Monitoring the relationship between income and EDI scores can provide information about the degree to which investments are able to minimize the effects of poverty on young children and families. • A steeper line indicates greater inequalities for low income families. • A flat line indicates greater equality of outcomes for families. • Decreasing the slope of the line indicates that investments are better able to support low income children and families; that children from low income families are supported to the degree that they are able to achieve the same level of outcomes as non-disadvantaged children. current % Vulnerable Children desired % low income Ministry of Children and Youth Services

15. Carrie Seward Senior Research Analyst Research and Outcome Measurement Branch Strategic Policy and Planning Division Ministry of Children and Youth Services Email: carrie.seward@ontario.ca Phone: 416-327-1114 Shelley Lothian Senior Research Advisor Children’s Services Region of Halton Email: shelley.lothian@halton.ca Phone: 905-825-6000 ext 2578 Ministry of Children and Youth Services