Transcript DATA DRIVEN PLANNING - Understanding The Early Years

Understanding The Early Years
Niagara College ECE Program 
October 2007
Glory Ressler, B.A., Dip. GIT
Coordinator, Understanding the Early Years Niagara Region
Early Childhood Community Development Centre
905-646-7311 or [email protected]
The Understanding the Early Years
initiative is funded by Human Resources
and Social Development Canada.
For further information, visit:
www.hrsdc.gc.ca
AGENDA
Overview of UEY
Local Research
Products and Activities
Impacts to-date
Discussion
Evaluations
INTRODUCTION TO UEY
Funder: HRSDC (36 sites across Canada)
Sponsoring agency: ECCDC
History: Niagara Falls from 2001-2007,
Niagara Region from 2005-2008
Community Coalition: Early Years
Niagara Planning Council
Partners: Region of Niagara, Ontario
Early Years Centres, DSBN, NCDSB,
various early years service providers,
community groups, businesses and
service clubs
PURPOSE OF UEY
Promote awareness and
understanding concerning the
importance of the early years
Examine the relationship between
community factors and early learning
and development outcomes in Niagara
Report on local and national findings
Support evidence-based decision
making and planning in the
community (capacity building)
UEY KNOWLEDGE
GATHERING UEY Timeline
CHILD
DEVELOPMENT,
FAMILY &
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
ASSETS
EXPERIENCE
Readiness to learn
Community
(EDI)
Resource
Parent Interviews &
Inventory Survey
Direct Assessments
(NLSCY, PIDACS)
COMMUNITY
FACTORS
Socioeconomic
Conditions and
Social Risk Index
(Census)
• 2001 EDI – UEY Niagara Falls
• 2002 National Longitudinal
Study of Children & Youth
(NLSCY)
• 2001 Census/Statistics Canada
- UEY Niagara Falls, UEY
Niagara Region
• 2002 EDI – UEY Niagara
Falls/Ontario
Early Years
Niagara Region
• 2003 EDI – UEY Niagara Falls
• 2003 Community Resources
Inventory
Survey –
Ontario Early Years Niagara
Region/UEY Niagara Falls
• 2005 EDI - UEY Niagara
Falls/Ontario
Early Years
Niagara Region
• 2005 NLSCY – UEY Niagara
Falls
EARLY DEVELOPMENT
INSTRUMENT (EDI)
An important part of the picture for the
community, as well as early years
service providers and decision makers.
Population-based measure,
Developmentally grounded, and
Links to community factors, literacy
levels, school performance, health
outcomes, and curriculum.
EDI CONT’D
Measures ‘readiness to learn at school’ –
which refers to 4-6 year olds’ ability to
meet task demands, such as:
Being comfortable exploring and asking
questions,
Listening to the teacher,
Playing and working with other
children,
Remembering and following rules, and
Benefiting from the educational
EDI CONT’D
SK teacher recorded measure on five
domains of early child development:
Physical Health & Well-being,
Social Competence,
Emotional Maturity,
Language & Cognitive Development,
Communication Skills & General
Knowledge.
EDI ANALYSIS
There are inequalities in outcomes
Data at the domain, sub-domain and
neighbourhood levels reveals more
information
Vulnerability measures have strongest
predictive value re: future success in
education, employment and well-being
Largest %s of children with vulnerabilities
found among low income families
Largest #s of children with vulnerabilities
found among middle/upper income families
Good predictor of grade 1 achievement,
accounting for 33.8% of variance
Small changes for large proportions of the
population will have most impact
LOCAL EDI RESULTS
In early 2006,
Senior Kindergarten teachers
from across the Niagara Region
and both School Boards
implemented the EDI with over 3,000
Niagara students.
What follows are some of the results…
We scored significantly higher than the national
averages on all five of the school readiness to learn
domains in 2006!
77% of SK children in 2006 were on track for
learning in school!
Niagara Region's Municipalities 2006: % of Vulnerable Children
N = 2921
Grimsby
16%
20%
21%
National Average = 26%
Vulnerable
25%
26%
28%
Pelham
Wainfleet
Lincoln
West Lincoln
Niagara Falls
29%
31%
32%
33%
33%
34%
Port Colborne
Niagara-On-The-Lake
St. Catharines
Thorold
0
10
20
30
Precentage of Children
40
50
Welland
Fort Erie
Interest &
Memory
Basic Literacy
17.1
14.3
0
Welland South &
South Pelham
8
22
14
6
5.3
Eastdale & Market
Square
Complex
Literacy Skills
5.9
5.3
5.3
5.3
Rural Welland / Cooks
Mills & Ontario Rd. /
Dain City
Basic numeracy
Neighbourhoods Not On Track
Chippawa Park Area
% Not on Track in Welland - Language & Cognitive Development
21.1
7.9
18.4
13.2
0
10
20
30
Percentage of Children
40
50
COMMUNITY CONDITIONS
Low income, lone parenting and
education level of parents are factors
that seem to increase vulnerability
scores on the EDI
Access to resources also seems to
impact early development and
readiness to learn in school
UEY PRODUCTS / ACTIVITIES
Maps & Mapping Studies, EDI Reports,
Community Studies
Community Updates, School Board
Reports, Parent Brochures
Research Communiques, Articles,
Specific Requested Reports
Custom Presentations, Workshops,
Community Forums, Conference
Session, and Event Displays
Website where all of the above can be
downloaded (www.uey.eccdc.org)
UEY IMPACTS TO DATE
Professional development sessions provided
School Board and service delivery planning
influenced
Regional and neighbourhood needs identified
and used in community plans
New programs developed, existing revised
New resources allocated, existing re-allocated
Successful proposals, grants, and reports written
Research, event, training, and product
development partnerships formed
Community action inspired
Resources provided to parents and early years
professionals
Local and national knowledge enhanced
DISCUSSION
Do you anticipate being able to use the
local data and knowledge in your
practice with young children?
How might ECE’s, JK/SK/Resource
teachers and other early years
professionals use the data to improve
programs and services?
Please complete an evaluation.
Thank you for your time and attention!
~ Glory 