 Good morning and welcome. I am Charmaine Mercer, Senior Researcher and Director of the DC Office of the Learning Policy Institute. Thank you all for joining us here this morning. Our President and CEO, Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond, is unable to join us in person due to neck-and-back problems that prevent her from traveling. She sends her best wishes and greetings. We are very excited about today's program. We are very excited about today's program and the opportunity to partner with the Council for a Strong America, the first five years from and the Education Commission of the States, to advance our collective understanding of what it takes to provide high-quality preschool at scale. We are here today to share the results of our research on early learning and the lessons from the four states that were the focus of our study. Washington, Michigan, West Virginia, and North Carolina. But first, I'd like to share some information about the Learning Policy Institute. LPI is a national nonpartisan research and policy organization that uses high-quality research to shape policies that improve learning for each and every child. When Linda started LPI last year, she had a vision to connect policymakers and stakeholders at the local, state, and federal levels with the evidence, ideas, and actions needed to strengthen the education system. Our work focuses on four key areas, early childhood education, deeper learning, educator quality, and equitable access and resources. Our focus today is on early childhood education. During the 2015-16 fiscal year, nearly $7 billion was spent on programs for the country's youngest learners. There is broad public support for preschool. According to a 2014 Gallup poll, 70% of U.S. adults, including a majority of Republicans and Democrats, favor increasing federal funding for preschool to ensure that every child has access to high-quality preschool programs. Although there is considerable research on the elements of high-quality preschool and its many benefits, there is little information available about how to successfully implement the vision. Today, we wish to open a conversation about high-quality early education and the lessons that can be learned from the states that have successfully implemented such programs. As Linda wrote last year, and I quote, we believe that cross-cutting, transpartisan conversations informed by what many people know about good practice will help us find solutions to difficult problems. This is why we have gathered here this morning, and it is why we have asked our friends at the Council for a Strong America and the First Five Year Fund to co-sponsor this event with us. They represent a strong community of advocates for early childhood education, and we are happy that David Kass, President of Council for a Strong America, and Chris Perry, Executive Director of the First Five Years Fund are here with us today. I'd like to invite Chris to the podium. As she comes up, I will share a little of her background in bio. Chris is a nationally recognized early childhood advocate and has been Executive Director since 2012. A licensed clinical social worker by training, Chris previously served as the Executive Director of First Five California, a statewide organization that mobilizes education, health, parent support, child care, and other critical resources into coordinated services that improve the education health and developmental outcome for California's youngest children. Please join me in welcoming Chris.