Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)

AEDC national Report (PDF, 5.6MB)
AEDC 2021 data
AEDC 2021 Key findings

The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a national collection of information.

This measures how children are developing in their first year of full-time school.

The 2021 AEDC is the fifth national collection since 2009.

The next collection will be in 2024.

Teachers in Tasmania completed comprehensive questionnaires for more than 6,400 Prep students across the state.

The AEDC assesses children as being developmentally ‘on track’, ‘at risk’ or ‘vulnerable’ across five key developmental domains:

• physical health and wellbeing
• social competence
• emotional maturity
• language and cognitive skills
• communication skills and general knowledge.

Introduction to the AEDC

Introduction to the AEDC – video transcript

Understanding the Data

Understanding the Data – video transcript

The AEDC is the most comprehensive data collection of its kind in the world and Australia’s only census of children in their early years.

The AEDC data can help schools to:

• plan and support children’s successful transition to school
• raise awareness of the importance of children’s early years
• implement programs and services for children in the community to support early child development
• act as a platform to forge collaborative community partnerships

Resources

• Watch a short video about the value of completing the AEDC for teachers.
• Watch a short video about how a school used the AEDC to inform their planning – Using the AEDC – Why Bother?

• Find resources for teachers and schools.
• AEDC Preliminary School Snapshot FAQ’s. (PDF, 333KB)

The AEDC provides educators across sectors with a common language to understand and discuss what is working well in their community and where families may need support to ensure that their children are on-track during the early years.

Evidence from the AEDC can be used to support policy and practice in early childhood education.

The five AEDC domains provide an insight at a community level into the learning and development needs of young children.

The AEDC is also a useful predictor of future development and learning, indicating how well early childhood education programs have prepared them for future learning experiences.

• The value for early childhood educators
• Resource for early childhood educators
  • Linking the AEDC with the NAQ
  • Linking the AEDC with the NQS and EYLF
• FAQ’s for Early Childhood Educators

Video explaining how the AEDC links with NQS and EYLF

Video explaining how the AEDC can inform your planning.

Supporting your children’s development using the AEDC domains

• Supporting children to develop language and cognitive skills (school-based) (aedc.gov.au, PDF)
  AEDC – Video – Language and Cognitive skills. (eq.edu.au)
• Supporting children to develop communication skills and general knowledge (aedc.gov.au, PDF)
  AEDC – Video – Communication Skills and General Knowledge (eq.edu.au)
• Supporting children to develop emotional maturity (aedc.gov.au, PDF)
  AEDC – Video – Emotional Maturity
• Supporting children to develop physical health and wellbeing (aedc.gov.au, PDF)
  AEDC – Video – Physical Health and Wellbeing. (eq.edu.au)
• Supporting children to develop social competence (aedc.gov.au, PDF)
  AEDC – Video – Social Competence (eq.edu.au)
• User Guide: Early Childhood Sector (aedc.gov.au, PDF)

Below is an example of how the AEDC has been used by Early Childcare Educators

The AEDC Tasmanian Grants provides funding for programs to assist organisations working in the early years to:

•  develop a new program, or

• extend a present program

The programs are to acknowledge the strengths, but meet the needs, of children with ‘developmental vulnerability’ within the local community.

The programs will assist in raising awareness of the AEDC among early years’ stakeholders to reduce vulnerability and increase the utilisation of AEDC results in supporting children’s learning and development.

Eligible applicants:

Those working with children from conception to eight years old in.

1.Schools

2.Early Childhood Education and Care Providers

3.Libraries

4.Local Government

5.Health organisations

6.Community based organisations

Note: collaborations are encouraged, particularly amongst a variety of different sectors and stakeholders.

Key dates:

Next round will be announced after the 2024 national results have been published.

How to apply:

First – Watch the pre-recorded Webinar – How to apply for an AEDC (YouTube video)

Second – Read the Tasmanian AEDC grant guidelines (PDF, 348KB)

Third – apply by clicking on this link to the SmartyGrants application https://doetasmania.smartygrants.com.au/AEDC2223

Contact:

Please contact the:

• AEDC Coordinator at aedc@decyp.tas.gov.au if you have any questions relating to the program or
• grants@dpac.tas.gov.au if you require any assistance with the application process.

Please review past successful grant applicants below:

AEDC – Community Skills Café Waverly (3:47 mins)

AEDC – Bush Kinder Dorset (4:16 mins)

AEDC – Tactical Tots – East Devonport Child and Family Learning Centre (3:10 mins)

Tactical Tots for Blokes & Kids was developed to engage fathers and toddlers together through an obstacle course, extension games and physical activities.  This increases the opportunity for the child to develop stronger attachment to their fathers/ significant male.

To ensure the concept is sustainable beyond Tactical Tots for Blokes & Kids program, the CFLC also purchased larger equipment which helps extend other community programs such as “Muscle Up Boot Camp” a Devonport City Council/ CFLC program for older children.

AEDC – Empowering Parents – Franklin Primary School (6:18 mins)

Staff at Franklin Primary worked alongside parents to help them understand and identify the ways their children are developing and how they can extend their children’s learning.  The parents were provided with ongoing information around why the play their children are engaging in is so important to their development.

Using the AEDC – Why Bother? (4:42 mins)

By exploring the AEDC data Ringarooma Primary School provided quality fun and play based activities where parents and carers are encouraged by staff to get involved to help deepen their parenting skills and understand the importance of play in their child’s development.  This has led to discussions between parents about parenting issues and share ideas about where to seek help in the community.

AEDC – Lady Gowrie Research Project (5:49 mins)

Physical health and wellbeing: innovative approaches in an inner-city community
(Overarching research question – How can early childhood enable children to flourish in the area of physical health and wellbeing?)

Michael Dempsey and Jodi Upton talk about the positive results from the 2018 AEDC collection for Tasmania, also the programs and initiatives that families and community members can engage in to support children’s learning and development.  (ABC Drive, Thursday 28 March, 2019, 11:55 mins)

• Hear a pre-recorded webinar for schools – ‘AEDC Webinar for Schools – An inward look – reflecting on your schools data’
• AEDC Infographic – Tasmanian results from 2009, 2012 and 2015 data collections (PDF, 77KB)
• Australian Early Development Census
• Talk, Read and Play Resources – The Department of Education Tasmania
• The B4 Coalition
• AEDC 2018 Report – Tasmania (PDF, 68.0KB)