START-RO

START-RO (Study of Trajectories and Adjustment in Romanian Children) is the national longitudinal study of children’s educational, psychological, and social development, a project of the Large Scale Testing Laboratory (LST) at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Phase 1 (2026–2027) is funded through a private grant from Accenture, managed by the University of Bucharest Foundation.

Aims and objectives

The primary aim of START-RO is to build the first longitudinal evidence base on children’s development in Romania, in order to inform educational policy and support services for children and families. The study aims to describe the educational, psychological, and social lives of Romanian children at school entry; to chart their development over time at critical transitions from school entry through adolescence; 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.