START-RO
START-RO (Study of Trajectories and Adjustment in Romanian Children) is a national longitudinal study of children’s educational, psychological, and social development, a project of the Large-Scale Testing Laboratory (LST) within the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences. Phase 1 (2026–2030) is funded by a private grant from Accenture Romania, administered 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.
Participation
START-RO is currently recruiting approximately 1,500 families with children entering Grade 0 (clasa pregătitoare), from 70 nationally representative schools selected through stratified random sampling. Participation is voluntary, fully online, and confidential. Participating families are automatically entered in quarterly eMag voucher draws.
Invitation letters: