Guidelines are presented to help school districts plan and implement effective education programs for preschool handicapped children. It is explained that the document was developed from the experiences of special education staff of the Texas Education Agency and early childhood consultants, and that the guidelines and recommendations are not designed as rules for program compliance. Topics covered include (sample subtopics in parentheses): eligibility; administrative management (administrator role, staff certification); personnel (attitudes and competencies); personnel development (transdisciplinary approach); procedural safeguards (district policies); child identification (public awareness activities); individual assessment (district wide screening programs); individual educational plan (IEP) development (components of the IEP); educational program placement (combination of instructional options); individualized instruction; related services (eligibility); and IEP review (procedures for 3-month and 3-year reviews). Additional topics include curriculum, building facilities, materials and equipment, parent involvement, service coordination, and program evaluation. (CL)