IELS 2018 Main Study Summary of IC Changes Memo

Memorandum United States Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences

National Center for Education Statistics

Date: June 26, 2018

To: Robert Sivinski, OMB

From: Mary Coleman, NCES

Through: Kashka Kubzdela, NCES

Re: International Early Learning Study (IELS) 2018 Main Study Changes to Field Test Materials (OMB# 1850-0936 v.5)

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the international agency sponsoring the International Early Learning Study (IELS) in all participating countries. This request lists the changes that were made by OECD to the IELS questionnaires that were approved by OMB for and used in the 2017 IELS Field Test (OMB# 1850-0936 v.3-4) as compared to the final national versions that will be used in the IELS 2018 Main Study in the United States (as provided in Appendix D of this submission).

The content added to the questionnaires is listed below in bolded font. Please note that no new questions were added, only new sub-items to existing questions. Other smaller, more minor edits (e.g., “this child” has been changed to “your child” throughout the parent questionnaire) are not listed below.

Parent Questionnaire

• Item 3: Does your child…

  • The following sub-items were deleted:

    • show interest in books or e-books?

    • respond to questions about the story they have listened to?

    • classify objects (e.g. blocks) by shape or color or both?

    • group objects by size or length or both?

    • recognize simple written numbers (e.g. 3, 10)?

  • The following sub-items were added:

    • Draw inferences about how a character felt or what might happen next after listening to a story?

    • Speak using multiple sentences (at least three) to explain something that has happened to him/her?

    • Sort a group of objects by shape, size or color?

    • Identify at least three different shapes (e.g. triangle, circle, square)?

    • Count in multiples (e.g. in steps of 2, 5 or 10)?

    • Recognize numbers up to 20 in familiar contexts (e.g. at the supermarket)?

• Item 6 (Has this your child ever experienced any of the following issues or difficulties?) sub-item e was changed from “Intellectual difficulties” to “Learning difficulties (e.g. speech or language delay, intellectual disability)”

• Items 7: For each of the following behaviors, select the response that best describes this your child

  • The following sub-items were deleted:

    • Obeys instructions or requests

    • Follows rules in games

    • Waits his/her turn in games or other activities

    • Prefers watching others instead of joining activities

    • Is calm and relaxed

    • Plays games and talks with other children

    • Shares toys or possessions with other children

    • Is proud of things she/he does

    • Has trouble adapting to change (e.g. becomes upset)

    • Is interested in many different things

    • Needs to have his/her own way

    • Enjoys being with you

  • The following sub-items were added

    • Prevents other children from doing what they wanted to do

    • Approaches familiar adults for comfort when upset

    • Is unaware of other people's emotions

    • Requires reassurance from adults

    • Is hesitant when making requests

    • Greets unfamiliar children in a friendly way

    • Is interested in many different things

    • If anxious in an unfamiliar situation, child is not easily reassured

    • Responds positively to others' happiness

    • Openly approaches familiar adults when she/he needs help

    • Is initially cautious with unfamiliar adults

    • Is unresponsive to people feeling sad

• Previous Item 8 was deleted (Which of the following are available in your local community, e.g., in your neighborhood?)

• Previous Item 9/Current Item 8 was changed from “Did your child regularly attend one of the following arrangements prior to <current setting>?” to “Which of the following arrangements did your child regularly attend prior to school?”

• Previous Item 9 was deleted (In the last 6 months, how often has this child participated in the following family activities?)

• Previous Item 10 was deleted (Outside of his/her regular school, is this child attending another school or center to learn another language?)

• Previous Item 11/Current Item 9 was changed from “Did this child regularly attend any of the following when they were less than one year of age?” to “At what ages did your child attend the following Early Childhood Education and Care programs?”

• Previous Items 12-16 were deleted (Did this child regularly attend any of the following when they were less than [TWO/THREE/FOUR/FIVE] year of age?)

• Previous Item 17/Current Item 10 was changed from “During the last six months” to “In a typical week, how often is this your child cared for by the following people, inside or outside of the home?”

• Previous Item 18/Current Item 11: In a typical week, how often do you or another person in your home do the following activities with this your child?

  • The following sub-items were deleted:

    • Play music or dance with this child

    • Play with toys or games inside like board or card games with this child

    • Involve this child in everyday household activities like cooking or caring for a pet

    • Play games on a computer, tablet, or smartphone

  • The following sub-items were added:

    • Have a back-and-forth conversation about how they feel and why they feel that way

    • Imaginative or pretend play (e.g. playing the role of a chef or a shopkeeper)

    • Do activities with numbers, counters, measuring, or shapes

    • Go to the library

• Previous Item 20 was deleted (Which of the following are in your home?)

• Previous Item 24/Current Item 16 has been changed to “How many younger or older siblings does this your child have?” to “How many siblings does this your child have?”

• Previous Item 26 was deleted (If your child was not born in the United States, how old was this child when he/she first moved here?)

Teacher Questionnaire-Part A

• Item 3 has been changed from “What is the highest level of formal education in any field you have completed?” to “What is the highest level of education you have completed (in any field)?”

• Item 6 (What is your current employment status as a teacher?) response categories have been condensed into two categories:

  • Part-time (less than 90% of full-time hours)

  • Full-time (more than 90% of full-time hours)

Teacher Questionnaire-Part B

• Item 3 (To your knowledge, which of the following types of additional support or services has this child received?) has two changes to its sub-items:

  • “Occupational therapy” was added to the previously existing “Physical therapy” sub-item

  • “Occupational therapy (e.g., fine motor or gross motor skills support)” was deleted

• Item 4 was revised (please see the changes listed for Parent Questionnaire Item 3 in this memo)

• Item 6 was revised (please see the changes listed for Parent Questionnaire Item 7 in this memo)

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