Rhode Island

Overall Policy Lever Score

3

Child care licensing requirements in Rhode Island separate administrative and pedagogical leadership functions into two roles: administrator and education coordinator. They can be the same person, but have different qualifications. At a minimum, education coordinators must have a bachelor’s degree and 24 semester hours in early childhood education. If the administrator works in a program where there is a full-time education coordinator, experience in administration and 3 years of experience working in a licensed early childhood program is all that is required for the administrator. Rhode Island does not have a director credential. Elementary principal licensure requires a master’s degree and  a minimum of 10 y ears of experience as a teacher or support professional;  pre-K certification is available. The statewide QRIS, at the highest level, requires that the administrator have at least a bachelor’s degree and 12 semester hours in early childhood education. School-based pre-K programs require a principal license, however community-based programs do not have administrator requirements. There are no early childhood leadership degree programs or leadership academies in Rhode Island.

Interesting Facts: Rhode Island