School-based early childhood centers have the potential for responding effectively to a broad range of child and family needs and to society's demands for more effective schools. They have four defining features: (1) implementation of quality programs and developmentally appropriate practices for young children through age eight; (2) families as partners in schooling; (3) active involvement with and responsiveness to community needs and resources; and (4) transition services, including a school-based commitment to educating preschoolers. This report describes the progress that six sites in the northwestern United States, selected as "early innovators," made toward becoming a fully formed early childhood center during 1991-93. The schools included: Centennial Early Childhood Center, Portland, Oregon; Mary Harrison Primary, Toledo, Oregon; Nome Elementary School, Nome, Alaska; Ponderosa Elementary School, Billings, Montana; South Colby Elementary School, Port Orchard, Washington; and Tendoy Elementary School, Pocatello, Idaho. Data sources included interviews and classroom observations, documents, principal reports and interviews, and a school survey. Findings indicate that the six schools gave the most consistent and comprehensive attention to implementing a quality program based on developmentally appropriate practice. Besides the above component, the schools uniformly rated the following program elements as very important: a focus on language and literacy, use of a variety of authentic assessment techniques, school leadership for innovations, family involvement, and school board support for change. These findings suggest that successful restructuring efforts must occur simultaneously in a number of components in order for changes to accumulate into a sustained effort. Further recommendations are offered. Appendices contain site profiles, a self-diagnostic survey, and a data matrix of the components by site. (LMI)