It is sometimes difficult to get a clear picture of changing demographics of the communities we serve. One such tool that maybe useful for community music schools is the data being collected and produced by HELP. The studies deal with the assessment of 5 year olds throughout Canada as they ready to enter Kindergarten,  grouped by the areas in which they live. From this data you can track changes in population growth by neighborhood, and also note other trends of child development in your area.

The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) brings together academic, government, school, and community partners to help us understand early child development across British Columbia.Beginning in 1999, HELP has collected and mapped population level child development data province wide. This data has been combined  with socio-economic and community asset information to enhance the understanding of factors that influence children’s development. An important goal of the project is to assist communities in using maps to monitor early child development, and in developing effective local responses that support the needs of children and families. The project is administered by HELP, in partnership with community networks and school districts of British Columbia. The project is funded by the Province of British Columbia through the Ministries of Children & Family Development, Education and Healthy Living and Sport.
The program is directed by Dr. Clyde Hertzman at UBC. You can learn more about the program below. There is a wealth of information available on their website. The latest information released is from studies completed this past fall 2009, with comparative studies looking over the past decade.

Human Early Learning Partnership

An example of a community report:
Community Summary for School District No. 37 Delta
(other reports are for each school district are filed in the same subdirectory, you can find the report for your own district by looking through the directory.)