Québec Survey of Child Development in Kindergarten 2027

Teachers

Thank you for contributing to the success of the QSCDK. Thanks to your participation, data will be collected across Québec that will help guide various initiatives that support the development of preschool-age children.

Schools and school boards

One of the objectives of the QSCDK is to disseminate results according to various geographic breakdowns (e.g. school boards). To ensure this objective is met, the QSCDK has been deemed mandatory in accordance with the Act respecting the Institut de la statistique du Québec (CQLR, chapter I-13.011). The success of the survey depends on the active participation of school service centres, school boards, private and public schools, and teachers.

School service centres and school boards will receive a report containing results specific to their territory and their schools, if the number of children allows it. Schools will also receive their own reports, with a few exceptions.

View the data collection timeline

Thanks to the participation of schools and teachers, the QSCDK provided data on the development of Québec children in kindergarten in 2012, 2017, and 2022. The 2027 edition will enable us to update these data.

All children in 5-year-old kindergarten in public and private schools are covered by the survey. More than 5,000 teachers of kindergarten for 5-year-olds will be invited to complete the survey questionnaire for each student in their class. Students are not surveyed directly.

The preferred tool used in the QSCDK is the Early Development Instrument. This tool does not provide an individual measure of child development or a diagnosis.

View the data collection timeline

Protection of personal information

The information related to QSCDK will be treated as confidential in accordance with the Act respecting the Institut de la statistique du Québec (CQLR, chapter I-13.011) and the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (CQLR, chapter A-2.1). No child can be identified in any of the documents released publicly.

For more information, refer to the pages Confidentiality and the protection of personal information and Information for participants.

Data collection timeline

Fall 2026

School service centres, school boards and private schools will receive an information letter on the QCSDK containing the consent form for data linking and data sharing.

January 2027

Public schools that offer kindergarten for 5-year-olds will receive an information letter. The ISQ will call all private and public schools to obtain information about the make-up and eligibility of their 5-year-old kindergarten groups.

February 2027

Teachers of kindergarten for 5-year-olds will receive a kit containing the documents to send to parents and the instructions for completing the questionnaires. The documents for parents include a refusal form to be signed and returned to the school if they do not want their child to be included in the survey.

February to April 2027

Teachers of kindergarten for 5-year-olds will complete the online questionnaires in the ISQ’s secure environment.

The questionnaire aims to assess the strengths and weaknesses of groups of children in a given community or area for five domains of development. Teachers will therefore complete a questionnaire for each child in 5-year-old kindergarten, which will provide a comprehensive portrait for all regions of Québec and for smaller geographies. Teachers rely on observations made during the school year.

No questionnaire will be completed for students whose parents have opted out.

The Québec Survey of Child Development in Kindergarten (QSCDK), carried out every five years since 2012, provides a portrait of the development of Québec children in kindergarten overall, but also for the five following domains of development:

• Physical health and well-being
• Social competence
• Emotional maturity
• Language and cognitive development
• Communication skills and general knowledge

The preferred tool used in the QSCDK is the Early Development Instrument.

Why study the development of children in kindergarten?

Most children start kindergarten with the health, capabilities and skills to fully benefit from the educational activities offered to them. However, some children have more difficulty adjusting to their new school environment. The QSCDK provides an overview of the development of children at this stage in their lives at the provincial, regional and local level.

The survey results are used by local and regional stakeholders from various backgrounds who have an interest in child development:

• Integrated health and social services centres
• Schools
• Community organizations
• Educational childcare facilities

These results are also useful for developing programs and measures aimed at supporting children’s development and well-being, therefore promoting their social and academic adjustment over the short and long term.

Joint Intervention Initiative for Early Childhood Development

The QSCDK is the first phase of the Joint Intervention Initiative for Early Childhood Development. his initiative aims to support the development of Québec children aged 0 to 5 and so they are better prepared to start elementary school.

The second phase of the initiative uses survey data to support planning and actions to be taken in the areas of health and social services, education, and families. It also aims to make services in Québec better tailored and more complementary and seamless.

Access to data for research purposes

Researchers who want to use QSCDK data as part of a research project can contact our Services for researchers.

QSCDK partners

Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux

Ministère de l’Éducation

Ministère de la Famille

Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation

Institut de la statistique du Québec