Child care licensing minimally requires a director to have two years paid experience in a licensed child care facility and a current CDA, Mississippi Department of Human Services’ Child Care Director’s Credential, or 24 semester hours in early childhood education. In addition, directors require 15 contact hours of annual staff development training. Entry-level principals in Mississippi must have a minimum of a master’s degree and pass the administrator’s praxis exam. Mississippi’s QRIS is currently undergoing evaluation and revision. State pre-K administrators are required to have a graduate degree, however early childhood coursework is not required. There is one early childhood leadership degree program in Mississippi, provided by Rust college.
