Birth Cohort

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Birth Cohort Jennifer Park National Center for
Education Statistics Institute of Education
Sciences IES Research Conference June 2006
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• Presentation Overview
• Describe the goals and design of the ECLS-B
• Identify special features of the design
• Describe data released to date

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Purpose of the ECLS-B

• Measure child cognitive, physical, and
  socioemotional development from infancy to
  kindergarten entry
• Measure the ways in which home learning
  environments and early care and education
  providers support that development

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ECLS Conceptual Model
Family
School
Early Care and Education
Child
Neighborhood and Community
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Sample Design

• Nationally representative sample of children born
  in 2001.
• sampling frame drawn from U.S. birth
  certificates.
• Oversamples of special populations
• low birth weight American Indian/Native Alaskan
• very low birth weight Asian/Pacific Islander
• twins Chinese
• n ?14,000.
• The separate oversample of Chinese infants
  permits precision in statistical comparisons of
  Asian/Pacific Islander infants with members of
  their largest ethnic subgroup.

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Study Design

• Data are collected at multiple points in time.
• Data are collected from multiple sources.
• children teachers
• mothers and fathers schools
• child care providers
• Data are collected through multiple methods.

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Collection Status
Wave Collection Year Sample Size
9 Months 2001 10,688
2 Years 2003 9,835
Preschool (4 years) 2005 Pending
Kindergarten 2006 In Field Fall 06
Kindergarten (late entry only) 2007 In Field Fall 07
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Components by Wave
2 years
9 months
Preschool

• Child assessments
• Parent interview
• Father questionnaires

• Child assessments
• Parent interview
• Father questionnaires
• Early care and education provider interviews
• Early care and education observations

• Child assessments
• Parent interview
• Resident father questionnaire
• Early care and education provider interviews
• Early care and education observations

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Components by Wave (continued)
Kindergarten 06
Kindergarten 07
(late entry only)

• Child assessments
• Parent interview
• Teacher questionnaire
• School characteristics data
• Wrap around care provider questionnaire
• Early care and education provider interviews

• Child assessments
• Parent interview (abbreviated)
• Teacher questionnaire (possibly)
• Wrap around care provider questionnaire

From CCD and PSS.
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Child Assessment

• Indirect
• Parent/guardian interview
• Interviewer observations
• Direct
• Nursing Child Assessment Teaching Scale
  (NCATS)9 months
• Bayley Short Form - Research Edition 9 months
  and 2 years
• Language and literacy, and mathematics
  preschool and kindergarten
• Two Bags Task2 years and preschool
• Toddler Attachment Q-Sort-45 (TAS-45)2 years
• Physical growth measurements all waves

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Percentage of children demonstrating certain
mental skills at 8 to 10 months of age and at 11
to 13 months of age 2001
Percent
SOURCE Flanagan, K. and West, J. (2004).
Children Born in 2001 First Results from the
Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort. NCES Publication 2005-036.
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Percentage of children demonstrating certain
physical skills at 8 to 10 months of age and at
11 to 13 months of age 2001
Percent
Eye hand coordination
Sitting
Prewalking
Walking
Balance
SOURCE Flanagan, K. and West, J. (2004).
Children Born in 2001 First Results from the
Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort. NCES Publication 2005-036.
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Parent Interview

• Prenatal health care and behaviors (9-month only)
• Neonatal and child health
• Developmental milestones and temperament
• Home learning and language environment
• Child care participation
• Parent employment and education
• Parent attitudes and knowledge of child
  development
• Family health and parental depression

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Parent Interview(continued)

• Marital history and relationships
• Nonresident biological father background
• Household composition
• Welfare and public assistance
• Household income and assets
• Household food sufficiency
• Social and community support
• Neighborhood quality

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Percentage of infants who experience various home
learning activities at least 3 times a week with
family members 2001
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, Restricted-Use
File (NCES 2004-093). Unpublished estimates
weighted by W1R0.
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Percentage distribution of the frequency that
infants are read to by family members, by
socioeconomic status (SES) 2001
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, Restricted-Use
File (NCES 2004-093). Unpublished estimates
weighted by W1R0.
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Mean 9-month NCATS scores, by maternal education
2001
Source U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study Birth Cohort (ECLS-B),
Restricted Use File (NCES 2004-093).
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Father Questionnaire
Father
Feelings on Being a Father Activities
with Child Parenting Practices and
Discipline Relationship with Partner/Childs
Mother Family, Employment, and Education
Background Health Social Support and Community
Involvement
Resident
Nonresident
Amount of Contact Child Support Living
Arrangements
Expectations for Child Development Separations
from Child
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Percentage of children at about 9 months of age,
by presence of a father in the household 2001
Nonbiological father 1
No father in household 20
Biological father 79
SOURCE Flanagan, K. and West, J. (2004).
Children Born in 2001 First Results from the
Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort. NCES Publication 2005-036.
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Percentage of infants who experience various home
learning activities at least 3 times a week with
fathers residing in the household 2001
SOURCE U.S. Department of Education, National
Center for Education Statistics, Early Childhood
Longitudinal Study, Birth Cohort, Restricted-Use
File (NCES 2004-093). Unpublished estimates
weighted by W1F0.
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Child Care Provider Interview

• Center characteristics, services and staffing (if
  applicable)
• Caregiver background and health
• Learning environment
• ECLS-B childs development
• Other children in care
• Parent involvement
• Caregiver beliefs and attitudes
• Caregiver-child relationship

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Percentage of children, by primary care
arrangement at about 9 months of age 2001
Multiple arrangements 1
Center-based care 9
No nonparental care 50
Nonrelative care 15
Relative care 26
SOURCE Flanagan, K. and West, J. (2004).
Children Born in 2001 First Results from the
Base Year of the Early Childhood Longitudinal
Study, Birth Cohort. NCES Publication 2005-036.
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Child Care Observation Measures

• Counts of adults and children
• Infant-Toddler Environment Rating Scale (ITERS)
  (Center-based care, 2 years)
• Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale, Revised
  Edition (ECERS) (Center-based care, preschool)
• Family Day Care Rating Scale (FDCRS) (Home-based
  care)
• Items from Arnett Scale of Caregiver Sensitivity

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Unique Features

• Direct child cognitive and physical assessments
  over time
• Oversamples of special populations
• Videotape of mother-child interaction
• Inclusion of fathers as well as mothers
• Interviews and observations of child care
  settings

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Data Training Opportunities

• Future Data Training Seminars and Conference
  Participation
• ECLS-B Data Users Training Seminar (January
  10-12, 2007)
• SRCD Pre-conference Training Seminar (March 28,
  2007)
• AERA Professional Development Seminar (April
  2007)
• NICHD-NCES ECLS-B First Release Conference (May
  8-10 2007)
• Recent Training Seminars and Conference
  Participation
• ECLS-B Data Users Training Seminar (January 2006)
• PAA Pre-conference Training Seminar (March 2006)
• AERA Professional Development Seminar (April
  2006)
• AERA Institute on Statistical Analysis for Policy
  (April 2006)
• Jean Piaget Society Program Presentation (June
  2006)

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For more information
ECLS website http//nces.ed.gov/ecls/
ECLS email address ecls_at_ed.gov