Are children with disabilities sampled in ECLS-B?
Children with disabilities and special health needs are included in the ECLS-B sample. NCES and the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) conducted an evaluation of the feasibility of oversampling young children with disabilities and special health needs and determined that this could not be pursued. However, the ECLS-B oversampled twins and infants of low and very low birth weight. Low birth weight and short gestation (common among twins) are strongly associated with early developmental difficulties and special health needs. The ECLS-B aims to be as inclusive as possible and assessments are designed to include children of all levels of ability and skill. Additionally, information is gathered on early health and developmental disabilities and on the services children receive.
