Every three years, schools participate in the AEDC. It provides a snapshot of the developmental status of children in their first full-time year of school.
By taking part, families add to important knowledge for research and policy that helps to identify the needs of children, families and communities.
Parents don’t need to provide anything and children don’t lose any class time. Instead, AEDC information comes from school records, where available, or is collected by teachers.
Teachers complete questions about five key areas of children’s development, known as ‘domains’, using their knowledge and observations of the children in their class. The information provided helps to understand how children across Australia are developing in their early years.
Information is combined and reported at community, state and national level. Some schools may also receive information at the school level. However, no child can be identified from this information. Children’s individual data is never reported.
AEDC data helps identify what’s working and where more needs to be done to support children, families and their communities.