App C State, District and Prinicipal Respondent Materials

Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Parent, Teacher,
and School
Summary Sheet

About the study
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) is the
third in a series of longitudinal studies about young
children sponsored by the National Center for
Education Statistics. Like its predecessor studies,
the ECLS-K:2011 will provide important information
on children’s early learning and development,
transition into kindergarten, and progress through
school. The new cohort of kindergartners’
experiences will be compared to those of over
a decade earlier to study the extent to which the
demographic profile of children, their academic
and social skills, and their environment for learning
have changed. The data collected will allow
researchers, policymakers, educators, and parents
to better understand how student, home, classroom,
school, and community factors in children’s
lives relate to cognitive, social, and emotional
development, and physical health at various points.

Why is the ECLS-K:2011 so important?
Because many factors influence children’s school
outcomes, it is important to understand the
different environments in which children live
and learn. The ECLS-K:2011 will allow researchers
and policymakers to answer the following types
of questions:

• What do children know and what skills do they
possess when they start school?

• How well do children do in their first encounter
with formal school?

• How healthy are kindergartners? What

percentage are considered overweight
or underweight? How many have
difficulty hearing?

• How do kindergartners behave?  Do they pay
attention to teachers, cooperate with other
children, and display an eagerness to learn?

• How do children’s knowledge, skills, and

behavior change over time?  How do their
school experiences change over time?

• How well do children’s kindergarten programs
prepare them for the opportunities and
challenges in later grades?

Example Item
Point to the letter.

The two phases of the study
Phase I. During fall 2009, approximately 3,150
kindergarten, first-grade, second-grade, and
third-grade children from about 50 schools across
the United States will be invited to participate to
help us refine the assessments that will be used
during phase II. In addition, six teachers at each
school (two each from kindergarten, first, and
second grade) will be asked to complete
questionnaires. During phase I, the study will ask:

• Children to participate in assessments designed
to measure important reading, math, and
science skills and knowledge. This assessment
will be conducted by trained assessors through
an untimed one-on-one session taking
approximately 60 minutes. In addition to the
cognitive assessment, participating children
will have their vision and hearing screened,
which will take approximately 30 minutes.

following children through fifth grade. During phase
II, the study will ask:

• Children to participate in assessments designed

to measure important reading, math, and
science skills and knowledge. These assessments
will be conducted in one-on-one sessions with
trained assessors. Children will have their height
and weight measured. In kindergarten, they also
will have their hearing tested.

• Parents to participate in telephone interviews

to provide background information about their
child, their family, and themselves.

• Teachers to complete questionnaires that

ask for information about their backgrounds,
teaching practices, and the classroom learning
environment. In addition, teachers will be asked
to rate academic skills for sampled children
in their classes.

• Teachers to complete a Science Academic

• School administrators to complete

• School staff to provide demographic information

• For permission from the children’s parents

questionnaires about their backgrounds,
the physical and organizational characteristics
of their school, and programs at the school.

Rating Scale for five of their students with
different abilities. The information provided
will not be linked to any particular child.

for each participating student as well as space
to conduct the assessments. We will be in each
school an average of 4 days.

• Parents for permission for their children to

participate in the study and to have their
children’s hearing and vision tested.

Phase II. During the 2010-11 school year,
approximately 20,700 kindergartners in 900 public
and private schools across the nation will be
selected for the ECLS-K:2011 study. The ECLS-K:2011
will collect information in fall and spring from
children, parents, teachers, and school principals
to provide rich data on children’s early school
experiences beginning with kindergarten and

to interview before- and after-school care
providers. Care providers will be interviewed
about both their care settings and their care of
the ECLS-K:2011 children. Care providers will be
interviewed only during the kindergarten year.

All information provided by respondents will be
protected from disclosure to the fullest extent
allowable by law. Information from multiple
individuals will be combined to produce statistical
reports; no individual student, parent, teacher, or
school data (e.g., name or address) will be included
in any reports. To learn more about the study
and to see reports from the earlier ECLS studies
visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls. For more information
about the ECLSK:2011, visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/
MyECLSK2011.

Thank You!
Your participation is vitally important to the success of the ECLS-K:2011!
If you have any questions about the study, call (888) 204-4864
or send an e-mail to [email protected].
27485.0709.8575010801

Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Parent, Teacher,
and School
Summary Sheet

About the study
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) is the third in a series
of longitudinal studies about young children
sponsored by the National Center for Education
Statistics. Like its predecessor studies, the ECLS-K:2011
will provide important information on children’s
early learning and development, transition into
kindergarten, and progress through school. The
new cohort of kindergartners’ experiences will
be compared to those of over a decade earlier
to study the extent to which the demographic
profile of children, their academic and social skills,
and their environment for learning have changed.
The data collected will allow researchers,
policymakers, educators, and parents to better
understand how student, home, classroom, school,
and community factors in children’s lives relate
to cognitive, social, and emotional development,
and physical health at various points.

Why is the ECLS-K:2011 so important?
Because many factors influence children’s school
outcomes, it is important to understand the
different environments in which children live
and learn. The ECLS-K:2011 will allow researchers
and policymakers to answer the following types
of questions:

• What do children know and what skills

do they possess when they start school?

• How well do children do in their first
encounter with formal school?

• How healthy are kindergartners? What

percentage are considered overweight
or underweight? How many have
difficulty hearing?

• How do kindergartners behave?  Do they pay
attention to teachers, cooperate with other
children, and display an eagerness to learn?

• How do children’s knowledge, skills, and

behavior change over time?  How do their
school experiences change over time?

• How well do children’s kindergarten programs
prepare them for the opportunities and
challenges in later grades?

The two phases of the study
Phase I. During fall 2009, approximately 1,200
Spanish-speaking kindergartners from about 50
schools across the United States will be invited to
participate in the study to help us refine the basic
reading skills assessments that will be used during
phase II. During phase I, the study will ask:

• Children to participate in assessments designed

to measure reading skills in English and Spanish.
These assessments will be conducted by trained

Example Item
Point to the letter.

• Teachers to complete questionnaires that

assessors through a one-on-one assessment
taking approximately 30 minutes.

• School staff to provide demographic information
for each participating child, as well as space
to conduct the assessments. We will be in each
school an average of 2 days.

Phase II. During the 2010-11 school year,
approximately 20,700 kindergartners in 900 public
and private schools across the nation will be
selected for the ECLS-K:2011 study. The ECLS-K:2011
will collect information in fall and spring from
children, parents, teachers, and school principals
to provide rich data on children’s early school
experiences beginning with kindergarten and
following children through fifth grade. During phase
II, the study will ask:

• Children to participate in assessments designed

to measure important reading, math, and
science skills and knowledge. These assessments
will be conducted in one-on-one sessions with
trained assessors. Children will have their height
and weight measured. In kindergarten, they also
will have their hearing tested.

• Parents to participate in telephone interviews

to provide background information about their
child, their family, and themselves.

ask for information about their backgrounds,
teaching practices, and the classroom learning
environment. In addition, teachers will be asked
to rate academic skills for sampled children
in their classes.

• School administrators to complete

questionnaires about their backgrounds,
the physical and organizational characteristics
of their school, and programs at the school.

• For permission from the children’s parents

to interview before- and after-school care
providers. Care providers will be interviewed
about both their care settings and their care of
the ECLS-K:2011 children. Care providers will be
interviewed only during the kindergarten year.

All information provided by respondents will be
protected from disclosure to the fullest extent
allowable by law. Information from multiple
individuals will be combined to produce statistical
reports; no individual student, parent, teacher, or
school data (e.g., name or address) will be included
in any reports. To learn more about the study
and to see reports from the earlier ECLS studies
visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls. For more information
about the ECLSK:2011, visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/
MyECLSK2011.

Thank You!
Your participation is vitally important to the success of the ECLS-K:2011!
If you have any questions about the study, call (888) 204-4864
or send an e-mail to [email protected].
27486.0709.8575010801

About the study
The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) is an exciting new study
sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics
(NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences of
the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by
Westat.
During the 2010-11 school year, approximately 20,700
kindergartners in 900 public and private schools
across the nation will be selected for the ECLS-K:2011.
The ECLS-K:2011 will gather information from multiple
sources to provide rich data on children’s early school
experiences beginning with kindergarten and following
children through fifth grade. Each year, the study
will conduct:

• Child assessments – Children will be assessed in

reading, mathematics, and science in one-on-one
sessions with trained assessors during the regular
school day.

• Physical measurements – Children will have their
height and weight measured. In kindergarten
they also will have their hearing tested.

• Parent interviews – Parents will be asked to

participate in telephone interviews to provide
background information about their child, their
family, and themselves.

• Teacher and school administrator interviews –

Children’s teachers will be asked to complete
questionnaires that ask about their backgrounds,
teaching practices, and the classroom learning
environment. They also will be asked about children’s
academic skills. Children’s school administrators
will be asked to complete questionnaires about
their backgrounds and features of their school
and programs at the school.

• Before- and after- school care provider interviews –

In the kindergarten year, before- and after-school care
providers will be interviewed about both their care
settings and their care of the ECLS-K:2011 children.

For additional questions
or comments, contact:
Gail Mulligan
ECLS-K:2011 Project Officer
Institute of Education Sciences
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5650
Phone: (202) 502-7491
E-Mail: [email protected]
Karen Tourangeau
ECLS-K:2011 Project Director

Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Westat, Inc.
1600 Research Blvd
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (888) 204-4864
E-Mail: [email protected]

National Center for Education Statistics
Institute of Education Sciences

To learn more about the ECLS program,
visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls and
to learn more about the ECLS-K:2011
visit http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myeclsk2011

NCES is authorized to conduct this study under the Education
Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-279, Section
153). Under that law, the data provided by respondents
may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be
disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose
except as required by law (Public Law 107-279, Section 183).
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved
the data collection under OMB # 1850-0750.

27201.0709.8575010801

U.S. Department of Education

Comparing kindergartners then and now
The last nationally representative study to track students through
elementary school began with a kindergarten class in 1998-99.
There have been many changes in children’s lives and in their
families and schools in the past 12 years.
For example;

• In early 2002 the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was signed
The ECLS program
The ECLS-K:2011 is the third in a series of early childhood longitudinal
studies sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics. Like
its predecessors, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Birth Cohort of 2001 (ECLS-B), the ECLS-K:2011 will provide comprehensive and reliable data about today’s children, their early learning and
development, transition into kindergarten, and progress through school.
The data collected over the years will allow researchers, policymakers,
and educators to study how student, home, classroom, school, and
community factors in children’s lives relate to cognitive, social, and
emotional development and physical health at various points.

Why is the ECLS-K:2011 so important?
Because many factors influence children’s school experiences and
outcomes, it is important to understand the different environments in
which children live and learn. The ECLS-K:2011 will allow researchers
and policymakers to answer the following types of questions:

• What do children know and what skills do they possess when
they start school?

• How well do children do in their first encounter with formal
schooling?

• How healthy are kindergartners? What percentage are

considered overweight or underweight? How many have
difficulty hearing?

• How do kindergartners behave? Do they pay attention to
teachers, cooperate with other children, and display an
eagerness to learn?

• How do children’s knowledge, skills, and behavior change over
time? How do their school experiences change over time?

• How well do children’s kindergarten programs prepare them
for the opportunities and challenges in later grades?

into law. NCLB requires schools to test 3rd through 8th graders
to show they are making progress.

• School choice options, in particular public charter schools, have
become more available to parents.

• More children have experience with computers and the internet.
More educational television programs are available and aimed
at young children.

• Health issues that can affect children’s performance in school, such
as child obesity and asthma, have become more prevalent. There
also has been increased attention paid to autism spectrum disorders and to learning disabilities, such as attention deficit disorder.

• There has been an increase in access to prekindergarten
programs, including state-funded programs.

The new ECLS-K:2011 can compare today’s kindergarteners
and the environments in which they are learning to those of
over a decade ago.

Why should I participate?
The ECLS-K:2011 will provide information that can help families,
teachers, schools, superintendents, policy makers, and
researchers make informed decisions about what is best for
today’s children. It also can be used to explore how changes
in school policy and the learning environment affect children’s
experience in kindergarten and in later school years. Such
information is critical to providing our children with the best
opportunity for success.
We found during the ECLS-K that children enjoyed the
assessments and showing what they knew. Parents also
reported that they were happy to participate:
“I feel strongly that more parents should get involved to help
improve the education system in this country. I am very
excited and happy to be a part of this landmark study.”

– Parent, Boston, MA

“We are happy to make a difference in education and the
future of the early childhood program.”

– Parent, Mason City, IA

“I think the study was a good idea. I was very happy that
(my son) was picked. He said it was fun and that he had
a really good time.”
– Parent, Cincinnati, OH

The success of the ECLS-K:2011 depends on your help. It is vitally
important that those individuals who are selected agree to
participate because they represent many others across the
nation. Your participation will help to assure that the experiences
of all parents and kindergartners are represented in the study.

For questions or comments, contact:

The ECLS-K:2011 will…
• Provide information on students enrolled in

kindergarten during the 2010-11 school year;

• Track children’s progress through elementary
school, providing a rich and comprehensive
source of information on children’s early
learning and development;

Gail Mulligan,
ECLS-K:2011 Project Officer
Institute of Education Sciences
National Center for Education Statistics
1990 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20006-5650
Phone: (202) 502-7499
E-Mail: [email protected]

• Allow comparisons with the kindergarten class
of 1998-99 to see how young children’s early
learning experiences have changed over the
intervening 12 years; and

• Provide policy makers, education professionals,
researchers, and parents with important
information about children’s education and
development.

Karen Tourangeau,
ECLS-K:2011 Project Director
Westat, Inc.
1600 Research Blvd
Rockville, MD 20850
Phone: (888) 204-4864
E-Mail: [email protected]

Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Timeline of Data Collection Activities
2010-11 School Year

Kindergarten Class of 2010-11
27202.0709.8575010801

TIMELINE OF ECLS-K:2011 Data Collection Activities for school year 2010-11
Fall 2010
Principal

• Selects an assessment date convenient for the school.

SPRING 2011
• Completes the school administrator questionnaire.

• Represents principals in similar schools.
• Receives on average of $200 for their school in Spring 2011.

• Identifies a school coordinator. The school coordinator works
with ECLS-K:2011 staff to plan for the assessment.

School Coordinator

BENEFITS

• Receives $25 in Spring 2011 in appreciation for ­completing
the school administrator questionnaire.

• Works with ECLS-K:2011 staff. Arranges logistics for data
collection within the school.

• Distributes school administrator and teacher
questionnaires.

• Assists in obtaining important information about schools,
teachers, and students in the U.S.

• Provides a list of students to participate in the study.

• Collects completed questionnaires.

• Receives $25 in Fall 2010.

• Completes a form asking about academic skills and classroom behavior for each sampled student in his or her class.

• Completes a student rating form for each sampled
student in his or her class.

• Provides important information about U.S. kindergartners
and their school environments.

• Completes a teacher questionnaire.

• Completes a teacher questionnaire.

• Receives $7 per completed Student Rating Form.

• Provides consent for his or her child to participate in the
ECLS-K:2011.

• Responds to a telephone interview.

• Represents U.S. parents of kindergartners like him/herself
and contributes to an understanding of the importance
of family background factors in early learning and
achievement.

• Arranges for parental notification for students to participate
in the ECLS-K:2011.

Teacher

Parent

• Responds to a telephone interview.

• Receives informational study material including newsletters and summaries of results from previous ECLS studies.

Child

• Participates in a one-on-one assessment.

• Participates in a one-on-one assessment.

• Represents U.S. students like him/herself and contributes
to an understanding of what U.S.
kindergartners know and can do.

ECLS-K:2011 Staff

• Provide school information packets to schools in
advance of the school recruitment calls.

• Conduct child assessments and parent interviews.

• Provide valuable data to policymakers, educators,
researchers, and the general public about U.S.
kindergartners.

• Work with the principal to identify a school coordinator and
to set an assessment date.
• Sample kindergartners within each school and link teachers
to students.
• Help school coordinator with assessment details.
• Conduct child assessments and parent interviews.
• Maintain school, teacher, and student confidentiality.

Find Out More

http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myeclsk2011

• Collect completed school and teacher questionnaires.

Hearing Teßt
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Why test children’s hearing?

How will hearing be tested?

Good hearing ability is important for doing well in
school. In order to learn well, children must be able
to hear and understand what is going on around
them. Even minor hearing losses can lead to
problems in school. Some children may be born with
a hearing loss that is not detected. Children may also
develop hearing loss due to ear infections, accidents,
loud noise, or medications. As part of the Early
Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class
of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011), trained technicians will
assess participating children’s hearing. Information
collected through the ECLS-K:2011 will provide
needed information on the emergence of hearing
problems in a national sample of young children
and help to further explain how hearing loss is
related to academic experiences and performance.

Testing your child’s hearing will take about
15 minutes.

In Phase I of the ECLS-K:2011, we will be evaluating
the feasibility of including a hearing screening in the
school environment that incorporates best practices
and procedures for screening hearing in young
school-age children as part of Phase II.
This evaluation will include a test of two types of
hearing equipment to determine which works best
in a school setting, as well as a comparison of
different procedures for administering the screening
(e.g., use of over-the-ear headphones or insert
earphones). More
information on the
specific screening
activities that will be
conducted as part
of Phase I are
described below.

Children in kindergarten and first grade will be
asked to wear headphones over their ears, and the
technician will play a series of short tones through
them to measure how well children can hear
certain sounds.
The tones will
have various
pitches from
low to high and
will gradually
become softer
and softer until
your child cannot hear them. The technician will
ask your child to raise his or her hand or touch a
computer screen whenever he or she hears a tone.
Screening for second- and third-graders includes
additional exams that are routinely performed
by audiologists. Before performing the hearing
screening, the technician will ask your child
whether he or she has an earache; if so, your child
will not be screened. For children who do not report
an earache, the technician will look into the child’s
ear canals with
an otoscope (a
light such as the
one your doctor
uses) to see if
anything (such
as earwax)
is blocking them.
Otoscope (top) and instrument to test
how well eardrum moves in response
to sound (below)

The technician will not attempt to remove blockages,
but will use this information to determine which parts
of the hearing screening are appropriate and safe
for your child. At this point in the screening the
technician also will gently press on the outside
of the ear while watching the inside with the light
to see how the child’s ear canal reacts.
The technician will then perform two additional
screenings. First, the technician will check to see
how well your child’s eardrums move. Eardrums
vibrate in response to sound, but sometimes ear
infections or fluid in the ears can prevent them from
moving properly and affect a child’s ability to hear.
During this test,
the technician will
cover your child’s
ear canal with
a rubber-covered
seal placed into
the outer ear and
send brief, loud
sounds into the
ear canal while changing the pressure in the ear
to measure the eardrum’s response. Second, the
technician will measure how well your child can
hear certain sounds. To do this, the technician will use
insert earphones, which are small foam-covered tips
that are placed inside the ear canal, and play a
series of short tones through them. The tones will have
various pitches from low to high and will gradually
become softer and softer until your child cannot hear
them. The technician will ask your child to raise his or
her hand whenever he or she hears a tone. A subset
of children also will  have the short tones played
for them while watching a computer monitor. This

28316.0909.8575010801

exam has the
child touch the
screen to report
whether tones
were heard
rather than
raising his or her
hand. Children
who have a blockage in their ears will be asked to
wear headphones that cover their ears, rather than
insert earphones, for these exams.
For children in all grades, the exam will be stopped
for any child who complains of an earache, who
tires of any of these exams, or who reports any
discomfort at the feel of the earphones or
headphones. For each child screened, the
technician will either use a new set of disposable
components or will disinfect nondisposable
equipment that touches the child’s ears.
Parents will be asked to sign consent forms to
indicate that their children can participate in this
aspect of the study. You will receive a letter with the
findings of your child’s hearing exam. If technicians
find that your child’s exam suggests possible
hearing problems, the letter will suggest that you
talk with your child’s doctor or a health care provider
who specializes in hearing assessments, such as
an audiologist or an ENT (ear, nose, throat) doctor.
The hearing screening is being conducted
in collaboration with the National Institute on
Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
(NIDCD), National Institutes of Health (NIH),
(http://www.nidcd.nih.gov), which is a cosponsor
of the ECLS-K:2011.

Vißion Teßt
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11

Why test children’s vision?
Clear, sharp vision is important for children to
participate fully and safely in the classroom, on
the playground, and at home too. As part of the
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011), trained technicians
will test the children’s vision. You will receive a letter
with the results of your child’s vision test. If your
child’s vision results are outside the normal range,
the letter will suggest that you talk with an eye
care provider.

How will vision be tested?
Testing your child’s vision will only take about 5 to 10
minutes and will not cause any pain or discomfort.
The technician will perform two different tests.
During the first
test, the
technician will
check to see
how well your
child can see.
This test is similar
to the eye chart
test done in a doctor’s office. Children will be
seated about 10 feet away from a computer
screen. As the child covers first one eye and then
the other, letters will be displayed on the screen.
At first the letters will be very large and as the test
progresses, the letters will decrease in size. Children
who normally wear eyeglasses or contacts will keep
them on for this test.

During the
second test,
the technician
will determine
whether your
child’s eyes
have problems
focusing.
Conditions
such as
nearsightedness,
farsightedness,
and astigmatism
make it difficult
for children to see
clearly. These
conditions are
correctable with eyeglasses and contact lenses.
To do this test, the technician will use a piece
of equipment that, in a matter of seconds, will
automatically take several readings from each eye
to capture how well the eyes focus. Children who
normally wear eyeglasses will be asked to take
them off for this test.
The technician will sterilize the vision equipment
after each child is tested.
The vision testing is being conducted in
collaboration with the National Eye Institute,
National Institutes of Health (http://www.nei.nih.
gov), which is a cosponsor of the ECLS-K:2011.