CROMWELL (AP)- Governor Rell and state Education Commissioner Betty Sternberg are putting some muscle behind the effort to extend preschool to three and four-year-olds in Connecticut.

Sternberg says she'll ask the legislature next year to expand preschool in priority districts such as Hartford, Bridgeport, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Waterbury and Windham.

Governor Rell has named Janice Gruendel to spearhead the administration efforts and work on things such as cost and curriculum.

Rell says it's imperative to provide preschool to every child to close the education gap between minority and poor students and white suburban peers.

She has asked a working group to report to her by November on the plan.

The statements on preschool came in Cromwell this morning at the state Department of Education's annual back-to-school meeting.