Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) Kindergarten and First-Grade National Data Collection and Transfer School Recruitment

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program, conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) of the U.S. Department of Education (ED), draws together information from multiple sources to provide rich, descriptive data on child development, early learning, and school progress. The ECLS program studies deliver national data on children’s status at birth and at various points thereafter; children’s transitions to nonparental care, early care and education programs, and school; and children’s experiences and growth through the elementary grades. The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2022-23 (ECLS-K:2023) is the fourth cohort in the series of early childhood longitudinal studies. The study will advance research in child development and early learning by providing a detailed and comprehensive source of current information on children’s early learning and development, transitions into kindergarten and beyond, and progress through school. The ECLS-K:2023 will provide data about the population of children who will be kindergartners in the 2022-23 school year, and will go beyond its predecessor kindergarten cohort studies by adding a round of data collection in the spring prior to children’s kindergarten year, known as the “preschool round.” Collecting parent data beginning in preschool will enable the study to measure influences on children’s development before entry into formal schooling, including children’s home environments and access to early care and education. The ECLS-K:2023 will focus on children’s early school experiences continuing through the fifth grade, and will include collection of data from parents, teachers, and school administrators, as well as direct child assessments. This request is to conduct a field test of the ECLS-K:2023 preschool data collection activities from January through October 2020, to field test the preschool data collection materials and procedures. This ECLS-K:2023 preschool field test will be followed by the kindergarten-first grade field test (planned for August-December 2021), the spring preschool national data collection (January-June 2022), and the fall (August-December 2022) and spring (March-July 2023) kindergarten national data collections – which will be requested under separate clearance submissions.

The latest form for Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) Kindergarten and First-Grade National Data Collection and Transfer School Recruitment expires 2022-11-30 and can be found here.