Survey Results

Survey Items: Survey instrument item numbers for children 0-5: G4-G22, G-24-G28, A1, A2, A35 & A36 (2022), A34 & A35 (2023)
Variables in public use data file: RECOGBEGIN; SAMESOUND; CLEAREXP; WRITENAME; FOCUSON; READONEDIGIT; SIMPLEADDITION ; GROUPOFOBJECTS ; COUNTTO_R; RECOGABC; RHYMEWORD_R; NAMEEMOTIONS; STARTNEWACT; PLAYWELL; TEMPER_R; DISTRACTED; HURTSAD; CALMDOWN_R; WAITFORTURN; SHARETOYS; BOUNCEBALL; DRAWACIRCLE; DRAWAFACE; DRAWAPERSON; K2Q01; K2Q01_D; HCABILITY; HCEXTENT

Denominator: Children age 3-5 years

Numerator: Needs support; Emerging; On track

Revisions and Changes: In 2024, this measure was added to the 2022 NSCH data query for the first time. For more information about the changes, click here.

Additional Notes: This is a composite measure composed of five domains - early learning, social emotional development, self-regulation, motor development, and health. Twenty-eight survey items were used to construct the measure domains. These individual survey items were scored based on age-appropriate developmental expectations and the child’s health status. Domain scores were calculated by averaging item scores within each domain and using cut-points of those averages: On track (score >= 2.5), Emerging (score 2.0–2.49), and Needs support (score < 2.0).
For the overall school readiness composite measure, children were categorized as “On track” if they scored “On track” in four to five domains and did not score “Needs support” on any one domain; children were categorized as “Emerging” if they scored “On track” on less than five domains and had no more than one domain scored as “Needs support”; children were categorized as “Needs support” if they scored “Needs support” on more than one domain. The composite measure is only considered missing if all domains are missing. Therefore, children who are “On track” on at least one domain when the remainder of the domains were missing are categorized as “On track” or meeting the school readiness measure criteria.
This measure is comprised of questions asked only of children age 3-5 years. For more information about development and scoring of the measure, click here.

Treatment of Unknown Values: Missing values may be due to non-response (i.e. a skipped item) or a “don’t know” response. The way these items are handled can vary by measure. For Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Measures, having missing values for all items in an indicator will lead to the case being given a missing value on the overall measure. For some other measures, if there is a missing value on any of the items, the case will be set to missing. How missing values are handled is documented in the "Additional notes" field above when required. Missing values are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the Interactive Data Query results table. In the majority of cases, the proportion of missing values is less than 5%. Exceptions are noted in the form of a Data Alert at the bottom of a results table. The exclusion of these values does not change the prevalence estimates (%) and only marginally affects the weighted population counts (Pop. Est.). To learn about the impact of the missing values on the population count estimates, click here.

History and Development:
About NSCH
The National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), funded and directed by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), is designed to provide annual national and state-level information on the health and well-being of children ages 0-17 years in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau administers the survey, oversees the sampling, and produces a final data set of survey results. HRSA’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) develops survey content in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau and a Technical Expert Panel. The Technical Expert Panel consists of experts in survey methodology and children’s health, federal and state stakeholders, clinicians and researchers. In 2016, the NSCH underwent a significant redesign which combined content from both the NSCH and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN). Further information on that redesign can be found in “The Design and Implementation of the 2016 National Survey of Children’s Health”.
The NSCH is conducted as a household survey, and one child per household is selected to be the subject for the detailed age-specific questionnaire. The respondent to this questionnaire is a parent or guardian who is living in the home and has knowledge of the sampled child. Survey participants complete either web-based or self-administered paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Data from the NSCH is used for scientific research, federal policy and program development, and state-level planning and performance reporting. Information is collected on factors related to the health and well-being of children, including access to and utilization of health care, receipt of care in a medical home, systems of care for CSHCN, family interactions, parental health, school and after-school experiences, and neighborhood characteristics.
More information about the survey can be found in the “About the National Survey of Children's Health” section of this website and HRSA’s MCHB website.