Construct	Data Source	Round of Data Collection	Variables and Coding Used
Proficiency Status
Home language is English	1 parent-report item	Fall K	Parent-report of primary language spoken at home is English
Proficient at kindergarten entry	1 parent-report item and 1 child assessment item	Fall K	Parent-report of primary language spoken at home is not English and child passed OLDS at Fall K with score of 37+
Not English proficient by spring of first grade	1 parent-report item and 2 child assessment items	Fall K and Spring 1st	Parent-report of primary language spoken at home is not English and child failed OLDS at Fall K and Spring 1st with score between 0 and 36
Elementary School Behavioral Outcomes
Externalizing Behaviors	5 teacher-report items	Fall K and Spring K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th	Teacher ratings of child’s externalizing problem behaviors (e.g., frequency child disturbs ongoing activities)
Self-Control	5 teacher-report items	Fall K and Spring K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th	Teacher ratings of child’s self-control (e.g., respecting property rights)
Approaches to Learning	5 teacher-report items	Fall K and Spring K, 1st, 3rd, and 5th	Teacher ratings of child’s approaches to learning (e.g., persists in completing tasks)
Elementary School Cognitive Outcomes
Math IRT Score	6 child assessment items	Fall K and Spring K, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th	Child’s IRT math scale scores (e.g., count/number/shape, relative size)
Reading IRT Score	6 child assessment items	Fall K and Spring K, 1st, 3rd, 5th and 8th	Child’s IRT reading scale scores (e.g., letter recognition, beginning sounds)
Home Environment Characteristics
Family Activities
Child participates in cognitively stimulating activities at kindergarten entry	7 parent-report items	Fall K	Cognitive stimulation scale (0-21); How often do parents do the following with children: Read books, tell stories, sing songs, do arts/crafts, play games/puzzles, discuss nature/science projects, and build/play with construction toys?
Child participates in cultural heritage activities	3 parent-report items	Spring K	Racial, ethnic, and religious socialization scale (0-12); How often do parents do the following with children: Discuss ethnic or racial heritage, discuss family religion, and participate in cultural events?
Child has lessons/extracurricular activities	6 parent-report items	Spring K	Index of child’s extracurricular lessons/activities (0-6); Includes dance lessons, athletic activities, organized clubs, music lessons, art classes, and organized performing arts programs
Child Routines
Child routinely eats meals with family	2 parent-report items	Spring K	Number of days per week child eats breakfast and/or dinner at a regular time; "Routinely" is coded as 5 or more days per week
Child has a regular bedtime	1 parent-report item	Spring K	Regular bedtime coded as child goes to bed at about the same time each night
Parental involvement in child’s school
Parent is involved in activities at school	6 parent-report items	Spring K	Since beginning of school year, have parents: Attended an open house, PTA meeting, parent-teacher conference, school event, or volunteered at school, or participated in fundraising
Parent experiences barriers to school involvement	7 parent-report items	Spring K	Index of barriers to school involvement include: Inconvenient meeting times, lack of child care, unable to get off work, safety problems, not feeling welcome by school, transportation problems, and lack of interesting things to be involved in
Language is barrier to school involvement	1 parent-report item	Spring K	Parent speaks language other than English and school meetings are conducted only in English
Child Care in the year prior to kindergarten
Parental care	8 parent-report items	Fall K	In the year prior to K, child was cared for by a parent or did not receive regular nonparental care
Center-based care	8 parent-report items	Fall K	In the year prior to K, child attended center-based care, including Head Start, child care center, or nursery school
Home-based care	8 parent-report items	Fall K	In the year prior to K, child attended home-based care (including family child care homes, a nanny or babysitter, or care by an adult relative or friend)
School Characteristics
Student body
Percentage of LEP Students	1 school composite item	Spring K	Percent of minority students (e.g., Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian, Black, African-American, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander) coded into 5 categories: 0-9%, 10-24%, 25-49%, 50-74%, and 75+%
School’s population is >50% low income	3 school administrator items	Spring K	Concentration of low income children based on percentage of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch in school; If data were missing, other data on the operation of Title 1 school-wide programs were used
School services
Services specifically for LM families	5 school administrator items	Spring K	Index of school services for language minority families include: Availability of translators, translations of written communications, home visits, outreach workers who assist with first-time enrollment, and non-English parent meetings
Services for all families at kindergarten	5 school administrator items	Spring K	Index of school services for all families include: Availability of parenting education programs, adult literacy/basic education programs, family literacy programs, health/social services, and orientation programs for new families
School-parent notices are in English only	1 parent-report item	Spring K	Teacher sends home notes or newsletters in the primary language used by the family
Teacher Characteristics
Teacher completed median coursework in EC Development	3 teacher-report items	Fall K	Teacher completed at least 6 college courses in early childhood education and elementary education, and at least 3 courses in child development
Teacher has 6+ years experience teaching at grade level	1 teacher-report item	Fall K	Teacher has taught kindergarten (including transitional/readiness kindergarten and transitional/pre-1st grade) for at least 6 years
Classroom Characteristics
Class-size	1 teacher-report item	Fall K	Total class enrollment at kindergarten
Child attended full-day kindergarten	1 school composite item	Spring K	Kindergarten program lasts all day
Reading is taught daily	1 teacher-report item	Spring K	Reading and language arts are taught daily (vs. less than every day) in kindergarten, whether as a whole class, in small groups, or with individual children
Hours of ESL aide in classroom	1 teacher-report item	Spring K	Number of hours per day a paid ESL or bilingual aide works directly with children on instructional tasks
0 hours/No ESL aide
1-2 hours per day
3-4 hours per day
5+ hours per day
Non-English books are available	1 teacher-report item	Spring K	Books and other written materials in children’s first language (for non- English speakers) are used 1 to 3 times a month, 1 to 4 times a week, or daily (vs. never used/not available)
Child receives pull-out tutoring or 2 teacher-report items in-class ESL lesson or pull-out for reading		Spring K	Child receives instruction in a pull-out English as a Second Language (ESL) program and/or works on ESL lessons in class

Source: Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Kindergarten Cohort 1998-1999 (ECLS-K)