Descriptions of 27 state early childhood education programs are presented in this survey conducted to provide information on which to base program development decisions related to early childhood education in West Virginia. The study surveyed the following areas in each state: definition of early childhood education; administrating agency; laws, regulations, and governmental policies guiding the program; statements describing children's and parents' rights and responsibilities; planning systems; desired program elements; implementation guidelines and suggestions; certification requirements, professional development systems and program evaluation approaches. The state programs studied are Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia. (Author/SE)