BILL NO. 103

(as introduced)

3rd Session, 61st General Assembly
Nova Scotia
60 Elizabeth II, 2011

Private Member's Bill

Early Development Instrument Assessment Program Act

The Honourable Karen Casey
Colchester North

First Reading: November 17, 2011

Second Reading:

Third Reading:

Be it enacted by the Governor and Assembly as follows:

1 This Act may be cited as the Early Development Instrument Assessment Program Act.

2 In this Act, "Early Development Instrument" means the outcome measure of children's early development known as the "Early Development Instrument (EDI): A Population-based Measure for Communities" developed by the Offord Centre for Child Studies at McMaster University.

3 Subject to Sections 4 and 5, the Government of the Province shall establish a Province-wide program to administer the Early Development Instrument to every student enrolled in Grade Primary under all school boards in the Province commencing in the 2012-13 academic year.

4 Parents of students who are to be assessed under the program set out in Section 3 shall be given the opportunity under the program to indicate in writing that they do not wish their children to participate and, where such an indication has been given, those children shall not have the Early Development Instrument administered.

5 The moneys required for the purpose of this Act must be paid out of moneys appropriated for that purpose by the Legislature.