ECLS Att A-2 Spring 1 R Materials v29

Welcome back to the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! In the 2023-24 school year, approximately 850 schools and 18,000 children across the country participated in the ECLS-K:2024. The ECLS-K:2024 team enjoyed meeting school staff and working with their students. The study is now gearing up for its next phase, occurring in the spring of 2025, when most of the selected students will be in first grade. To prepare for our next school visit, updated information on your school, teachers, and the participating students is needed.

If you are new to the study or want to refresh yourself on the ECLS-K:2024 activities:

Refer to the attached ECLS Study Overview and School Coordinator Responsibilities Checklist.
Log on to the ECLS-K:2024 website at MyECLS (MyECLS.ed.gov). You will be prompted to enter the PIN that you will receive in an email in the next few days. If you cannot find the PIN, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

An ECLS-K:2024 team member will be contacting you in the next few weeks to review the list of participating students with you, set a date for our spring study activities visit, and discuss reserving a space for the assessments.

What you need to do before the call with the ECLS-K:2024 representative:

Go to the MyECLS website and review the provided information for each sampled student. Note any updates to the information that are needed, so you can discuss with the ECLS-K:2024 representative the needed changes during your call. You will also need to provide information about each of the sampled children’s teachers during this call.

If any of the selected students have left the school, please communicate details about the child’s new school to the ECLS-K:2024 representative.

Review the School Information page on MyECLS and note any needed changes to provide the ECLS-K:2024 representative.

In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

We look forward to working with you and your school this school year!

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments

ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview

School Coordinator Responsibilities Checklist

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

School Coordinator Responsibilities Checklist
Fall 2024

U.S. Department of Education

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)

School Coordinator Responsibilities Checklist

Overview

As the school coordinator, your efforts and support are crucial to the success of the ECLS-K:2024. Thank you in advance for your help preparing for this important study! If you are a returning School Coordinator, THANK YOU for agreeing to serve in this role again this school year. While some of the tasks described below are the same as what you may have completed last school year, there will be less for you to do in preparation for the spring 2025 study activities.

Leading up to the visit to your school, you will be responsible for:

Reviewing child and teacher information (fall 2024 and spring 2025).

You will receive an email informing you that the selected children and their information are again available to view on the MyECLS.ed.gov website. Please review the child and teacher information and note any changes in advance of the fall 2024 and spring 2025 study activities calls with the ECLS-K:2024 representative. In the event that you have questions about the eligibility of selected children, identify children who are no longer enrolled in your school, or if you have learned of a parent or teacher who no longer wants to participate, be sure to let the ECLS-K:2024 representative know.

Participating in a study activities call with the ECLS-K:2024 representative (fall 2024 and spring 2025).

The ECLS-K:2024 representative assigned to your school will contact you to go over the study tasks, discuss child and school staff participation, and work with you to arrange logistics for the school visit such as arranging a room for the child sessions and determining where ECLS-K:2024 staff should park when they arrive at the school. The representative can field any questions you may have about any of the ECLS-K:2024 procedures.

Receiving and checking the ECLS-K:2024 study activities package (spring 2025).

You will receive a FedEx package with the following materials:

School administrator packet,
Parent packets,
Teacher packets, and
A cover letter with a list of included materials.

The parent and staff materials include welcome letters for the newest phase of the ECLS-K:2024 with instructions for using the MyECLS.ed.gov website to complete study activities, informational fact sheets, and the monetary tokens of appreciation (included for school staff only if allowed by the school and district). Please ensure that there are parent and teacher packets for each selected child.

Notifying parents and school staff and distributing survey information (spring 2025).

You are responsible for distributing the parent and school staff packets that will be included in your study activities package.

You will receive email survey reminder templates (and text reminder templates if requested) for you to send to selected school staff and parents to notify them about the ECLS-K:2024. When emailing or texting school administrators, teachers, and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages or, if you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

Encouraging participation from parents and school staff and updating status on MyECLS.ed.gov (spring 2025).

The success of the study relies on children, parents, teachers, and the school administrator. Please encourage them to participate and notify the ECLS-K:2024 representative as soon as possible about any problems affecting participation in your school. You can check the completion of surveys on the School, Teacher, and Parent Information pages in the MyECLS.ed.gov website. Please check the website regularly throughout the study period to determine which parents and school staff need prompting to complete their surveys.

Reserving space for the child sessions (spring 2025).

Three to four study team members will need approximately 2-3 consecutive days to assess all participating students. (Less time is needed if only one or two children are participating.) Please reserve space for the ECLS-K:2024 team to conduct the sessions with children. The sessions can take place in one large room with separate tables or in smaller rooms that accommodate only one or two pairs of ECLS study staff member and child. The space should be well-lit, quiet, with minimal distractions, and have two chairs and a table for each member of the study team. The goal is to arrange a space that is comfortable and safe for participating children. Internet access is not required.

On the ECLS-K:2024 school visit days, you will be responsible for:

Working with the ECLS-K:2024 team and providing support, as needed (spring 2025).

Please plan to meet with the ECLS-K:2024 team before the first child session each day the study team is in your school in order to walk through the plan for the day. Show the reserved study location to the team and make sure that they are introduced to all relevant staff members and, if possible, to the children involved in the study. You should also make sure that the procedure for getting children to and from class is clear. If you are unable to meet with the team on any of the school visit days, please designate an alternate staff member to take your place.

Debriefing with the ECLS-K:2024 representative and returning any completed paper surveys (spring 2025).

At the end of each day ECLS-K:2024 staff are in your school, please plan to meet with the ECLS-K:2024 representative for 5–10 minutes to debrief about the day’s activities. The ECLS-K:2024 representative will provide you with any paper surveys that have been requested for you to distribute to school staff. Please then return any completed surveys back to the ECLS-K:2024 representative.

After the ECLS-K:2024 school visit, you will be responsible for:

Storing the ECLS-K:2024 materials in the red storage envelope until June 30, 2025.

Please securely store the materials until June 30, 2025 in the red storage envelope provided by the ECLS-K:2024 representative. After that date, the materials should be shredded.

Thank you for your help with the ECLS-K:2024 study activities!

Email Providing MyECLS PIN to School Coordinators
Fall 2024

SUBJECT: Important ECLS-K:2024 Information

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

Please use this PIN to access the secure study website. This is your personal PIN; please keep it confidential.

PIN: <PIN>

When you first log in to the website using your PIN, you will be prompted to enter your email address and create a password to securely access the website in the future. You will no longer need this PIN once you have created a password.

Your password must be at least 8 characters in length and must contain a combination of 3 of the following 4 types:

upper case letters,
lower case letters,
numbers,
special characters.

If you need technical assistance at any time, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Follow-up Email after Study Activities Call
Fall 2024

SUBJECT: Thank you for your time!

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

Thank you for talking to me today about the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). Our team is looking forward to visiting your school and working with you this spring.

As we discussed, the school visit has been planned from <SCHOOL VISIT START DATE> through <SCHOOL VISIT END DATE>. If you need to change the dates, please let us know and we will reschedule the visit.

If you have not had a chance to do so, please reserve space for the study activities. The ideal location would be one large room like the gymnasium, music room, or library or media center, where several sessions could be conducted simultaneously. The space should be well-lit, quiet, and have two chairs and a table for each member of the ECLS-K:2024 team.

As we discussed, you will also shortly receive a mailing containing postcards to distribute to parents of the selected children, asking them to update their contact information on the MyECLS website. Please send these postcards home to the parents in the selected children’s backpacks.

We will be in touch with you in a few months to discuss contacting the school staff and parents about the study and distributing their spring study information packages. Until then, if you have any questions, please contact me or the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

School Coordinator Parent Postcard Cover Letter
Fall 2024

Fall 2024

[SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME]

[SCHOOL NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[CITY], [STATE] [ZIP CODE]

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

Thank you again for your help with the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024).

Enclosed are postcards for the parents of the participating children. Each postcard asks the parent to log on to the study’s MyECLS.ed.gov website to update their contact information. Providing this information is voluntary; parents do not need to provide any contact information to the study if they do not wish to do so, but having current contact information allows us to keep parents updated on study activities.

Please send these postcards home in the children’s backpacks at your earliest convenience. If any of the selected children are no longer attending your school, please let the ECLS-K:2024 representative know prior to the school visit.

If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Updating Contact Information Parent Postcard
Fall 2024

FRONT COVER LABELED WITH “Parent of CHILD NAME” and TEACHER NAME)

INSIDE:

Thank you again for your participation last school year in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). We hope you and your child are doing well! Our team is looking forward to connecting with you this school year and is busy preparing for the next phase of the study, occurring in the spring of 2025.

When you have a moment, please log on to the MyECLS.ed.gov website to provide updated contact information.

Please use this PIN to log on to the secure study website. This is your personal PIN; please keep it confidential.

PIN: <PIN>

When you first log in to the website using your PIN, you will be asked to enter your email address and create a password.

Your password must be at least 8 characters in length and include 3 of the following 4 types of characters:

upper case letters,
lower case letters,
numbers,
special characters.

If you need help, please call 1-855-898-2018 or send an email to [email protected].

Providing contact information is voluntary, but it will allow us to provide you with study notifications and reminders. We will not use the information for any other purpose or share it with anyone else.

Thank you and we look forward to continuing the study activities this spring!

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

New District Recruitment Letter
Fall 2024

Fall 2024

[SUPERINTENDENT NAME]

[DISTRICT NAME/DIOCESE]

[ADDRESS]

[ADDRESS2]

[CITY, STATE ZIP]

Dear <Superintendent name>:

The U.S. Department of Education is currently conducting its newest study of elementary-school-aged students, called the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). I am writing to inform you that one or more students who are participating in the ECLS-K:2024 have transferred to your district. I ask for your district’s support of this national study and to encourage the participation of the selected school(s).

Key details:

The ECLS-K:2024 began in the 2023-24 school year when the selected students were in kindergarten. Study activities are currently planned to continue when most of the selected students are in first grade (spring 2025), third grade (spring 2027), and fifth grade (spring 2029).
Study activities include one-on-one child assessments conducted by trained ECLS-K:2024 staff (with parents’ consent) and web surveys completed by school administrators, teachers, and parents/guardians. The enclosed Study Overview provides more detail about what is involved for the participants.
If allowed by your district, these schools, as well as school staff, will be provided with monetary tokens of appreciation in recognition of the time spent participating in the study. Parents/guardians will also receive monetary tokens of appreciation.
The ECLS is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). We have partnered with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to carry out the study in participating schools.

Please see the enclosed ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview for more details.

Importance of participation:

For more than 20 years, the ECLS program has helped educators, families, researchers, and policymakers improve children’s educational experiences. The ECLS-K:2024 is particularly meaningful, as it will provide insights into the experiences of children whose early lives were shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the study is voluntary, by permitting our staff to contact selected schools and encouraging those schools to participate, you will help ensure the data continue to be useful. The participation of selected schools is essential for ensuring the data accurately reflect the changing landscape of education for students in the United States.

Next steps:

Study staff will be contacting you soon about the participation of selected schools in your district. <To help ensure that our study clearance request packages are properly developed and submitted for your district’s formal review process, I ask you to designate a staff person who can serve as our central point of contact.>

The following school(s) in your district have been selected for the study and would be contacted to discuss participation.

(over)

More information about the ECLS-K:2024 is available on the NCES website, nces.ed.gov/ecls, as well as a website for study participants, MyECLS.ed.gov.

If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-855-898-2018 or email [email protected]. You may also reach the ECLS Study Director, Jill McCarroll, at 202-304-2920 or [email protected].

Thank you for your time and for supporting this important national education research study.

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Commissioner or other title]

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Enclosed:

ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview

Shape1

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

ECLS-K:2024 tokens of appreciation

If district policy permits, after each spring phase of the study each school community will receive the following to recognize the time spent participating in the ECLS-K:2024:

Schools will receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational news<, as well as their choice of $300, or $250 plus a magazine subscription<, or $250 plus three seats in a professional development webinar for participating in the study>.>
School administrators will receive $25.
In schools with four or more participating study students, school coordinators will receive $35.
Teachers of sampled students will receive $20 for a survey they complete about themselves and $7 for each survey they complete for participating students. Teachers will also receive the quarterly newsletter.
School administrators, school coordinators, and teachers will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of their efforts to support the study.
Participating families will receive a $15 prepaid Mastercard® and a children’s book, as well as a yearly study newsletter.

About the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)

NCES was established in 1867 to collect and provide to Congress and the public information on the condition of the education system in the United States. NCES, part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES), is the sole Federal statistical agency responsible for meeting Congressional mandates to collect, analyze, and report information on the condition of education in the United States.

NCES needs the support of all involved in the education process to complete the studies it conducts related to these mandates for information about education in the country as a whole. The longitudinal studies, including those in the ECLS program, collect nationally representative data from students and from their families, teachers, schools, and school systems. These data provide rich information that can be used to study how students’ backgrounds and school experiences are related to education and life outcomes. The studies are comprehensive in approach, covering an expansive array of research and policy issues central to education.

NCES has produced some of the most widely used and cited longitudinal studies on education in the United States. NCES data are used not only by government agencies but also by policy institutes and researchers at leading universities from across the country. NCES also produces resources for teachers and families. For example, the nces.ed.gov/nceskids website is a resource for children to learn more about education in the United States and to play fun educational games.

All data collections conducted by NCES are reviewed and approved by the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to ensure minimal burden on the part of the public and to prevent duplicate data collections by multiple Federal agencies.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NCES is working with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to conduct this voluntary study.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

New School Recruitment Letter
Fall 2024

Fall 2024

<Addressee’s Name

School

Address

Address 2

City, State, ZIP>

Dear <School Administrator>:

I am writing to invite your school to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). The ECLS-K:2024 began in the 2023-24 school year with approximately 18,000 children in about 850 schools across the country. We are inviting your school to participate because one or more students who are participating in the study have transferred to your school. <<<District approver’s name> at your district’s office/Your district office> has been notified about this study and is aware that your school is being asked to participate.>

Key details

The ECLS-K:2024 began when the selected students were in kindergarten. Study activities are currently planned to continue when most of the selected students are in first grade (spring 2025), third grade (spring 2027), and fifth grade (spring 2029).
Study activities for children include one-on-one, age-appropriate, and engaging child assessments in math, reading, and memory skills, conducted with students’ parental consent. In selected schools, children’s height and weight will also be measured. You, as well as parents and teachers, will be asked to complete web surveys. The enclosed Study Overview provides further details about the study and what is involved for participants.

If district policy permits, we will provide you, your selected school’s coordinator to the study, and selected teachers a monetary token of appreciation. Parents are also provided with a monetary token of appreciation. More details are provided on the back of this letter.
The ECLS is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). We have partnered with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to carry out the study in participating schools.

Why is it important to participate?

For more than 20 years, the ECLS program has helped educators, families, researchers, and policymakers improve children’s educational experiences. While the study is voluntary, your participation is essential for ensuring the data can be used at the local, state, and national levels to guide practice and policies that increase every child’s chances of doing well in school. The ECLS-K:2024 will be particularly meaningful, as it will provide insights into the experiences of children whose early lives were shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Questions?

Please see the attached Study Overview for more details. A study representative will also contact you about the study within the next few days. You can also contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected], or learn more at MyECLS.ed.gov.

I encourage you and your school to participate in the ECLS-K:2024.

Thank you for your support of this important study!

Sincerely,

[Name]

[Commissioner or other title]

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Enclosed:

ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview

Shape2

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

(over)

ECLS-K:2024 tokens of appreciation

If district policy permits, in each phase of the study, your school community will receive the following to recognize the time spent participating in the study:

The school will receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational information<, as well as their choice of $300, or $250 plus a magazine subscription<, or $250 plus three seats in a professional development webinar for participating in the study>.>
School administrators will receive $25.
In schools with four or more participating study students, school coordinators will receive $35.
Teachers of sampled students will also receive the newsletter, as well as $20 for a survey they complete about themselves and $7 for each survey they complete for participating students. Teachers will also receive the quarterly newsletter.
School administrators, school coordinators, and teachers will also receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of their efforts to support the study.
Participating families will receive a $15 prepaid Mastercard® and a children’s book, as well as a yearly study newsletter.

The ECLS-K:2024 is the fourth cohort in the series of early childhood longitudinal studies that make up the ECLS program. For more than 20 years, the ECLS program has helped educators, families, researchers, and policymakers better understand and improve children’s knowledge and skills from birth through elementary school. For more details about the ECLS program, visit nces.ed.gov/ecls.

Cooperating District with New School Recruitment Email
Fall 2024

Fall 2024

Dear <Superintendent/name of district approver>:

We are very pleased that schools in your district are participating in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). Thank you for helping make their participation possible. I am writing to inform you that one or more students who are participating in the ECLS-K:2024 have transferred to a school in your district that was not previously part of the study.

As a reminder:

The ECLS-K:2024 began in the 2023-24 school year when the selected students were in kindergarten. Study activities are currently planned to continue when most of the selected students are in first grade (spring 2025), third grade (spring 2027), and fifth grade (spring 2029).
Study activities include one-on-one child assessments conducted by trained ECLS-K:2024 staff (with parents’ consent) and web surveys completed by school administrators, teachers, and parents. The enclosed Study Overview provides more detail about what is involved for the participants.
If allowed by your district, these schools, as well as school staff, will be provided with monetary tokens of appreciation in recognition of the time spent participating in the study. Parents will also receive monetary tokens of appreciation.
The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NCES has partnered with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to carry out the study in participating schools.

Next steps:

ECLS-K:2024 staff will be contacting the school(s) in your district that the study’s students attend. Participation in this study is voluntary; however, we ask for your district’s continued support of the ECLS-K:2024 in the schools in your district.

More information about the ECLS-K:2024 is available on the NCES website, nces.ed.gov/ecls, as well as a website for study participants, MyECLS.ed.gov. If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-855-898-2018 or email [email protected]. You may also reach the ECLS Study Director, Jill McCarroll, at 202-304-2920 or [email protected].

Thank you for your time and for supporting this important national education research study.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bissett

Project Director, ECLS-K:2024

Westat

Attached:

ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview

Shape3

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

Cooperating School with Transfer Student Recruitment Email
Fall 2024

Fall 2024

Dear <School Administrator>:

Thank you for your continued support of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). We are very pleased that your selected school staff, students, and parents are participating. I am writing to inform you that one or more students who have been participating in the study at a different school have transferred to your school, and we would like to complete study activities with these transfer students along with the other students who have participated in your school in the past.

As a reminder:

The ECLS-K:2024 began in the 2023-24 school year when the selected students were in kindergarten. Study activities are currently planned to continue when most of the selected students are in first grade (spring 2025), third grade (spring 2027), and fifth grade (spring 2029).
As with the other participating students at your school, these additional students will complete one-on-one assessments with trained ECLS-K:2024 staff (with parents’ consent).

If you have questions or need assistance, please call 1-855-898-2018 or email [email protected].

Thank you again for your time and for supporting this important national education research study.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bissett

Project Director, ECLS-K:2024

Westat

Shape4

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

First-Grade (Spring 2025)

Respondent Materials

Study Reminder Email for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Upcoming ECLS-K:2024 Study Activities in Your School

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

We are now preparing for the next phase of ECLS-K:2024 study activities. We plan to visit your school from <SCHOOL VISIT START DATE> through <SCHOOL VISIT END DATE> to complete the spring activities. Please contact us at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected] if those dates no longer work for your school.

We need your help in preparing for the study activities.

Notify parents and school staff about the next phase of the study. Emails are attached for you to use; if you would prefer to use text messages for this purpose, please let your study representative know. When sending notification emails or texts, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

Be on the lookout for an ECLS-K:2024 package that will be mailed to you in the next few weeks. The package includes a letter and spring study materials for you, as well as the school administrator, teachers, and parents of study students. <The package also includes our monetary tokens of appreciation for you and the participants.>

When the package arrives, check that you have received a parent packet for each study student and all of the expected teacher packets. Distribute the packets to the school administrator and appropriate teachers and parents. The package cover letter will contain more detailed instructions for doing so.

Reserve space for the ECLS-K:2024 team to conduct the child assessment sessions with participating children. The ideal location would be one large room like the gymnasium, music room, or library or media center, where several sessions could be conducted simultaneously. The space should be well-lit, quiet, and have two chairs and a table for each member of the ECLS-K:2024 team.

What’s next?

We will call you a week or two before the school visit to discuss the upcoming study arrangements in more detail.

Log on to the MyECLS website and review the provided information for each study student. Note any updates to the information that are needed, so you can discuss with the ECLS-K:2024 representative the needed changes during your call. If any of the study students have left the school, please communicate details about the child’s new school to the ECLS-K:2024 representative.

Review the School Information page on MyECLS and note any needed changes to provide the ECLS-K:2024 representative.

We look forward to working with you and your school this spring.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments

School Adminstrator and Teacher Notification Email

Parent Notification Email

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

School Administrator and Teacher Notification Email
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Participation in the U.S. Department of Education’s ECLS-K:2024

Dear Colleague:

As you may know, our school is proud to have accepted an invitation from the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). Results from the ECLS-K:2024 will provide parents/guardians, teachers, and policymakers with valuable information that can be used to improve children’s elementary education and experiences.

Currently, study activities are planned for several phases. The first two phases occurred last school year when the selected students were in kindergarten. The next phase occurs this spring, when most of the selected students are in first grade.

What you need to know:

Each participating student (with parents’ consent) will take part in an assessment that is expected to take about 1 hour. The study activities are conducted by trained ECLS-K:2024 staff, so there is nothing that you will need to do to administer the sessions. ECLS-K:2024 staff will work with our school to make sure children participate in the study activities at convenient times.
You will be asked to complete brief web surveys about yourself <( 23/30 minutes)>. Teachers, you will also be asked to complete surveys about your participating students <(about 12 minutes each)>.
As a thank you for your time and effort, you will receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational information<, as well as a check for $20 for the survey on your background survey as well as $7 for each survey about a participating child/ a check for $25>. At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of your efforts to support the study.
Please complete your surveys by June 27.
Parents are also asked to complete a web survey for their child to provide important contextual data on children’s home learning environments.
The study is voluntary, but I encourage you to participate. <There is no penalty for not participating.>

I will soon provide you with a packet of study information. In the meantime, if you have questions, you may contact me directly, or feel free to contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018 or visit the ECLS-K:2024 website at MyECLS (MyECLS.ed.gov). If any parents ask you about the study, please encourage them to participate and direct them to me if they have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your time and for supporting this important study.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Parent Notification Email
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Participation in the U.S. Department of Education’s ECLS-K:2024

Dear Parent/Guardian:

As you may remember, last year your child’s school participated in U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). We enjoyed working with the children and are excitedly gearing up for the next phase of the study in schools this spring.

What you need to know:

This spring, your child will answer age-appropriate math-, reading-, and memory skills-related questions during an approximately 1-hour one-on-one session with a trained ECLS-K:2024 staff member. ECLS-K:2024 staff will work with teachers to make sure children do not miss important lessons or activities.
You will be asked to complete a new <45-minute> web survey to provide a more complete picture of your child’s learning and development. Please complete your survey by June 27.
The study is voluntary, but I encourage you to participate. You will receive a monetary token of appreciation to thank you for your time. <There is no penalty for not participating.>

I will be sending an ECLS-K:2024 information packet home with your child this week. Please watch for it.

Our school supports the goals of this valuable study, and we are hopeful that every selected child, parent, and teacher, from our school will continue to participate.

If you have questions, you may contact me directly, or feel free to contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Postcard Providing MyECLS PIN to Parents
Spring 2025

FRONT COVER LABELED WITH PARENT ID AND Parent of <CHILD’S NAME>

INSIDE:

Please use this PIN to log on to the secure study website and activate your $15 prepaid Mastercard®. This is your personal PIN; please keep it confidential.

PIN: <PIN>

When you first log in to the website using your PIN, you will be asked to enter your email address and create a password.

Your password must be at least 8 characters in length and include 3 of the following 4 types of characters:

upper case letters,
lower case letters,
numbers,
special characters.

If you need help, please call 1-855-898-2018 or send an email to [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

School Coordinator Study Activities Package Cover Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

[SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME]

[SCHOOL NAME]

[ADDRESS]

[CITY], [STATE] [ZIP CODE]

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

Thank you again for your help with the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). Enclosed is the Study Activities Package for the next phase of the study, which includes materials for you, as well as packets for you to distribute to the school administrator, teachers, and parents/guardians of the selected children.

Contents of this Package:

For you, the school coordinator, there is <a check for $35 to thank you for your time and effort and> a guide for encouraging the participation of teachers and parents.
Teacher Packets for the primary and special education teachers of the study children, each containing a welcome letter <, a check for $20 for the teacher’s background survey plus $7 for each child-level survey the teacher is asked to complete,> and the ECLS-K:2024 teacher fact sheet. Teachers will also receive their PIN numbers to use when accessing the MyECLS.ed.gov website via email from the ECLS-K:2024 team.
Parent Packets for parents of study children, each containing a welcome letter for the next study phase, a $15 prepaid Mastercard®, a children’s book, and the ECLS-K:2024 parent fact sheet.
School Administrator Packet for the head of the school, containing a cover letter<, a check for $25,> and an ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview.

Instructions:

Ensure that you have received a parent packet and a teacher packet for each study child. Teachers who serve as both primary and special education teachers may have two packets.
Notify the school administrator and selected teachers and parents that you will be distributing study packets to them, if you have not already done so. Use the emails that were attached to the recent email welcoming you to the spring phase of the study. (Text messages are also available for this purpose if you prefer.)

When emailing or texting the school administrator, teachers, and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

Distribute the packets to the school administrator and selected teachers and parents.
Encourage the school administrator, teachers, and parents to participate by using the strategies outlined in the enclosed guide. We will also provide you with reminder emails and text messages for this purpose.
Reserve space for the ECLS-K:2024 child assessment sessions, if you have not already done so.

The success of the study relies on the participation of children, school staff, and parents. Please notify your ECLS-K:2024 representative as soon as possible about any issues affecting participation in your school. The ECLS-K:2024 team will be happy to assist you in following-up with study participants about the completion of the surveys.

If you have any questions about these instructions, please do not hesitate to contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Enclosures

Guide for Encouraging Participation

School Administrator Packet

Teacher Packets

Parent Packets

Shape5

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

School Coordinator Guide for Encouraging Participation
Spring 2025

Guide for Encouraging Participation in the ECLS-K:2024

The following suggestions are helpful ideas for how you can encourage participation and ensure a successful study administration in your school. Remember, results from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) will provide information about children’s skills and development over time, and how these relate to factors at home and at school. The study will be particularly meaningful, as it will provide important information about the experiences of children whose early lives were shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The success of the study relies on the participation of children, parents, and school staff, as well as your assistance in securing their participation.

It is important that selected children participate in the ECLS-K:2024 because they represent many other children like them across the country.
Teachers provide information about the knowledge and skills of participating children to create a clearer picture of what our nation’s elementary-school-aged children know and can do.
Parents contribute vital information about children’s home, early care, and preschool experiences, which helps us understand how those experiences are related to children’s skills during the early years of school.

Notify selected study participants about the study before you distribute their participation packets. Providing advanced notice increases the likelihood that they will pay attention to the printed materials. We have provided emails for you to use to complete this task.

When emailing or texting school staff and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

Remind the study participants on a regular basis to complete the surveys. We will provide email and text messages for you to use. Email reminders are especially helpful because participants can immediately access MyECLS.ed.gov and the web survey from a link provided in the messages. Again, please send individual emails/texts or blind-copy recipients.

Support parents and school staff by answering questions, as appropriate, about their participation in the study. Consider offering a time and space for parents to complete the web surveys at your school, especially for those who may not have convenient access to the Internet or a computer.

Emphasize the importance of the study and their contribution to it when communicating with parents and school staff. Talking points are provided on the back of this document.

Remember that the ECLS-K:2024 team is here to help! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your ECLS-K:2024 representative directly, call 1-855-898-2018, or send an email to [email protected].

Talking Points for Parents

It is important that every selected child participates in the ECLS-K:2024 because each child represents many other children with similar characteristics across the country. Together, the participating children will demonstrate what children in the United States know and can do in elementary school.
By completing the online parent survey, you will help the study provide results about the relationship between children’s early learning experiences and their skills in school.
It will take you only about 45 minutes to complete the online parent survey.
It is important to be honest and accurate to ensure that the ECLS-K:2024 can provide valuable results. Your responses are confidential and are not shared with your child’s teachers or school principal.
Educators and policymakers can use the results of the ECLS-K:2024 to make informed decisions about how to improve education for future generations. ECLS studies are launched infrequently - about once each decade - and are used by educators, policymakers, and researchers trying to better understand child development.
Results from studies like this one help the U.S. Department of Education better support our teachers and families. For example, the website nces.ed.gov/nceskids was created as a place to learn more about recent developments in education and as a source of fun, educational games.

Talking Points for Teachers

By completing the web surveys, you help ensure that the ECLS-K:2024 can provide a more complete picture of what our country’s elementary-school-aged children know and can do in the early grades.
It will take approximately 25 minutes to complete the teacher survey and approximately 15 minutes to complete each child-level survey.
Teachers will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of their efforts to support the study.
Your responses are confidential and are not shared with our school’s principal, other school staff, or parents.

If district or school policy allows, to thank them for their time and effort, teachers will receive $20 for the teacher background survey plus an additional $7 for each child-level survey.

Educators and policymakers can use the ECLS-K:2024 results to make informed decisions about how to improve education for future generations. ECLS studies are launched infrequently - about once each decade - and are used by educators, policymakers, and researchers trying to better understand child development.

Results from studies like this one help the U.S. Department of Education better support our teachers and families. For example, the website nces.ed.gov/nceskids was created as a place to learn more about recent developments in education and as a source of fun, educational games.

School Administrator Welcome Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Dear School Administrator:

As you know, your school has agreed to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, or the ECLS-K:2024. For more than 20 years, the ECLS program has helped improve education for children from birth through elementary school. Results from the ECLS can be used to support students’ learning and development. The study helps answer the following types of questions:

What math and literacy skills do children have when they start school? How do they develop over time?
What educational activities do students do at home and with their families?
What support do parents and families need to be more involved in their child’s education?

The ECLS-K:2024 is particularly meaningful, as it will provide important information about the experiences of children whose early lives were shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do I need to know?

Westat, the U.S-based research organization collecting the data, will be working with your school coordinator to coordinate the study activities. Participation is voluntary, but I encourage you to take part in this important program. <There is no penalty for not participating.>

Child assessments will be conducted with participating (primarily first-grade) students in your school this spring over the course of 2 to 3 days. The activities will focus on students’ literacy, math, and memory skills, and accommodations are available to ensure that sampled students can participate as appropriate. In some schools, students’ height and weight will also be measured.
The study activities are conducted by trained ECLS-K:2024 staff, so there is nothing that the students’ teachers need to do to administer the sessions. ECLS-K:2024 staff will work with your school to make sure children participate in the study activities at convenient times.
We are asking school administrators, teachers, and parents of participating students to complete web surveys.
If district policy permits, we will provide you, your selected school’s coordinator to the study, and teachers a monetary token of appreciation. You will also receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education to thank you for participating in the ECLS-K:2024. Parents will receive a monetary token of appreciation for their efforts.
Details about the study can be found in the fact sheet enclosed with this letter. More study information, including a short video, is available at MyECLS.ed.gov, accessible from the QR code below.

What do I need to do?

Please log on to the study website (MyECLS.ed.gov) and complete your survey by June 27.

When you first log on to the website, enter the unique PIN that will be emailed to you directly from Westat.
After you enter the PIN, enter your email address and a password to log on in the future. The log on process will keep your data secure each time you visit the website.

Enclosed is a worksheet that provides more details on the content of the spring 2025 school administrator survey. After reviewing the survey content, you may decide to ask another school staff person to complete some of the survey sections on your behalf. A separate email with a second, unique PIN to access the secure section of the MyECLS.ed.gov website and the survey will be sent to you. If you have identified someone else to answer sections of the school administrator survey, please forward the email with the second PIN to that person. This person should not be given your unique PIN, as that will allow him or her to access portions of the survey that should be completed only by you.

You can find more study information in the enclosed Study Overview. If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018. Thank you for your participation in the ECLS-K:2024.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bissett

Project Director, ECLS-K:2024

Westat

Enclosures

ECLS-K:2024 Study Overview

School Administrator Survey Worksheet

Shape6

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

School Administrator Survey Worksheet
Spring 2025

ECLS-K:2024 School Administrator Survey Worksheet

The ECLS-K:2024 school administrator web survey is designed to be completed by the principals/school administrators at participating schools. The survey includes a broad range of questions about the school setting, policies and practices at both the school level and in specific grades, and about the principal and the teaching staff. The survey is divided into eight separate sections, described below.

The ECLS-K:2024 anticipates that some school administrators will need help from other school staff to complete some of the sections. Each school administrator will receive a unique PIN to log in to the MyECLS.ed.gov website, create an account, and complete the web survey. If you need help completing any of the sections, we have provided you with a second PIN that should be given to your designee to log on to the study website and create their own account to complete survey sections. For security purposes, please do not share your PIN or account information (i.e., your username and a password you create) with anyone.

Instructions for Completing the School Administrator Survey

Review the survey section descriptions below to determine if you would like to assign a knowledgeable staff member (your designee) to complete any of the sections on your behalf. You can also ask your designee to complete only portions of sections, as needed. All sections except for Section H can be completed by your designee, if you choose to delegate them. Section H should be completed by you as it includes questions about your background, training, and job responsibilities; it is accessible on the MyECLS.ed.gov website only with your PIN or, once established, your password with your email address.

The survey asks for details that might require you to review your school’s records. For this reason, it may be easier to complete the survey while at school.
The individual survey sections can be completed in any order. The survey sections can be completed all at once or over the course of multiple sessions. Each section, with the exception of section H, can be completed entirely by you or your designee, or by both of you.

Log on to the study website, MyECLS.ed.gov, and enter your PIN. On your first visit, you will be asked to enter your email address and to create a password to ensure the security of your data.

If you would like someone else to answer certain sections of the survey, please provide him or her with the second PIN and instructions for logging on to the site.
While the survey may be completed on any device, we recommend using your desktop or laptop computer. Some of the questions are easier to read on a larger screen.

After logging on to the MyECLS.ed.gov website, indicate who will complete each of the survey sections. For sections A through G, you can indicate yourself, a designee, or both. This will make it clear to your designee the sections that each person is asked to complete.

Survey Section Descriptions

Section A – School Characteristics asks for basic school information and enrollment, a demographic breakdown of your student population, and information about your school’s participation in the USDA-reimbursable breakfast and lunch programs. The types of questions include the average daily attendance; the percentage of students in various racial/ethnic groups, with special needs, and eligible for select programs; and the number of children qualified to receive federally-reimbursable meals served.
Section B – School Facilities and Resources covers your school’s facilities, including the availability of dedicated rooms, such as a cafeteria or music room, as well as the availability of computers.
Section C – School-Family-Community Connections asks for information about the school’s interaction with parents, the neighborhood where the school is located, safety and emergency procedures, and problems that may be occurring within your school. Specific questions include the availability of programs or services for parents, methods used to communicate with parents, instances of crime in the surrounding community and within the school, and the frequency of emergency drill practice.
Section D – School Policies and Practices asks about practices and policies related to student promotion and retention, suspensions, and benchmarks for student success in various subject areas. Specific questions include the implementation of student-focused special programs, and the number of students assigned suspensions by gender and race/ethnicity.
Section E – School Programs for Particular Populations covers information about the school’s programs for various populations, including homeless students, English language learners, students with disabilities, and students in special education. Types of questions include the percentage of students who are English language learners (in the school and in first grade), and the percentage of first-graders with IEPs or receiving special/additional instruction.
Section F – Federal Programs asks questions pertaining to public schools including the use of Title I and Title III funds, actions taken in response to the need for improvement, and state assessments. Administrators from private schools will be asked one question in this section and then will be skipped out of the remainder of the questions in Section F.
Section G – Staffing and Teacher Characteristics covers the characteristics of staff at your school, including the number of staff members in various capacities, the primary roles of various staff members, and the demographics of your school staff.
Section H – School Administrator Characteristics asks questions about you, the designated school administrator, including your educational background, training, and time spent on various tasks. This section should not be completed by anyone else but you, the school administrator/principal, as it contains information that only you would know about yourself.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

Teacher Welcome Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Dear Teacher:

As you may know, our school and students are participating in an exciting study called the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). I am proud that the U.S. Department of Education chose our school for this study.

For more than 20 years, the ECLS has helped improve education for children from birth through elementary school. We can use results from the ECLS-K:2024 to better understand children’s development and experiences related to learning, such as their:

Reading, math, and memory skills
Social skills such as self-control, communication, problem-solving, and peer relationships
Health and development
Educational opportunities at school and at home

The ECLS-K:2024 will be particularly meaningful, as it will provide important information about the experiences of children whose early lives were shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic.

What do I need to know?

Some or all of your students are participating in the study, with consent from their parents/guardians. The first two phases occurred when the children were in kindergarten. The next phase occurs this spring, when most of the participating students are in first grade. Current plans are for two more phases of the study (students’ third- and fifth-grade years).

Your participating students will be asked to do engaging, age-appropriate activities during a single one-on-one session with a study team member.

Study staff will visit our school from <START SCHOOL VISIT DATE> to <END SCHOOL VISIT DATE> to conduct the spring study activities.
The session will last about 1 hour for most children. The study team will work with you to make sure children participate in the study activities at convenient times.
The activities focus on students’ reading-, math-, and memory-related skills. In some schools, children’s height and weight will also be measured. Accommodations are available to ensure that students can participate as appropriate.
You will not need to conduct the student assessment sessions, but you can observe them if you like. Parents/guardians are also welcome to observe the study sessions with their child.
Visit our study website at MyECLS.ed.gov (accessible via the QR code below) to see examples of the study sessions being conducted with students. Children who participated in previous ECLS sessions reported enjoying the activities and the individual attention.

You will be asked to complete web surveys about your teaching practices and experiences <(about 23 minutes)>, as well as the skills and abilities of participating students <(about 12 minutes each)>.

Parents/guardians of participating children are also asked to complete a web survey, and will receive a monetary token of appreciation for doing so.

The study aims to include all sampled families and offers different ways for families to participate, such as phone surveys for those without internet access and translated materials or interpreters for those who speak a language other than English.

The information you provide will be kept secure and combined with information from school staff, students, and parents/guardians to provide nationally representative results.
The ECLS-K:2024 is endorsed by more than 25 education organizations.
Participation is voluntary, but I encourage you to take part in this important study. <There is no penalty for not participating.>

See the back or next page for details about what you need to do.

What do I need to do?

Please log on to MyECLS.ed.gov and complete your surveys by June 27.

In a few days, you will receive your PIN in an email from the ECLS-K:2024 team at Westat, the research organization conducting the study for the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics within the Institute of Education Sciences.
Surveys may be completed at your convenience and do not have to be done all at once.

To thank you for participating in the study:

You and our school will receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational information<, as well as a monetary token of appreciation to recognize the time spent participating in the study. Please find your check enclosed>. At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education.

You can find more information in the fact sheet I have enclosed. If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018. You can also learn more at MyECLS.ed.gov.

Shape7

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

Thank you in advance for participating!

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Enclosure

ECLS teacher fact sheet

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information 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 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

Parent Welcome Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Dear Parent/Guardian:

As you may recall, last year your child began participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). The study provides important information about children’s reading and math skills, social skills such as problem-solving and self-control, health and development, and educational opportunities at school and at home.

It is now time to conduct the next phase of the study in our school. I am proud of our school’s participation, and I appreciate your support.

What do I need to know?

The ECLS-K:2024 team will be visiting our school this spring to conduct the study activities. Participating children will have the opportunity to do engaging, age-appropriate reading-, math-, and memory-related activities during a 1-hour one-on-one session at our school with a study team member. Children in some schools will also have their height and weight measured.
- You and/or school staff are welcome to be in the room during your child’s session.
- The ECLS-K:2024 team will work with teachers to make sure children do not miss important lessons or activities.
You will be asked to complete a new <45-minute> web survey, at your convenience.
Your child’s current teacher(s) will also be asked to complete web surveys about their teaching background, classroom lessons and activities, and the selected children they teach.
The information that you provide will be kept secure and combined with information from other parents/guardians, students, and school staff to provide results for the nation as a whole.
The ECLS-K:2024 is endorsed by more than 25 education organizations.
The study is voluntary, but I encourage you to participate. <There is no penalty for not participating.>

What do I need to do?

Please log on to MyECLS.ed.gov to complete your survey by June 27. Your PIN to log on to the website is in the sealed postcard provided in this packet.

To thank you for participating in the study:

Enclosed is a $15 prepaid Mastercard® and a children’s book. The card will be activated after you log on to MyECLS.ed.gov, regardless of whether you complete the survey. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information.
Schools and teachers will receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational information. <Our teachers will also receive monetary tokens of appreciation for participating in the study.> <Our school will <also> receive a monetary token of appreciation for our efforts this spring.>

See the back or next page for more information.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). NCES is working with Westat, a research organization, to conduct this voluntary study. If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

Shape8

Learn more and watch a video to and see the study experience for children.

Thank you for participating in this important study!

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Enclosure

ECLS parent fact sheet

Email Providing MyECLS PIN to School Administrators
and Teachers
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Important ECLS-K:2024 Information

Dear <SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR/TEACHER NAME>:

Please use this PIN to access the secure study website. This is your personal PIN; please keep it confidential.

PIN: <PIN>

Your password must be at least 8 characters in length and must contain a combination of 3 of the following 4 types:

upper case letters,
lower case letters,
numbers,
special characters.

If you need technical assistance at any time, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Email Providing Secondary MyECLS PIN to School Administrators
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: ECLS-K:2024 Secondary Log in Details

Dear <SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR NAME>:

If you have designated a school staff member to help you complete some sections of the School Administrator Survey, please forward this secondary PIN to that person. This PIN will allow that person to have limited access to the secure study website.

SECONDARY PIN: <PIN>

When your designee first logs in to the website using this PIN, this person will be prompted to enter an email address and create a password to securely access the website in the future. The designee will no longer need this PIN after creating a password.

The designee’s password must be at least 8 characters in length and must contain a combination of 3 of the following 4 types:

upper case letters,
lower case letters,
numbers,
special characters.

If you need technical assistance at any time, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Parent Text Message Communications
Spring 2025

SET appointment:

Thank you <for your email/for talking with me>. I am looking forward to completing the ECLS-K:2024 survey with you. Would < DATE/TIME> work for you to <talk on the phone/meet in-person>? I, or a colleague, can be available at any date or time that is convenient for you. If you have any questions, please just let me know either by email (<EMAIL ADDRESS>) or text.

confirm appointment:

Thank you <for your email/for talking with me>. I am looking forward to completing the ECLS-K:2024 survey with you on <APPOINTMENT DATE/TIME>. If you have any questions or need to reschedule our <call/visit>, please just let me know either by email (<EMAIL ADDRESS>) or text.

REMINDER OF appointment:

Just a reminder that I will be <calling/visiting> you to complete the ECLS-K:2024 survey on <APPOINTMENT DATE/TIME>. If you have any questions or need to reschedule our <call/visit>, please just let me know either by email (<EMAIL ADDRESS>) or text.

First Survey Completion Reminder Email
for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder: ECLS-K:2024 Survey Completion Check-In

Dear <School Coordinator name>:

Thank you for your work to ensure the ECLS-K:2024 study’s success in your school! It is time to check on the surveys that are being completed by parents and school staff.

Where to monitor the status of surveys:

Log on to MyECLS to review the completion status of surveys.

How to follow up with parents and school staff:

Review the completion status of the school administrator, teacher, and parent surveys. Note those participants who have not yet completed their surveys.
Use the email reminder template attached to this email to contact the school administrator, teachers, and parents and remind them to complete the surveys. (A text message reminder template is also available upon request.) When emailing or texting the school administrator, teachers, and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

We are here to help!

Please email or call your ECLS-K:2024 representative to discuss how we can help make the study a success in your school.
You can also contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

Thank you again for all you are doing to support the ECLS-K:2024.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments:

Survey Reminder Emails for Parents

Survey Reminder Email for Teachers and School Administrators

Guide for Encouraging Participation

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

First Survey Completion Reminder Email for
Parents (attached to first SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder to complete your ECLS-K:2024 web survey!

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Thank you for reviewing the materials I sent home about the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. Our school supports this study, and while all participation is voluntary, we hope that every selected child, parent, and teacher from our school will participate this spring.

What are parents being asked do?

Complete a new spring 2025 survey about your child and your family. If you have already completed the survey this spring, thank you! If you have not, the survey can be completed whenever is convenient for you and does not need to be completed all at once. By law, individual students, families, and schools will not be identified, and study data will not be shared with our school.

A prepaid Mastercard® card worth $15 upon activation and a children’s book were also included in the package to thank you for your time completing the survey. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information. Our school and teachers also receive tokens of appreciation.

How to complete the survey:

Log on to the MyECLS (MyECLS.ed.gov) website, using the PIN that was enclosed in the study materials I recently sent home.

The website contains a link to the survey you are being asked to complete.

Questions or need help?

The U.S. Department of Education is working with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to conduct the study. Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.
You can also contact me if you have any questions about the study activities for you or your child.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

First Survey Completion Reminder Text Message for
Parents (upon request)
Spring 2025

Hello! We are excited that the next phase of the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) is starting in our school soon! Please complete the spring 2025 parent survey and activate your $15 prepaid Mastercard® on the MyECLS website. An information packet and email from our school have directions. For questions, please call the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018. Thank you!

First Survey Completion Reminder Email for Teachers and School Administrator (attached to first SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder to complete your ECLS-K:2024 web survey!

Dear Colleague:

I am reaching out to ask that you please complete your activities for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024), conducted by the U.S. Department of Education. While all ECLS-K:2024 participation is voluntary, I encourage you to participate.

What are school staff being asked to do?

Teachers:

Complete a survey about your background and classroom practices.
Complete surveys about each of the selected children.

School administrators:

Complete a survey about your background and the school.

How to complete the surveys:

Log on to the MyECLS (MyECLS.ed.gov) website.
- You will be prompted to enter the PIN you were provided in an email a few weeks ago. If you cannot find the PIN, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

The website contains links to each of the surveys you are being asked to complete. Surveys can be completed at your convenience and do not have to be done all at once.
<To thank you for your help, your packet contained a monetary token of appreciation; you will also receive quarterly newsletters with study and other educational information.> At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education.

Questions or need help?

The U.S. Department of Education is working with Westat, a U.S.-based research organization, to conduct the study. Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.
You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Second Survey Completion Reminder Email for
School Coordinators
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder: ECLS-K:2024 Survey Completion Check-In

Dear <School Coordinator name>:

Thank you for all you are doing to make the ECLS-K:2024 a success! Now that a couple of weeks have gone by, it is time to check again on the status of the study surveys.

What do I need to do?

Review the MyECLS website to see whether the school administrator, teachers, and parents still need to complete their surveys.
Email the attached reminders to those participants who have not yet completed the survey. Text reminders for parents are also available upon request if you prefer to send texts. The last day for completing the surveys is Friday, June 27.

Please continue to update MyECLS as appropriate (for example, with child-specific information).

Our ECLS-K:2024 team members want to assist you in these efforts. Please email or call your ECLS-K:2024 representative to discuss how we can help follow up with parents and school staff.

Do your parents or school staff need help completing the survey?

Anyone who needs help can contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.

We want to hear from as many of your school staff and parents as possible! Thank you for helping us meet that goal.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments:

Survey Reminder Emails for Parents

Survey Reminder Email for Teachers and School Administrators

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Second Survey Completion Reminder Email
for Parents (attached to second SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder to complete your ECLS-K:2024 web survey!

Dear Parent/Guardian:

I appreciate your family’s participation in the U.S. Department of Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! With your help, the nation can learn more about what our country’s young students know and can do to better meet their needs in school.

Don’t forget:

Log on to the MyECLS website to complete the new spring 2025 parent survey if you have not done so already. Use the PIN that was in the study materials I recently sent home to access the secure website.
Detailed information about the study was provided in the materials I sent home a couple of weeks ago along with the $15 prepaid Mastercard® and a children’s book to thank you for your time and effort. You can activate your prepaid card on MyECLS. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information.
The last day to complete your parent survey is Friday, June 27.

Questions, need help, or forgot your log-in information?

Please email the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.
You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

More findings from previous ECLS studies and other U.S. Department of Education surveys are available on the MyECLS homepage.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Second Survey Completion Reminder Text Message
for Parents (upon request)
Spring 2025

Hello! Please don’t miss out on participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). The last day to complete your spring 2025 survey is June 27. Your information packet and email from our school have directions on how to log on to the MyECLS website to activate your $15 prepaid Mastercard® and complete the survey. Please let us know if you have any questions or call the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018.

Second Survey Completion Reminder Email for Teachers
and School Administrators
(attached to second SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: Reminder to complete your ECLS-K:2024 web survey(s)!

Dear Colleague:

I appreciate your willingness to participate in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! This is a friendly reminder to complete your web survey(s).

How to complete the surveys:

Log on to the MyECLS website.
- You will be prompted to enter the PIN you were provided in an email a few weeks ago. If you cannot find the PIN, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

The website contains links to each of the surveys you are being asked to complete. Please log on to the website and complete the survey(s) by Friday, June 27.
<To thank you for your help, you received a monetary token of appreciation; you will <also> receive a quarterly newsletter with study and other educational information.> At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of your efforts to support the study.

Questions or need help?

Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.
You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.
If parents ask you about the study, please encourage them to participate and direct them to me if they have any questions.

Thank you again!

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Third Survey Completion Reminder Email for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024—Survey Completion Reminder

Dear <School Coordinator name>:

We do not have much longer until the current phase of the ECLS-K:2024 ends. Please help us obtain as many complete surveys as possible from your school’s parents and staff.

What do I need to do?

Review the MyECLS website to see which parents and school staff still need to complete their surveys.
Email the attached reminders to those parents and teachers who have not yet completed the survey. Text reminders for parents are available upon request if you prefer texting. The last day for completing the surveys is Friday, June 27.

Our ECLS-K:2024 team members want to assist you in these efforts. Please email or call your ECLS-K:2024 representative to discuss how we can help follow up with parents and school staff.

Do parents or school staff need help completing the survey?

Anyone who needs help can contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.

We want to hear from as many of your school staff and parents as possible! Thank you for helping us meet this goal.

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments:

Survey Reminder Emails for Parents

Survey Reminder Email for Teachers and School Administrators

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Third Survey Completion Reminder Email for Parents
(attached to third SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024 spring 2025 survey ending soon!

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Thanks again for participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)!

I know you are very busy, but the last day to complete your parent survey is quickly approaching. We would like to have all surveys completed by Friday, June 27.

To participate: Log on to the MyECLS website to complete your parent survey if you have not done so already. Details about the study were provided in the materials I sent home several weeks ago along with a prepaid Mastercard® worth $15 upon activation and a children’s book to thank you for your time and effort. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information.

Questions, need help, or forgot your log-in information? Please email the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018. You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Third Survey Reminder Text Message for Parents
(upon request)
Spring 2025

We know you are very busy, but the last day to complete your Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) survey is June 27. Please log on to the MyECLS website to complete your survey, if you have not already done so. Please contact our school or call the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 if you have any questions.

Third Survey Completion Reminder Email for Teachers
and School Administrators
(attached to third SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: Current phase of ECLS-K:2024 ending soon!

Dear Colleague:

I know you are very busy, but the last day to complete the ECLS-K:2024 survey(s) is June 27. Your participation would go a long way toward helping the study provide valuable information for parents, schools, researchers, and policymakers.

How to complete the surveys:

Log on to the MyECLS website to complete the survey(s) if you have not done so already.

<To thank you for your help, you received a monetary token of appreciation.> At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of your efforts to support the study.

Questions or need help?

Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.
You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.
If parents ask you about the study, please encourage them to participate and direct them to me if they have any questions.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Fourth Survey Completion Reminder Email for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024—One Last Survey Reminder

Dear <School Coordinator name>:

Thank you for all you have done to make the ECLS-K:2024 a success in your school!

This is the final reminder to check on the completion of this spring’s parent and school staff surveys. If any parents and school staff still need to complete their surveys, please remind them that the last day is Friday, June 27.

An email reminder template is attached for you to send. (A text message reminder template is also available upon request.) When emailing or texting the school administrator, teachers, and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments

Survey Reminder Emails for Parents

Survey Reminder Emails for Teachers and School Administrators

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Fourth Survey Completion Reminder Email for Parents
(attached to fourth SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024—One Last Survey Reminder

Dear Parent/Guardian:

We are making every effort to finish strong for the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! If you have not already completed your spring parent survey, please do so by Friday, June 27. We are really counting on your participation!

To participate: Log on to the MyECLS website to complete your parent survey. Details about the study were provided in the materials I sent home several weeks ago along with a prepaid Mastercard® worth $15 upon activation and a children’s book to thank you for your time and effort. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information.

Questions, need help, or forgot your log-in information? For any questions, please email the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018. You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Fourth Survey Completion Reminder Text for Parents
(upon request)
Spring 2025

We are making every effort to finish strong for the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! If you have not already completed your parent survey, please do so today by logging on to the MyECLS website. We are really counting on your participation! Please contact our school or call the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 if you have any questions. Thank you!

Fourth Survey Completion Reminder Email for Teachers and
School Administrators
(attached to fourth SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024—One Last Survey Reminder

Dear Colleague:

We are making every effort to finish strong for the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! If you have not already completed your survey(s), please do so today. We are really counting on your participation!

How to complete the surveys:

Log on to the MyECLS website. The website contains links to each of the surveys you are being asked to complete. <To thank you for your help, you received a monetary token of appreciation.> At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of your efforts to support the study.

Questions or need help?

Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Final Survey Completion Reminder Email for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024 survey deadline extended till <DATE>!

Dear <School Coordinator name>:

We are making every effort to collect as much data as possible for the ECLS-K:2024 so the survey deadline is being extended one more week, until <DATE>.

An email reminder template is attached for you to send. (A text message reminder template is also available upon request.) When emailing or texting teachers and parents, please help us to maintain confidentiality by not revealing the names of study participants. We encourage you to send individual messages. If you choose to send a group message, please be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses or phone numbers of others included on the message.

If you have any questions, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or 1-855-898-2018.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachments

Reminder Emails for Parents

Reminder Emails for Teachers

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Final Survey Completion Reminder Email for Parents
(attached to final SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024 survey deadline extended until <DATE>!

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Your response is so important to us that we’ve extended the due date to make sure you have a chance to reply. Please respond to your ECLS survey by <DATE>. If you have not already completed your parent survey, please do so today. We are really counting on your participation!

To participate: Log on to the MyECLS website to complete the parent survey. Details about the study were provided in the materials I sent home several weeks ago along with a prepaid Mastercard® worth $15 upon activation and a children’s book to thank you for your time and effort. You will also receive a yearly newsletter with study and other educational information.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Final Survey Completion Reminder Text for Parents
(upon request)
Spring 2025

We have extended the deadline until <DATE> to complete your survey for the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)! If you have not already completed your parent survey, please do so today by logging on to the MyECLS website. Please contact our school or call the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 if you have any questions. Thank you!

Final Survey Completion Reminder Email for School Staff
(attached to final SC email)
Spring 2025

Subject: ECLS-K:2024 survey deadline extended until <DATE>!

Dear Colleague:

Your response is so important to us that we’ve extended the due date to make sure you have a chance to reply. Please respond to your ECLS survey by <DATE>. If you have not already completed your survey(s), please do so today. We are really counting on your participation!

How to complete the survey(s):

Log on to the MyECLS website. The website contains links to each of the surveys you are being asked to complete. <To thank you for your help, you received a monetary token of appreciation.> At the end of the school year, you will receive a Certificate of Contribution from the U.S. Department of Education in recognition of your efforts to support the study.

Questions or need help?

Please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at [email protected] or call 1-855-898-2018.

You can also reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

Why is the ECLS-K:2024 program so important? It helps us better understand how children learn.

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Abbreviated Parent Survey Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2024

Dear Parent/Guardian:

A few weeks ago we sent home materials for your participation in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). We are nearing completion of the spring 2025 phase of the ECLS-K:2024 and we would really like to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to complete this short survey about your child.

We know how busy you are so this survey should only take 5 minutes to complete.

To participate:

The survey should be filled out about your child named on the envelope that contained this letter.
Complete the front and back of survey.
Return the survey to Westat, the data collection contractor for the ECLS-K:2024, in the enclosed, postage-paid envelope.

As a thank you for your time and efforts, we previously sent you a Mastercard worth $15. To activate the card, visit the study website at http://myecls.ed.gov and enter the unique PIN that was enclosed in the study materials sent home to you several weeks ago, along with a children’s book. If you can no longer find the PIN, please contact the study team at 1-855-898-2018.

By completing this short survey, you will help provide context for the thousands of child assessments and school staff surveys that have already been completed across the country this year as a part of the ECLS-K:2024. If you decide that you would like to provide more information by completing the full parent survey, which takes approximately 45 minutes, please contact the study team at 1-855-898-2018.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important education study.

Shape9

Learn more and watch a video to see the study experience for students.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Bissett

Project Director, ECLS-K:2024

Westat

Abbreviated Parent Survey Letter (Spanish)
Spring 2025

Primavera de 2025

Estimado(a) padre, madre o tutor(a):

Hace algunas semanas le enviamos a su hogar unos materiales para que participe en el Estudio Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia, Clase de kindergarten 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). Se acerca el final de la etapa de primavera de 2025 del estudio ECLS-K:2024 y nos gustaría mucho saber de usted. Por favor tómese unos minutos para completar esta breve encuesta acerca de su niño(a).

Dado que sabemos que usted está muy ocupado(a), completar esta encuesta tomará solamente unos 5 minutos.

Para participar:

La encuesta debe completarse con referencia a su niño(a) cuyo nombre aparece en el sobre en que vino esta carta.
Complete la parte de adelante y de atrás de la encuesta.
Utilice el sobre prepagado que aquí le enviamos para devolver la encuesta a Westat, la compañía que tiene el contrato para la recopilación de datos de ECLS-K:2024.

Como agradecimiento por su tiempo y su esfuerzo, le habíamos enviado anteriormente una tarjeta Mastercard con valor de $15. Para activar la tarjeta, visite la página del estudio en Internet, en http://myecls.ed.gov e ingrese su PIN único que le enviamos con los materiales del estudio que mandamos a su casa hace varias semanas, junto con un libro para niños. Si no puede encontrar su PIN, por favor contacte al equipo del estudio llamando al 1-855-898-2018.

Al completar esta breve encuesta, nos ayudará a entender el contexto de los miles de evaluaciones de niños y encuestas del personal escolar que ya se han completado este año en todo el país como parte de ECLS-K:2024. Si decide que le gustaría dar más información respondiendo a la encuesta para padres en su totalidad, lo cual toma unos 45 minutos, por favor contacte al equipo del estudio al teléfono 1-855-898-2018.

Shape10

Infórmese más y vea un video para ver cómo es la experiencia del estudio para los estudiantes.

Gracias de antemano por su participación en este importante estudio de educación.

Atentamente,

Elizabeth Bissett

Project Director, ECLS-K:2024

Westat

El ECLS-K:2024 lo está llevando a cabo el Centro Nacional para Estadísticas de Educación (NCES por sus siglas en inglés), dentro del Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación (IES por sus siglas en inglés), del Departamento de Educación de los EE.UU.

El Centro Nacional para Estadísticas de Educación (NCES) está autorizado a hacer el Estudio Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia (ECLS por sus siglas en inglés) por el Acta de Reforma de las Ciencias de la Educación de 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). La firma Westat, una organización que realiza estudios y está basada en los Estados Unidos, está recopilando los datos para NCES. Toda la información que usted proporcione podrá usarse solamente para propósitos estadísticos y no podrá divulgarse ni usarse de manera que permita identificar a los participantes para ningún otro propósito, salvo que lo requiera la ley (20 U.S.C. §9573 y 6 U.S.C. §151). Se combinará la información recopilada de todos los participantes para producir reportes estadísticos.

School Coordinator Thank You Letter Distribution
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>,

Thank you for all of your work in coordinating the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) at your school. Enclosed is a Certificate of Contribution to recognize your support of our study.

Also enclosed please find materials for the school staff who were also a part of this study, thanking them for their efforts in making the study a success. Please distribute them at your convenience. <Note that the materials for your school’s principal include a $300/$250 check as a token of our appreciation.> We will also send you an email with a thank you message to send to the parents of the selected children.

You can find further information about the study and our progress at nces.ed.gov/ecls/.

Thank you again for your support of the ECLS-K:2024 this year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

School Administrator and Teacher Thank You Letter
Spring 2025

Spring 2025

Dear <NAME>,

Thank you for participating in the U.S. Department of Education’s Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K:2024). The study has been very successful thus far because of the cooperation and participation of the children, parents, teachers, school administrators, and schools selected to take part. You can find further information about the study at nces.ed.gov/ecls/.

<TEXT FOR SPRING 2025:

TEACHERS: Enclosed is a Certificate of Contribution as a token of our appreciation for your participation.

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS: Enclosed is <a check for $300/$250 as a token of our appreciation for your school’s participation. We have also included> a Certificate of Contribution to recognize your participation in the study.>

You can find further information about the study and our progress at nces.ed.gov/ecls/.

Thank you again for your support of the ECLS-K:2024 this year. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Thank You Email for School Coordinators
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Thank you from the ECLS-K:2024!

Dear <SCHOOL COORDINATOR NAME>:

Thank you again for all your help in coordinating the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) at your school. We truly couldn’t have done it without you!

We hope you will give our thanks to the participating children, parents, and school staff. An email for parents is attached for you to distribute. Please help us to maintain confidentiality by sending this email individually or, if sending a group message, be sure to blind-copy recipients so that they cannot see the names and email addresses of others included on the message.

Thank you letters and Certificates of Contribution for the school staff were mailed to you for distribution.

You can find further information about the study at nces.ed.gov/ecls/. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Thank you again for your support of the ECLS-K:2024 this year!

Sincerely,

The ECLS-K:2024 Team

Attachment

Thank You Email Template for Parents

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Thank You Email for Parents
Spring 2025

SUBJECT: Thank you for participating in the ECLS-K:2024!

Dear Parents/Guardians:

On behalf of the U.S. Department of Education, our school, and our students, I want to thank you for your continuing participation in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024). The study results will help educators and policymakers learn more about what children in our nation’s schools know and how their school experience can be improved. We look forward to continuing the study activities in the spring of 2027.

You can find further information about the study at nces.ed.gov/ecls/. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the ECLS-K:2024 team at 1-855-898-2018 or [email protected].

Thank you again for your support of this important study!

Sincerely,

School Coordinator for the ECLS-K:2024 Study

The ECLS-K:2024 is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), within the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES).

Certification of Contribution
Spring 2025

PAGE WILL BE LANDSCAPE. TOP OF THE PAGE MAY CONTAIN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LOGO, AS ON THE STUDY LETTERHEAD. THE STUDY NAME WILL NOT BE USED.

[ED, IES, and/or NCES logo]

[RESPONDENT NAME]

The United States Department of Education recognizes and thanks you for your contributions.

By participating in our education study, you have given back to your community and the national educational system. Your support will help educators, families, and researchers improve schools and classrooms for future generations of students in this country. Thank you again for your interest and help with our study!

__________________________

[Name][Commissioner or other title]

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Birthday Card
Fall 2024 and Spring/Summer 2025

Certification of Contribution
Spring 2025

PAGE WILL BE LANDSCAPE. TOP OF THE PAGE MAY CONTAIN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LOGO, AS ON THE STUDY LETTERHEAD. THE STUDY NAME WILL NOT BE USED.

[ED, IES, and/or NCES logo]

[RESPONDENT NAME]

The United States Department of Education recognizes and thanks you for your contributions.

__________________________

[Name][Commissioner or other title]

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Certification of Webinar Completion
Spring 2025 (as needed)

PAGE WILL BE LANDSCAPE. TOP OF THE PAGE MAY CONTAIN THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LOGO, AS ON THE STUDY LETTERHEAD. THE STUDY NAME WILL NOT BE USED.

[ED, IES, and/or NCES logo]

Certificate of Participation

[RESPONDENT NAME]

This certificate recognizes participation in [TITLE] webinar,

conducted by the U.S. Department of Education.

[Name][Commissioner or other title] [DATE OF COMPLETION]

National Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Department of Education

Updated ECLS-K:2024 Letterhead
(As needed)

[ECLS study letterhead branding/logo]

File Type	application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
File Modified	0000-00-00
File Created	2023-12-12