ABSTRACT
The Beginning School Study (BSS) is a prospective longitudinal study of children's academic and social development beginning in first grade and continuing through high school graduation and beyond. The BSS archive includes a wide array of measures covering students from the time they entered first grade through high school and beyond. In 1982 a two-stage random sample of youngsters beginning first grade in the Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPS) was selected for study. Beginning in the summer and fall of 1982, data were collected by face-to-face interviews with students and parents. Teachers responded to questionnaires, and school records were examined for data on marks, test scores, and the like. Starting in first grade, BSS teachers were queried about their expectations and evaluations of study students, as well as about their own background, attitudes toward teaching, and their current school environment. Teachers also completed several psychological assessment instruments.
