This report describes early childhood education policy making and legislation in several states and discusses research methodology for comparative case study research. The first part of the study provides a historical account of the emergence of the national compulsory attendance movement in the 19th century, and the corresponding growth of early childhood education. In the second part of the report, extensive case studies of five states (West Virginia, California, New Mexico, Ohio, and Georgia) that initiated kindergarten legislation between 1971 and 1973 are presented. Considered in each state case study are such issues as: (1) rationales that state policy makers have used to support early childhood education policy initiatives, (2) background of the reform, (3) response to proposed legislation, (4) development of the change, (5) opposition to the reform, and (6) legislative leadership necessary to effect the change. Social, political, fiscal, and research rationales of the reform legislation are discussed and compared. In the third section of the document, research methodology and survey techniques, materials, and results are discussed in great detail. The final chapter contains a selected bibliography. (Author/BRT)