Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Does the EDI Equivalently Measure Facets of School Readiness for Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal children?

  • Published:
Social Indicators Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The aim of the current paper was to examine the equivalence of the Early Development Instrument (EDI), a teacher rating measure of school readiness, for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. The current study used an approach, which analyzes the structure and properties of the EDI at the subdomain level. Similar subdomain score distributions would suggest that the EDI measures subdomains similarly for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal groups, whereas systematic variations in distributions would suggest the presence of bias at the subdomain level. The EDI was completed on a population of kindergarteners in 2003 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Results indicate that mean scores for all the domains and subdomains were significantly lower for Aboriginal children. However, the distributions of subdomains in which children were rated as ‘challenges exist’ were similar among both groups. The findings suggest an equivalent structure of the EDI at the subdomains level for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children. The next step is to examine the specific correlates, beyond the structure of the EDI, that are associated with disparities in EDI subdomain scores, such as contextual factors and social conditions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barsh, R. L. (1994). Canada’s Aboriginal peoples: Social integration or disintegration? Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 14, 1–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beauvais, C., & Jenson, J. (2003). The well-being of children: Are there “neighbourhood effects”?. Ottawa, Ontario: Canadian Policy Research Networks Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brzozowski, J.A., Taylor-Butts, A., & Johnson, S. (2006). Victimization and offending among the Aboriginal population in Canada. Juristat, 26(3). Catalogue No. 85–002-XPE. Ottawa, Canada: Statistics Canada.

  • Choi, H. (2001). Cultural marginality: A concept analysis with implications for adolescent youth. Issues in Comprehensive Paediatric Nursing, 24, 193–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cushon, J., Vu, L., Janzen, B., & Muhajarine, N. (2011). Neighbourhood poverty impacts children’s physical health and well-being over time: Evidence from the early development instrument. Early Education and Development, 22(2), 183–205.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doherty, G. (2007). Conception to age six: The foundation of school-readiness. Toronto, Ontario: Learning Partnership. Available on-line at: http://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/policy_research/Early_Years_researchpaper-jan07.pdf. Retrieved August 10, 2009.

  • Duku, E., & Janus, M. (2004). Stability and reliability of the early development instrument: A population-based measure for communities (EDI). Poster presentation, 16th Annual Research Day, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, April 2004.

  • Duncan, G. J., & Magnuson, K. A. (2005). Can family socioeconomic resources account for racial and ethnic test score gaps? The Future of Children, 15, 35–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forget-Dubois, N., Lemelin, J. P., Boivin, M., Dionne, G., Seguin, J. R., Vitaro, F., et al. (2007). Predicting early school achievement with the EDI: A longitudinal population-based study. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 405–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Furstenberg, F. F., & Hughes, M. E. (1997). The influence of neighborhoods on children's development: a theoretical perspective and a research agenda. In J. Brooks-Gunn, G. J. Duncan, & J. L. Aber (Eds.), Neighborhood poverty: Volume II: Policy implications in studying neighborhoods (pp. 23–47). New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

  • Graham, K. & Peters, E. (2002). Aboriginal communities and urban sustainability. In: F. Leslie Seidle (Ed.), The federal role in Canada’s cities: Four policy perspectives. CPRN Discussion Paper No. F|27. Ottawa: Canadian Policy Research Networks.

  • Guhn, M., Gadermann, A., & Zumbo, B. D. (2007). Does the EDI measure school readiness in the same way across different groups of children? Early Education and Development, 18(3), 453–472.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hair, E., Halle, T., Terry-Humen, E., Lavelle, B., & Calkins, J. (2006). Children’s school readiness in the ECLS-K: Predictions to academic, health, and social outcomes in first grade. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21(4), 431–454.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanselmann, C. (2001). Urban Aboriginal People in Western Canada. Calgary: Canada West Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hertzman, C., McLean, S. A., Kohen, D. E., Dunn, J., & Evans, T. (2002). Early development in Vancouver: Report of the community asset mapping project (CAMP). Vancouver, BC: Human Early Learning Partnership.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janus, M. (2002). Validation of the early development instrument in a sample of First Nations’ children. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Offord Centre for Child Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janus, M., & Duku, E. (2007). The School entry gap: Socioeconomic, family, and health factors associated with children’s school readiness to learn. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 375–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Janus, M., & Offord, D. R. (2007). Development of psychometric properties of the Early Development instrument (EDI): A measure of school readiness. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 39(1), 1–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janus, M., Walsh, C., & Duku, E. (2005). Early development instrument: Factor structure, subdomains and multiple challenge index. Hamilton, ON: Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Janus, M., Brinkman, S., Duku, E., Hertzman, C., Santos, R., Sayers, M., et al. (2007). The Early Development Instrument: A population-based measure for communities. A handbook on development, properties, and use. Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Offord Centre for Child Studies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, R. A., & Wichern, D. W. (1998). Clustering, distance methods, and ordination. In J. Grant (Ed.), Applied multivariate statistical analysis (pp. 726–798). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keating, D. P. (2007). Formative evaluation of the early development instrument: Progress and prospects. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 561–570.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kershaw, P., Forer, B., Irwin, L. G., Hertzman, C., & Lapointe, V. (2007). Toward a social care program of research: A population-level study of neighbourhood effects on child development. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 535–560.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohen, D. E., Hertzman, C., & Wiens, M. (1998). Environmental changes and children’s competencies. Quebec, Canada: Applied Research Branch Strategic Policy, Human Resources Development.

  • Kurdek, L. A., & Sinclair, R. J. (2000). Psychological, family, and peer predictors of academic outcomes in first- through fifth-grade children. Journal of Education Psychology, 92(3), 449–457.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Landy, S., & Tam, K. K. (1998). Understanding the contribution of multiple risk factors on child development at various ages. Quebec: Human Resources Canada, Applied Research Branch.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lapointe, V. R., Ford, L., & Zumbo, B. D. (2007). Examining the relationship between neighbourhood environment and school readiness for kindergarten children. Early Education and Development, 18(3), 473–495.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. Y. (1995). Marginality: The key to multicultural theology. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Fortress Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, J. (2006). Province-wide EDI findings: Aboriginal children. Human Early Learning Partnership, University of British Columbia, special tabulation.

  • Lloyd, J., & Hertzman, C. (2009). Early experiences matter: Lasting effect of concentrated disadvantage on children’s language and cognitive outcomes. Health & Place, 16(2), 371–380.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, J., Irwin, L. G., & Hertzman, C. (2009). Kindergarten school readiness and fourth-grade literacy and numeracy outcomes of children with special needs: A population-based study. Educational Psychology, 29(5), 583–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lux, M. (2004). Medicine that walks. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • McAllister, C. L., Thomas, T. L., Wilson, P. C., & Green, B. L. (2009). Root shock revisited: Perspectives of early head start mothers on community and policy environments and their effects on child health, development, and school readiness. American Journal of Public Health, 99(2), 205–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McTurk, N., Nutton, G., Lea, T., Robinson, G., & Carapetis, J. (2008). The School Readiness of Australian Indigenous Children: A Review of the Literature. Charles Darwin University: Northern Territory, Menzies School of Health Research and School for Social and Policy Research.

  • Oliver, L. N., Dunn, J. R., Kohen, D. E., & Hertzman, C. (2007). Do neighbourhoods influence the readiness to learn of kindergarten children in Vancouver? A multilevel analysis of neighbourhood effects. Environment and Planning, 39, 848–868.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker, F. L., Boak, A. Y., Griffin, K. W., Ripple, C., & Peay, L. (1999). Parent-child relationship, home learning environment, and school readiness. School Psychology Review, 28(3), 413–425.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phipps, S., & Lethbridge, L. (2006). Income and the outcomes of children. Ottawa: Statistics Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pressman, B. (1994). Women in context: Toward a feminist reconstruction of psychotherapy. In M. P. Mirkin (Ed.), Vioence against women: ramifications of gender, class, and race inequality. New York, NY, USA: Guildford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pushor, D., & Murphy, B. (2004). Parent marginalization, marginalized parents: Creating a place for parents on the school landscape. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 50(3), 221–235.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reading, C.L., & Wein, F. (2004). Health inequalities and social determinants of Aboriginal Peoples’ health. Prince George, British Columbia: National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health. Available at: http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/. Accessed 22 March 2009.

  • Rothman, L. (2009). Oh Canada! Too many children in poverty for too long. Paediatric Child Health, 12(8), 661–665.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan, R. M., Fauth, R. C., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2006). Childhood poverty: Implications for school readiness and early childhood education. In B. Spodek & O. Saracho (Eds.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (2nd ed., pp. 323–346). Mahwah, NJ, US: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistics Canada (2006). 2006 profile of Aboriginal children, youth and adults. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. Available online at: http://www12.statcan.ca/. Retrieved 22 March 2010.

  • Stonequist, E. V. (1937). The marginal man: A study in personality and culture conflict. NewYork: Russell & Russell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Swick, D. C. (2007). The effects of parental involvement on children’s school readiness skills. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, 68(6-A), pp. 2660.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, E. M. (2006). Readiness to learn at school among five-year-old children in Canada. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Special Surveys Division, Children and Youth Research Paper Series, Catalogue no. 89-599-MIE – No. 004. Available on-line at: http://www.statcan.ca/english/research/89-599-MIE/89-599-MIE2006004.pdf. Retrieved 15 Aug 2009.

  • To, T., Guttman, A., Dick, P. T., Rosenfield, J., Parkin, P. C., Tassoudji, M., et al. (2004). Risk markers for poor developmental attainment in young children. Archives of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 158, 643–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tremblay, R. E., Boulerice, B., Foster, H., Romano, E., Hagan, J., & Swisher, R. (2001). Multi-level effects on behaviour outcomes in Canadian children. Working Paper No. W-01-2E. Ottawa: Applied Research Branch, Human Resources Development Canada. Available on-line at: http://142.236.154.113/eng/cs/sp/sdc/pkrf/publications/research/2001-000124/IW-01-2E.pdf. Retrieved 15 Aug 2009.

  • Vivero, V. N., & Jenkins, S. R. (1999). Existential hazards of the multicultural individual: Defining and understanding “cultural homelessness”. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 5(1), 6–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldram, J. B., Herring, D. A., & Young, T. K. (1995). Aboriginal health in Canada: Historical, cultural, and epidemiological perspective. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Nazeem Muhajarine

  2. Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada

    Chassidy Puchala

  3. Offord Centre for Child Studies, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Magdalena Janus

  4. Health Sciences Building, University of Saskatchewan, 107 Wiggins Road, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E5, Canada

    Nazeem Muhajarine

Authors
  1. Nazeem Muhajarine
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chassidy Puchala
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Magdalena Janus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nazeem Muhajarine.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Muhajarine, N., Puchala, C. & Janus, M. Does the EDI Equivalently Measure Facets of School Readiness for Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal children?. Soc Indic Res 103, 299–314 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-011-9847-0

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-011-9847-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation