Report To: Program Planning Committee
From: Lori Clark, Director of Integrated Human Services and
Amy Winnington-Ingram, Integrated Human Services Manager
Date: June 19, 2025
Re: Early Development Instrument (EDI) 2022/2023 (Cycle VI)
Background
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a population-based measure used to assess children’s developmental health at school entry, completed by senior kindergarten (SK) teachers. It measures five key domains: Physical Health & Well-Being, Social Competence, Emotional Maturity, Language & Cognitive Development, and Communication Skills & General Knowledge.
Data for Cycle VI (2022/2023) was collected across 70 school boards in Ontario, including within the Northern Region and the Manitoulin-Sudbury District. Due to later data collection, children in this cycle were slightly older, and their development may also reflect impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Purpose
To summarize and analyze the 2022/2023 Early Development Instrument (EDI) results for both the Northern Region and the Manitoulin-Sudbury District. The report highlights key trends and changes over time, identifies areas of strength and concern, and informs strategic planning and service delivery across the Early Years system.
Key Findings
Overall Vulnerability – Manitoulin Sudbury District vs Northern Region
| Area | Vulnerable on >1 Domain | Vulverable on >2 Domains |
| DSB Area | 27.3% ↓ (from 28.1%) | Not specified |
| Northern Region | 34.8% ↑ (from 31.7%) | Higher than DSB |
• The DSB area outperformed the Northern Region average, showing a decrease in vulnerability while the region saw a statistically significant increase.
• The DSB area result (27.3%) is also better than the Ontario average (31.1%).
Domain Comparisons
| Domain | DSB Area | Northern Region | Change Since Last Cycle | Note |
| Physical Health & Well-Being | 12.2%↓ | 20.5%↑ | Critical Decrease | DSB outperforming region & province |
| Social Competence | 8.8%↑ | 10.7%↑ | No Critical Change | DSB reporting better than region |
| Emotional Maturity | 13.2%↑ | 17.0%↑ | No Critical Change | Region had a significant increase |
| Language & Cognitive Development | 11.7%↑ | 8.2%↓ | No Critical Change | DSB performing below region and Ontario (6.7%) |
| Communication Skills and General Knowledge | 11.2%↑ | 11.1%↑ | No Critical Change | Comparable to region, higher than DSB’s average |
Notable Subdomain Observations
• The DSB area improved in Gross & Fine Motor Skills, Physical Readiness, and Physical Independence
• Concerns emerged in:
o Aggressive Behaviour (12.2% meeting few/none of expectations vs. 10.0% Ontario)
o Hyperactivity & Inattention (18.5% vs. 15.1% Ontario)
o Basic & Advanced Literacy subdomains
o Communication & General Knowledge subdomain (20.5% DSB vs. 26.6% Ontario – better, but increase from last cycle)
Data and analysis referenced in this section are based on the Manitoulin-Sudbury DSB EDI Cycle VI Report (2022/2023), which highlights local subdomain results and compares them to provincial averages. Figure 13 (Emotional Maturity), Figure 14 (Language and Cognitive Development), and Figure 19 (Communication & General Knowledge).
Implications
• Strong outcomes in Physical Health & Well-Being reflect effective local supports, early years engagement, and possibly post-pandemic rebound.
• Growing challenges in cognitive, communication, and behavioural subdomains may reflect pandemic-related delays in early learning, language exposure, and socialization.
• Geographic variation within DSB area (e.g., LaCloche vs. Sudbury North) indicates the need for targeted community-level planning.
Recommendations / Next Steps
1. Continue strengthening Physical Health programs, particularly in Lacloche and Manitoulin Island areas.
2. Collaborate with schools and community partners to support early literacy and communication development.
3. Expand access to early intervention supports, especially in Sudbury North where vulnerability rose across several domains.
4. Use subdomain data to guide programming at the EarlyON and childcare level – targeting self-regulation, attention, and early literacy skill-building.
5. Monitor post-pandemic trends in future cycles, with emphasis on the youngest cohorts now entering preschool.
Staff are recommending that the board approve this report and authorize staff to action the recommended next steps.