A new bill has been introduced in Congress by Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Representative Dale Kildee (D-MI) that would make full-day early childhood education widely available to preschool students. The bill, labeled "Smart Start" (S. 2270) is intended to help economically disadvantaged preschool students, whose numbers have increased drastically over the last 8 years. A longitudinal study of the Perry Preschool Project in Michigan is cited as an example, among others, of the quantifiable long-term benefits of preschool programs for the later educational success of disadvantaged students. Early intervention has high potential as a cost-effective method for combatting high school dropout rates, and therefore decreasing associated problems such as youth unemployment, drugs, and crime. It also saves lower-income parents the burdensome expense of day care. A key feature of the "Smart Start" proposal is cooperation at the local level, since any organization capable of providing decent full-time care could deliver the services. A sidebar describes provisions in the bill for personnel, funding, eligibility, and parental involvement, along with potential opposition and program goals. (TE)