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 eighth 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. There is a new ECLS-K study currently being conducted that will examine the kindergarten class of 2010-2011 through fifth grade.

Population: Nationally representative sample of 22,782 children from public and private schools enrolled in 1,277 kindergarten programs in 1998-1999 (diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds, oversampled Asian children), and followed until spring of 8th grade (2007). Evaluators assessed children in schools and collected information from phone interviews with parents and questionnaires administered to teachers and school administrators.

Periodicity: Data collected in the fall and the spring of kindergarten (1998-99), the fall and spring of first grade (1999-2000), the spring of third grade (2002), the spring of fifth grade (2004), and the spring of eighth grade (2007).

(Information adapted from the publisher)

For more information, please see the Compendium of Family-Self Sufficiency Databases.