The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Preschool Children's Parents Focus Groups

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) Preschool Children's
Parents Focus Groups

Attachments 2 C
Protocol Materials – ECLS Brochure

OMB #1850-0803 v.246

Submitted by
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education

February 2019

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.

• 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

U.S. Department of Education

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.

27201.0411.8575010801

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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?

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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 kindergartners
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.

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