Early Childhood Longitudinal Study [United States]: Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS) program
provides national data on children's status at birth and at various
points thereafter, children's transition to nonparental care, early
education programs, and school, and children's experiences and growth
through the fifth grade. ECLS also provides data to test hypotheses
about the effects of a wide range of family, school, community, and
individual variables on children's development, early learning, and
early performance in school. The Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999
addresses four key issues: (1) school readiness, (2) children's
transitions to kindergarten, first grade, and beyond, (3) the
relationship between children's kindergarten experience and their
elementary school performance, and (4) children's growth in math,
reading, and general knowledge (i.e., science and social studies), and
their progress through elementary school.