Quality early education, with sustained, appropriate investment in the essential elements documented by research to make a difference for children's development and learning, can be a game-changer for children, families, communities, public school systems, and society at large. Those essential elements include well-trained and appropriately compensated teachers, high standards, and effective and appropriate assessments. The question that has not yet been answered is how best to make that happen. How can Americans, in all our diverse circumstances, ensure that all children have access to the critical benefits of high-quality early education? Our paper seeks to address this question. (author abstract)