Enhancing Comparability with the D-score

Excited to announce the publication of a new research paper titled “Enhancing Comparability in Early Child Development Assessment with the D-score” by Stef van Buuren, Iris Eekhout, and the GSED Team. This innovative study addresses a critical gap in the field of early child development by proposing a unifying evaluation unit, the Development Score (D-score), to track and compare children’s development across different ages, samples, and instruments.

Why This Study Matters

Early child development is a cornerstone of sustainable development, influencing health, well-being, and economic capacity throughout life. However, the lack of a valid and interpretable score to track development over time has hindered effective policymaking and intervention. This study aims to bridge this gap by enhancing the D-score, a unidimensional scale that allows for the comparison of developmental measurements across various contexts.

Key Objectives

The paper outlines three primary objectives:

1. Enhancing the D-score: Improving the D-score to compare measurements across ages, samples, and instruments.
2. Developing a Conversion Key: Creating a conversion key to transform measurements from existing instruments into a D-score.
3. Investigating New Measures: Exploring new measures to optimize the quantification of the D-score.

Methodology and Findings

The research was conducted in two studies:

• Study 1: Analyzed data from 51 sources in 32 countries, involving 66,075 children and 18 instruments. This study led to the creation of the Global Scales for Early Development Short Form (GSED SF) and Long Form (GSED LF).
• Study 2: Collected additional data in three countries, further refining the D-score model and enabling the conversion of measurements from 20 different instruments.

Implications and Future Directions

The D-score offers a promising solution to reduce fragmentation in early child development measurement, simplify assessments, and enhance comparability. This unified scale can facilitate monitoring across populations, assess the impact of interventions, and track individual progress. The study’s findings pave the way for more cohesive and effective approaches to early childhood development, with potential applications in both low- and middle-income countries.

Conclusion

The publication of this paper marks a significant milestone in the field of early child development. By providing a standardized and interpretable measure, the D-score has the potential to transform how we understand and support children’s development globally. We invite researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to explore the full paper and consider the implications of this groundbreaking work.

To read the full open access paper: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01650254241294033