ECLS Att A-7 Quarterly Newsletters

Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten
Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)
Kindergarten and First-Grade National Data Collection and
Transfer School Recruitment
OMB# 1850-0750 v.28

Attachment A-7
Quarterly Newsletters
National Center for Education Statistics
U.S. Department of Education

September 2023

School Staff Newsletter
October 2023

United States
Department of Education

Fall 2023 Issue

ConnectED
News and Resources from the
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)

This fall marks the start of the much-anticipated
ECLS-K:2024! We are looking forward to working
with participating kindergartners and their families,
teachers, and schools across the country. This study
is incredibly important. It will help us learn more
about children’s educational experiences and how
these experiences relate to children’s learning and
development over time—at school and at home. As
with previous ECLS program studies, findings from
the ECLS-K:2024 can be used to inform practices
and policies that increase every child’s chances of
doing well in school. Thank you to everyone who is
participating; we truly appreciate it.
Please feel free to share this newsletter with your
colleagues. I hope the results and resources included
are informative and useful to you.
Sincerely,

Dr. Peggy Carr

Commissioner, National Center
for Education Statistics (NCES),
Institute of Education Sciences,
U.S. Department of Education

ECLS Insights
The ECLS-K:2024 will provide valuable information for
teachers and administrators about instructional practices,
resources, school climate, and other factors connected
with student learning, as well as how those factors relate
to children’s development and achievement.
In previous ECLS program studies, for example, teachers
and parents/guardians answered questions about
specific kindergarten transition activities that were
provided by schools for children and their families—such
as whether schools sent home information about their
kindergarten programs or staggered school entry so
kindergarten students start the year in small groups.
The Administration of Children and Families at the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services recently
released a report using ECLS data that analyzed these
activities for the kindergarten class of 2010-11 and their
relation to children’s initial adjustment to school.
Findings “suggest that providing more information
to families about what to expect in kindergarten,
engaging in more face-to-face transition activities,
and making schedule adjustments to ease
transitions could improve children and families’
experiences as they transition into kindergarten
and throughout the kindergarten year.”

Find more results related to students’ transition to kindergarten on the NCES ECLS website.
We look forward to sharing updated information for this year’s kindergarten class
as the ECLS-K:2024 progresses.

Relevant Results: News from NCES
The ECLS-K:2024 is one of many studies that NCES conducts
as the statistical center of the U.S. Department of Education,
in order to support evidence-based decision-making and
improve educational outcomes for our nation’s students. The
School Pulse Panel, for example, provides timely information
about the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on public school
students and how public schools are responding.
In December 2022, the School Pulse Panel showed that:

45%

of public elementary
schools reported
providing high-dosage
tutoring (HDT) for
students.

52%

of public elementary schools
providing HDT reported that a lack
of funding to hire staff to support
this tutoring limited their efforts in
providing HDT.

High-dosage tutoring:
• takes place for at least 30 minutes per
session, one-on-one or in small group
instruction
• is offered three or more times per week
• is provided by educators or welltrained tutors
• aligns with an evidence-based core
curriculum or program

See what other types of tutoring public
schools provided for students by using our
School Pulse Panel dashboards.

Featured Resource
NCES has an extensive video library on YouTube that
offers reliable and accurate information about the status
of education throughout the United States and how it
compares to education internationally. Don’t miss the
playlist of videos that are dedicated entirely to early
childhood findings!

Stay ConnectED
Learn more about the ECLS-K:2024 on the NCES
ECLS website or MyECLS site for participants.

Sign up for the NCES Newsflash for
reports and resources.

Follow NCES on Facebook, LinkedIn and
X—formerly known as Twitter.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study (ECLS) by the Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected
for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based research organization. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical
purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C.
§9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.

Parent/Guardian Newsletter
October 2023

United States
Department of Education

Fall 2023 Issue

ConnectED
News and Resources from the
Early Childhood Longitudinal Study,
Kindergarten Class of 2023-24 (ECLS-K:2024)

The ECLS-K:2024 begins this fall! We look forward to
working with kindergartners and their families, teachers,
and schools across the country to conduct this important
study. It will help us learn more about how different
factors—at home and at school—relate to children’s learning
and development. As with previous ECLS program studies,
findings from the ECLS-K:2024 can be used to improve
every child’s chances of doing well in school. Thank you to
everyone who is participating; we truly appreciate it!

Sincerely,

Dr. Peggy Carr

Commissioner,
National Center for
Education Statistics (NCES),
Institute of Education Sciences,
U.S. Department of Education

ECLS Insights

86%

The ECLS-K:2024 will provide valuable information about
children’s experiences at home and at school, and about
how schools, families, and communities work together to
support their students.

66%

In earlier ECLS program studies, for example, we asked
parents and guardians how often family members
engage in educational activities with their child—such
as reading books, playing games or doing puzzles, or
doing science projects with them.
Results from the last ECLS program study, the
ECLS-K:2011, showed that in a typical week:

of kindergartners read books with their
family at least three times a week.

of kindergartners played games or did
puzzles with their family at least three
times a week.

34%
of kindergartners talked about nature or
did science projects with their family at
least three times a week.

The ECLS-K:2024 will help us learn and share information like this for the kindergarten class of 2023-24!
Find more results from the ECLS at https://myecls.ed.gov/ or https://nces.ed.gov/ecls/.

Relevant Results:
News from NCES

20%

The ECLS-K:2024 is one of many studies that NCES, part
of the U.S. Department of Education, conducts in order
to provide information that can be used to improve
education for our nation’s students. The School Pulse
Panel, for example, provides timely information about
the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on public school
students and how public schools are responding.

45%

of public elementary schools reported offering
family workshops to provide techniques and
guidance to support learning recovery.

of public elementary schools reported
providing “high-dosage” tutoring for students.

Schools reported in the School Pulse Panel that 49 percent
of public elementary schools students began the 2022-23
school year behind grade level in at least one subject.

High-dosage tutoring:
• takes place for at least 30 minutes per session, one-on-one
or in small group instruction
• is offered three or more times per week
• is provided by educators or well-trained tutors
• aligns with an evidence-based core curriculum or program

You can see how percentages varied for public schools
based on their location, size, and student demographics
using the School Pulse Panel dashboards at
https://ies.ed.gov/schoolsurvey/spp/.

Featured Resource
The NCES YouTube channel includes helpful videos
for parents, teachers, and school staff. As your child is
beginning elementary school, you may be interested in the
video about kindergartners’ approaches to learning and how
seven key behaviors can help them be successful in school.
Scan the QR code below to watch it and other videos to
learn more about how to support your child’s development
and education.

Stay ConnectED
You can see examples of ECLS questions that are
answered by parents/guardians, teachers, and
schools; find study reports; and learn more about
the ECLS program at https://nces.ed.gov/ecls/.
You can also find NCES on:

Facebook

X
(formerly
Twitter)

Scan here for access to all
of the results and resources
mentioned above!

Placeholder for
a QR code which
would link to all of
the URLs.

YouTube

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is authorized to conduct the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) by the
Education Sciences Reform Act of 2002 (ESRA 2002, 20 U.S.C. §9543). The data are being collected for NCES by Westat, a U.S.-based
research organization. All of the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in
identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 U.S.C. §9573 and 6 U.S.C. §151). The collected information will be
combined across respondents to produce statistical reports.