In 2013 the City and the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD) teamed with UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families and Communities to introduce a measure of children’s developmental progress at age 5. The Early Developmental Index (EDI) captures children’s outcomes across 5 developmental domains including physical health and wellbeing, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, communication skills and general knowledge. These domains correspond to the national indicators used to determine school readiness. At that time PUSD was one of the few school districts in the state of California that implemented The Early Developmental Index.
The EDI results were included in the revised Pasadena Eearly Childhood Development Policy that was presented to Pasadena City Council in March of 2015. The maps highlighted what we know as the reality for many of Pasadena’s families regardless of income; that experience stresses and strains that impact their time and ability to continuously nurture and further their child’s development.
Understanding EDI
The Pasadena City Council formally approved the revised Early Development Policy that provided a 5 Year Master Plan for the Young Child to unite diverse programs and services in the City of Pasadena and to meld them into a cohesive coordinated family centered system that focuses on policy, service and pursuit of public and private funding options to improve the lives of young children, ages birth to 5. At the same time, the City Council also adopted a resolution to become an Early Learning City by 2025, as part of a national movement called Early Learning Nation 2025. The City of Pasadena and PUSD invested in administering the EDI again in 2017.
Understanding EDI Data Pasadena
EDI Conversations Executive Summary