A Project Report On Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS), USA

Submitted to: Sh. A. K. Mishra DDG, NASA

Submitted by:

Introduction
What is early childhood? Period between the ages of 3-6 . This stage is educationally important and also the character of the child is mostly obstinate, stubborn, disobedient, negativistic and antagonistic hence this stage plays a significant role in the development of character and personality. What is the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS)? The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program includes three longitudinal studies that examine child development, school readiness, and early school experiences. The birth cohort of the ECLS-B is a sample of children born in 2001 and followed from birth through kindergarten entry. The kindergarten class of 1998-99 cohort is a sample of children followed from kindergarten through the eighth grade. The kindergarten class of 2010-11 cohort will follow a sample of children from kindergarten through the fifth grade. The ECLS program provides national data on children's status at birth and at various points thereafter; children's transitions to non-parental care, early education programs, and school; and children's experiences and growth through the eighth grade. The ECLS program also provides data to analyze the relationships among a wide range of family, school, community, and individual variables with children's development, early learning, and performance in school. What is the objective of the study? The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) was designed to provide policy makers, researchers, child care providers, teachers, and parents with detailed information about children's early life experiences. Data collected for the ECLS-B focus on children's health, development, care, and education during the formative years from birth through kindergarten entry.

Birth Cohort (ECLS-B)

What is the Coverage of this study? Data source: Children, their parents, their child care and early education providers, and their teachers all across the United states provided information on children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development across multiple settings (e.g., home, child care, school). Additionally, information on children's elementary schools is available by linking the ECLS-B data to school data from NCES's Common Core of Data (CCD) and Private School Survey (PSS) universe files, which pertain to U.S. public and private schools, respectively. Sample Size: A nationally representative sample of approximately 14,000 children born in the U.S. in 2001. The children participating in the study came from diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds with oversamples of Chinese children, other Asian and Pacific Islander children, American Indian and Alaska Native children, twins, and children born with low and very low birth weight. Sample Design: Information about these children was collected when they were approximately 9 months old (2001-02), 2 years old (2003-04), and 4 years old/preschool age (2005-06). Additionally, in the fall of 2006, data were collected from all participating sample children, approximately 75 percent of whom were in kindergarten or higher. In the fall of 2007, data were collected from the approximately 25 percent of participating sample children who had not yet entered kindergarten or higher in the previous collection, as well as children who were repeating kindergarten in the 2007-08 school year. What is the Data Collection Procedure? The ECLS-B collected information from children, parents, child care and early education providers, and teachers. The ECLS B dataset also includes information about the schools the study children attended in kindergarten. Children: 4 rounds of separate interviews and data collection were performed. In every round of data collection, trained assessors visited children in their homes. With the parent's permission, children participated in activities designed to measure important developmental skills in the

cognitive, socioemotional,1 and physical domains. The first round is the 9-month round where approximately 9 months old childrens cognitive and motor skills were assessed using a modified version of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-II), called the Bayley Short FormResearch Edition (BSFR). Childrens socio-emotional development was assessed through a taped interaction with their primary caregiver (i.e., the parent respondent) using the Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale (NCATS). The second round is the 2-year round where the BSF-R again was used to measure cognitive and motor development. A different taped interaction, the Two Bags Task, was used to assess childrens socioemotional development. A modified Q-sort was included in the 2-year collection to assess the quality of children's attachment to their primary caregiver. The third round is the Preschool round where the ECLS-B child assessment protocol was modified to take into account the study childrens growing competencies and to focus more on indicators of school readiness. The BSF-R was replaced with an early reading and mathematics assessment similar to the assessments used in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) kindergarten and first grade collections. Fine motor skills were assessed by asking children to copy a series of forms/shapes drawn by assessors and to build structures using blocks. Gross motor skills were assessed by asking children to jump, balance on one foot, hop on one foot, skip, walk backward along a line, and catch a bean bag. Additionally, as in the previous waves, childrens social interactions with the parent respondent were assessed using the Two Bags Task. The fourth round is called the Kindergarten 2006 & kindergarten 2007 rounds .The kindergarten cognitive assessments were similar to the preschool assessments; one exception was that the assessment of color knowledge was not included. Parents: A computer-assisted interview was conducted with the sampled child's primary caregiver, most frequently the mother, in every round of data collection. Parents were asked to provide information about the sampled child, themselves, the home environment, parenting attitudes, and family characteristics. Questions regarding family structure, child participation in nonparental care and education arrangements, household income, and community and social support also were included. In the kindergarten rounds, questions about the childrens school experiences were asked. Fathers (both resident fathers and nonresident biological fathers) completed self-administered questionnaires in the 9-month and 2-year data collections that covered topics such as the role they play in parenting and their attitudes toward fatherhood. Resident fathers also completed self-administered questionnaires in the preschool wave. Early Care and Education Providers: With the permission of the child's parents, individuals and organizations that provided regular non-parental care and education for the child were interviewed over phone. For center-based settings, first the center director was asked for general information about the program, and then the sampled child's primary provider in the center was interviewed about the group environment and the child's experiences. Both home- and center-based primary providers were asked about their own background and experiences. Teachers and Schools: Kindergarten teachers of ECLS-B children completed questionnaires that captured information about the teacher, the sampled children, their classrooms, and their schools. School data were obtained from teachers and from NCESs universe data files (the Common Core of Data (CCD) and Private School Survey (PSS)). Inclusion and Accessibility The ECLS-B worked to include all sampled children and families. Within the limits of time and fiscal constraints, materials were developed to include children and families whose primary language was not English. For example, both the parent interview and the early care and education provider interview were translated into Spanish. If the parent or provider felt more comfortable speaking in a language other than English or Spanish, then translators were utilized when available. Additionally, at 9 months and 2 years, the child assessments were administered in the child's primary language either by a bilingual interviewer or with the assistance of a translator. At preschool and kindergarten, childrens English language skills were assessed at the beginning of the cognitive assessments. Children who did not demonstrate sufficient English language skills to complete the assessment in English were either routed to a comparable assessment in Spanish (if Spanish-speaking) or else excluded from the cognitive assessments. Regardless of English

language skills, all study children were administered the motor items (via a translator if needed) and their physical measurements were taken. The level of English language proficiency that children needed to demonstrate to be included in the assessments administered in English was set very low; as a result, relatively few children were excluded from the cognitive assessments administered in English. Children with disabilities were included in the sample. The ECLS-B was designed to maximize participation of children with special needs at every data collection wave. Accommodations were allowed when necessary. Exclusion from the assessments was considered on a case-by-case basis; in most cases where an exclusion occurred, a child was excluded only from certain components of the assessment (e.g., children in wheelchairs did not have their gross motor skills assessed) rather than from the entire assessment. Children requiring Braille or sign language were excluded from the cognitive assessments and were given a modified motor assessment.
Periodicity of Survey Birth: Information regarding parenatal care and delivery was obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics and the 9-month parent interview. 9 months of age: In this first round of data collection, the ECLS-B directly assessed children and interviewed primary caregivers (usually the mother) in the children's homes. Resident and nonresident fathers completed a selfadministered questionnaire. The in-home visit included a videotaping of parent-child interaction. 2 years of age: The ECLS-B directly assessed children and interviewed primary caregivers in the children's homes. Resident and nonresident fathers completed a self-administered questionnaire. The in-home visit included a videotaping of parent-child interaction. Early care and education providers were interviewed by telephone and a subsample of the children had their nonparental care and education arrangements directly observed. 4 years of age/preschool: The ECLS-B directly assessed children and interviewed primary caregivers in the children's homes. Resident fathers completed a self-administered questionnaire. The in-home visit included a videotaping of parent-child interaction. Early care and education providers were interviewed by telephone and a subsample of the children had their nonparental care and education arrangements directly observed. Kindergarten: This data was collected in two school years, 2006-07 and 2007-08. The second collection was necessary because children born later in 2001 were not age-eligible for kindergarten in 2006-07 and some children experienced a delayed kindergarten entry (i.e., they did not enter kindergarten when they were age-eligible to do so). Data were collected for all sample children in the fall of 2006 (the kindergarten 2006 collection), when approximately 75 percent of them were in kindergarten or higher. In the fall of 2007 (the kindergarten 2007 collection), data were collected for the 25 percent of sample children who had not entered kindergarten the year before, for children who were repeating kindergarten in the 2007-08 school year, and for twins of children in these groups. In both kindergarten collections, the ECLS-B assessed children and interviewed their primary caregivers in the children's homes. In the kindergarten 2006 collection, the early care and education providers of children who had not yet entered kindergarten were interviewed by telephone. The before- and after-school care and education providers of children who were enrolled in kindergarten also were interviewed by telephone. Before- and after-school care and education providers of the children participating in the kindergarten 2007 collection were interviewed by telephone as well. In both collections, teachers of children enrolled in school completed a self-administered questionnaire. School data were drawn from existing universe data files supported by NCES (i.e., the Common Core of Data and the Private School Survey).

Research Issues
The ECLS-B was designed to describe childrens first experiences and relationships. The study provides descriptive data on: 1) Children's growth and development in critical domains 2) Children's transitions to child care and early childhood education programs and kindergarten 3) Children's health status at birth and at regular intervals during early childhood 4) Fathers involvement and 5) School readiness Children's growth and development A central focus of the ECLS-B is children's development during the critical years before formal schooling begins. The study sought to better understand children's physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and language development in relation to important influences in their lives (e.g., mother's prenatal behavior, health care, home environment, child care environment, and school environment). Direct cognitive, socioemotional, motor skill, and physical assessments enable analysis of child development and its relationship to early learning environments over time.

Children's Transitions

Of particular interest to the ECLS-B is the transition that occurs as young children first receive care and education on a regular basis from persons other than their parents. Transitions of interest include the transitions to group-based early childhood programs and other forms of nonparental care and education, and from preschool to kindergarten.

Children's Health Status

Children's early growth, development, and readiness for school are influenced by many health factors. Variations in children's development were examined in light of their health status and care, both prenatally and after birth. Additionally, the ECLS-B collected information about childrens experiences with health care and the prevalence of several health conditions (e.g., asthma, ear infections, etc.), special needs, and receipt of services. The ECLS B also collected information regarding childrens nutrition and eating habits. The longitudinal nature of the data allows for an examination of changes in children's health status, including the identification of health issues and special needs as children age.

Father Involvement
The role parents play in the lives of their children is of special interest in the ECLS-B. Therefore, it was important to obtain information on both fathers and mothers involvement with their children. Rather than rely on proxy reports from mothers, who were most often the respondent to the parent interview, fathers involvement in their children's lives was examined by directly gathering information from the fathers (or father-figures) themselves. The ECLS-B captured information about activities that fathers engage in with their children as well as their feelings about being a father.

School Readiness
For some children, the first formal school experience is kindergarten. However, the nature of children's early experiences in and before kindergarten is quite variable, and expectations for children differ across preschool and kindergarten programs. The ECLS-B examined children's preparation for school by studying the different characteristics of children, their families and home learning activities, and their nonparental care and early educational experiences.

Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K)

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K) focuses on children's early school experiences beginning with kindergarten and following children through middle school. The ECLS-K data provide descriptive information on children's status at entry to school, their transition into school, and their progression through 8th grade. The longitudinal nature of the ECLS-K data enables researchers to study how a wide range of family, school, community, and individual factors are associated with school performance. Who were surveyed? The children in ECLS-K came from both public and private schools and attended both full-day and part-day kindergarten programs. They came from diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Also participating in the study were the children's parents, teachers, and schools. What information was collected? Children, their families, their teachers, and their schools provided information on children's cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Information on children's home environment, home educational activities, school environment, classroom environment, classroom curriculum, and teacher qualifications also was collected. When data were collected? The ECLS-K is a longitudinal study that followed the same children from kindergarten through the 8th grade. Information was collected in the fall and the spring of kindergarten (1998-99), the fall and spring of 1st grade (1999-2000), the spring of 3rd grade (2002), the spring of 5th grade (2004), and the spring of 8th grade (2007). Where the data collected from? The ECLS-K collected information from a nationally representative sample of kindergartners, their parents, teachers, and schools all across the United States. Why this survey? No large national study focused on education had followed a cohort of children from kindergarten entry to middle school until the ECLS-K. The ECLS-K was designed to provide comprehensive and reliable data that can be used to describe and to understand better children's development and experiences in the elementary and middle school grades, as well as how childrens early experiences relate to their later development, learning, and experiences in school. The multifaceted data collected across the years allow researchers and policymakers to study how various child, home, classroom, school, and community factors at various points in childrens lives relate to cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. How data were collected? Trained evaluators assessed children in their schools and collected information from parents over the telephone. Teachers and school administrators were contacted in their schools and asked to complete questionnaires.

Data Collection Procedures

The ECLS-K collected information from children and their parents, teachers, and schools. Data were collected using a variety of methods, including one-on-one assessments, computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATI), and selfadministered paper and pencil questionnaires.

Children
To collect information from children, trained assessors visited the children in their schools. The direct child assessment, which was un-timed and conducted one-on-one with each child, collected information about children's reading and mathematics skills and knowledge in each round of data collection, their general knowledge (i.e., science and social studies) in kindergarten and first grade, and their science knowledge in third, fifth, and eighth grades. In addition, the assessment included measurements of height and weight and, in fall kindergarten only, children's psychomotor skills (e.g., ability to hop, skip, jump, manipulate blocks, draw figures). In the third, fifth, and eighth grades, children completed questionnaires on various topics including their perceptions of their social and academic competence and skills, their school experiences and activities, and their diet.

Parents

To collect information from parents, a trained interviewer phoned the parent at his or her home and conducted a 45-50 minute interview. Computer assisted interviewing methods were used to record the parent's answers. If the child's family did not have a telephone, the interview was conducted in person.

Teachers and Schools

To collect information from teachers and schools, teachers and school administrators completed paper and pencil surveys.

Inclusion and Assessibility

To the greatest extent possible, the ECLS-K included all sampled children and their families in the data collection activities. Materials and procedures were developed to maximize the inclusion of children and families whose primary language was not English and children with special needs. Both the parent interviews and the kindergarten-first grade direct child assessment math battery were translated into Spanish. If parents felt more comfortable participating in a language other than English or Spanish, translators were utilized when available. Questionnaires designed to collect information regarding a child's Individualized Education Plan (IEP) and receipt of special education services were completed by the special education teachers/service providers of children with disabilities. Only children who required Braille or sign language to complete the direct cognitive assessment, or whose Individualized Education Plan/Individualized Family Service Plan specifically indicated the child should not be assessed, were excluded from the direct child assessments.

Periodicity of Survey 1998-99(the kindergarten year): The ECLS-K child assessments, parent interviews, and teacher questionnaires were fielded in the fall. Children, parents, and teachers participated again in the spring, along with school administrators. 1999-2000 (the first-grade year): The ECLS-K conducted child assessments and parent interviews for a 30 percent sub-sample of children in the fall. The full sample of children, their parents, their teachers, and their school administrators participated in the spring. 2002(the third-grade year): The ECLS-K conducted child assessments and parent interviews in the spring. Teachers, school administrators, and the children themselves completed questionnaires in the spring as well. 2004(the fifth-grade year): The ECLS-K conducted child assessments and interviews, and parent interviews in the spring. Teachers, school administrators, and the children themselves completed questionnaires in the spring as well. 2007(the eighth-grade year): The ECLS-K followed the children into middle school. Information was collected from the children, their parents, their teachers, and their school administrators in the spring.

Released Data
The longitudinal Kindergarten Through Eighth Grade Full Sample Public-Use Data And Documentation (http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2009005) are now available. This longitudinal K-8 data file includes all released data for all cases that ever participated in the study, including those that became non respondents at some point after kindergarten. This is the only file that is needed for analysis of publicly available data for any round of ECLS-K data collection. Information on other data releases, including supplemental and restricted-use files, can be found at http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/getpubcats.asp?sid=024.

Restricted Data
Due to NCES' confidentiality legislation, researchers must obtain (or amend) a restricted data license to access restricted data from the ECLS-K. Unlike the public-use data, restricted-use ECLS-K data are released only as crosssectional, grade-level files. Researchers interested in analyzing restricted data from more than one grade must request the cross-sectional files for each grade of interest (i.e., kindergarten, first grade, third grade, fifth grade, or eighth grade).

Research Issues
The ECLS-K was designed to address a vast array of research issues. In general, the study focused on three broad areas: 1) Schooling and performance, 2) Status and transitions, and 3) The interaction of school, family and community.

Schooling and Performance in the Elementary and Middle Grades

Schools and classrooms play a critical role as learning environments in promoting children's positive outcomes. The ECLS-K provides useful information on how schools and classrooms address the needs of all children, including those with special needs (e.g., due to limited English proficiency or disabling conditions). The ECLS-K collected data on how well children perform in different kinds of classrooms and schools and on the interaction between children's backgrounds and their performance in different learning settings. Data were collected on curriculum, instructional practices, resources, school climate, and background characteristics of teachers and administrators in order to examine the relationship between these factors and children's school performance over time.

Status and Transitions

Children enter kindergarten with differing levels of preparation for school and performance. Thus, issues that the ECLS-K focused on included the status of children at entry to kindergarten, the expectations of parents and schools about what skills, behaviours, and attributes are necessary for school success, and how children fare in the new environment as they make the transition from home to school. The study also measured children's skills and knowledge at several intervals from kindergarten through eighth grade.

The Interaction of School, Family, and Community

Numerous factors influence children's educational and other life outcomes. The ECLS-K provides critical information on the roles that parents and families play in preparing for and supporting their children's education and how families, schools, and communities interact to support children's education. The ECLS-K focused on the resources of the family, the home environment, and the community that can have a profound impact on children's success in school and provide the context within which schools must operate.

Information for Children, Parents, and Schools Participating in the ECLS-K: 2011 The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K:2011) is an exciting new study sponsored by the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCES) within the Institute of Education Sciences of the U.S. Department of Education and conducted by Westat. The ECLS-K: 2011 will provide comprehensive and reliable data about children's early learning and development, transition into kindergarten, and progress through school. The data collected over the years will allow researchers, policymakers, and educators to study how student, home, classroom, school, and community factors at various points in the child's life relate to cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as physical growth.

Data Information
The table below presents the currently planned rounds of data collection, dates of data collection, and tentative dates for the release of the data. This information is subject to change.
Round of data collection Dates of data collection Tentative data release

Fall Kindergarten Spring Kindergarten Fall First Grade Spring First Grade Fall Second Grade Spring Second Grade Spring Third Grade Spring Fourth Grade Spring Fifth Grade

August 2010 to December 2010 March 2011 to June 2011 August 2011 to December 2011 March 2012 to June 2012 August 2012 to December 2012 March 2013 to June 2013 March 2014 to June 2014 March 2015 to June 2015 March 2016 to June 2016

February 2013 (restricted December 2013 (public data) February 2013 (restricted December 2013 (public data) July 2013 (restricted December 2013 (public data) July 2013 (restricted December 2013 (public data) November 2014 November 2014 Not yet determined Not yet determined Not yet determined

data) data) data) data)

Example Research Questions

Comparisons to the ECLS-B & ECLS-K The ECLS-K:2011 is the third in an important series of longitudinal studies of young children sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that examine child development, school readiness, and early school experiences. The prior studies consist of two cohortsa kindergarten cohort and a birth cohort. The ECLS-K:2011 shares many of the same goals as its predecessors, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort of 2001 (ECLS-B), but also advances research possibilities by providing updated information and addressing recent changes in education policy. The birth cohort (ECLS-B) followed a national sample of children, born in the year 2001, from birth through kindergarten. The ECLS-B focused on the characteristics of children and their families that influence childrens first experiences with the demands of formal schooling, as well as childrens early health care and in- and out-of-home experiences. The prior kindergarten cohort survey (ECLS-K) followed a nationally representative sample of children attending kindergarten in 1998-99 through eighth grade. The ECLS-K provides information on childrens status at school entry, transition into school, and progression through the eighth grade. The data are used by researchers to study how a wide range of family, school, community, and individual factors are associated with school performance. Like its predecessors, the ECLS-K:2011 will provide a rich and comprehensive source of information on childrens early learning and development, transitions into kindergarten and beyond, and progress through school. The new cohort of ECLS-K:2011 children together with the earlier cohorts will provide the range and breadth of data required to more fully describe and understand childrens early learning, development, and education experiences from the late 1990s through 2016.

The ECLS-K: 2011 will provide data relevant to emerging policy-related domains not measured fully in previous studies. Coming more than a decade after the inception of the ECLS-K, ECLS-K: 2011 will allow cross-cohort comparisons of two nationally-representative kindergarten classes experiencing different policy, educational, and demographic environments. For example, significant changes include the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) legislation, a rise in school choice, and an increase in English language learners. The restricted-use base-year data file for the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-11 (ECLS-K: 2011) will be available in early 2013. Please note that while the ECLS-K:2011 was designed to allow for cross-cohort comparisons with the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99 (ECLS-K), the direct child cognitive assessment scores available on this first data file release will not be appropriate for crosscohort comparisons. Child assessment scores designed specifically for comparisons between the ECLS-K and ECLSK: 2011 cohorts are currently in development, with an anticipated release in summer 2013. It will be appropriate to use data from the first data file release to compare the two cohorts in other ways, for example to look at differences in demographic characteristics or the home, school, and classroom experiences of the two groups.

Conclusion
As the definition says, longitudinal involves repeated observations of the same variables over long periods of time often many decades. It is a type of observational study. Longitudinal studies are often used in psychology to study developmental trends across the life span, and in sociology to study life events throughout lifetimes or generations. Hence, through ECLS we get to study individual-level change over time, in contrast to cross-sectional datasets (such as the census itself), which provide a snapshot of a population at a single point in time (or at repeated intervals, as in a time series). Time, however, is itself one of the most important explanations of change. Therefore, longitudinal studies can give answers to questions concerning change that cross-sectional studies cannot. Hence, the advantages of this study is its high validity- people usually do not remember past events and if they were asked about their past, they would not remember, but as we see here the study is done in a present scenario for a continuous timeframe, which again is capable of picking up long term changes. But there are always pros and cons to every study. The long time frame in itself is a disadvantage as it is elaborate and requires effort to collect data for the different stages. Additionally, there should be a large sample size and accurate sampling to get a proper representative value again for the various stages. Also, participants may drop out. That will interrupt with the study.

Annexure 1

Example Research Questions for ECLS-B The ECLS-B was designed to address a variety of research questions, including the ones listed by topic area below. Many of the questions were designed to apply to the entire span of the study (i.e., from infancy through kindergarten), although some reference age-specific constructs. Childrens Growth and Development What are childrens competencies in the cognitive, socioemotional, language, and physical domains? What are the levels and rates of growth in these domains from infancy through kindergarten? How do these levels and rates of growth vary for different groups of children? What characteristics of children, their families, and their early care and early education experiences are associated with different levels and rates of growth? Childrens Transitions to and Participation in Nonparental Child Care, Early Education Programs, and School When do parents decide to place their children in nonparental care and education arrangements? What factors are important to parents when selecting an early care and education arrangement for their children? Do parents feel there are good choices for such arrangements where they live? What are the characteristics and quality of the nonparental care and education arrangements that children have? How stable are these arrangements? How do different types of care and early education arrangements, availability of the arrangements, and the demands placed on parents to balance work and home life relate to childrens growth, development, health, and family well-being? What are the early child care experiences of children living in low-income families who may be eligible for Head Start? How do differences in care and early education arrangements relate to child development and later school achievement? How do the characteristics of the arrangements including organization, sponsorship, and quality relate to how well children with varying backgrounds and needs are prepared for school? How do outcome measures associated with participation vary by characteristics such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other child and family characteristics? How do the characteristics of the arrangements interact with the characteristics of children and their families in relation to childrens social and cognitive development? How continuous is the non-parental care and education children receive? How consistent are the characteristics of the different settings in which a child receives nonparental care and education? Are frequent changes in child care and early education programs associated with cognitive and socioemotional development? Which children enter kindergarten the year they qualify according to age, and which children experience delayed entry? How do children from the same age cohort who entered kindergarten a year later than the rest of the cohort differ from those who entered on time? Do delayed-entry children perform similarly in kindergarten compared to their peers who entered kindergarten on time? How do children who repeat kindergarten compare to peers? How do children with varying backgrounds make the transition to formal education at kindergarten? How are these differences related to academic and social success? School Readiness What literacy, language, mathematical, social, and motor skills do children exhibit as preschoolers and kindergartners, and how do these skills vary by demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family structure? How do these characteristics differ among children repeating kindergarten, those entering on time, and those with delayed entry? What characteristics of children, their families, and their early care and educational experiences correlate with childrens preschool skills and behaviors, and readiness for school? What characteristics show the strongest associations with the attainment of school readiness skills and behaviors?

How do the characteristics of parents, families, and early care and education arrangements during the preschool years relate to differences in skills at kindergarten entry? In what ways do parental cognitive stimulation and emotional nurturance covary with readiness for school? What role do fathers play in early child rearing, and how does their involvement with their children and the family relate to childrens development? What role do resident fathers play? What contributions do fathers make to childrens development and preparation for schooling that are independent of mothers contributions? How do the characteristics of classrooms (e.g., curriculum, practices) relate to childrens development during kindergarten and interact with their previous experiences in nonparental care and education? How do schools facilitate the transition into kindergarten? What is the relationship of this transition to childrens success in school? How do parents prepare for this transition? Childrens Health Status How prevalent are disabilities and illnesses among young children? How prevalent is obesity among young children? How are childrens early health care and health status, including disabilities and injuries, related to their preparedness for formal school? What aspects of child health and parent health relate to childrens growth and development? What is the relationship between different early child and family medical histories and childrens development and school readiness? What is the relationship between different health care practices and childrens development and school readiness? Is there an association between health insurance coverage and childrens health and well-being? Is there an association between access to health care and childrens health and well-being? What groups of children have more developmental difficulties and how does family involvement in early intervention, early childhood education programs, and health promotion and prevention programs relate to rates of growth and development for more vulnerable children? How do these children fare when they enter formal schooling as compared to their peers? In what kinds of educational programs are these more vulnerable children enrolled when they enter school? What kinds of school programs are available for children with health and developmental disabilities?
Annexure 2

Example Research Questions for ECLS-K (1998-99) The ECLS-K was designed to address a variety of research questions, including the ones listed by topic area below. Many of the questions were designed to apply to the entire span of the study, although some reference constructs that were only relevant in particular grades. Childrens Developmental Status at Entry to Kindergarten and in Later Grades What is the status of childrens development (as defined by cognitive, socio-emotional development, behaviour, and physical status measures) at entry to kindergarten and through middle school? How are family socio=demographic and contextual characteristics associated with success in school within and across developmental measures and within child sex and race/ethnicity subgroups? How prevalent is obesity among children in elementary school? How do the rates of obesity vary for children with different characteristics and backgrounds? How do the rates of obesity change over the elementary years and into middle school? Time in School How are the length and schedule of the school year related to childrens progress, especially cognitive gains? Children with Special Needs What are the varieties of service delivery models in place for special education? How are these varieties of programs related to child outcomes?

How do schools teach children who have little or no proficiency in English? How do schools respond to the needs of parents with little or no English proficiency? How and when do schools provide services to children identified as gifted and talented? What kinds of programs do schools provide to children who are falling behind academically? Classroom Characteristics and Resources Does teachers educational background or experience relate to childrens academic development? How do class size, child-to-teacher ratio, use of teachers aides or volunteers, and use of team teaching correlate with childrens progress through school? Are differences in classroom materials and supplies related to differences in childrens outcomes? Classroom Practices How do instructional practices, content coverage, time on task, and methods of providing feedback differ across classrooms or schools? How do teachers and schools deal with the diversity of childrens skills? Are childrens opportunities to learn associated with family social background variables? Neighbourhood and School Characteristics How do neighbourhood or community differences relate to childrens development? Do basic demographic and organizational differences between schools have associations with childrens academic and social development? Family-School Interactions How does parental involvement in childrens education relate to academic performance and students school engagement? What is the extent of parental school involvement in elementary and middle school? What affects the extent of parental involvement? What kinds of extra services or programs do schools provide to families, children, or community members? Child Care Arrangements (Including Prior Head Start Program Attendance) What are the child care arrangements for children in the early grades? How are these arrangements related to childrens progress through school?

Annexure 3

Example Research Questions for ECLS-K: 2011

The ECLS-K: 2011 has been designed to study the following sets of research questions, which are organized by the different study data collection instruments. While the questions below focus on the early years of the study, the ECLSK: 2011 is designed to follow the kindergarten cohort of 2010-11 through the 2015-16 school years (when most of the children will be in fifth grade). Additional study research questions will be added to this list as the study progresses. Direct and Indirect Child Assessments

What are childrens competencies in the cognitive, socio-emotional, language, and executive function domains? How does childrens development of and growth in these competencies vary by child and family social, demographic, and contextual characteristics? What literacy, language, mathematics, science, and executive function skills do children exhibit as kindergartners, and how do these skills vary by demographic characteristics such as race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and family structure? How do these skills differ between children repeating kindergarten and those who are in kindergarten for the first time? To what extent and how do childrens executive functioning abilities (e.g., self-monitoring, impulse control, adaptability) change over time? How prevalent is obesity among young children? How do the rates of obesity vary for children with different characteristics and backgrounds? How do the rates of obesity change over the elementary years? Parent Interview What is the status of childrens development (as defined by cognitive, social, and emotional development; behaviour; and physical status measures) at entry to kindergarten and beyond? How does childrens development vary by child and family social, demographic, and contextual characteristics at the time of kindergarten entry? How do variations in childrens developmental status at kindergarten entry relate to later success in school? What are the associations between family socio-demographic and contextual characteristics and later success in school within and across developmental domains and across sex and racial/ethnic subgroups? How do family processes and parenting practices relate to childrens school readiness, developmental status, and social and emotional adjustment? Are critical family processes and parenting practices associated with later success in school? What beliefs and standards do they have for childrens behaviour and academic performance at entry into kindergarten? What are parents assessments of individual childrens readiness for and adjustment to school? To what extent does parental involvement in childrens education relate to school performance over the course of the early grades? Do parental involvement levels differ by family social, demographic, and contextual characteristics? What forms of parent involvement are most highly correlated with childrens outcomes? What factors might influence the extent of parental involvement? What are childrens patterns of participation in early care and education? How do early care and education arrangements differ by family socio-demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity? To what extent are these arrangements related to childrens progress through school? School Administrator Questionnaire To what extent does the length of the school year relate to childrens academic progress, especially cognitive gains, during the elementary years? How do differences in schools basic demographic characteristics, enrolment, resources, policies, and organizational characteristics relate to childrens academic and social development in the elementary school years? Do school practices to involve parents result in higher levels of parent involvement? Does the school or administrative climate, teachers opportunities for staff development, or school goals for teachers progress in the classroom relate to childrens academic development? What kinds of services or programs do schools provide to families, children, or community members? How do these relate to childrens academic and socio-emotional development? How do schools respond to the needs of parents with little or no English proficiency? How do neighbourhood or community differences relate to childrens cognitive and social development? What challenges associated with student behaviour, attendance, teacher mobility, and school safety do schools face, and how do these relate to other school characteristics and childrens cognitive and social development? How do differences in principals background characteristics relate to other school characteristics and practices? Teacher Questionnaires How do instructional practices, content coverage, classroom resources, and methods of providing feedback differ across classrooms or schools? Do those differences correlate with childrens academic and social development over the elementary grades? To what extent and how are childrens opportunities to learn in the elementary grades associated with family social background characteristics? To what extent and how are childrens opportunities to learn in the elementary school grades associated with later school success? How does diversity in the classroom regarding age, race/ethnicity, sex, and number of kindergarten repeaters relate to other classroom characteristics?

How do teachers and schools handle the diversity of childrens skills? How are children with special needs taught? How might instructional differences for these students relate to academic and social outcomes? Do teachers characteristics, including socio-demographic characteristics, views on school readiness, sense of efficacy, job satisfaction, and perceptions of school climate, educational background, certifications, and teaching experience correlate with childrens outcomes either in isolation or interacting with childrens socio-demographic backgrounds? Do teachers practices to involve parents relate to higher levels of parent involvement? How do teacher's relationships with individual students differ? What might the consequences of those differences be for children's academic and social development during the elementary years? What academic and socio-emotional skills and behaviours do teachers report children having as they enter and go through school? Do these vary by family social background characteristics? How do these skills and behaviours change over time? Special Education Teacher Questionnaires How do teachers and schools handle the diversity of childrens skills? How are children identified for receipt of special education services? What are the types of service delivery models in place for special education? How do program variations relate to differences in childrens academic or social development? What is the prevalence of different types of disabilities among children in elementary school? What types of services, instructional strategies, and assistive devices are provided to children with different types of disabilities? Do children receive special education services before kindergarten? What transition activities take place from prekindergarten to kindergarten for children with special needs? What is the association between inclusion in the regular classroom and childrens progress through the early grades? Before- and After-school Early Care and Education Provider Questionnaires What are the patterns of participation in before- and after-school care and education programs? Do children with different family socio-demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity participate in different types of care and education programs? How are these arrangements related to childrens academic achievement and progress? To what extent do variations in before- and after-school care and education programsincluding organization, sponsorship, and qualityrelate to the achievement of children with varying backgrounds and needs during the kindergarten year and beyond? Does participation in before- and after-school care and education relate to academic and social outcomes experienced by children? To what extent are the characteristics, experience levels, educational backgrounds, and professional development of teachers/care providers related to childrens outcomes?