EDI Research

There is extensive research on the EDI as a valid and reliable tool for 4-year-olds to 6-year-olds. To date, over 30 studies investigating aspects of the EDI's reliability and validity have been published in the peer-reviewed literature, including two special issues on the EDI (Guhn, Janus, & Hertzman, 2007; Guhn, Zumbo, Janus, & Hertzman, 2011). Please see HERE for an overview of the studies on the EDI as of October 2009.

Reliability

​In terms of reliability, studies have examined the EDI's psychometric reliability (Janus & Offrod, 2007; Brinkamn et al.) and item bias (Guhn, Gadermann, & Zumbo, 2007).

​Validity

A recent study in Orange County, CA found that each EDI domain was closely associated with 3rd grade SBAC ELA and Math proficiency.  The language & cognitive development EDI domain was most predictive of proficiency on the SBAC Math and ELA in 3rd grade. For example, only 15% of children coded as vulnerable on the language & cognitive domain in Kindergarten were proficient in SBAC ELA in 3rd grade.*

Other studies have examined the EDI’s convergent and discriminant validity (Hymel, LeMare, & McKee), concurrent validity (Lesaux, Vukovic, Hertzman, & Siegel, 2007) predictive validity (Dubois et al., 2007, Lloyd & Hertzman, 2009), and multilevel validity (Forer & Zumbo, 2011).

*Duncan, R et. al. (2017). Orange County Early Development Index (EDI) Predictive Validity Study. Do Scores from the EDI Predict Third Grade Achievement? University of California, Irvine. UCLA Center for Healthier Children, Families & Communities. Working paper.