Overview

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 nonparental 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.

ECLS-K:2011 Update

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 cross-cohort comparisons. Child assessment scores designed specifically for comparisons between the ECLS-K and ECLS-K: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.