Recognizing the many benefits of early childhood educational experiences, the Early Learning Challenge (ELC) encouraged state policymakers to design systems that carry these benefits into the early elementary grades. This encouragement grew stronger over the three rounds of ELC competition. In the first and second rounds of the ELC, initiated in 2011 and 2012, states were allowed to invest ELC funds to address early learning into elementary school years but did not receive any credit for developing a plan for this "invitational" priority. By the third round of the competition, released in 2013, this area was elevated to a "competitive preference priority area," giving states the option to earn points for "creating preschool through third grade approaches to sustain improved early learning outcomes through the early elementary grades." Signficantly, all the states that received funding in the third round of ELC competition wrote to this area. (author abstract)