Resources

Knowledge and insights to transform children's lives.

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Data Informed Futures Publications

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Block EP, Zimmerman FJ, Aguilar E, Stanley L, Halfon N. Early Child Development, Residential Crowding, and Commute Time in 8 US States, 2010–2017. Am J Public Health. 2018;108(11):1550-1557. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2018.304680

• Key finding: In neighborhoods with increased crowding or commute time, early childhood development, as measured by the EDI, suffers. 

Perrigo JL, Stanley L, Mixson LS, et al. Examining holistic developmental strengths and needs of multilingual kindergartners using the Early Development Instrument. International Journal of Educational Research Open. 2024;6:100315. doi:10.1016/j.ijedro.2023.100315

• Key finding: English Learners (ELs) were generally better in social, emotional, and physical health areas compared to non-ELs. However, ELs struggled more with communication and cognitive skills. Korean- and Mandarin-speaking ELs had the highest rates of being on track in all EDI areas.

Perrigo JL, Block EP, Aguilar E, Beck C, Halfon N. Income is not an equalizer: health development inequities by ethnoracial backgrounds in California kindergartners. BMC Public Health. 2023;23(1):2474. doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17246-7

• Key finding: In California, Black kindergarteners had the lowest likelihood of being on track developmentally, regardless of income. Asian students performed the best, while White students showed the most variation based on income. At low-income levels, White students' scores were similar to Black and Latino/a students but aligned more with Asian students at higher income levels.

Halfon N, Aguilar E, Stanley L, Hotez E, Block E, Janus M. Measuring Equity From The Start: Disparities In The Health Development Of US Kindergartners. Health Affairs. 2020;39(10):1702-1709. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2020.00920

• Key finding: Children in neighborhoods with more barriers to equity are more likely to face developmental challenges compared to those in neighborhoods without these barriers.

Duncan RJ, Duncan GJ, Stanley L, Aguilar E, Halfon N. The kindergarten Early Development Instrument predicts third grade academic proficiency. Early Childhood Research Quarterly. 2020;53:287-300. doi:10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.05.009

• Key finding: Teacher ratings on the EDI were found to be strong associated with proficiency in math and English language arts in 3rd grade. 

aguilar efren, Perrigo JL, Pereira N, Russ SA, Bader JL, Halfon N. Unveiling early childhood health inequities by age five through the national neighborhood equity index and the early development instrument. SSM - Population Health. 2024;25:101553. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2023.101553

• Key finding: Children in neighborhoods with more barriers to equity are more likely to face developmental challenges compared to those in neighborhoods without these barriers.

Hotez, E., Perrigo, J. L., Bigsby, M., Mixson, L. S., Stanley, L., and Halfon, N. (2024). A descriptive study of well-being and assets in middle childhood during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Los Angeles County school district. Child Indicators Research, 1-31. doi.org/10.1007/s12187-023-10098-y

• Key finding: 7th graders reported lower odds of well-being on four out of the five measures on the MDI Well-Being Index (Optimism, Happiness, Self Esteem, and General Health) as well as lower odds on three assets (Adult Relationships, After-School Activities, and School Experiences). 

Work in Progress

In addition to our published work, we are currently conducting more analyses using the Early Development Instrument (EDI). Here are some new findings:

1. Using a sample of approximately 2,500 kindergartners from seven school districts in Orange County, we found that the EDI predicts 6th grade academic proficiency in both mathematics and English language arts (ELA).
2. Most studies have overlooked English Learner (EL) subpopulations, including Reclassified Fluent English Proficient (RFEP) students and Long-Term English Learners (LTELs). In our study, we prospectively followed a sample of 2,601 kindergartners from seven school districts in Orange County, tracking non-ELs, RFEPs, and LTELs from kindergarten to third and sixth grades. We found that non-EL students have better academic outcomes in both English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics in 3rd and 6th grades compared to LTELs. However, RFEPs outperformed both LTELs and non-ELs in these subjects across the same grades. Additionally, the EDI predicted academic outcomes in grades 3 and 6, with strong contributions from the Language and Cognitive Development, General Knowledge and Communication, and Emotional Maturity domains.
3. In a repeated (2010–2023) cross-sectional panel study of 475,740 kindergartners, we tested the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and kindergartners developmental health. We found that negative developmental trends existed before the pandemic, with most persisting or slowing postpandemic onset. Compared to the prepandemic onset period (2018–2020), mean EDI scores were significantly lower following the pandemic onset in language and cognitive development, social competence, and communication and general knowledge; higher in emotional maturity; and unchanged in physical health and well-being. All domains had significant decreases in EDI scores in the prepandemic onset period. In the postpandemic onset period, the rate of decline in EDI scores decreased or remained unchanged in all domains except emotional maturity, in which the rate of decline increased.