The Kindergarten Year: Findings from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 1998-99.

The Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (ECLS-K), Kindergarten Class of 1998-99, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, selected a nationally representative sample of kindergartners in the fall of 1998 and is following these children through the end of fifth grade. This report details findings from the ECLS-K for the base year 1998-99. Following an executive summary, introduction to the kindergarten year, description of the report's organization, and national data on kindergartners in the United States, the findings are presented in two sections, followed by a summary and a methodology and technical notes section. The first section of findings describes overall gains children made during the kindergarten year in reading and mathematics. Findings in this section are based on children's overall reading and mathematics scale scores. The second section of findings explores specific reading and mathematics knowledge and skills gained during the kindergarten year. This section also includes information about children's acquisition of various social skills over the school year. The two findings sections present information in three basic areas: (1) a description of the gains children made from fall to spring; (2) differences in gain by child, family, and program characteristics; and (3) differences in children's status in the spring. (Includes numerous data tables. Contains 18 references.) (EV)