OVERLAYING DATA

The Conditions of Children report presents distinct indicators of well-being across a broad spectrum of subject matter, yet none of the conditions measured in this report occur in isolation. The multiple metrics of well-being that indicate success or challenges in communities across the county are interconnected and cannot be separated in the experience of children and families.

By investigating the intersection of multiple indicators, a more complete picture emerges. This year, the Conditions of Children report explores the intersection of three measures: third grade English Language Arts (ELA) achievement; rates of child poverty; and children’s readiness for kindergarten regarding their language and cognitive skills. This exploration may raise further questions and fall short of conclusive findings, but it can be used to identify areas of interest for further investigation.

Poverty can have a significant impact on a child’s ability to do well in school.1 Fewer than half of poor children are ready for school at age five, compared to 75% of children born to parents with moderate or higher incomes. The extent to which a child is ready for kindergarten is a strong indicator of later educational and developmental outcomes, such as third grade achievement in ELA and earning a high school diploma.2

The Early Development Index (EDI) is a populationbased measure of early child development and school readiness in five domains: physical health, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive skills, and communications skills and general knowledge. The Children and Families Commission, in partnership with Orange County’s school districts, collected the first set of comprehensive EDI data for Orange County in 2015 and has since validated the EDI’s ability to predict student learning outcomes and academic achievements.3

Mapping third grade achievement in ELA, along with EDI language and cognitive skill data and poverty among children younger than five years old, begins to show the role that childhood poverty has in driving overall academic achievement.

Consistent with the literature, the map shows poor third grade ELA achievement in areas with higher poverty and lower kindergarten readiness, including in Orange and Santa Ana Unified, Anaheim City, Savanna Elementary and La Habra City Elementary school districts. In contrast, higher third grade ELA achievement appears to be associated with lack of poverty and greater readiness for kindergarten, as seen in Cypress, Fountain Valley, and Huntington Beach Elementary, as well as Irvine and Los Alamitos Unified school districts. Areas of interest emerge that reveal exceptions to this link. For example, Buena Park Elementary school district shows lower third grade ELA achievement and poor readiness for kindergarten compared to the county, yet lacks high child poverty rates. Tustin and Saddleback Valley Unified school districts experience greater-than-average poverty and/or poor kindergarten readiness, yet better academic outcome in third grade ELA achievement. A deeper dive into these areas of interest suggest other factors that may influence these outcomes.