The Data Dictionary contains detailed information about each of Raise DC’s core and contributing indicators. Click to expand an area below to learn more about each data point, the business rules used in calculations, its source, and, where applicable, links to access change that has occurred over time.
On Track in All Domains
Description: The percentage of DC 4-year-old children who are “on track” in all developmental domains (physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, communication skills and general knowledge), as measured by the Early Development Instrument (EDI).
# of children who are “on track” in all domains
insert line break
# of children with a valid EDI record
EDI Population: All publicly funded pre-K 4 programs in DC are invited to participate in the EDI, including those offered through a DC Public School, public charter school, or community-based organization. The 2016 EDI dataset includes valid records for more than 4,600 4-year-olds in more than 350 classrooms in 116 schools. A record is considered valid if the child was in the classroom for more than one month and if the teacher completed assessment items in at least four of the five domains.
“On track” vs. “On track in all domains”:
“On track”, “at risk”, and “vulnerable” outcome categories are determined by cutoffs in a nationally normed distribution scale. Children scoring between the 0-10th percentile in an individual domain are considered vulnerable, while children within the 10th-25th percentile are “at risk,” and children above the 25th percentile are “on track.”
A child is considered “on track” if the domain score is above the 25th percentile cutoff.
Domain data is used to determine if, overall, a child is “on track in all domains.”
An overwhelming majority of children who were “on track in all domains” were scored in all five domains. Fewer than 1% of the children with a valid EDI record were assessed only in four domains.
Additional Notes: “At risk” refers to children whose domain score falls within the 10th-25th percentile cutoff score in the corresponding domain. While the EDI “at risk” definition is a measure of kindergarten readiness, “at risk” has a different definition for children and youth in DC schools. Please see Demographic Factors and Key Subgroups for more information.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION
Data coming in 2018
RECONNECTION TO SCHOOL AND/OR WORK
Data coming soon
POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT & COMPLETION
Data coming soon
Data coming soon
Demographic Factors & Key Subgroups
Free/Reduced Price Lunch
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), available nationwide beginning in SY14-15, enables all students enrolled in eligible schools to receive school meals at no cost. Schools that opt in to the CEP are no longer required to collect individual household free and reduced price meal applications. As a result, free and reduced price lunch data should be used as a barometer to view community-level trends, rather than a precise measure of household economic status. (Source: OSSE)
Click here for more information about free and reduced price lunch and CEP in DC.
English as a Second Language
A program of techniques, methodology, and special curriculum designed to teach English Language Learner (ELL) students English language skills, which may include listening, speaking, reading, writing, study skills, content vocabulary, and cultural orientation. ESL instruction is usually in English with little use of native language. An ELL student is a national-origin-minority student who is limited-English-proficient. (Source: US Department of Education)
Click here for more information about English Language Learners in DC.
Individual Education Plan
Children who have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) fall under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law that makes available a free appropriate public education to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children. (Source: OSSE)
Students enrolled in a DC public or public charter school are considered “at risk” if they are identified as homeless, in the District’s foster care system, qualify for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or are high school students who are one or more years older than the expected age for their grade level. (Source: OSSE)
Please note that this definition of "at risk" differs from the Early Development Instrument, which describes individuals who are at risk of becoming vulnerable in early childhood developmental domains. Please see Kindergarten Readiness above for more details.