How do we better understand children’s early development?

Challenge

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), provides a wealth of national data on child development, early learning, and school progress. Beginning with children’s status at birth, the data delivered insights into their status at various points thereafter, including their transition to nonparental care, early care, education programs, and school, and incorporated their experiences and growth through the elementary grades. Westat conducted the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024) following our studies of the ECLS-K:1998-99, the ECLS-K:2010-11, and the ECLS-B (Birth Cohort). The ECLS-K:2024 collected data about children who were kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year, with a focus on their early school experiences through 5th grade.

To gain a complete portrait of their learning experiences, Westat gathered data from the children, their parents/guardians, teachers, and school administrators. Findings can guide educational practices and policies to elevate the chances of school success for all children. The study required top-level expertise in survey design, sampling, field staff training, data collection, statistical analysis, and subject matter knowledge, and the ability to connect with both children and adults—expertise for which Westat is well known.

Solution

Westat trained approximately 350 field data interviewers who traveled to more than 860 schools nationwide to directly ask children—with their parents’ consent—age-appropriate math- and reading-related questions during a one-on-one session. The parents of participating children were invited to enter a Westat-designed portal to complete a web survey containing questions about their family, their child’s experiences, and learning activities that their child participated in outside of school. Field interviewers also attempted to complete the web surveys over the telephone with nonresponding parents.

Accommodations were made for children with disabilities or who speak a language other than English. The parent survey was available in English and Spanish, and interpreters were available for parents who speak a different language.

Teachers were invited to enter a Westat-designed portal and complete a web survey about their professional background and teaching practices, as well as surveys about the abilities of each of their participating students. Beginning in spring 2024, school administrators answered web-posted questions through that portal about their school and their own professional background. The longitudinal nature of the ECLS-K:2024 data enables researchers to learn how a wide range of family, school, community, and individual factors are associated with school performance.

For the ECLS-K:2024, Westat designed the surveys, conducted sampling, recruited districts and schools, created and conducted a 5-day in-person training, and completed data cleaning and delivery. Findings will impart critical intelligence needed to guide educational practices and policies to strengthen the potential of all children to excel in school.

Results

The multifaceted, comprehensive data collected across the years through the ECLS-K:2024 provided data on how various home, classroom, school, and community factors between the kindergarten and 5th grade years related to children’s development cognitively and on multiple other levels, and impacted their school performance. The ECLS-K:2024 study can be used as a model for other education studies, reflecting Westat’s survey and data collection expertise.