The Assets Index
The Well-Being Index combines measures that represent the overall well-being of children themselves. In contrast, the Assets Index combines measures that represent important external factors that can support children’s well-being, and includes the following five areas: Adult Relationships, Peer Relationships, Nutrition & Sleep, After-School Activities, and School Experiences.*
Adult Relationships
Adults at School
Adults in the Neighbourhood
Adults at Home
Peer Relationships
Peer Belonging
Friendship Intimacy
Nutrition & Sleep
Eating Breakfast
Meals at Home with Your Family
Frequency of Good Sleep
After-School Activities
Organized Activities
* The School Experiences asset data are not reported as part of the Assets Index to deter the ranking of individual schools or districts. You can learn more about the measures in the School Experiences Dimension of the MDI here.
These assets are factors that have been identified from research on resilience and are considered to be malleable and actionable Schonert-Reichl et al., 2013; Thompson et al., 2017. In other words, assets include those factors that educators, parents and families, community organizations, policymakers, and others concerned with making a difference in children’s lives can change in order to create supportive environments and to provide access to the resources children need to thrive.
Reporting on Assets Index Data
The Assets Index reports the percentage of children who indicate the presence of the asset in their lives. Therefore, it provides a quick and comprehensive way to foster discussions about the factors and resources available to children that support their well-being. For those schools, school districts, and communities that collect multiple years of MDI data, changes in the Assets Index can be examined over time. Often, the Assets Index can also provide insights into the ways in which children perceive the presence or absence of these assets in their lives. Data from the Assets Index can be a useful starting point for further work with children, such as conducting focus groups and lessons to explore their perceptions of the various assets in their lives and to determine where to focus resources to support their well-being. In addition, MDI Neighbourhood Profiles and Maps, which are available on BC School District and Community reports, can also illustrate differences in access to these assets across a school district’s neighbourhoods.
For more detailed information on how the Assets Index is scored and how the results are visualized, please consult the MDI Companion Guide and the MDI Data & Reports page
