In late September we released EDI Subscales Community Profiles. These reports explore EDI subscale-level data aggregated for each of BC’s school districts and their associated neighbourhoods for Waves 2 through 6. These reports have been carefully developed in response to many conversations with, and requests from, HELP’s partners and collaborators across the province.
Subscale data provide a deeper insight into EDI scale level information. While EDI scales allow us to assess trends and patterns in children’s vulnerability rates in each developmental domain, subscale data allow us to refine our understanding of these outcomes by providing information on more specific areas of development and how these are contributing to vulnerability on each of the EDI scales - district by district and neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and over time.
It is easy to think that working with more fine-grained data will answer the many questions we continue to ask ourselves about how to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children and families. These data help us to understand more specific aspects of children’s development, but when we think about interventions we need to remember that all aspects of development are interconnected: our actions need to reflect the whole child. Singular solutions, focused on a particular subscale, are unlikely to have a substantial effect on scale level vulnerability, especially in the short term. The primary value of subscale information is to deepen our understanding of children’s health and development at age five, and encourage more refined inquiry and planning.
As always, the HELP Team is available to answer questions and help you make meaning of your reports. We are keen to know both whether the way in which we have reported the data is valuable and about the meaning you make of the subscale data in your own context. Keep in touch with us – we are learning with you as this new information rolls out across the Province. You will help to guide how we refine and improve our approach over the coming year.
I would like to recognize the work the whole HELP Team has put into making the reports understandable and useful. It has been a labour of love for everyone at HELP. I hope you find them valuable.
Sincerely,
Pippa Rowcliffe
Deputy Director, HELP