This document presents congressional testimony regarding effective early childhood education. Opening statements presented by Representatives Michael Castle and Dale Kildee focused on the need to examine the effectiveness of early childhood programs and address the "pre-achievement gap" between disadvantaged and advantaged preschoolers. Testimony was heard from: (1) Eugene Hickok, Under Secretary of the Department of Education, outlining principles of effective early childhood education; (2) Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), sharing information on efforts within Head Start to improve child outcomes, especially related to early literacy; (3) Ron Herndon of the National Head Start Association Board, arguing against moving Head Start to the Department of Education because of the ineffectiveness of Title I and ESL programs and the need to maintain a comprehensive program; (4) a Head Start teacher, describing her program and advocating early childhood programs geared toward the whole child and partnering with parents; (5) Sue Bredekamp of the Council for Professional Recognition, presenting information on the Heads Up! Reading distance learning course on early literacy for teachers of young children; and (6) a professor of psychology at Georgetown University, discussing trajectories of development, the nature of learning, and implications for early education. Questions to witnesses related to the proposed movement of Head Start from HHS to the Department of Education, program quality, teacher compensation and credentials, appropriation recommendations, and preschool curricula. Additional prepared statements, supplemental materials, and a position statement from a national organization are appended. (KB)