Parent Interview, Teacher Questionnaire, School Coordinator, and Recruitment

Appendix A:

Respondent Materials 

Fall 2011

Dear Parent,
We appreciate your participation in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). As schools begin to open for the 2011-12 school year, the
ECLS-K:2011 is gearing up to follow our sampled children into the new school year. As
you may remember, we collected information during the last school year from participating
children, from their kindergarten teachers, and from parents like you. We are looking
forward to following your child into his/her next academic year.
Beginning in September, our field staff will be discussing procedures and assessment dates
with the school and finalizing plans to conduct the fall child assessment. The child
assessment is similar to the assessment that was conducted last year and will take
approximately 1 hour to complete. Your child will be asked to work with trained staff in
answering questions designed to measure skills in reading, mathematics, and science. We
also will be assessing your child’s memory and ability to follow directions as well as
measuring his/her height and weight. In addition, one member of our staff will be calling
you to conduct a new parent interview. The interview will take about 15 minutes. It
includes questions on your child’s summer activities and child care arrangements.
Information from multiple individuals will be combined to produce statistical reports; no
information that identifies you or your child (e.g., name or address) will be included in any
reports. All information collected will be protected from disclosure to the fullest extent
allowable by law (20 U.S.C., § 9573). Your child’s school will not receive any information
about you or your child as a part of this study. Performance on the assessments will not
affect your child’s grades or progress in school.
Thank you for your participation. So far, we have collected data from almost 19,000
children, their teachers, and their parents from all over the United States. This information
is an important foundation for this study. If you have further questions about the study,
please feel free to call Westat toll free at 1-888-204-4864 or send an email to
[email protected]. Also, more information about ECLS-K:2011 is available at the
NCES website at http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myECLSK2011.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the study.
Sincerely,

Jack Buckley, Ph.D.
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences
The collection of information in this survey is authorized by 20 U.S.C., § 9541. Participation is voluntary. Your
responses are protected from disclosure by federal statute (20 U.S.C., § 9573). All responses that relate to or
describe identifiable characteristics of individuals 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. The valid OMB control
number for this information collection is 1850-0750. Approval expires 03/31/2012.

Enclosures

Fall 2011

[DATE]
[PRINCIPAL NAME]
[SCHOOL NAME]
[ADDRESS 1]
[CITY, STATE ZIP]
Dear [PRINCIPAL]:
TRANSFER SCHOOL
{I am writing to invite you to participate in an insightful study, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). The ECLS-K:2011 began last year with over 21,000
children in nearly 900 schools across the country. We are inviting you to participate because one or more
students who are participating in the study have transferred to your school.
The ECLS-K:2011 is the third in a series of longitudinal studies of young children conducted by the
National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The earlier studies have been important sources of data
for researchers and policy makers to address key issues related to children’s development and learning
including literacy in the home, the teaching of reading and mathematics, and the associations between
physical exercise, childhood obesity, and well-being. Researchers using the data have published their
findings widely in scientific journals and the popular press. NCES also presents the results from these
studies for practitioners and the general public on our website, http://nces.ed.gov/ecls.
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 elementary school. The new
cohort of students’ school experiences will be compared to those of over a decade earlier to study the extent
to which the demographic profile of children and their environments for learning have changed. The study
is described in more detail in the brochure included in your study package. For more information, you can
also visit the ECLS-K:2011 website at nces.ed.gov/ecls/myECLSK2011.
The participation of each of the selected schools is important to the success of this important study. For the
study data to accurately represent the early schooling experiences of all children in America, it is vital that
the sampled students take part in each phase of the study. Therefore, this fall we would like to conduct a
child assessment with the sampled children who are now attending your school.}
CONTINUING SCHOOL
{We are very happy that your school is participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). As you may already know, we collected information last
school year from the kindergartners sampled at your school, their parents, their kindergarten teachers, and
their school’s administrator. We are looking forward to following these children this school year.}

ALL SCHOOLS
The participating children will complete individual assessments with trained ECLS-K:2011 assessors.
These assessments are designed to measure children’s reading, mathematics, and science skills and
knowledge, as well as to obtain indicators of children’s memory and ability to follow rules in a structured
task, both of which are associated with learning. Children will also have their height and weight measured.
These activities will take approximately 1 hour to complete per child. Parents will also be asked to
participate by providing background information about their children and their families. Teachers will be
asked to provide information about the sampled children. In the spring, we also will ask you to complete a
self-administered questionnaire.

Comment [A1]: Note that these headings
are included only during review and will be
removed before the letters are mailed.

Participation in this study is voluntary; however, I encourage your school’s participation in ECLS-K:2011.
Since ECLS-K:2011 is designed to be a representative sample of U.S. students, its accuracy depends on the
full participation of your school, teachers, and students. We are asking you to identify a staff member at
your school to act as a liaison with the ECLS-K:2011 and facilitate the activities in the school that are part
of the study. In appreciation for your time and efforts, your school will receive a $200 honorarium, and
participating school staff (i.e., teachers and your designated school coordinator) also will receive an
honorarium.
The National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education
Sciences is the primary sponsor of the ECLS-K:2011, which is being conducted on behalf of NCES by
Westat. ECLS-K:2011 has been endorsed by the national education organizations listed on this letter.
NCES is authorized to conduct this study under 20 U.S.C., § 9541. Under that law, the data provided by
your school, staff, students, and their parents 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 (20 U.S.C., § 9573).
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB # 1850-0750.
Information collected from multiple individuals will be combined to produce reports of findings from the
ECLS-K:2011. The reports will not identify participating districts, schools, children and their parents, or
individual staff.
Within the next few days, a representative of Westat will contact you about participating in this important
study. Detailed information about the ECLS-K:2011 can be found in the materials enclosed with this letter.
If you have questions about the study, please feel free to call Westat toll-free at 1-888-204-4864 or send an
email to [email protected]. Also, more information about ECLS-K:2011 is available at
http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/MyECLSK2011.

Thank you for your support of the ECLS-K:2011.

Jack Buckley, Ph.D.
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

Fall 2011

[NAME]
[SCHOOL NAME]
[ADDRESS 1]
[ADDRESS 2]
[CITY, STATE ZIP]
Dear School Coordinator:
IF IN TRANSFER SCHOOL

{Welcome to the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11
(ECLS-K:2011), the third in a series of longitudinal studies of young children conducted
by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The study is described in more
detail in the brochure included in your study package. For more information, you can
also visit the ECLS-K:2011 website at nces.ed.gov/ecls/myECLSK2011.
The study began last school year with students who were in kindergarten. Now that the
ECLS-K:2011 is well underway, we have identified one or more students in the study
who have transferred into your school from a school that participated last year. For the
study data to accurately represent the early schooling experiences of all American
children, it is vital that the sampled students take part in each phase of the study.
Therefore, this fall we would like to conduct a child assessment with these sampled
children who are now attending your school.
Your school’s administrator has designated you to help with the ECLS-K:2011 activities
that will take place in your school. Enclosed is a check for $25 in appreciation for your
helping us with this important study.}
IF IN CONTINUING SCHOOL
{We are very happy that your school is participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011). As you may know, we collected
information last year from the kindergartners sampled at your school, their parents, their
kindergarten teachers, and their school’s administrator. We are looking forward to
following these children this school year. Enclosed is a check for $25 in appreciation for
your helping us with this important study.}
ALL SCHOOLS

During the 2011-12 school year, children will complete one-on-one assessments with
trained ECLS-K:2011 assessors. These assessments are designed to measure children’s
reading, mathematics, and science skills and knowledge. Children also will have their
height and weight measured and executive functioning assessed. These activities will take
approximately 1 hour for each child to complete.
A portion of the data collection involves collecting data about the sampled students
using self-administered questionnaires filled out by the students’ teachers. In the spring,
we also will collect information from the school administrator.
We appreciate your help with four tasks, which are detailed in the enclosed materials.
These are (1) confirm that the children participating in the ECLS-K:2011 are attending

Comment [A1]: Note that these headings
are included only during review and will be
removed before the letters are mailed.

your school; (2) confirm the date and time for the fall activities; (3) identify an
appropriate space for the assessments; and (4) identify the primary teachers of the
participating children. Please read the enclosed materials for more information about the
study and your important role in it.
The National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education’s
Institute of Education Sciences is the primary sponsor of the ECLS-K:2011, which is
being conducted on behalf of NCES by Westat. ECLS-K:2011 has been endorsed by the
national education organizations listed on this letter. NCES is authorized to conduct this
study under 20 U.S.C., § 9541. Under that law, the data you provide 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 (20 U.S.C., § 9573). The U.S. Office of
Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB # 1850-0750.
Thank you for your support of the ECLS-K:2011. We look forward to working with you
and your school. An ECLS-K:2011 representative will call you in the coming weeks to
further explain the study and your responsibilities. If you have any questions or concerns
in advance of the phone call, please call Westat toll free at 1-888-204-4864 or send an
email to [email protected].
Sincerely,

Jack Buckley, Ph.D.
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

Fall 2011

Dear ,
Welcome to the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11
(ECLS-K:2011), the third in a series of longitudinal studies of young children conducted
by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). Like the earlier studies, the
ECLS-K:2011 will be an important source of data for researchers and policy makers to
address key issues related to children’s development and learning. The ECLS-K:2011 is
described in more detail in the brochure included in your study package. For more
information on this and the prior longitudinal studies, you can also visit the NCES
website at http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myECLSK2011.
TRANSFER SCHOOL
{The study began last school year with students who were in kindergarten. Now that the
ECLS-K:2011 is well underway, we have identified one or more students in the study
who have transferred into your school from a school that participated last year. For the
study data to accurately represent the early schooling experiences of all American
children, it is vital that the sampled students take part in each phase of the study.
Therefore, this fall we would like to conduct a child assessment with these sampled
children who are now attending your school. A portion of the data collection involves
collecting data about the sampled students using self-administered questionnaires filled
out by the students’ teachers. In the spring, we also will collect information from the
school administrator.}
CONTINUING SCHOOL
{We are very happy that your school is participating in the ECLS-K:2011. As you may
already know, we collected information last school year from the kindergartners sampled
at your school, their parents, their kindergarten teachers, and their school’s
administrator. We are looking forward to following these children this school year.}
ALL SCHOOLS
Teachers are an essential component of the ECLS-K:2011. You provide valuable
insights into the classroom experiences of the children participating in the study. We will
ask you to help us in several ways. As the regular classroom teacher of at least one of
our sampled children, we will ask you to complete a child-level questionnaire for each
ECLS-K:2011 sampled student you teach. You will receive an honorarium of $7 for
each of the child-level questionnaires. We also will need your cooperation as we
complete one-on-one child assessments in your school. We will make arrangements with
your school’s ECLS-K:2011 school coordinator regarding the times that we can have
access to the children and where the assessments will take place. It is possible that we
will be taking children out of your classroom so that they can participate in the
assessment.
Your participation in this study is voluntary; however, I encourage you to participate in
the ECLS-K:2011. Please read the enclosed materials for more information about the
study and your important role in it. These materials provide instructions for you on how
to complete the questionnaires and return them to your school’s ECLS-K:2011 school
coordinator. They also provide information about the one-on-one child assessments.
The National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education’s
Institute of Education Sciences is the primary sponsor of the ECLS-K:2011, which is
being conducted on behalf of NCES by Westat. ECLS-K:2011 has been endorsed by the

Comment [A1]: Note that these headings
are included only during review and will be
removed before the letters are mailed.

national education organizations listed on this letter. NCES is authorized to conduct this
study under 20 U.S.C., § 9541. Under that law, the data you provide 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 (20 U.S.C., § 9573). The U.S. Office of
Management and Budget has approved the data collection under OMB # 1850-0750.
Information collected from multiple individuals will be combined to produce reports of
findings from the ECLS-K:2011. The reports will not identify participating districts,
schools, children and their parents, or individual staff.
Thank you for your support of the ECLS-K:2011. If you have questions about the
study, please feel free to call Westat toll free at 1-888-204-4864 or send an email to
[email protected]. Also, more information about ECLS-K:2011 is available at
the MyECLSK2011 website at http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myECLSK2011.
Thank you for your time and consideration of the study.

Jack Buckley, Ph.D.
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences
Enclosures

Dear Parent,
We greatly appreciate your and << CHILD’S FIRST NAME>>'s past participation in the
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten Class of 2010-11. For us to
understand how children’s knowledge and skills, as well as their experiences in school,
change over time we must collect information from all the same children, their families,
their schools and their teachers again in spring 2012.
We need your help to ensure that our address directory is up-to-date so that << CHILD’S
FIRST NAME>> can continue to participate in the study. Please let us know of any
changes in your home address or telephone number, or a change in <>'s school. You can let us know in any of the following ways:
•
•
•

By calling 1-888-204-4864
By completing and returning the enclosed card in the self-addressed stamped envelope
provided
By sending an e-mail to [email protected]

More than 18,000 children, their parents, their teachers, and their schools have participated
in this important study. The data we have collected are very exciting and informative.
They are being used to help us learn about the educational experiences of children across
the United States. You can see some findings from the ECLS studies by visiting the
National
Center
for
Education
Statistics
web
site
at
http://nces.ed.gov/ecls/myeclsk2011/index.asp. As new reports of findings are published,
they will appear on the web site.
Thank you for your continued support in making the ECLS-K:2011 a success.
Sincerely,

Jack Buckley, Ph.D.
Commissioner
National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 2010-11
PARENT ID
Please write your child’s new home address or school name and address in the space below.
Home address:________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
School name and/or address:_____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for assisting us.

ECLS-K:2011 Staff

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