EDI Expansion Continues in Los Angeles County

UNITE-LA staff interviewed eight EDI implementing communities across the nation to learn how communities have used the EDI data to move the needle on early childhood policies and systems change. Staff traveled to four of the communities (Erikson Institute, Chicago; ReadyKidSA, San Antonio; Oakland Starting Smart and Strong, Oakland; Starting Smart and Strong, San Jose). Some of the communities had just completed their first round of EDI data collection, while others had already gone through multiple rounds. Communities used the EDI results to make informed decisions on how to best support young children. For instance, some school districts opened up new early learning sites based on the percentage of vulnerable children in a specific region. Having a consistent measure of kindergarten readiness leads to a shared understanding of what it means for a child to be ready for school; however, this work takes years to unfold and it will be important for the L.A. Compact Early Childhood Stewardship Group to identify how cross sectors groups, not just schools, can benefit from the EDI.