Box 1. Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K)In 1998, the U.S. Department of Education launched this first
national survey of the status of kindergartners in the United
States. Researchers measured the home and academic environ-
ments, opportunities, and achievements of a nationally repre-
sentative sample of approximately 22,000 children in kinder-
garten and through 5th grade.The study is based on a broad construct of readiness that
includes children’s knowledge, skills, behavior, and attitudes.
(Until the mid-1990s, policymakers, educators, and parents
equated readiness primarily with academic skills.) Data collec-
tion for this longitudinal study will end in 2007 when the cohort
has progressed to 8th grade. An initial report, entitled Amer-
ica’s Kindergarteners(West, Denton, and Germino-Hausken
2000), presents a detailed description of this first-ever profile of
American children on entry into kindergarten.It is expected that the profile of school readiness will illuminate
the level of U.S. children’s early development and learning, on
entry into kindergarten, and help to advance the concept of
school readiness. ECLS-K data on the kindergarten class of
1998–99 are available for kindergarten and 1st, 3rd, and 5th
grades at <http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch>.Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998–99 (ECLS-K) to obtain baseline
data (a “picture”) of the varying level of children’s development on
entry into kindergarten (see box 1).
This study promises to add much needed information to the
knowledge base on the construct and measurement of school readi-
ness. The ECLS-K moves away from traditional, unidimensional cog-
nitive assessments to break new ground by taking a comprehensive
view of school readiness comprising four dimensions:
- Cognitive skills and knowledge
- Social skills
Measuring Child Development to Leverage ECD Policy and Investment 279