The Large Scale Testing Lab (LST) announces the launch of START-RO (Study of Trajectories and Adjustment in Romanian Children), the first national longitudinal study dedicated to understanding the educational, psychological, and social development of children in Romania.
What is START-RO?
START-RO is a large-scale research project of the LST Lab at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Bucharest. The study will follow cohorts of children from school entry through adolescence, documenting their developmental trajectories at critical educational transitions. Phase 1 (2026–2027) is funded through a private grant from Accenture, managed by the University of Bucharest Foundation.
Why is this study needed?
Romania currently lacks a longitudinal evidence base on children’s development. Educational policy decisions often rely on cross-sectional data or evidence from other national contexts that may not reflect the realities of the Romanian educational system. START-RO will fill this gap by providing rigorous, systematically collected data to inform policies and services for children and families.
Study aims
START-RO aims to describe the educational, psychological, and social lives of Romanian children at school entry; to chart their development over time; to identify the key factors that facilitate or hinder educational adjustment; to establish the effects of early family and school experiences on later outcomes; to map variation across children from different socio-economic and educational backgrounds; and to produce evidence for the design of effective educational policies and services.
What comes next?
Over the course of 2026, the LST team will finalize the study design, develop measurement instruments, and initiate data collection for the first cohort. Further details on methodology, the study timeline, and collaboration opportunities will be published on the dedicated START-RO page.