Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: The First Eight Years

Posted by on November 18, 2013

Educate the whole child

The latest Kids Count report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation uses a new analysis of the Early Childhood Longitudinal study, which tracked 13,000 children in kindergarten in 1998-99, to show that by third grade, only 36 percent were on-track in cognitive knowledge and skills, 56 percent in physical well-being, 70 percent in social and emotional growth, and 74 percent in school engagement. Only 19 percent of third-graders in families with income below 200 percent of the poverty level and 50 percent from families with income above it had age-appropriate cognitive skills, particularly if children of color: Just 14 percent of black children and 19 percent of Hispanic children were on track in cognitive development. For children to succeed, classroom learning must be integrated with other aspects of child development. To prepare all children for success, the report offers three broad policy recommendations: support parents so they can effectively care and provide for their children; increase access to high-quality birth-through-age-8 programs, beginning with investments that target low-income children; and develop comprehensive, integrated programs and data systems to address all aspects of children’s development and to support their transition to elementary school.

http://www.aecf.org/~/media/Pubs/Initiatives/KIDS%20COUNT/F/FirstEightYears/AECFTheFirstEightYears2013.pdf