Considerations/Next Steps

Endnotes

The EDI results are an opportunity for the community to establish and
understand baseline data on children’s readiness to learn as they enter Grade
one. This report will provide planning groups with evidence-based data that will
help to inform policy and service plans. However, it is important that the EDI
data not be used in isolation. Rather, the whole picture of children’s
development can only be seen in combination with other relevant data sources
such as socio-economic and demographic information.

As such, the next steps for the community, through its work with the Best Start
Initiative and Success By 6 Ottawa, are to combine this data with other information
such as Census data, the Community Service Inventory (CSI) data and
information that is being collected through the Understanding the Early Years
project, to name a few. It is important to continue to work in collaboration with
the Best Start Initiative, Ontario Early Years Initiative, United Way/Centraide Ottawa
and the City of Ottawa in order to develop a clear picture of young children’s
development not only for the City as a whole, but also its neighbourhoods.

The results in this report show that the majority of children in Ottawa are ready
to learn in Grade one and as such should experience few difficulties as they
move into the school system. However, there are certain neighbourhoods where
children are experiencing challenges and thus may experience challenges in
achieving academic and social success. In order to identify the characteristics that
make a neighbourhood more or less successful in promoting healthy early
childhood development, it is necessary to combine a range of information. As
mentioned previously, the EDI data should not be used in isolation rather it
should be looked at in conjunction with other socio-economic, health and
program/service information. The Understanding the Early Years project will

• a Community Mapping Report which includes Census 2001 data and data
  from the Ontario Early Years Community Services Inventory (2005);

• a Community Research Report which combines the information collected by
  the EDI and results of a Parent Interviews and Direct Assessments of Children Survey(PIDACS)

The result will be a comprehensive set of data and information that can support
the development of an evidence-based Community Action Plan to guide the
work of the community. Success By 6 will work very closely with various
community partners to bring to life the Community Action Plan, continuing to
build strong partnerships in the Ottawa community.

Considerations/Next Steps/Endnotes