KALISPELL (AP) -- Montana needs to have a more seamless approach to its education system, starting with kindergarten for all students, if it expects to be competitive in a changing world, Gov. Brian Schweitzer told state education leaders here.

''We have to compete in the world economy,'' Schweitzer said Thursday at a meeting of the state Board of Education. ''We are no longer competing with Idaho; we are competing with India. We are no longer competing with Colorado; we are competing with China.''

Success, he said, relies on having students who are better prepared for school and having schools that are better prepared to help them. That means starting as young as possible, he told the board, a combination of members of the state Board of Regents and the Board of Public Education.

''We don't care if you live in a big home with the richest parents and go to the nicest country clubs, or if you grew up on a farm and your parents didn't go to college,'' Schweitzer said. ''We will give everybody equal opportunity to succeed.''

Schweitzer said studies show children who come from upper-class families are better prepared for first grade than children who come from low-income families.

Most dropouts are students from low-income families, he said. All-day kindergarten, which would help expand early education experiences, would help all students throughout their academic journey. Their success, in turn, will help grow a healthier economy, Schweitzer said.

Another major initiative in the governor's agenda is to promote accessibility to higher education by improving the transferability of student credits from one Montana campus to another.

Schweitzer also got an earful from board members on what they believe needs to be done to improve education in the state. In addition to full-day kindergarten, board members said lower class sizes are a must, along with more emphasis on mentoring and after-school programs and the need for more family and community participation in students' education.

Linda McCulloch, the state superintendent of public instruction, said perhaps the most pressing need is the rededication of time, money and support for American Indian students.

Data from her office shows that while Indian students in Montana account for 10 percent of high school enrollment, they account for 24 percent of the dropouts. Indians students in seventh and eighth grade are about 12 times more likely to drop out, data shows.

Montana still has a long way to go to improve its graduation rates, but momentum to improve Indian Education for All is at its high point, said Jan Lombardi, the governor's education policy adviser.

''We have more to do,'' Lombardi said, giving McCulloch her grade for the homework she presented: ''Good job.''