Measures

Photograph of several children smiling away from the camera with one kid smiling at the camera at golden hour.

A powerful lens for identifying and understanding inequities in neighborhoods, communities and systems. Because you can’t fix what you can’t see.

Our four measures - the Early Development Instrument (EDI), the Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHEQ), the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), and the National Neighborhood Equity Index (NNEI) - take a life course approach and is comprised of four distinct measures. When emerging data and information are used together, families, advocates, funders, policymakers, and community organizations are enabled to collectively use data to make decisions about systems, programs, and policies at the neighborhood, city, state, & national level. Powered by data, broad coalitions can do more to ensure that all children are supported in reaching their potential no matter where they live or the color of their skin.

 

We believe the search for equity is driven by data.

Data Informed Futures offers an advanced suite of four holistic measures that assess well-being and community context over the course of children’s lives: 

Photograph of mother holding her child in the foreground with a children's picture book in focus in the background.

Childhood Experiences Questionnaire

0-5 years: Using the CHEQ, parents provide important contextual information about children’s early experiences prior to kindergarten.

About the CHEQ
Photograph of a group of 7 smiling kids running down the hallway of their school with backpacks towards the camera.

Early Development Instrument

4-6 years: Using the EDI, kindergarten teachers assess kindergarten readiness and children’s overall developmental well-being.

About the EDI
Photograph of four young kids sitting on a wall, all reading books or using electronic devices. Heads of children are omitted from the photo.

Middle Years Development Instrument

9-13 years: Using the MDI, students share their thoughts and experiences inside and outside of school, providing important information about their psychological and social well-being.

About the MDI
Sky view of neighborhood with streets, houses, and cars in street.

National Neighborhood Equity Index

Using the NNEI in combination with the EDI and MDI helps identify geographic areas of resilience despite challenges in neighborhood equity.

About the NNEI