this endeavor were based on information from fiscal year 1996 that was provided by contacts from each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. From this information, Ripple and colleagues identified 31 states with preschool education programs that met their criteria for inclusion in the study.1 It should be noted that the preschool education standards differ from, and in most case are more stringent than, state licensing standards for child care programs serving children ages 2 to 5.